Councillors asked to approve new Rawtenstall long-term town board including business people for £20million funding

Three Rossendale town and village areas could get £20million over ten years, if councillors approve a new town board including members who are not elected by the public, such as local business owners, which is required under rules drawn-up by the previous Conservative government.

Rawtenstall, Waterfoot and Crawshawbooth were selected earlier this year under the previous government for a new nation-wide scheme called Long Term Plan for Towns.  Michael Gove, the former Conservative government levelling-up secretary, said it was ‘new-style politics’.

High street improvements, transport, connections and public safety are key themes for funding.

Labour is now in government and the phrase ‘levelling-up’ has been ditched. Labour leaders said it was a ‘gimmick’ and the new government wil instead focus on ‘the hard yards of governing’ and ‘fixing’ the country. The new government has also met English regional mayors in recent days, saying it wants new relationships.

However Rossendale Council and some other councils, including Pendle, have already begun work on  Long Term Plan for Towns. Newly-elected MPs will be among those sitting on the new town boards.

The previous government said councils had to create new town boards in early June and submit investment plans this summer.

A new council report states: ” Rossendale Council is the accountable body for the funding and executing the long term plan. However, the investment plan must be community-led and developed by a town board. The funding is to support three objectives of safety and security; heritage, high streets and regeneration, and transport and connectivity.”

In Rossendale, Iain Taylor, of IMT Consulting, has been appointed as the new Rawtenstall board chairman for the new long term plan. Other members include the area’s new Labour MP Andy MacNae and Coun Alyson Barnes, leader of Rossendale Council.

Business people who are board members include Milly Davey of Milly Davey Flowers, Shaun Morley of the Lyndhurst shoe company, Andy Schofield of Latitude Marketing, David Gould of Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce and Sean Kierans of Scentish.

Health, leisure and community representatives include Abdul Mannan of Hazel Valley GP practice, Sam Sandford of Rossendale Leisure Trust, Lynn Smith and Jan  Shutt, both of Civic Pride; Peter Terry of Rossendale Scouts group who is also a grammar school governor; and Deyrick Allen of Horse and Bamboo Theatre.

David Smurthwaite. Rossendale Council’s director of economic development, will have a leading role. Other top council officers including chief executive :Rob Huntington will have observer roles on the new board.

Now, all elected borough councillors at Rossendale Council’s full meeting on Wednesday, July 17, have to decide if they will formally authorise acceptance of the £20million deal, formally note the new town board and delegate authority to leading councillors on the cabinet and council officers for various roles.

Councillors are also recommended to authorise council officers to tender and appoint any outside paid consultants who may be needed. And to allow the programme board to monitor spending of cash, oversee the project’s delivery and manage risks.

Approval of a Rawtenstall masterplan is also recommended, allowing for minor changes by a top council officer.  And a Waterfoot masterplan will be developed by the cabinet.

The £20m endowment-style funding will be released over seven years within the 10 year period. Twenty-five per cent will be revenue for day-to-day costs, such as staff or consultants’ pay, and 75 per cent for capital, such as equipment, building work or other larger one-off costs.