United front in bid for Lytham Council

A group of independent councillors representing Lytham on Fylde Council have put forward a notice of motion for the next full council meeting on October 19 proposing that he first step of a Community Governance Review is taken “with a view to exploring the creation of a parish council structure to cover Lytham, Ansdell and Fairhaven”.

The proposal suggests a united front among Lytham councillors, after the town’s Conservative members said recently that a town/parish council was a must if proposals for local government structure changes, currently being discussed and which could see the abolition of Fylde Council, go ahead.

Independent councillors Mark Bamforth, Brenda Blackshaw, Brian Gill and Roger Lloyd said in a statement: “For many years, independent councillors have been campaigning for the creation of parish council for the Lytham Area but have been blocked on many occasions .

“We were heartened to read that local Conservative councillors are now in favour of the formation of a local council in Lytham and Ansdell. The Government has also made its commitment to Parish Councils clear.

“It does seem that all sides are now in one accord and with the increasing possibility of our borough becoming a part of a Combined Authority in the near future, we believe there has never been a more important time for a parish council to be created.

“However we strongly believe, and hope our fellow councillors will agree, that we should have a local council for the Lytham area on its own merit,irrespective of any other circumstances.”

All areas of the Fylde borough apart from Lytham and Ansdell currently have parish or town councils, the largest being St Annes-on-the-Sea Town Council, serving a population of 26,935, while the smallest is Greenhalgh-with-Thistleton Parish Council with a population of 421.

The topic was discussed at this week’s meeting of the Fylde Finance and Democracy committee, chaired by council leader Coun Karen Buckley, who said: “I welcome the appetite from all sides of the council to look again at the need for a parish council in the areas of Lytham, Ansdell and Fairhaven. Democratic accountability in the heart of the community is available all across Fylde apart from there. It’s time to address the imbalance.”