'.Thursday. October 4th,'2001 ■ No. 5,975


Warburton’s loaves


■, at a glance 3UU


Police describe a wrecking spree on the Castle grounds toilets as ‘horrendous’.


- page 3


Undercover police patrols are being carried out to curb teenagers’ anti-social behaviour.


___ league table of polluters.


A dream comes true as local money helps African villagers.


A new man on the beat for a Valley village promises to make a difference


to the quality of life.


v*l«' 5 -* -“as


L i,. > »r-j "w % *


|H| i § 0


the age of 91. page 6


A remarkable man in the textile world who met Ghandi dies at


- page 10


The Middle East crisis has brought the postponement of a


Valley pair’s charity trek m Nepal.


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Editorial e-mail: clithcroe.editorial® rim.co.uk


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page 14 page 2


Castle Cement is placed elev­ enth in an Environment Agency


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page.3


It’s all Greek to Polly the postmaster’s parrot


_______________ M i ,h n n n lo u s and Dimitri by John Turner A PARROT'S exception­


al ability with the tongue-twisting names of foreign footballers is set for national radio


exposure. Radio Five has asked Bar-


row, Clitheroe, postmaster


Mr David Wilson to tape the so u n d s of his pet African


grey parrot, Coco, as he spits out the names of Burnley's Greek players, Nik


ireeK piayei ^


Michopolous and Dimitri Papadopoulos. These are names that even


Burnley manager Stan Ter- nent is supposed to have struggled over - but they pose no problem for Coco. Radio Five saw reference


to the parrot's linguistic abili­ ties in a recent Burnley match programme. They sent Mr Wilson a


tape machine so he could record Coco's Turf Moor twitterings for Radio Five lis­


teners nationwide. Mr Wilson said: "Coco


would be really famous if he would speak on demand, but he will only do it when he is


in the mood. "Nothing starts him off


like the vacuum cleaner." Coco has brought a lot of


mirth to Barrow Post Office. 1-Ie regularly takes the rise


out of the two Wilson dogs, Max, the cocker spaniel and


Fred, the Alsation. "He regular shouts 'Stupid


dog', 'Walkies' or 'Want yer tea?' as the dogs walk by. It drives them mad," added


__________________________.____________ _______ ‘Resign’ demands in


council leak sensation Inquiry confirms cinema deal figures were revealed but Tory accuser is labelled ‘an amateur Clouseau


w u J by Tim Procter


ACCUSER and accused faced each other across the Ribble Valley Bor­ ough Council chamber on Tuesday night in one of local government's most dramatic-ever scenes. Tory Coun. Harry Back­


that the Trinity Partnership, whose bid was successful, had the information before it


should have done. The committee's report did


house (Waddington) dem­ anded that three Liberal Democrat members resign in an "information leak" row - but all refused and one described him as "fan­ cying himself as a sort of amateur Clouseau.". A council Standards Com­


not name anyone, but it said. "There is evidence that existing procedures failed to ensure that the information remained con­ fidential."However Mr Geoff Jackson, on behalf of the Trinity Part­ nership, had denied that the information was in his posses­ sion when Coun. Backhouse alleged it was, said the commit­ tee's report. There was no sug­ gestion that anyone benefited from the leak - Trinity Part­ nerships paid what was later thought to be a high price for


mittee chaired by ex-police chief Mr Eddie Walsh had found that confidential infor­ mation about a bid offer and an official valuation figure on the cinema had been revealed to the Liberal Democrat Branch Executive. The committee was looking


into a claim by Coun. Back­ house, chairman of the coun­ cil’s Community Committee,


uuo d u —


the cinema. At Tuesday's meeting, Coun.


elected to act with honesty and integrity and gain respect, rather than further our own political agenda. "I take personal issue with


. . . ____ oW o n a


cal game which has no recent precedent in this council cham­


"H e is o la y in g a cheap ber."


the Liberal group for failing to come clean and I take issue with Coun. Dyson for having the nerve to refer me to the standards committee for rais­ ing the issue. He bluffed, trying to make me look bad." Tory colleague Coun. John


"He is playing a cheap politi­


ed guilty to telling his party executive about the issue, emphasising that when asked about it during the investiga­ tion he made this clear and the minutes of the meeting were provided to the committee. At no stage, according to his


Coun. Dyson said he plead­ ,


Hill (Simonstone) declared: "It is inconceivable that anyone dealing with this matter would not realise that any informa­ tion associated with the tender process was confidential." It was a case of "duplicity


memory, was it stated that the information was confidential.


He also took the view that telling the executive would not


damage anyone. Coun. Dyson said he had no


which can only be described as deplorable and reprehensible - they have let themselves and the credibility of this council


Backhouse said his allegation of a leak had been proved. He demanded the resignations of Liberal Democrat councillors Howel Jones, (Clitheroe), Frank Dyson (Clitheroe) and Graham Sowter (Billington and Langho) as they were privy to the information. He said: "Clearly they can­ not be trusted. Councillors are


^


down."The trio should examine their consciences, said Coun.


HilL But Coun Dyson declared. . . ,


"I suggest that this is nothing more than a trumped-up politi­ cal ramp — Coun. Backhouse wants to gain publicity by den­ igrating myself and my col­


leagues. _ _— —— — — ——^ Battle on to stop homes


plan tripling population Barrow residents reel from shock news


by Julie Frankland J aw s o n 's at 0/ve ry:' ■\ <Jidwe


BATTLE lines are being drawn by local people incensed at a developer's hopes of making the quiet village of Barrow three


times its present size. Residents are still reeling


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| from the shock of last week's I front page Advertiser and Times report, which detailed a London-based property company's plans to build 560 new greenfield homes. The ideas are published in what is described as a discus-


he was dismayed to see feature in the developers' plans: "I could not believe my eyes when I read the article. Behind my back, cocky Cockney consul­ tants appear to have been sur­ veying my property without my permission and then arro­ gantly publishing their aspira­


«._-t


tions for our village. "These invisible individuals


I sion document. But according to born and bred villager and


have neither the courtesy nor common sense to inform me of their actions and intentions. As a consequence, I have spent most of my time from last Thursday onwards placating my neighbours, who are obvi­ ously very concerned by this city firm's selfish and financial­ ly self-centred ideas for our vil­


I company director Mr David Foster (47), of Audley House,


I he and the close-knit communi­ ty fear the proposal now jeopar- dises Barrow's future. Everyone wants any talk on the scheme to be upfront and in public. Said Mr Foster, who also I owns land in the village, which


lage."The development company, Pilot Properties Ltd (PPL), proposes the homes to house up to 3,000 employees, which, it says, it envisages will work at companies based on Ribble Valley Enterprise Park. I t is currently building the park,


which sits off cricket pitch.


such "sweeteners". He ex­ plained: "I, for one, am totally sceptical when make such over­ tures. I recall the company promised the village a cricket pitch when it first received per­ mission to begin developing the business park. "It was going to be the Oval


Yet Mr Foster is dismissive ol .


Over 500 new homes to triple village size?


■Widespread benefits tor community at tame


intention of resigning - to leave the council with such as Coun. Backhouse would be "a disser­


vice to the public". Coun. Jones slammed ' a


tedious case of making moun­ tains out of molehills." He had divulged no information what­ ever and wanted to emphasise that, although, as Coun. Back- house hud said, he was a local preacher at Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Partnership was a quite separate organisa­


tion. Coun. Sowter said he had . , , , ,


Mr Wilson (pictured). The wily bird has also been


taught to repeat derogatory remarks about Burnley foot­


ball's arch rivals from Ewood Park."They would be too rude to go on the radio, said


Mr Wilson.


^ Clearly they can­ not be trusted. Councillors are elected to act with honesty and inte­ grity and gain respect, rather than further our own political agenda J


Year final irnrs?


v;.


Mystery over death in the Middle East


A CLITHEROE man was awoken by police earlier this week with news that his Dubai- based brother had been killed in a road traf­


fic accident. Shocked Mr Edward


I Both brothers were | born and raised in Clitheroe, but Mr Geof­ frey Banks, a former pupil of what is now Rib- blesdale High School Technology College, who ran a youth group at Trinity Methodist Chur­ ch, pursued a dream of world travel. At 21, after complet-


Banks (66), of Cowper Avenue, is now waiting for the Foreign Office to give him further details of what happened to 61- year-old Mr Geoffrey Banks, who had lived in the country for more than 20 years.


Geoffrey Banks


j ing his engineering apprenticeship at agri­ cultural suppliers Atkin­ son's, he joined the Mer­ chant Navy. His service record


leaked no information whatso-


ever to Trinity Partnership and had had none he regarded as confidential. He resented alle­ gations against him from Coun. Backhouse who himself had for years, until advised to do so, failed to disclose a close family connection with Clith­ eroe Auction Mart, but spoken quite openly in council about matters concerning it. "I have known Coun. Back­


Banks: "The police told my wife, Greta, and I that Geoffrey had been in an accident last Fri­ day. We were advised to ring the Foreign Office and now we are waiting for further details of what happened. "We have spoken to


Said Mr Edward


spanned a decade, and then he spent the next 10 years working in the Middle East as an engi­ neer for various compa­ nies, including Ross Foods, before making his home in Dubai. He last visited Clith­


. .. . t . .


Geoffrey's employer, who has assured us that he will be given a Christian burial in Dubai. This was after all his home. We feel that remaining there is what Geoffrey would have wanted." Besides his brother


eroe approximately four years ago for the wed­ ding of his niece, one of his brother's daughters.


house for quite a number of years - he fancies himself as a sort of amateur Clouseau," said


Coun. Sowter. The committee accepted


Standards Committee recom­ mendations about emphasising the importance of observing confidentiality. The council's standing orders, currently silent on the issue, should be clarified, and contacts with groups, outside partnerships and other joint enterprises carefully structured. Good records should be maintained. • Much of the investigative


work for the Standards Com­ mittee was carried out by coun­ cil solicitor Mrs Diane Rice. Members paid tribute to her thoroughness and fairness.


Thousands face water shut down


promises a new primary school, railway station to connect the village with Clitheroe, and a


cltcnff the A59 in! in Barrow. In its masterplan, PPL also


of professionalism to say the


^Ylr Foster and his neighbours arc concerned at the timing of the plans' release. Currently Lancashire County Council s Structure Plan to determine


future housing need.[i,unde,r update review, as is Ribble Val­


ley Borough Council's Local Plan, which designates sites for development to fulfil this need


up to 2016. Said Mr Foster: "I know that


of the North, in honour of the great England opener Cyri Washbrook, who was born and bred in Barrow, yet the only ovals PPL has delivered so far are the yellow ones in the M •


for McDonald's. He alleged: "I accept that


Barrow is changing, as are many other Ribble Valley vil­ lages, but the pace of such change needs to be carefully approached. In my view, PPL has triggered a premature debate. It shows an abject lack


currently the plans contravene local planning policy, but policy docs change." He was also con­ cerned that Lancashire County Council was already working with PPL in that Lancashire Enterprise, its development arm, is a partner in the Barrow business park.


council confirmed that, although in their present format plans did not meet with current planning and development poli­


A spokesman lor the borough .


cy, officers are due to meet with PPL representatives this month to discuss the proposal.


MORE letters have gone out warning people liv- ing in Clitheroe that they will be without water this weekend. Supplies to approxi­


mately 10,000 homes and businesses fed off a town centre main will be shut off at midnight on


and sister-in-law, Mr Geoffrey Banks is sur­ vived by his aunt, Mrs Jessie Thornber, of Park Avenue, his three nieces, three great-nephews and two great-nieces.


County show for Valley?


THERE is a possibility that in future times the Royal Lancashire Show could make its home m the


R The ideaYs to create an agricultural site which could host not only the show, butmanyothcralhcd farming, food production, sporting andtourism events and promotions. It has come from the Ribble Valley Regeneration Project, but is in its very ear y


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