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Matt Dubb: This stretch of road is horrendous for crashes. How though? It’s just a simple straight stretch of road? Baffles me Kristy Lee: Speed cameras / bumps needed in that road...it’s a 30mph zone. I was nearly run over in exactly the same spot as today’s accident, by a car racing up the wrong side of the bollard in the road on Saturday evening! Had I not seen the car I would have been killed, he was doing at LEAST 60mph!
Emily Wildy: Our Advanced Nurse Practitioner from Ilex Medical Practice came straight to the scene to treat the injured - Viv if you read this you are amazing x Karen King: Well done Viv...amazing lady x
Steve Bottomley: Just one word...how?
Julie Marie New: Hope everyone involved is OK ●● NEW Rawtenstall bath bomb shop after business booms in lockdown (May 14):
John Uttley: Lisa Uttley we need to take Ava here
Vikki Taberer: This is excellent, we’ll done guys. I’ll definitely be stopping by Lisa Pim: Noticed this place earlier as I drove by, will definitely pop in x Becky Louise Niemeyer: Well done Gem France and Nicola x
Sarah Johnson: Can’t wait to bring Logan in for a visit!. x
Ania Larysz: Good effort ladies. Gem! I’m proud of u! Luv ya x
Sam Mubarak: Never knew it was this big Nicola Mcloughlin, you’re smashing it
Paul Birks: Rebecca Birks - I can think of one little person who would love a visit x
Bekah Hargreaves: Elise Sansum we need to go here next week and get spoiled Jean Starkie: Nice shop. Have already been in and bought a birthday gift.
HUGE congratulations to all those elected as local or county councillors in the bumper round of votes after elections were delayed for a year in 2020 as we coped with Covid-19.
The results across Rossendale were, as always, extremely close, showing that here in the Valley, every vote really does matter.
Overall it was a positive result for the Conservatives, retaining control of Lancashire County Council, winning the Police and Crime Commissioner election and pushing Rossendale Borough Council to ‘no overall control’.
Further afield, it was heartening to see the voters of Hartlepool back the Prime Minister’s stance on Brexit and Covid-19 with a resounding victory for Jill Mortimer, the first Conservative MP for the town for 57 years.
If there is a lesson out of this election campaign across the whole of the UK, it is that the public want us to get on with focusing on their needs and their priorities, coming through the pandemic and making sure we build back better.
Elections are, by their nature, divisive but I hope that readers will be reassured that once the ballot boxes have been packed away we all take off our party rosettes and get back on with the job of working to improve Rossendale for everyone.
One of the first things locally on our agenda is to put together a Rossendale bid for the Government’s new ‘Levelling Up’ fund.
Councils can apply for £20m to fund projects focused on town centre regeneration – such as the reclamation of brownfield sites and the revamping of derelict buildings – and cultural initiatives.
Councils can also seek up to £50m for transport schemes ranging from work to improve and redesign local roads and upgrade public transport, through to larger-scale projects which aim to cut carbon emissions and boost the economy.
This really is a huge opportunity to get even more investment into the Valley but it’s vital that we all work together to put in the best bid possible to secure this money for Rossendale.
This week has also seen us take the next careful step on the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown. It’s fantastic to see more businesses re-opening, families reunited and life returning to normal.
We must however remain vigilant.
The emergence and spread of the new variant only a few miles away in Bolton and Blackburn is a reminder that the threat of Covid has not disappeared.
The vaccination programme has been a huge success, over 20 million people have now received both jabs and
70% have received at least one vaccination.
There are however, still some people who have, for whatever reason, refused to take up the offer of the vaccination.
My message to them is clear. The vaccine is safe, it protects lives, if you are eligible, please get vaccinated.
I’ve also been working with the NFU and local farmers to tackle the problem of dog attacks on local livestock.
There’s been a number of serious incidents across Rossendale and Darwen over recent weeks.
Not only is this extremely distressing for everyone involved, it also means a significant financial losses for farmers and their families.
Please remember when you are out and about with your dog that many of the footpaths across our fields are a workplace for our farmers and especially at lambing season, you must keep your dog under control and on a lead.
Finally, I’d like to say thank you to the volunteers and supporters from Christian Aid at St Thomas’ in Helmshore. Their ‘pop up café’ was a huge success, raising around £500 and the homemade cakes got a big thumbs up from everyone.