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Finally taking responsibility for Clitheroe's decline
Have you ever heard of a group of politicians admitting they were completely wrong and had severely damaged the interests of the people they were meant to represent? I thought not!
Well, last Tuesday, the members of the Planning and Development Committee of Ribble Valley Borough Council saw the light.
At long last, they have realised that, because of their mistakes, Clitheroe is in serious decline as a place to shop and something has to be done if the decline is not to become terminal.
Apparently, well-run small towns, like Melton Mowbray, can attract 37p in the pound of the retail spending of their local people, but Clitheroe only attracts 22p in the pound – and falling.
They have recognised what we all know; that, to be attractive to us ordinary shoppers, the town must attract the key, multiple retail brands and allow the large stores to be built which the big chains want. They have even identified the part of town which most needs the attentions of the bulldozers and property developers. Surprise!
Surprise! It is the part owned and developed by the council itself and was even designed by a council employee.
At long last, our dead and alive market will receive some proper attention and Stewart Bailey, who runs the planning department, will get in proper, outside experts, this time, to work up a master plan to bring attractive, new buildings to the site and make the town buzz. There is even some hope M&S Simply Food could be at the heart of it.
If only this had all been done years ago, Clitheroe would be a much more prosperous place than it is today and more of our people would have been able to find jobs and do their shopping locally instead of having to drive long distances, every day, to earn their living. But it is never too late to start doing the right thing and, rather than criticising our councillors for the past, we should congratulate them on doing the right thing now.
As it says in the Good Book: "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over 90 and nine just persons which need no repentance."
There will be some who hope we can keep things in genteel decline. They are the same people who want to stop necessary modern office development in the town so roughly half of us have to drive out of the borough every day to work, and who want to drive most of our youngsters out of the borough, to find a home when they grow up, by obstructing necessary housebuilding here.
At long last, the council has voted to stand up for our young people and for the future. Three cheers for John Hill, our Mayor, Mike Ranson, the council leader and Richard Sherras, chairman of the Planning and Development Committee.
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Weather for Clitheroe
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North
