We're on the lookout for 2 new Parish Councillors.........

The Parish Council has a vacancy for 2 new Parish Councillors; one to cover the Winewall area of the Parish and the other to cover Trawden.  You must reside in the area for which you would be representing.  If you are interested, or know someone who is, please ask them to contact our Parish Clerk via the 'Contact Us' section of the website, or anyone is welcome at the next meeting which is on 1st April at Trawden Community Centre at 7pm.

Did you know that, to Vote in the elections in May, you'll need to bring photo ID?

Pendle Borough Council are one of ten councils taking part in a Voter ID pilot.

On Thursday 2 May elections will be held across Pendle to elect borough, parish and town councillors.

Before being given your ballot paper, you will be asked to provide an approved form of photo ID at your polling station. You have to provide photo ID even if you’re voting on behalf of someone as a proxy voter. 

Remember, you need to make sure you are on the electoral register.

If you're voting in person, or on behalf of someone else as a proxy voter, you can use these forms of identification:

• Passport (UK, EU or Commonwealth)
• UK, EU or Crown Dependency Photocard Driving Licence (including provisional)
• European Economic Area Identity Card
• UK Biometric Immigration Document
• PASS Identity Card (national proof of age scheme)
• Ministry of Defence Identity Card
• Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
• Blue Badge Scheme Photocard Parking Permit
• Concessionary travel pass funded by government such as a railcard or bus pass
• Oyster 60+ pass

You will need to produce the original document - you can't show us a photocopy or a copy of ID on your phone or other mobile device.

You can still use approved photo ID even if it has expired, or has the wrong address on it. The ID just has to have a photo that looks like you.

I don't have photo ID

Don't worry, you'll still be able to vote. From mid-March 2019 you will be able to apply for a Local Electoral Card. The card is free and you will be able to apply for it via this website. Alternatively, you can apply for a postal vote.  Pendle Borough COuncil will be doing Roadshows where you can have your photo taken and the card produced free of charge.

Postal vote checks

You do not need photo ID to vote by post. However, we will be carrying out random checks to ensure that postal voters applied and voted themselves and there was no fraud or undue pressure put on them.

We will be working closely with Lancashire police to make sure that strict processes are in place in the lead up to and during the election on Thursday 2 May.

Your right to vote is yours alone. Nobody should stop you from voting or interfere with your right to vote. Nobody can find out how you voted.

During the Voter ID pilot, random checks will be made to make sure that people who voted by post did vote themselves and there was no fraud or undue pressure put on them.

Reporting offences

If you become aware that an electoral offence is being committed, you should report it to us on 01282 661919.

You can also report offences to Crimestoppers anonymously by:

• calling 0800 555 111
• completing an online form www.crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information

Remembrance Day

The Centenary of World War 1 was commemorated yesterday at the Church then the War Memorial.  Lots of people attended and went without incident.  Thank you to those who attended.

Also a huge thank you to William Walker, Harry Walker and Paul Wilson for ringing the Church Bell for 30 minutes yesterday to signal the end of World War 1. You made history by doing this for us.

Potholes....

I know that there is a lot of talk about potholes on various pages, but I thought it would be useful to post the link to the County Council's page for reporting them, and the phone number to request a claim form if you've had your car damaged. They are:
Report a defect: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/roads-parkin…/fault-search.aspx
Claim form: 0300 123 6780 or email highways@lancashire,gov.uk

Make sure that you take a picture of the pothole that you've damaged your vehicle on, and you'll need to get a quote for the repairs to your vehicle.

Ball Grove Website

Ball Grove have a new website.  Why not take a look?  There's lot of information and some fabulous photo's on there.  The link is http://www.ballgrove.org/

Council Tax - 2019

For those who haven't already seen this, you'll be pleased to hear that the proportion of your Council Tax paid to Trawden Forest Parish Council has only been increased by £400.  This is a 0% rise to the whole bill as there are more properties in Trawden to share out this amount to.
As many of you know, the Parish Council are already responsible for ensuring delivery of some services within the Parish. These are currently all of the bus shelters, Lanehouse Lane Playground, roadside seating, Christmas decorations (the big tree at the Community Centre, the star at the Church and the star at Winewall) We also have to pay for the Countryside Footpath service, and have acquired the garage sites at both Cotton Tree and Ash Villa's on Colne Road.

The Parish Council also supply the dog fouling bags on the Recreation Ground and near to the school in a bid to combat the ever increasing issues of people not picking up after their pets.  More signs have been recently erected to remind people that they must pick up after their dogs.

We also support the fantastic work that the volunteers of Trawden in Bloom do, which keeps our villages looking their best. This, of course is reflected in the prizes that the group win year after year.
From April, we will be contributing 75% to the maintenance costs of Ball Grove as Pendle Borough Council will cut back on the service it provides if not. We have also been transferred various parcels of land around the village that now require the Parish Council to pay for their mowing.  The Parish Council also now owns the full length of the tram tracks.
We also support the fantastic work that the Community Centre trustees do, and have already helped financially to the set-up of the new building as it is an asset to the whole village.

The Parish Council have recently sub-contracted a new Lengthsman to do the jobs around the village that, would otherwise get left.  So far this year, he's rebuilt part of a wall, cleared out gullies and drains on Colne Road, and made some huge in-roads to the overgrown Harambee Surgery Garden.  Please take the time to have a look at this garden; it really is surprising how big it is.
If you would like any more information about anything we do, please do get in touch

Parish Councillors

Councillors have an active interest and concern for their local community. They represent local people and work in partnership with them and others when necessary. They help facilitate the provision of local services and facilities and take decisions that form the policy of the Council.
Councillors are not paid and have to abide by a local government code of conduct and declare their financial interests in the parish. Councillors must also declare a personal or prejudicial interest in any matter under discussion at a parish council meetings.