Lancashire County Council U-Turn on Gully Cleansing
Every highway drainage gully will be cleaned in a planned programme if Lancashire County Council’s cabinet approve an officer recommendation this Thursday. The change will effectively reverse a 10-year policy where highway gullies were usually only cleaned in response to complaints…
Our West Lancashire gain seats from Labour and Conservative and post a Record Number of Votes
Our West Lancashire, the Independents on West Lancashire Borough Council are celebrating after gaining seats from Labour and Conservative in Thursday’s local elections and recording their highest ever number of votes. In Burscough Bridge and Rufford, Paul Hesketh unseated Conservative…
West Lancashire Council lose almost £400,000 of grant funding for Ormskirk Town Centre
Our West Lancashire are calling for answers after mismanagement by the Labour-run Borough Council has resulted in Ormskirk Town Centre losing out on £382,000 of Heritage Action Zone allocated funding from Historic England. This is around half of the original £755,000 awarded…
Ormskirk Town Centre Business Directory Launched
Our West Lancashire have today launched an online business directory for Ormskirk Town Centre. Adrian Owens, OWL Chairman said the idea came from comments OWL hear from residents frequently. “People will say to us they didn’t know they could get that…
Are Vital Ormskirk Town Centre Road Repairs being delayed because they would Show Derby Street Bridge Plans to be Unworkable?
Our West Lancashire write to Lancashire’s Highways Chief asking for road resurfacing in town centre without further delay Council Independents, Our West Lancashire have today written to Lancashire Highways Chief, Councillor Rupert Swarbrick calling for urgent road resurfacing to take place…
FINALLY! – Bus Station Toilets to Open but OWL Criticise Councils’ Performance
UPDATE: 31st January 2024. Unfortunately the saga continues. Will any cabinet member get a grip of this? Statement from WLBC officer: “I engaged a contractor before Christmas and they set to work on rectifying the outstanding defects. Most of these are…
Our West Lancashire’s Helping Hand this Christmas
On the back of Our West Lancashire’s success getting the council to restore funding for the Christmas tree outside the parish church in Ormskirk along with funding for Skelmersdale’s Christmas lights; OWL have now gone a stage further by helping residents…
Call for Visible Police Presence in Ormskirk
Our West Lancashire have called for a visible police presence in Ormskirk saying recent incidents risk damaging Ormskirk’s reputation as a safe town. Janet Ingman, an OWL activist in the town said, “People I speak to see low level crime going…
The Path to Nowhere is Finally to be Connected
Our West Lancashire’s Councillor Paul Hesketh has welcomed news that the linear park path between Ormskirk and Burscough is finally to be connected after the Borough Council confirmed that the project is moving ahead. OWL had previously dubbed it the “path…
Ormskirk’s Historic Alleyways to be Improved – Project saved after OWL Intervention
Ormskirk Town Centre’s historic alleyways are to be improved as an £107,000 project is saved after an intervention by Our West Lancashire. Overspends on the unpopular ‘pagoda’ removal at Wheatsheaf Walk and on the Ormskirk bus station development had threatened this…
Labour have Lost Control of Council Finances
Council spent £1.4 million on agency staff and £245,000 on consultants in past year as deficit balloons to £1.8 million Council Independents, Our West Lancashire say that Labour have lost control of West Lancashire council’s finances after a budget was only…
One Councillor, One Vote System to be Introduced at West Lancashire Borough Council
One councillor, one vote will be introduced at West Lancashire Borough Council after councillors approved the recommendations of a councillor working group on the subject. Currently, a small group of 8 councillors from Skelmersdale and Ormskirk take most of the important…
Council Plan Annual Report Rejected by Councillors
Glossy document didn’t reflect reality West Lancashire Borough Councillors rejected the Council Plan Annual Report at the July council meeting on Wednesday evening. This is the first time the Annual Plan Report has been rejected. There was criticism by councillors of…
OWL Success as Council Abandons Plan to Build on Highly-Valued Piece of Open Space in Ormskirk
The Labour-led Council have abandoned plans to sell public open space in Ormskirk for housebuilding to their own Development Company after sustained questioning by Our West Lancashire. The Council Independents have warmly welcomed the U-turn but said it showed how the…
OWL Secure Public Open Spaces Against Housebuilding but Concerns Remain
Work continues on plans to sell one single public open space for housebuilding Council-owned Tawd Valley Developments are not currently assessing any further public open spaces for housing development. That’s the assurance from council officers secured by Our West Lancashire. …
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.…
