The Conservatives have taken majority control of Pendle Borough Council for the first time in 39 years. The last time the Party took control of Pendle was the day that Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister.
The Council will be led by the 31-year-old Councillor, Paul White, from Laneshaw Bridge, who led the Brexit campaign for the North West of England. The Deputy Leader of the Council will be 39-year-old Solicitor, Nadeem Ahmed, from Nelson.
The new Leader has set out his vision for the next 12 months, which includes boosting education, growing the economy, and cutting the number of councillors at the authority.
Councillor Paul White, who has been a councillor for seven years and Leader of the Conservatives for just two months said: "It's the greatest honour of my life to have been chosen to be the Leader of the Pendle Borough Council. The future of Pendle relies on the success of our people and that's our focus.
We've put together a very ambitious programme for the next 12 months, because that's what this Borough needs, ambition.
We're moving past the doom, gloom and negativity of the previous administration, and starting to talk Pendle up. We want to move Pendle forward quickly and a majority Council allows us to do that."
The Conservatives' plan includes:
- Financially supporting schools through the Pendle Challenge - by providing a match-funded grant which challenges schools to try new ideas and approaches to improving education.
- Re-writing the local housing plan and lowering the housing targets in Pendle - to protect our green fields and make sure we get quality and affordable housing in the right places. The Conservatives will also use the Brownfield Fund for houses, rather than just for commercial land to make sure abandoned sites are brought back to life and make our community to look better whilst reducing the pressure on our green fields.
- Work with Universities from across the North to bring a campus to Pendle - focusing on manufacturing, engineering and digital skills.
- Handing over the freehold of Colne Football Club to the club itself - and allowing others to be considered for the same scheme, giving our local clubs the support they need to grow and thrive.
- Creating 100 apprenticeships within 100 days.
- Supporting, encouraging and lobbying for a Colne and Villages bypass - but the Conservatives will only support and push forward with the right route.
- Working with Andrew Stephenson MP, SELRAP and others - to continue to lobby and encourage the re-opening of the Colne to Skipton line.
- Providing grant funding to local businesses and entrepreneurs - to help new businesses start up and existing businesses grow.
- Tackle loneliness - by working with schools and seniors' groups bringing people from all parts of our community together.
- Reviewing cemeteries - to see whether the Council is providing for all faiths in Pendle.
- Selling off expensive and under-used council buildings such as the Ace Centre and Number 1 Market Street - using the money to pay down the Council's ever growing debt.
The new Council Leader, Paul White, said: "Pendle needs a big focus on education. We have some of the worst attainment of any area in Lancashire and so Margaret Foxley, a former teacher, will lead on that flag-ship policy of ours. Whilst it's not a statutory responsibility of this Council, we all have a personal responsibility to sort that out. It's accepted and unchanged for far too long.
I will take responsibility for the economy and I look forward to celebrating all the great things we make here in this brilliant hub of manufacturing. I intend that to be a big focus of our team."
Deputy Leader of the Council, Nadeem Ahmed, said, "Paul and I are looking forward to representing the whole of Pendle, every single corner of it, and we're the best placed to do that with councillors in every area of the Borough. We're very grateful to be able to lead Pendle forward, to have the chance to improve the lives of our residents. It is not a responsibility we take lightly.
Pendle Council hasn't had a majority party in control for 10 years and that really can prevent the area moving forward as quickly as it should. We hope to be able to provide clear direction to be able to move forward at a fast pace."
The Council's Administration will be made up of Councillors: Paul White (Leader of the Council), Nadeem Ahmed (Deputy Leader of the Council), Margaret Foxley, Musawar Arshad, Mike Goulthorp, Paul Foxley, Joe Cooney and Christian Wakeford.