Tyred Halo needs revamp to become major attraction
IT would be a stretch to say anything good has come from having a pandemic – after all, we should never lose sight of the 125,000 people who have died, and as a result the 1million+ people who have lost a relative too soon.
But if there are changes which I hope stick as a result of lockdown, it’s the sight of people out and about exploring their local area of a weekend.
It can be too easy to jump in the car and head for Pendle, the Ribble Valley, the Lakes, or the coast – and all are lovely places.
Shamefully, while walking up to the Halo in Haslingden the other weekend, having parked in the town centre, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been up there.
It’s been a prominent – indeed, illuminated – feature on our landscape for more than a decade now, and the original aim of it was to encourage more people into the countryside, and indeed, into the area.
Along with sister sculpture The Singing Ringing Tree just over the border in Burnley, the Halo can still serve that purpose – but needs help to do so.
It was very blustery when I walked up – just the right sort of day to blow away the cobwebs after a week of being stuck indoors.
The views are impressive from the top – but two things stick in my memory.
The welcome board and map was broken, and behind a wall, not the most welcoming sight when you reach your destination.
And just next to the entrance was a pile of tyres, presumably dumped by someone.
Looking on Facebook during the week, and there were several posts from local police officers having to patrol the Halo at night to stop people gathering (against lockdown rules) and using drugs up there.
At a time when Rossendale Council is talking a big game about the transformation of Haslingden, and rejuvenating it to draw on its heritage, it seems an appropriate time to ask what can be done to improve the site around the Halo.
It should be a big attraction – a place which marks the end of a long walk across the Moors, or a place where families head up to and explore. And indeed, both are already true – but could be used by so many more, if promoted properly.
But to promote it properly, it feels as though a commitment needs to be made to keep in good shape first – both by the council, and also by us, local people.
How did a big pile of tyres end up there? It’s not an easy place to get to by car, let alone van. And why would anyone consider it acceptable to dump tyres in the first place?
And how do we stop it from becoming a place where people up to no good congregate at night? For residents near by, it must be a nuisance – and the police are too stretched to be able to police it regularly.
The Halo feels like it has huge potential, but it’s untapped at the moment, and should become central to whatever plans to reinvent Haslingden are finally brought forward.