The Clitheroe 1 ’Ribble


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‘Another nail in the coffin enterprise


by Faiza Afzaal


A FIRST-STOP rural service providing farmers and small businesses free environmental and ecological advice has been


axed. Lancashire Rural Futures


(LRF) will close the doors of its Clitheroe base on Monday with the loss of 19 jobs. The move is being blamed on a


shortfall of funding of around £125,000 from the North West Development Agency (NWDA). The news of the closure has been


described as “another nail in the coffin of rural enterprise” by Rib­ ble Valley Borough Council leader Coun. Michael Ranson. He added: “I think it’s absolute­


ly appalling that a vital service like this is being stopped. I hope something can be done to save LRF from closure.” LRF was launched in 1999 as


one of two national pilots to assist rural businesses develop new opportunities, especially impor-


tant after the foot-and-mouth epi­ demic of 2001. Over the years it has helped in


the development of a number of countryside projects across the county ranging from the growth of rural workspace, livery facilities and farm shops. Some of its Rib­ ble Valley success stories include the conversion of a number of redundant farm buildings into rural workshops at Backridge Farm, Waddington; the develop­ ment of land and buildings into a livery yard, tack/feed shop and holiday cottages at Brookhouse Farm, Whalley; Bashall Barn; Poorsland Trust, Slaidburn and the language school at Great Tod- ber, Gisbum. During the past nine years LRF


(formerly the Bowland Initiative) has created more than 1,200 new jobs, more than 17,000 hectares of land has been placed under some form of positive environmental management and through busi­ ness and environmental support, it has facilitated over £26m. of investment into rural Lancashire.


Mr John Welbank, manager at


LRF, which is based in Waterloo Road, Clitheroe, said everyone is devastated that the facility is set to close. He added: “Since the early days


of the Bowland Initiative to the present LRF program, the service has been delivered through a real partnership approach and it is our regret that this partnership will now break up. “Organisations of note include


Lancashire Economic Partnership for their funding support. Business Link Lancashire for their opera­ tional support, and finally, the county council that has driven this programme since the outset. “There are numerous other pub­


lic and private organisations that have helped deliver the success we have achieved, but as always it’s not organisations that drive suc­ cess, but individuals within those organisations. “LRF was all about delivering


to clients’ needs. From the letters # c'onlMuicd on


Mum provides one way to keep warm!


“BUT mum, why is it called a ‘piggy’ back?” This spring lamb found a novel way to keep its feet off the chilly East­ er snow, thanks to its mother - a delightful scene caught on camera by reader Julie Pym during an Easter


Sunday walk around West Bradford. Although Easter was early this year, is is not usually associated with snowfall, and Julie’s wintry view of West Brad­ ford is more reminiscent of December than late March, (s)


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