Council Fritter Away £1575 on Training Mayor how to Chair a Meeting
Extravagant spend comes as long serving council staff are made redundant and others face possible short-time working West Lancashire Borough Council have been strongly criticised for spending £1575 on a one-day online training session for the Mayor on chairing council meetings. …
Demolition of ‘Pagoda’ on hold as costs spiral
Our West Lancashire call for fresh public consultation Controversial plans to demolish the ‘pagoda’ at Wheatsheaf Walk in Ormskirk are on hold after the demolition costs reported to councillors were found to be a gross underestimate. Revised costs have not been…
Hopes rise for flood affected area after Network Rail ‘come to the table’
Hopes for progress to alleviate flood risk for long-suffering residents living in Crabtree Lane in Burscough have risen. Network Rail drainage experts have confirmed drainage investigation works are underway and they will be meeting with Lancashire County Council on Monday. Residents…
Labour’s Car Park Charging Decision could suffocate Ormskirk’s recovering shop trade
Labour’s Car Park Charging Decision could suffocate Ormskirk’s recovering shop trade Visitor numbers in Ormskirk town centre remain well down on pre-Covid levels and to re-introduce the full pre-Covid car parking charges next month risks suffocating the recent revival in trade…
Council can’t claim to be green when it doesn’t even consider best available energy efficiency in new council homes
Our West Lancashire councillors have questioned how committed the Borough Council is to its carbon neutrality plans. This after news emerged that the council had not even considered the best available energy efficiency standards when planning 37 new council homes in…
Hope for Jobs for Young People at Borough Council after OWL action
Borough Councillors voted unanimously to receive a report in October seeking to recruit more young people to council apprenticeships after Our West Lancashire raised the matter at last week’s council meeting. OWL Chairman, Cllr Adrian Owens said, “Young people are 2.5…
Labour set to disregard public outcry and remove pagoda in Ormskirk Town Centre
The ‘pagoda’ in Wheatsheaf Walk, Ormskirk looks set for demolition after all six Labour councillors, none representing Ormskirk, voted in favour at the Executive Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday evening. The Labour cabinet are now expected to rubber stamp this.…
Keep current free car parking in Ormskirk Town Centre to help businesses
Parking in Ormskirk Town Centre should remain free of charge until at least the autumn to help businesses back onto their feet say Council Independents, Our West Lancashire. OWL Chairman, Cllr Adrian Owens wrote to the Council Leader and Chief Officer…
OWL Secure Deep Clean Of Ormskirk Town Centre After Long Campaign
Ormskirk Town Centre is set for a much needed deep clean after a long campaign from Council Independents, Our West Lancashire who first raised the matter more than a year ago. The Council responded by purchasing the equipment for such a…
“Rude and Petulant†County Council Leader
“Rude and Petulant†County Council Leader starts to shift position on waste tips County Council Leader dispatches resident concerns to the bin, yet hours later starts to shift position on re-opening waste sites County Council Leader, Geoff Driver has been criticised…
A Plan Is Needed To Reopen Household Waste And Recycling Centres
The County Council need to announce a timetable for a controlled re-opening of Household Waste and Recycling Centres in Skelmersdale and Burscough say Our West Lancashire. The call comes as the Borough Council announced plans for community skips across the Borough…
Figures released by county council show West Lancashire has the worst-maintained roads in the county
Figures obtained by council Independents, Our West Lancashire show that in the 3 months to the end of January more highways defects were reported in West Lancashire than in any other Lancashire Borough. In total 860 highways defects were reported in…
Council did not consult their own Competent Health and Safety adviser before approving market stall changes
Health and Safety concerns about the proposed changes to Ormskirk market have heightened as news emerged that the council did not consult their own competent health and safety adviser over the plans. Council Independent Group, Our West Lancashire have been asking…
Another Successful Ormskirk Town Centre litter pick but Councillor says retailers must play their part
Around 15 community volunteers spruced up Ormskirk town centre including alleyways; backs of shops and near the stations in another event organised by Our West Lancashire on Sunday (2nd February). Permanent residents were joined by members of Edge Hill University’s Sustainability…
Long term solutions needed, not quick fixes at top-level meeting on parking in Ormskirk
A meeting of the councils, Edge Hill University and police on parking problems in Ormskirk must consider long-term solutions not simply quick fixes say Council Independents, Our West Lancashire. The meeting this week (Thursday 30th January) is being held after Our…
Annual Report 2019
Take five minutes (or a little over) to discover some of what we’ve been up to in 2019.
OWL lead with motion to eliminate single use plastics from WLBC
Our West Lancashire recently proposed a motion that WLBC move to eliminate Single Use Plastics (SUPs) from its supply chain, and encourage local businesses to do the same. Following debate and minor amendments to our motion in the council chamber, the…
Our Stance on Councillor Allowances
Councillor allowances or “pay” in West Lancashire is voted on and agreed by… you guessed it, councillors themselves. Our West Lancashire believe that this process should be more transparent than it is. That’s why today we are publishing our submission to…
Labour cabinet should publicly justify their changes to Ormskirk Market
Council staff who put up the stalls were not asked their views Continuing questions over the finance figures are to be considered by council’s external auditors Council Independents this week accused the Labour council cabinet of not having thought out their…
Council Leader quizzed over waste bin Breakages
An Independent councillor is to quiz the Council Leader at this week’s council meeting after three of her blue recycling bins have been broken during the bin emptying process in the past 12 months. Cllr Jane Thompson said, “I am now…
