16 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times,,Thursday, May 5th, 2005


www.ciitheroetoday.co.uk


Ciitheroe 422324 (Editoriai), ,422323 (Advertising), Burniey 422331 (Ciassitied)


Ciitheroe 422324 (Editoriai), 422323 (Advertising), Burniey 422331 (Ciassitied)


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Clitheroe Advertiser & Times', Thursday, May 5th, 2005 17


- Write lo: The Editor, Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, 3 King Street, Clitheroe BB72EW Editorial e-mail: tivien.mcatli@eastIancsiiew s.co.uk Roefield: price rises


were necessary AS chairman of the committee of Ribble Valley Borough Council responsible for car park charges, I feel I must comment on the recent letters criticising the removal of the refund of parking fees for users of the swim­ ming pool and Roefield Centre. Nobody likes to increase charges, nor to


cut services, and a considerable amount of heart searching went into not only this deci­ sion, but also the other changes found nec­ essary to avoid an unacceptable rise in council tax. The decision regarding Edisford car park­


A SUDDEN brutal affront against our new Pope by Euro MP Chris Davies-isn’t Bene­ dict X'VI the 365th successor to the first Bishop of Rome, Peter, on whom Christ direct­ ly had bestowed his authority? The miracle of life is God’s


most remarkable gift in His creation. God’s current representa­


tive on earth cannot simply dole out condoms to condone a frenzy of profligate incestu­ ous adultery and sexual indul­ gence and debauchery.


Reminder to us of His intention . If sex was kept within the


sanctity of the Sacrament of Marriage, there would be no Aids. Catholic charities (CAFOD) dole out condoms. But the Pope, as God’s repre­ sentative on earth (one of many - not the only one) has to remind us that their misuse, this abuse of God’s most won­ drous miraculous gift that cre­ ates life, had not been God’s original intention.


ROBIN PARKER, St Chad’s Avenue, Chatburn


ing - amounting to £20,000 per year - and other decisions were supported by all mem­ bers (regardless of political party), of the committee - there were no dissenting votes. Members were between a rock and a hard place: either increase council tax by a large percentage and face enraged residents, plus possible capping by the Government, or make adjustments to costs and services and get complaints from users of the services affected. 'Whatever decisions were made, someone


would be upset or inconvenienced. One has to ask why the council’s costs


have risen so much that such savings had to be made. The answer lies mainly in the increase of the council’s mandatory contri­ butions to the pensions fund of some £120,000 for the year 2005/6. This £120,000 is actually more than the increase in income which will be received by RVBC as a result of the rise in council tax for 2005/6. It will get worse: the full increase in con­


tributions was phased over three years, so next year the council will have to find £190,000 and the year after £260,000 to fund the pension scheme. Ten years ago, the RVBC contribution was less than 2%, by 2004/5 it had risen to 9.7% and now has reached the dizzy heights of 15.9%. Recognising this, the council recently


I DearMrCammiade, InJanuaty.lsIeofMan


protested to the Government deploring the effect that its stealth taxes and its misman­ agement of previously well-funded pension funds had had on the levels of council tax paid by Ribble Valley residents. Discussions are, of course, being held


1 Tourism ran a promotion in all regions of Johnston


Press as part of our mam I advertising campaign. This was the first


^ ^ ^ see if


with the management of Roefield and oth­ ers to try to alleviate any problems, but the stark fact remains that the money has to be


. found from somewhere. Councillors are not insensitive to how changes affect individu­ als, but sometimes they have to take unpalatable courses of action in the interest of all Ribble Valley residents.


'’ 'Tnafpo^sitive response including many


COUN. RICHARD SHERRAS, Chuirman, Planning and Dcvclopnienl Commiticc, Ribble Valley Borough Council


A little more honesty


‘ oromotion and ensured its success. f hope we will be able to run a similar


promotion with you in the future.


if you don’t mind I AM responding to the letter from the manager of the Roefield Leisure Centre in last week’s Clitheroe Advertiser and Times. The Roefield Centre was built using


m Mr .GLePage ^


^ Director of Tourism “H


funds secured or directly provided by the ' council, with the exception of less than £70,000 raised by public subscription, pre­ cisely because the council recognised that a facility was needed in Clitheroe. Many of the clients mentioned by Mr Rodia are referrred to Roefield by the council through the council's GP Referral and Heartwatch schemes. It is pure arrogance to suggest that the council took the decision to withdraw the subsidy refund on car parking charges light­ ly. Indeed the whole council endorsed the - decision and did so_ in;the belief that among


all the savings that were made to balance the council’s budget this year, this particu-


■ lar subsidy was one that could no longer continue to be sustained and justified, given that the management of the Roefield Cen­ tre know full well that the private leisure club has enjoyed a significant amount of subsidy from the council since 1991. In fact the club has received £288,000 capital grants, £100,000 in loans, annual grant of £16,000 and receives a 20% discretionary rate relief, besides the council leasing the Roefield land at a peppercorn rent. Hardly a council that is not supporting the commu­ nity. But despite all this, the manager still has


the audacity to imply that the council is somehow directly responsible for the lack of spaces to allow users of the centre to be dropped off while at the same time he and the Roefield staff park their vehicles free of charge in the spaces that were originally allocated as a dropping-off zone and so they avoid paying any car parking charges. Council officers have to pay to park at


work and councillors have to pay to park, even when on council business, as do visi­ tors to the council and contractors working for the council! Everyone is treated equally except, it seems, the management of Roe­ field. How about it Roefield. Give the spaces back to the public. Moreover the council did not decide to


withdraw its revenue support. Roefield rejected the council's offer because it includ­ ed a condition that Roefield participate in the Leisure Card Scheme. Roefield refused to participate in the council’s Leisure Card Scheme, which is designed to help those unfortunate enough not to be able to afford the high price of joining Roefield, apparently because, according


to a quote by the Roefield chairman in a let­ ter of November 3rd, 2004 to this newspa­ per: "The type of people who would use this card - the socially excluded - could have a detrimental effect on the reputation of the leisure centre." Surely this is at odds with the claim that


Roefield’s award-winning Timeout Sports Centre is seen as the perfect diversion for the youth of Ribble Valley. Is this scheme dependent on the “right type of youths” attending?


, The comparisons made with the Lon-


gridge Sports Centre are a repeat of facile and misleading arguments which have pre­ viously been rehearsed in the council cham­ ber and which have failed to convince coun­ cillors (who are, by and large, reasonable and intelligent people in possession of alL the facts). • The .fact is that Longridge is a dual-use


facility. That means it is unavailable for sale to the general public during school hours, so ■ a relevant comparison would be between both centres' performance over the same number of hours or between the total num­ bers of users (the comparison I prefer). Under this reasonable comparison (ie if daytime use by children during the school day is included), the number of uses annu­ ally is virtually identical. The difference in financial subsidy is then attributable to the fact that school children don’t pay to use the Longridge facility during term time (unlike the schools that use Roefield) and the fact that the council sets its prices at levels that are affordable by those whose ability to access sport would otherwise be limited by their ability to pay. If the council charged at the levels set by Roefield the subsidy to Longridge may well be signifi­ cantly reduced, but fewer people (especially


those most in need) would be able to afford those charges. And finally, if you attend the sports cen­


tres in Burnley, Blackburn or most of the rest oLLancashire; you have to pay to park.; i


It is a fact of life. I am more than happy to meet the man­


agement of Roefield to discuss their con­ cerns, but let us have a little more honesty and less hypocrisy.


COUN. JOHN HILL, Leader Ribble Valley Borough Council


These increases are


highway robbery I AM a very easy-going pensioner wha swims regularly at the Edisford Swimming Pool, and it takes severe provocation to make me put pen to paper to voice a protest. But I and many, many others are incensed to find we will all have to pay a


■ considerable increase to use the pool facili­ ties from May 3rd. The council has decided to remove the car


park refund facility previously given to pool and health club users. That means seniors pay 44.4% more - an extra 60p for over an hour’s stay - while adults mil pay between 23 and 27.5% more. We are used to, and accept, creeping


inflation in most areas, and no one would mind a fair increase, but 44% is nothing short of highway robbery. Come on Ribble Valley Borough Council,


think again.


ROBERT MORPETH, Spencer’s Collage, Riminglun


Driven out of town


by parking charges I AM \vriting regarding the RVBC plans to increase in parking costs for people using the parking facilities at the Edisford car park for the following reasons: 1.


dations from government and doctors, to the public, to participate in sport to keep healthy. 2. It will not be cost effective, since the


extra revenue gained by the car park will be lost by Roefield and the baths, because fewer people will use the facilities and, those that still will, will use them less frequently. 3. Some people who use the Edisford


facilities will opt to park outside people’s homes, near St Paul’s Church, which will be very frustrating for those residents. 4. For RVBC residents, being a rural


area with the sporting facilities outside the town, most of them need to use their cars to get there and having cars means they can opt to go to other swimming baths which, not only are cheaper, but also do not have parking charges.


. 'When I phoned Mr dagger’s office at the


RVBC, the person who answered said it was being done because people who use the foot­ ball facilities do not benefit from refunds. Is that a good reason to cut RVBC profits? I t ’s like having a cold (footballers com­ plaining) and deciding to cut off one’s nose (revenue and health) to spite one’s face! Perhaps the footballers concerned could


be appeased, and benefit, if the council arrange^I for their clubs to receive some financial remuneration from the council provided they pass on to their playing members in the form of lower membership fees. I for one would have no difficulty going to the Padiham swimming baths once or twice a week, since I regularly visit some­ one who lives just beyond it! I hope.the councillors will see the non­


sense of the proposed increase in charges for people in using our sporting facilities before it is too late.


J.JLRATCLIFPE . ^ ; It directly opposes the recommen­


- | Wrilc lo: The Eriilor, Clillicnic Adverliscr and Times, .1 King Sired, ClitliciClitheroe BB72EW Editorial e-mail: vivieii.mealli@easllancsnew.s.co.uk We are a charity


with legal limits I AM writing as company secretary for Roefield Leisure on behalf of the management.committee to further explain the situation regarding the car parking refunds, its impact on our finances and what we are attempting to do about it. We are confident that many in the


Ribble Valley do not realise that Roe­ field Leisure is a charity, its legal sta­ tus being a company limited by guar­ antee. I infer from Mrs White’s letter last


week that she believes that a boycott against the swimming pool and Roe­ field will in some way hurt Ribble Valley Borough Council. I can’t speak about the pool, how­


ever, if many follow Mrs White’s advice i t will only worsen what is already a very serious financial posi­ tion at Roefield. The ■ directors/trustees must


attempt, because of charity and com­ pany law, to a t least operate in a break even way as far as costs and income are concerned. Costs have been rising and there is


a reluctance to increase charges and thereby not fulfil our charitable objectives. It is almost impossible to expand services because a t peak times the centre is running at full capacity. A Lottery funding bid is currently being developed in the hope that, if


successful, this would increase and improve the facilities. A £17,000 grant for 2005/06 from Ribble Valley Borough Council was this year cou­ pled with the condition that Roefield took on the Freedom Leisure Card Scheme (a scheme offering reduced charges for targeted groups) and our willingness to bear any of the unknown loss of income from that. As a charity, the management com­


mittee would have been acting irre­ sponsibly to enter into such an unknown, open-ended commitment. Because of this, Roefield was.


forced to refuse the grant, thereby relinquishing much-needed financial support from the borough council. Along with the loss of the grant


income, this parking decision is cer­ tainly causing us to review the serv­ ices that Roefield can provide, if not its long-term viability. A further une.xpected financial bur­


den is paying the interest on the loan from the borough council, which was needed to repair the leaking sports hall roof. Tony’s letter last week highlighted


the very modest contribution (i.e. the £17,000) that the council made to Roefield for the services it provides to those living in Clitheroe and the sur­ rounding villages and contrasted it with the vast sums (i.e. approximate­ ly £200,000) that it pays to support the facility at Longridge. I t also supports the Clitheroe swimming pool with a similar sum -


£400,000 together. The short notice about the discontinuation of the refunds gave us little time to react, however we wrote to the chief execu­ tive of Ribble Valley Borough Coun­ cil requesting postponement of the decision for one. month, so that dis­ cussion could take place. That request has been refused and


so, for the month of May, Roefield will make refunds as before, however it would be impossible to continue beyond then since that would only make our serious financial situation worse. 'We sincerely hope that Mrs White


and the over 700 users who have signed a petition, instigated by them-. selves, about this decision will con­ tinue to use the centre while, hopeful­ ly, the situation can be satisfactorily resolved.


TREVOR MARKLEW, Company Sccrclary, Roefield Leisure, Edisford Road, Clilheroe


Walk to Roefield


and save money I WRITE in reply to the criticism of the new charges for the Edisford Road car park. I do not see a reason why a fee of 70p


is so disgusting to so many people. If they are so concerned about exer­ cise, then why not walk to use the


...head to Bashall Barn


- RapidoU R REVOLUTIONRRY body scanner mhich


could play a crucial role in personal fitness plans has arrived at Bashail Barn on the outskirts of Clitheroe. ’ The 3D body scanner is-capable of digitally


creating a 3d computerised scan of a human body in just six seconds. The computer can then extract data and body measurements uuhich are useful for the fitness and garment markets as Luell as personal fitness training.


t— ■’ I


.'eboyeSs Rapidoj:.


m i i p ' ■'/I


: cfothlng’/i ::rangsv)


Tim Hilton (59), of ‘Rsplda Sports', has introduced the


scanner into his market of distribution sports garments from , the UK and abroad. The company has already generated Interest from both clothing and fitness companies based In the UK and Europe.


• Himie Hamer, of Clltheroe-based 'Reflt Personal Fitness


Training', Is playing an important role lulthin the fitness area. RImie, a fitness trainer, is using the equipment to generate data and information for a special eight-uieek personal fitness training plan for members of the public. There ujlll be a repeat body scan at the end of the eight lueeks to compare and


left Body ^ ■scarinefA at


■■Bashall Barn


. discuss the changes and progress made. Simon Barnes offered 'Bashall Barn' mhich luas a perfect


venue for the product launch. Rapido Sports, mhich offers customers and organisations the opportunity to design and create individual garments or products, is also displaying samples of its sports mean


for a limited period at Bashall Barn,


Bashall Eaves, Nr Clitheroe


Rapido Sports can be contacted on 01282 778576


Rimie Hamer on □7793955685- J I t i ' J m ffl)^<liitii|l 'jSTiTarilutffllf


Rapiijp-Wbd^ Refit luill be/tatBashall Barn from today until Saturday, Majy'IMth. ■ "fln initial telephone call is advised.


• They are offering a special promotion to the public to vieuj, ask questions arid try the


body scanner for only* £12 or £20, inciuding a CD rom, fitness plan and repeat scan at - Bashall Barn in eight Lueeks.


facilities instead of wasting valuable time complaining about a car parking fee? You have to pay on car parks, no'


matter which pool you use - e.g. Black­ burn - so why should we be any differ­ ent? , '


AMANDA WADDINGTON, New Market.SlrecI, Clilheroe


What about killers


on the roads? MICHAEL HOWARD has made it very clear that we have “Dirty hospitals in which 5,000 people die each year from hospital infections - more than the number of people die on our roads”. But with an annual death toll of some


3,500 and around 35,000 serious injuries, it’s hard to say which problem is worse. And isn’t the basic dilemma, incom­


petence and negligence in both cases, with everyone in too much of a rush. If the Tories were to win the election,


Mr Howard has a brilliant plan to rid our hospitals of killer superbugs. But what’s his plan to clean up our roads and rid them of killer drivers? Get rid of all our safety cameras is it


not? Aren’t tliese the “cleaning agents” on our roads, so evidently lacking in our hospitals? With a grand yearly total of over


300,000 road casualties, mostly down to everyone being in too much of a


rush and all of them destined for our superbug infested hospitals, he’s hard­ ly full of bright ideas.


ALLAN RAMSAY, Elderly vulnerable road-user Ashcombe Drive, Radcliffc


Protest about this


holiday park I AM concerned that a holiday park development proposed in Gisburh For­ est will ruin a beautiful unspoiled area of our countryside. Plans are vague and keep changing,


but one proposal is for 18 three to four bedroom chalets, a manager’s house, car park for 50 cars as well as a confer­ ence centre, cafe, shop, offices, gallery, food-hall, butchery and a smoke house. Butchery and smoke house? Gisburn Forest is only fairly small,


so a development of this size could not be hidden away discreetly in the trees. A lot of disruption would be caused


building it on a site that can only be approached by several miles of twist­ ing single-track road. I hope people who enjoy the peace


and quiet of Gisburn Forest will protest strongly and try to prevent this happening.


IRENE PARSONS, The Planlalion, Tosside, Skiplon


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