21 December 2009, 09/296
Christmas/New Year messages from the Leader and
Mayor
Councillor Ian Grant, Leader of West Lancashire Borough
Council, said: "It seems like only yesterday I was wishing
everybody a merry Christmas yet a whole year has passed by and, as
I predicted, 2009 has been a challenging time for the Council. Not
only have we had to deal with the impact of the recession but a
minimal financial settlement from the Government. As a result we
have had to make some tough decisions in order to carry on
delivering quality services at an affordable price, which has been
achieved by a reduction in staffing costs and restructuring
management arrangements and generally tightening budgets even more.
However, we are weathering the storm.
Performance has continued to be
strong over the last 12 months. We have smashed our cleanliness
targets, ensuring exceptionally low levels of litter, graffiti and
fly posting on our streets, and we are well on target to increase
recycling rates to 50% by March 2010. More people than ever (81.7%)
feel that West Lancashire is a safe and secure place to live. We
also held our very first ‘Face the People’ crime event in March,
which was a great opportunity for people to have their say and to
find out more about what we’re doing to keep people safe. We are
providing businesses with as much support as possible in the
current economic climate, with free workshops and information on
the website. Reductions in the first three months rent have been
offered at our flagship Investment Centre to encourage new
businesses. More affordable housing has become available and we
have agreed a £5.7 million programme of improvements to our housing
stock in the current year as part of a 10-year investment
programme. Our services are more accessible than ever before and
our website was judged to be the best in Lancashire. Residents aged
60 and over can now swim free at Nye Bevan and Park Pool and we
have set up new youth clubs as part of our ‘Play Project’. We have
also agreed to increase investment in a number of leisure
facilities throughout the borough.
Crime is low and falling and we
will continue to focus our efforts on the issues which are
important to the whole borough.
I could go on but instead I’ll wish you all a merry Christmas
and a happy New Year.
The Mayor, Councillor Geoff M. Roberts, said: "It was
a historical moment for West Lancashire on 20 May when we became a
Borough, with the presentation of a Royal Charter by the Lord
Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Shuttleworth JP. West Lancashire had
for many years been the only District in Lancashire without Borough
status and although our Chairman did officially have the same
status as a Mayor, the position of the Council and its Chairman was
sometimes wrongly regarded as being inferior. So we submitted a
petition praying for the grant of a Royal Charter by Her Majesty
the Queen conferring on the District the status of a Borough. The
petition was successful and I am extremely proud to have been
selected to serve as the first Mayor here. West Lancashire is a
wonderful area, and having borough status has really given us the
prestige that we deserve. I have been asked to attend many
delightful functions and have had the pleasure of meeting many
different people.
Everywhere I go, the one thing that I really notice is the
hospitality and friendliness that greets me. Everybody is so warm
and generous, which makes my role as Mayor so pleasurable. So I’d
like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you
for your kindness and support. I’m sure my two charities - Ormskirk
Parkinson’s Disease Society and Mencap West Lancashire - will
benefit greatly from all your fundraising efforts - long may it
continue. On that note, have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New
Year.
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