Councillor Colin Robb surveys the result of all the hard work. In the background you can see the Lancashire Countryside Service and the Fylde Age Concern stands.

I had a long chat with Terry Phelan of the Countryside Service about the Lancashire Coastal Way and the state of the path in some places. It was both interesting and informative about the difficulties and challenges they face in their attempts to improve the path. Those of you who walk along to Naze point may have noticed that some work has already been done to improve the path. This work will continue in the summer and should result in a major improvement between Freckleton village and the Naze. The shore front from the Naze to Warton presents a different problem due to the tide and it being a preservation area. An acceptable solution has not yet been found that would be acceptable to all the concerned parties. If you have any ideas about a viable solution then I'm sure that Terry would be pleased to hear from you.

Fylde Age Concern run a workshop/meeting every Wednesday at Croft Court between 10:00am and 3:00pm. This is open to everyone, not just the residents of Croft Court. Tuition on I.T. (computers) and advice and information about pensions is available. They also hold insurance events. Refreshments are available. Call in or contact Jo or Abbe on (01253)725563

Results from the questionnaire were presented on the notice boards down the centre of the room. Each board also contained an extract from the comments, the observations of the Parish Plan committee and a list of possible actions which could be taken. Spaced around the room were the service providers. Most of the stands were manned (or in these politically correct days - staffed?) for visitors to ask questions and see what functions and tasks the service provides.

I'm not going to go into any detail about the results of the questionnaire (you will have to wait for the official results for that) but I will summarise from the information displayed, the printed comment lists and the impressions I gained from them. Not in any particular order:

No more housing - except affordable for local people.
More information is desired about local events and actions.
Bad and inconsiderate parking, blocking access, on the pavement and double yellow lines, is a problem.
Speeding and danger spots - There are a number of places that have been highlighted by a large number of respondents.
There is a lot of support in favour of the proposed Multi-purpose Centre.
The public toilets are disgusting.
Youths hanging around and behaving in an anti-social manner is a problem .
There exists a perceived lack of police presence/response.

The beat policeman, Andy Scarisbrick, was present.

As was his boss,
Sergeant Jackie Hurst. Seen here talking to a parishioner.

I found them both very friendly and approachable.

You can find the Freckleton beat officers on the Lancashire police web site. Emma Bolton looks after Bryning with Warton & Freckleton West Ward and Andy Scarisbrick patrols Freckleton East.

Mayor Fiddler also attended dressed in his chains. Seen here talking to Terry Phelan.

At first look it was not clear exactly what service this stand represented. What does 'Audit Public Consultation' mean? For those of you as ignorant as I, this is the 'Fylde Community Safety Partnership'. Their task is 'Striving for a safer Fylde' and their priorities are driven by the results of a questionnaire that was circulated some time ago. I think the mission statement sums up what it is all about "Working together to tackle crime and the fear of crime in the Fylde". Our very own Councillor Bernard Whittle is the chairman of the Fylde Community Safety Partnership.

I must admit that I don't recall ever seeing anything about the Safety Partnership questionnaire and I definitely never completed one. However, the concerns expressed do seem to be broadly in line with those of the Parish Plan questionnaire.

Christine Miller was on hand to talk about what they are doing and what they hope to achieve. Christine is very enthusiastic about her job and judging by the display has brought about some worthwhile improvements in the Fylde. On a more local note CCTV is being installed in the park, and the mobile CCTV van is available to Freckleton to cover specific problems. Christine is also looking at the issue of unlit areas and the provision of lighting. She made me much more aware of the problems and difficulties she faces. When things don't happen, or don't happen as quickly as we would like then there is probably a very good reason why not! More details are available on the Fylde web site.