, Clitheroe422324 (Editorial); 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) 2 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, June 7th, 2007


INSIDE YOUR CLITHEROE ADVERTISER AND HUES


□ Valley Matters.............8 and 9 0 Village News .........................12 and 13 S Letters .................................. 11 and 14 3 Weekendplus........................20 and 21 Si Family Notices .....................16 and 17 S Motors Today...........................25 to 36 0 Sport............................. 17 and 46 to 48 AT A GLANCE...


New wing opened at Manor - page 4 Green light for new village loos - page 7


Residents’ air ambulance boost - page 9 Regatta win for Jonny - page 48


INFORMATION


Duly chemist: Buckleys Pharmacy, 4 Railway View Road, Clitheroe: Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. Police: 01200 443344. Fire: In emergency 999 and ask for fire service. Electricity: 0800 1954141.


fins: 0800 111999.


Water: 0845 4G2200. Councils: Ribble Valley Borough Council, Clitheroe 425111. Clitheroe Town Council, 424722. Hospitals: Royal Blackburn Royal Hospital: 01254 2G3555. Airedale General Hospital, Steeton: 01535 G52511. Clitheroe Community Hospital: 427311. Alcohol Information Centre: 01282 41GG55. Aidsline: 01282 831101 (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Domestic Violence Helpline: 01282 422024. Cruse Bereavement Care: Ribble Valley 01200 42934G. Environmental Agency: Emergencies - 0800 8070GO. Drugs: Local confidential advice and information line: 01200 444484. National: 0800 77GG00. Kibble Valley Talking Newspaper: 01200 428G04. Samaritans: 01254 GG2424. Monthly Volunteer Helpline: 01200 422721. Lancashire Rural Stress Network: 01200 427771. QUEST (specialist smoking cessation service): 01254 358095: Kibble Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau: 01200 4289GG..


CONTACT US! News: 01200 422324


Advertising: 01200 422323 Classified: 01282422331


Family Notices and Photo Orders: 01282 426161, ext. 4111 Fax: 0120(1443467 editor e-mail: vivien.meatli@eastlancsnews.co.uk


news editor e-mail: Duncan.smith@eastlancsnews.co.uk sports editor e-mail: edward.lce@eastlancsnews.co.uk


WEATHER


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WEEKEND WEATHER: Forecasters predict the weather will remain dry throughout Saturday and Sun­ day, with blue skies and plenty of sunshine.


SUNRISE: 4-43 a.m. SUNSET: 9-30 p.m. LIGHTING UP TIME: 8-50 p.m.


B SLAIDBURN B GISBURN


B CHATBURN \>A ^ B BURNLEY www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


Village has new hall after 10-year wait


by Vivien Meath


WEMBLEY’S new sta­ dium took seven years - Slaidburn Village Hall took 10! Opening the new village


facility, Mr John Parry told the assembled guests: “I t ’s been a long saga, which started over 10 years ago when the WI wrote to the village hall committee, saying some of their mem­ bers were unable to climb the stairs at the old hall.” Mr Parry reminded the


guests of the controversy caused by the decision to convert the former Meth­ odist chapel and paid trib­ ute to the scheme’s archi­ tect, Austin-Smith Lord. It had, he said, been u n c om p rom i s in g ly designed .as a modern building and should work well. ■ And although the build­


ing was officially declared open, it was, he said, not finished. The committee had occupation of it, but there were still things


which needed completing. Thanking all who had


contributed, he made par­ ticular mention of local benefactor Mr Tony Moores, a member of the Moores family which owned Littlewoods Pools and other Liverpool-based companies. He had provid­ ed some of the funds for the conversion. Mr Moores’ father had bought a farm in Slaidburn


in the 1960s and his son continued to support local projects. Spearheaded by Linda


Blakeman, the community raised £53,741 against an initial target of £25,000. The premises, formerly


the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, were built in 1821 by public subscription, cost the equivalent of £182.26 in decimal curren­ cy, whereas the new village


hall has a price tag of £1.5m. It is hoped that the annual footfall, which in the former hall averaged 6,698 people a year, will increase to 19,000 in the first year of the new hall’s activity. Our picture shows Slaid­


burn Silver Band enter­ taining the crowds at the offical opening of the new hall.


(A260507/4b) Assurances given on racecourse plan


THE £100m. project for the world’s first “super racecourse” has been described as the “future of Read and Simonstone”. At one of two public meetings, the


plan to develop 371 acres of land between the Ribble Valley and Hyn- dburn was hailed a fantastic oppor­ tunity for the area. Coun. Clifton Pollard, a member


of Read Parish Council, said the project could help bring prosperity to the area. However, not all those who attend­


ed the meeting, held at Read Prima­ ry School, agreed. Some villagers feared the racecourse and adjoining leisure facilities would create traffic chaos and destroy the peace and tranquillity of the area. One local resident said: “The Rib­


ble Valley is.a beautiful area and we don’t want a racecourse spoiling it with the associated noise tha t is inevitable from helicopters and sup­ porters cheering. “Motorists travelling to the site


are going to park in Simonstone Lane and cause traffic and parking chaos. And what about the noise and dis­ turbance from the years of construc­ tion work?<Nobody has discussed that with local residents.” But Mr David Reddick, plan-


ner/architect, speaking on behalf of the development team behind the proposals, allayed fears, saying the scheme was in its initial stages and traffic engineers would explore all avenues before making any decisions. The Marquis of Zetland, chairman of the project, added that developers


Ex-mayor faces jail over benefits fraud


A FORMER Mayor of Clitheroe has been warned th a t he could be sent to prison after admitting a ben­ efit fraud charge involving more than £13,000. John McGowan (54), of


Ribble Way, Clitheroe, was a Labour member of Ribble Valley Borough Council for Edisford and Low Moor ward, but failed’.'to win re- election as an Independent at last month’s elections. He pleaded guilty at Pre­


ston Crown Court to failing to promptly notify a change


of circumstances that affect­ ed his entitlement to disabili­ ty living allowance. Prosecuting counsel Teresa


Loftus said it covered a two- and-a-half year period between April 2004 and Sep­ tember 2006. McGowan was granted


bail pending background reports and will be sentenced next month. Judge Edward Slinger told


him all sentencing options remained open, including the possibility of an immediate custodial sentence.


planned to carry a £4.3m., 25-month study to examine the proposals in detail. He revealed that TV nature expert David Bellamy would be enlisted to aid environmental surveys at the site. He also added that plans for the


scheme could be submitted to Ribble Valley Borough Council as early as March next year. If given the go- head, the state-of-the-art facility, which is expected to attract 30,000 racegoers per meeting, could create several hundred permanent jobs and more than 1,000 casual jobs on race days alone. More details about the proj-


k ect will continue to appear in |||k the Clitheroe Advertiser and J r rT in ie s or you can log onto V www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk


Bunny’s late night out!


HEARD the one about the couple tottering home from a party in the early hours when sud­ denly a big white rabbit appears? Well it’s no joke for Stephen and Nikki Maf-


fia, who have been left looking after the stray bunny in question! The couple were making their way home from Stephen’s 40th birthday bash in the early hours of Sunday when they spotted the white rabbit hopping happily along Chatburn Road, close to their home. After a bit of fancy footwork, honed to perfection by a night on the dance floor, they were able to catch the tame rab­ bit, which must be a missing pet. Since then Nikki has made lots of inquiries to


find its owner, including reporting it to the police and distributing flyers in the area around her home, but no-one has yet come forward to claim the floppy-eared orphan. So if one of your bunnies is absent without


leave, call Nikki on 07779 537216 and she will happily hand him back!


Trees are safety


hazards ^^(inteqfrffipagcTi


Responding, the coun­


cil’s countryside officer, Mr David Hewitt, said: “Many trees fall in gale conditions because their roots have been damaged, partially removed, dis­ eased or decayed. “The trees in question


are within falling distance of parked cars and traffic in York Street, as well as Clitheroe Grammar School. They are also causing damage to the footpath, which is a trip hazard for pedestrians. “Following an on site


meeting with Lancashire County Council, the coun­ ty forestry officer and con­ tractors at the Grand Cin­ ema, it was agreed that removal of the trees and their replacement with new trees, including repair of the footpath, is the safe and sensible action to take. “Residents are obvious­


ly disappointed, but the safety of the general pub­ lic must take precedence. Once the new trees are established, .they will become an equally valu­ able part of York Street.” Earlier this week, a county council spokesman


_ added: “The cojanty coun­ cil has been working with the borough council to remove and replace unsuitable trees in the area since Ribble Valley's Planning and Develop­ ment committee passed a resolution in 1991. The trees in York Street could, if left alone, bring serious consequences. “Lime-trees are wood­


land trees, which ooze sap and are totally unsuitable for urban streets. Those in York Street are also dam­ aging the pavement, which could be hazardous for pedestrians. “We have learned that


the work being carried on York Street may have made the trees unstable. This has made their removal and replacement a priority, but our inten­ tion has always been to carry out this project.”


Photos found


A WOMAN is appealing to the public to help solve a mystery of photographs found at Clitheroe Mar­ ket. An envelope stuffed with four modern reprints of what appears to be pic­ tures taken in the 1970s was found by Mrs Rose Conti during her shopping trip some time last month. If you think the photos


belong to you, please call in at the Clitheroe Adver­ tiser and Times’ office, in King Street.


THERE is no stopping young entrepreneurs at Ribblesdale High School Technology College. For pupils from the Clitheroe


school’s Young Enterprise compa­ ny “Ignite” have been winning sil­ verware again - and lots of it! The teenagers beat strong com­


petition from 17 other high schools across East Lancashire to win the best final company report title. As p art of the win, the pupils


impressed judges with their inter­ viewing and presentation skills at


Ewood Park. In addition, the company won in


the following categories: best press advert, best Christmas trade fair stand, French-speaking competi­ tion and best final company stand. The team will now compete in the North West final at Edge Hill


University. “Ignite” has created several


products this year including a recipe book aimed at encouraging primary school children to follow a well-balanced and healthy diet. Mr Neil Ashworth, Young


Enterprise co-ordinator for Rib­ blesdale High, said he was delight­ ed with the company’s success. Our picture shows Ribblesdale


High’s Young Enterprise team with its impressive collection of shields and trophies. (S080507/1)


Prom choir needs some new vocalists!


ARE you in good vocal form? If so, then the organisers of the Clitheroe’s “Last Night of the Proms” choir need you. More singers would be welcome


to join the Ribble Valley Choir which performs a t this annual


event. The choir was first founded five


years ago and its first major per­ formance was with Clitheroe


Town Band at the “Last night” event in August 2003. There are no regular rehearsal commit­ ments, with practices starting just a few weeks before specific events and each singer receives a tape for


practice at home. This year’s event is being held


on Saturday, August 11th, a t Clitheroe Castle bandstand and rehearsals are due to s ta r t on


Thursday, July 26th, at Trinity Methodist Church, in Parson


Lane. All 100 local singers who are


already on the choir list will be contacted and invited along, but if you have not taken part previous­ ly and would like to do so this time contact either Steuart Kellington on 01254 248855 or Leon Saberton on 01200 425988 for more details.


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LATEST LOCAL NEWS AND SPORT


by Faiza Afzaal


A MAJOR fund-raising campaign has been launched to turn the Clitheroe Masjid


Project into reality. Local Muslims have kick-


started a £1.25m. appeal to ren­ ovate the disused former Mount Zion Methodist Chapel on Low- ergate into a “place of worship and community partnership centre". And they are calling on kind-


hearted Ribble Valley folk to rally behind their plans and fund the interior trankormation of the building by pledging sup­ port for their “Sponsor a Brick


•www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk


Are you happy that Clitheroe will now get a Homehase DIY Store? see letters-page 11


HAVE YOUR SAY VOTE ONLINE


Previous vote: Should skaters he charged lor using lown’s skatepark? Yes 20% No 80%


. Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, June 7th, 2007 3


1SIT YOUR MUSIC


0 ONLINE Ik horn's a day, 7 days a weak... log obi to ww«GlitheF®oad¥ortIse!.e©.uk Mosque’s fund-raising appeal


Campaign”. In total, 5,000 vir­ tual bricks from the building are available to sponsor at a cost of at least £250 each. The men behind the project


are Mr Sheraz Arshad and Mr Farouk Hussain of the town’s Medina Islamic Education Centre. They said: “Each brick sponsored costs £250 and this money will go directly towards the cost of the development, construction work and refur­ bishment of Clitheroe Masjid (mosque) “In return for their generosi­


ty, sponsors will be issued with a uniquely numbered certifi­ cate, given a vote of thanks on a dedicated website and have


aJTHERCSMA^IDFW^HH


vides individuals, groups and organisations from all around the world with an opportunity to contribute towards the estab­ lishment of this pioneering facil­ ity, which will be dedicated to working for the common good of all people.” As previously reported in the


their name listed on a grand roll of honour, which will take pride of place in the entrance foyer of the building. “All sponsors will also be


invited to the grand opening of the Mosque. This initiative pro­


Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, the area’s small Muslim com­ munity has campaigned for 30 years to establish a local place of worship. The wait was finally over in December when they won planning permission. Mr Arshad and Mr Hussain


are now looking forward to turning the project into reality. “The former chapel is a beauti­


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ful, but worn and tired building and we would like to restore it to its former glory, commented Mr Arshad, who is director of the Clitheroe Masjid Project. “We are committed to mak­


ing a positive contribution to the wider community as well as serving the needs of the Muslim community.” Mr Hussain went on to stress


that no external modifications will be carried out, but the building requires substantial internal work to make it acces­ sible to all members of the com­ munity. He explained: “We are very proud of the building and no external alterations will be carried out. The ground floor of


the building will be used as a general meeting place for wor­ shippers and will be equipped with wash facilities, while the middle level will become a place of prayer. “The top level will be con­


verted into an area for different community groups - serving a range of functions. “Once work is complete, the


building will be open to every­ one, especially for women as well as men, and will boast creche facilities. Mr Hussain added that work should start within 12 months. Anyone wishing to sponsor a


brick is urged to e-mail info@miec.org.uk


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