Ctllhcr^c


Answers needed on costs


NOW th a t we have had an explanation why we must pay for services we don't get in Bowland, the niceties and platitudes are over and action must be our key word.


payers in the Ribble Valley Authority to join forces with ns m Bowland to make our voices heard against bureaucracy. We are paying the piper and must, needs lie. bold enough to call the tune. Perhaps the executive officer. Mr Jackson, would publicly answer a few queries.


Wc appeal to all rate­


refurnishing and carpeting the Castle offices, and why was it necessary for existing lurniture and fittings to be­ come expendable overnight?


and what cost? The cost of decorating,


also say exactly what lias become of this surplus equipment?


Perhaps Mr Jackson could


office equipment and why— again—did all similar equip­ ment from other areas be­ come obsolete at


The total cost of new


ratepayers of the chair­ man's allowance and does it include catering for offi­ cial functions?


change-over? What is the cost to the


were given to understand that the chairman’s regalia would now cost £7,000.


At the Tosside meeting we


planning offices in Princess Avenue is £15.000. Does this include the fitted carpet and new furnishings?


The cost of the temporary


that Bowland ratepayers were going to put an unfair burden on the rest of the community if they refused to pay, is a distortion of the facts.


Mr Jackson's comments


Ribble Valley Authority which is attempting to levy- charges for non-existent ser­ vices, and is trying t6 put an unfair burden on Bow­ land.


The truth is that it is the


at officials and councillors alike who are the paid rep­ resentatives of the rate­ payers and not


Questions must be levelled


that ratepayers’ interests must be the first priority and that their mood and wishes are represented in the council chamber — which has been sadly lack­ ing — and a halt called to all this unchallenged waste arid expenditure.


masters. We must demand their


equipment surplus to re­ quirements could be at least offered for sale and the money used to alleviate rate demands on those whose council services cost least to the authority.


Surely lurniture and


cost to the Ribble Valley Authority by most Bowland


Let us reiterate. The only


ratepayers is the fortnightly emptving of dustbins.


Tile House, Itolton-liv-Bowkmd.


51. A L. GRANT-TOWNS- i : \ l>


the The extra number of staff Letters to the Editor


The rate rebels must face facts


MR JAMES SLATER, of Whalley.


is absolutely


right: we need a basic reform of our rating system. Site value rating


is the only long-term answer. But to imple­ ment such a major change will require legis­ lation, and in the present delicate Parliamentary balance, any legislation is a t present questionable.


the whole rumpus over rates in this Valley lies the very- basic problem and question which few of our local politi­ cal leaders wifi face: what kind of valley do we want? The business-bashers have had a good innings; the amount of investment in local industry whether m manufacturing or a service industry such as tourism speaks volumes for its con­ fidence in the Valley.


However, at the heart of


and Bowland have to face facts: if they are not to pay rapidly increasing demands over the next few years then they must assist in the


The rate rebels of Tosside


rapid development of local industrial and bustness


activity. If you want to live in


the Governmental decree, pay through the nose for the privilege.


isolation in a beautiful area you must, according to


Those ol us involved in tourism locally have seen


seme of the Bowland villages cniovmg the economic bene- fi:s of increased visitors m c ' ’.nised groups. We have a.so seen the appalling re­ sults of unorganised visita­ tions. with its attendant litter, car parking problems and other unpleasant effects. If Bowland is become viable, it mis'


local authority is a much deeper question than how many rates we will pay to­ day. It is the question of whether we are going to de­ velop this district, how, and in what way. We cannot be parochial, we cannot de-


rateable values. means in plain langua mg its level of econo:’.’!'. . tivity: tourism. The finance oi our new


:e its


Anomolies of valuation


MR SLATER is perfectly correct In suggesting th a t th e present anachronism drastic amendment.


tion for a system b"sed on site values retains the two worst features of the present method ol rating assessment.


Unfortunately, his sugges­ of local rating requires


because of that individual's personal opinion. Moreover, any attempt to


reason why assessment to rates should be restricted to the occupiers of land. This


Firstly, there is, now, no


method of assessment arose when the only persons entitle^ to vote in local elections, and thus decide how the rates should be spent were householders. Now that we all have the


appeal against that personal opinion would be likely to fail merely because a" tribunal would tend to accept his opinion on the grounds (which he. himself, claimed) that it was “inde­ pendent " and that he was an “ expert." I t is likely, also, that the


on V hypothetical valuation must always be anomalous. In the ultimate, a valuation is merelv an expression of persona! opinion which can vary substantially according to the particular situation in which the valuer finds him­ self. This was brought home,


vote we should all contribute equally to the rates, subject always to an ability o pay. Secondly, any tax based


opinion of any appellant would be ignored on the grounds that he was person, ally prejudiced on his own valuation and was not an “ expert.” In fact, the only just


elate UDI, and we must support our councillors in their efforts to produce a coherent. policy for long term development. If they do not produce


such a policy then complain. Today we are paying for the inadequate leadership of the past not the cost of the present. We are also paying dearly


in many ways for a local government reorganisation that was not nearly radical enough. Our rates are heavily precepted' for the health, water, tourist and other regional Government organisations, which will operate and spend very large sums of money without any grass level representation. Cut the spending at


regional level and you would make our local rate more acceptable. At least one of our local comity councillors sits as a repre­ sentative on a regional board; how much informa­ tion does he pass on to our district officials? If he was a regional MP he would have to be alive to the needs of his constituents. Councils no less than Par­


liament are supposed to be the safety A valve of our society where controversy can be carried out in civilised way. As we in the Liberal


Danger . . . but who


cares?


A STREET lamp with a mis­ sing cover is a source of


Party have said before, the Ribble Valley elections last year were a charade, pro­ ducing a result that gave the Council no credible op­ position. In no single issue lias the result of this elec­ tion been more apparent than in the rates fiasco. In council it went through on


possible danger to children, but nobody in authority seems to lie interested in making it safe, Coun. Robert Ainsworth (Clithcroc) com­ plained to the Kibble Valley Council's Development Sub­ committee. The lamp is in Standen Road and C-oun. Ainsworth


the nod. Now a campaign mounted outside is bring­ ing the full impact of pub­ lic feeling to bear. This is not healthy for local democracy.


ANTHONY TERRY, Chaidgley, Avenue Road, Hurst Green..


very clearly, to me when a District Valuer expressed his opinion that the rateable values of all the older properties in Clitheroe were too low and that, for this reason alone, they f r ! all being disproportionately in­


creased on revaluet:. " \ 'Then I taxed him for the


reasons for this statement he quoted the personal example of the large rent which he was paying for ws own flat accommodation, which was not even in Clitheroe. Occupiers in Clitheroe of older properties are. therefore, being asked to pay a disproportionate increase in rates merely


commerce could be decided, either bv charging busi­ nesses with the specific cost of the services which they receive Or on the basis of tile number of persons em­ ployed. This latter method is probablv preferable on tire grounds that the number of employees is a fair indica­ tion of the total benefit derived by industry and commerce from local ser­ vices. Fuch a system would be


who are entitled to vote for those who decide how the rates should be spent. The levy on industry and


method of rate collection, as I have suggested on a num­ ber of occasions, is to spread the total cost of local administration among those


Lack of services kept


down cost


I WONDER if those who are complaining about the in­ creased rates in the rural districts realise that the answer is inherent in their own letters? They should long ago


have campaigned for street lighting, a weekly reluse collection service,


simple to operate and ensure that all those who derive benefit from local services would contribi' : towards the cost of tko'e same services.


FRANK S. L. MOON Church Street. Clilhcroc.


sewerage system, and so forth.


content to turn a blind eye to the fact that their arti­ ficially low rate was achieved by the simple ex­ pedient of their not being provided with the essential services they were entitled to.


These people have been


said th a t because the cover was missing it would he possible for a child to get hold of the electric wires and probably he electrocuted. The cover had been mis­


j;0\V MOOR football club’s ack of success in the league ‘ins season was thankfully


DANCING T!ME a t l o w m o o r


l.'.vr and. Times, April 25th, 1974


A move for Clitheroe ICI chief


WORKS manager a t Clitheroe’s ICI p lant for almost


successor, Mr Jimmy John­ stone, paid a short visit to Clitheroe for the first time. Mr Johnstone flew to this country from Malaysia where he has been working for ICI for five vears.


live years, Mr John Upton, moves next week to a similar job a t the company’s giant Bllllngham complex. And this week Mr Upton’s


very sorry to be leaving the area, the factory and


^ " s<nc,,5,


the people who work there. I have had an extremely enjoyable time here. “However, a job as works manager of the biggest


Drive. Clitheroc. will be- returning to familiar ground for it was at the Billinghom headquarters that he began


Mr Uptcn. of Claremont


his career w'it-h ICI about 20 years ago-


ENJOYABLE


not reflected in llicir annual dance. •I was proved a great


Public’s help


night for more than 100 members and friends who packed the St Paul’s church hall on Friday evening. A licensed bar was provided by Mr Derek Moss, of the Commercial Hotel, Clithcroc, and dancing was to the Action Sound Disco.


breather from the rigours of the dance floor arc this energetic group of young­ sters.


IMCTURE: Taking a Critic of


committee set-up


sing for three weeks and he said he had phoned the Ribble Valley council only to be told it was none of their business and that he should get in touch with County officials at Whalley. These people told him to get in touch with the County Council at Preston and they would send a man to repair the lamp “ No wonder the rates are


THE Policy and Resources Committee of the Ribble Valley Borough Council is suase.-ting that at least half of the members of two liai­ son committees being set up by the County Council should be nominated by the c o u n t y


district councils. This, it is felt, would avoid elected r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s being


and the


so high when someone has to come from Preston to do


lamps were a county res-j ponsibility and Mr Charles i Wilson, Kibble Valley Chief Planning Officer, was in­ structed to ask the County Council to take action.


(Billinglon), said street


“swamped" by the number of lay members.


the job,” he said. Coun. William Fleming I


The present idea is that Ribble Valley should have


three members on the Edu­ cation Liaison Committee and lour on a similar com­ mittee lor Social Sendees.


BEFORE a p p r o v i n g a planning application for an office building at Judge Wahnsley Mill, Billington, the Ribble Valley Council Development Sub-Committee


road.


I Tills representation was 1 described by Coun. wfiham \ Fleming iBillington) 1 'ludicrous.” I t ■


< dent, lie said. numbers was


dent, he fe proportion


as


was insuffi- adding that of co-opted also "un­


so.id." T.e Policy and Resources


is asking for a letter under­ taking to contribute towards the cost of making up the


Cosniittee also feels that thevork of the liaison com­ mutes is so important that mee.ng.s should be held ever six weeks instead


quartrly.


sought in review of boundaries


PARISH councils are being invited to help the Ribble Valley Borough Council electoral


in arrangements


done over 20 weeks this summer. The Borough Coun­ cil has power to decide the number of councillors for each parish. One of the main tasks will be warding ar­ rangements in Clitheroe and Longridge.


The main work willill be


Overhead cables


Mr Jack Ruffley, Chief Ad­


ministration Officer, told the Policy and Resources Com­ mittee, that the average number of electors represen­ ted by each of the 38 coun­ cillors was 900.


be made on whether Ribble Valley wanted tire same or a different number of mem­ bers, up to a maximum of 60.


A decision would have to


held to sound out local opinions: a draft scheme would be published and time allowed for comment before submitting a scheme to Whitehall for approval.


Public meetings would be


number of councillors and the ward boundaries. You must keep to an average of 900 electors per councillor and where tins is not pos­ sible you will have to re­ draw ward boundaries,” he


" You must decide the


said. The idea was to achieve


the fullest public participa­ tion and it was hoped to begin parish liaison meet­ ings before the end of June. Coun. Fred Green (Wilp-


objection ELECTRICITY cables should be put underground instead of overhead, a Clitheroe councillor told the Ribble Valley Development Sub­ committee.


vigorously opposed the provi­ sion of overhead wires to serve a television mast on Whalley Nab, " a most beau­ tiful spot."


Coun. Robert Ainsworth Huy any two o£


side being spoilt in this manner and said that if the Electricity Board could afford to spend thousands of pounds on television adver­ tising it could also afford to put cables underground. Coun. William Fletnini


He obected to the country­


Lancome's superb pro­ ducts (excluding lipsticks) and you will


receive a free gift of ; Sikkim Mist,


Lancome's latest creation in their glamorous range jf of exquisite fra-


(Billinston) said that if I Coun. Ainsworth lived In Billington he would know just how poor television re­ ception was in the area. Planning permission for the overhead cables had been


given by the former Black-


bum Rural Council. Mr Charles Wilson. Ribble


shire) reported that the council's own liaison commit­ tee had already posted the draft scheme to parish coun­


cils. These councils should hold


parish meetings within the


next six weeks and then meet the Liaison Committee for discussions before the Ribble Valley finally goes ahead with a scheme.


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been mistakenly regarded as the yardstick of good local government. One also notes that local councils are given no credit for having made p r o p e r t y improvement grants. These come out of public funds and details are available to the public. Do the people who com­


A low rate, in fact, has


few months, which is still with us? Ask any farmer about the


Money tots up


A SIX and a half pint whisky bottle is going to help swell the funds of cancer research—for the bottle is full of money. For the past nine months,


plain realise the cost of in­ flation, even over the past


percentage increase in the price of feeding stuffs, and any member of the Cham­ ber of Trade about the in­ creases in value of their purchases, and the price of petrol.


quote prices for next January delivery? And yet our treasurer has had to budget up to the end of next Match.


How many firms will


mated domestic penny rate product is 39.5p, Clitheroe’s is 51.9p. The complainers


should sit down and think a little.


COUN. CLIFFORD CHATBURN, Park Avenue, Clitheroe.


TOC H OFFICERS


AT the annual meeting of TOC H, Clitheroe, Mr F. Morris was elected chair­ man.


tary — Mr B. Pemberton: treasurer — Mr B. Sharpies- jobmaster — Mr H. Robin­ son: pilot — Mr A. Kenyon The Rev, J. C. Hudson,


Other officers are: Secre­


Vicar of Clitheroe. is the branch padre.


MORRISON—LOGAN


shire Police Force, Mr John Gordon Morrison, married


A member of the Lanca­


Miss June Logan, a police shorthand typist. The bridegroom is the son


Satui'diiv, was conducted byj the Rev. A. Ball. Mr| •Michael White was organist.


of Mr and Mrs Joseph Morrison, of Standen Road, Clitheroe, and the bride is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Hugh Logan, Manchester Street, Oldham. The ceremony, at St John's Church, Oldham, on


MP IN OMAN


CLITHEROE Division MP Mr David Walder is expec­ ted back today from an eightrday visit to Oman.


liamentary Conservative De­ fence Committee, Mr Wal­ der has been on a fact find­ ing mission among British troops in the Persian Gulf.


As secretary of the Par­ I t is to be hoped that his


return journey will be less hectic than the start. For Mr Walder had to depart in the middle of the Chipping Conservative Association’s spring dinner-dance to catch a train for London, in time for his plane. But Mr Walder thought


it would be better to put in a brief appearance rather


than not go at all.


Tudor-stylc dress of white guipure lace. Her bouquet was ol white stephanotis. | frecsia and carnations.


Given away by her father, the bride was attired In a I


Phyllis Sladcn, bride's sister, and Miss Karen Sladcn. niece. They wore I Empire-style dresses of pale blue lawn and had match­ ing headdresses and sprays | of mixed spring flowers.


In attendance were Mrs I


best man. Mr Patrick Wood I and Mr Stuart Sladen were groomsmen


Geoffrey Sladen usher. A reception was held at I


and Mr |


Ripponden Road, Oldham. Photograph: L. Cherry, |


live in | Burnley.


tile Plough Hotel, and the honeymoon is being spent in Scotland. Mr and Mrs I Morrison will


Mr Jack Wnllbank was I


1. (1) 2. (—)


•Seasons in the sun’’—Terry Jacks.


3. (G) 4. (2) 5. (10)


G. (5) 7. (4) 8. (3) 9. (IG)


‘ Waterloo ”—Abba. •The. cat crept in Mud. ‘Angel fa c e ”—The Glitter • Remember you’re a Wombles.


‘ Every day ”—Slade. “ Emma"—Hot Chocolate.


Womblc ’ — The Band. (7) “ Doctor’s orde rs”—Sunny.


(15) “ You arc everything’ Marvin Gaye.


13. (—) 14. (—)


15. (19)


“ Remember me tills way —Garry Glitter. “ Walking miracle” — Linunie and Family | Cooking.


....


(fl) “ Billy, don’t be a. h e ro”—Paper Lace. — Diana Ross


“ lie’s Misstra know it all ”—Stevie Wonder. | “ I’m gonna knock on your door " — J immy


...............


and ,


16. (ID 17. (—) 18. (—) 19. (20) 20. (—) “ Long


“ The most beautiful g ir l”—Charlie Rich. “ Behind closed doors ”—Charlie Rich. “ Rock and roll suicide ”—Bowie. I'll always love my mama ’’—The Intruders, legged woman dressed in black —


. ,


“On the line” —Graham Nash. “Harem scarem — | Focus.


Last week’s placings are in brackets. Tips tor the top:” Rock and roll winter —Wizzard.


Mungo Jerry. Chart compiled by Arnes Record Bar. „ . _ „


“ Rock around the clock"—Bill Haley and lhe| Comets.


. Bolton-by-Bowland’s esti­


the bottle, now worth more than its weight in spirit, has stood on the bar in Brockhall Hospital's Social


Club.Organiser of the money­ raising campaign is Mr Douglas Roberts, a domestic


Roberts will present the bottle, containing over £55. to Dr A. W. Craig, of Christies. Manchester. Mr Roberts is very


cleaner at Brockhall. Tomorrow evening. Mr


grateful to ail who have put monev in the bottte and organised raffles to help fill


it.


Valley Chief Planning Officer, said: "We can nego­ tiate on the route of lines, but in the end we cannot stop the board from putting


them up. Coun. Tom Rushton


idea of underground cables but. he said, the planners did their best to choose an ac­


(Clitheroe) supported the


ceptable route where that was possible. There was. however, a tremendous lot of countryside. Commented Coun. Ains­


worth: "That is a lot of rubbish; they put cables


underground in Germany."


Reverse roles


THROUGHOUT the cricket season, the ladies’ committee at Clitheroe Cricket. Bowling and Tennis Club serve the players’ teas on match days. But there will be a rever­


sal of roles at the clubhouse tonight when playing mem­ bers act as the hosts for a ladies' e v e n i n g . The cricketers will serve the com­ mittee members with supper as a thank-you for their ser­


vices last season. The event begins at 1-30


p.m. and before supper a film show on holidays abroad will be given by Clitheroc Travel Agency.


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Ml and an initial review of district boundaries, the


in the technical, research and marketing fields, lie moved to the company's Glasgow factory as deputy works manager. Then it was back to Billingh-im for a spoil on the directorate staff before coming to Ciitheroe in October, 1909.


After meeting on Teessidc Said Mr Upton: "My stay


in the town has been one or the most, rewarding


periods of my life and I am


chemical conurbation out­ side America is bound to be a challenge.” Mr Upton's wife. Freda,


and two of their three sons, Mark and Derek, will be staying on in Ciitheroe for a time, until the family has found a new home. Mark (18) is a pupil at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, and 11-year-old Derek at­ tends Pendle County Pri­ mary School. Their elde-t son Howard


9


(21) is now serving with the Royal Air Force. A cricketer, he has played for Ribbles- dale Wanderers. Although much of his time


is taken up with his Job and his family, Mr Upton enjoys


reading history and “ get­ ting out and about in the country."


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