News

01 Feb 2026: Proportional Representation

During the final week of January 2026 several Lib Dem MPs were actively using social media and parliamentary time to highlight the Proportional Representation, promoting the Early Day Motion (EDM1217 tabled in May 2025) highlighting its growing list of signatories and to pressure the Government for a debate.

The Facts on EDM 1217

Title: Electoral Reform
Primary Sponsor: Sarah Olney (Lib Dem MP for Richmond Park).
Original Tabled Date: May 7, 2025.
Current Status: It remains a "live" motion in the 2024–26 parliamentary session. As of late January 2026, it has gathered nearly 50 signatures, primarily from Liberal Democrats but also from some Green and independent MPs.
The Text: It explicitly calls for a system of proportional representation for all future elections in England, arguing that the current system (First Past the Post) has led to a "record-breaking fragmentation of the vote."

Why was it all over your feed last week?

There are three specific reasons the Lib Dems "revived" the conversation about EDM 1217 recently:

Anniversary of the PR Bill: Last week marked one year since Sarah Olney’s Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill had its first surprise victory in the Commons. The party used this milestone to drive new signatures to the EDM as a show of continued strength.

Senedd Elections Momentum: With the 2026 Welsh Senedd elections approaching (which will use a more proportional system), Lib Dem MPs have been citing the "Welsh model" as evidence that Westminster is falling behind.

Local Government Pressure: MPs like Ian Sollom and Ben Maguire were particularly vocal last week about how First Past the Post is "distorting" local representation, specifically citing the 2025 local election results as the catalyst for the urgency mentioned in the EDM.

30/01/2026. Pendle Borough Elections May 2026

POSTPONED The elections for Pendle Borough Council, originally scheduled for May 7th 2026 have been postponed until May 2027.

27-01.2026 In a surprising twist for Lancashire politics, Pendle is the only borough in the county where local elections are still scheduled to go ahead in May 2026.

Pendle Borough Council Elections

The election is scheduled for Thursday, May 7, 2026. Pendle operates on a "thirds" system, meaning one seat in each of the following Colne-area wards will likely be up for grabs:

Waterside and Horsfield: Currently represented by Neil Butterworth (Con), Dorothy Lord (Lib Dem), and Ash Sutcliffe (Con).
Vivary Bridge: Currently represented by Marion Atkinson (Reform UK), Andy Bell (Lib Dem), and Richard O'Connor (Con).
Boulsworth and Foulridge: Currently represented by David Cockburn-Price (Con), Sarah Cockburn-Price (Con), and Kevin Salter (Con).

Key Projects in Colne (2026)

If you're keeping an eye on the town's development, several other major projects are hitting milestones right now:

The Bus Station Transformation: Work began in January 2026 on a major upgrade to the Colne bus station. The project is increasing the number of bays from three to five and installing real-time passenger information screens.
Traffic Flow Changes: As part of the bus station works, Craddock Road is being converted to two-way traffic this year to improve accessibility. You'll also notice bus stops being moved from Market Street to the new station to free up space for evening parking and loading.
Colne Regional Park Optimism: The Colne Connections project, backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is moving into a new phase this year. It aims to restore wildlife corridors and improve river quality across the Colne catchment area.
WinterBloom Festival: Following its success in previous years, the WinterBloom Light Parade is becoming a permanent fixture in the town's cultural calendar, with 2026 plans focusing on more "artist development pipelines" for local youth.

Lenches Granted Local Green Space Status

18 Dec 2024: That is a major milestone for the local community! The formal acceptance of Lenches Fields as a Local Green Space (LGS) within the Pendle Local Plan Fourth Edition (PLP4) effectively grants the area protection equivalent to Green Belt status.

That is a major milestone for the local community! The formal acceptance of Lenches Fields as a Local Green Space (LGS) within the Pendle Local Plan Fourth Edition (PLP4) effectively grants the area protection equivalent to Green Belt status.

This decision marks the end of a long-standing tug-of-war between local residents and developers (notably Gleeson Homes), who had previously targeted the site for significant housing projects.

What This Means for Lenches Fields

By being designated as a Local Green Space in the PLP4, the fields now benefit from the following protections:

Development Restrictions: Under national planning policy, new development is "ruled out other than in very special circumstances."
Long-Term Protection: This designation is intended to endure beyond the current plan period, safeguarding the "local character" of the area for future generations.
Recognition of Value: The acceptance confirms that the site meets the strict criteria for LGS status: it is demonstrably special to the community due to its beauty, recreational value, and richness of wildlife.

Context of the Decision

The journey to this point was a collaborative effort involving the Colne Town Council and the Colne Neighbourhood Plan.

Plan Component	Status/Impact
Colne Neighbourhood Plan	Initially identified Lenches Fields as a priority for protection.
PLP4 (Pendle Local Plan)	The overarching borough-level plan that has now codified this protection.
Developer Interest	Previous proposals for ~100 homes at Lenches Road/Knotts Lane are now significantly harder to justify legally.

16/12/2025. Colne's 'We Long Endure' coat-of-arms has been erected at the front of the Market Hall, close to the Market Cross.

The plaque was commissioned in 1937 for the former market hall building, and was displayed in the glass box in recent years.

Colne's Liberal Democrat councillors campaigned for the coat-of-arms to be incorporated in the current Market Hall's redevelopment. The plaque is the centrepiece of a new raised planter in front of the refurbished building.

The carved relief will be cleaned as part of the work on the forecourt, which is being paved with high-quality natural stone flags.

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24 Nov 2025. A meeting was held with LINK on October 24th - with MP Johnathan Hinder and David Fishwick being present. Feedback from his office is that LINK came and listened.

With the closure of the last remaining bank in Colne, Liberal Democrat run Colne Town Council is pushing for a dedicated Banking Hub in our town. Council Leader Mary Thomas says: “Not everyone can or wants to bank online. Local businesses and local people rely on cash and in-person banking. We want a Banking Hub for Colne”. Everyone's pitching in with effort including Colne Business Improvement District, Pendle's MP along with businessman and celebrity David Fishwick.

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Oct 15 - Earby's Flood Defence Funding Axed

BBC Report: Earby's Flood Defence Funding Axed

11 Oct 2025 - Colne Market Hall Latest

Colne Market Hall redevelopment is continuing and re-scheduled to open in March

Town Council leader Mary Thomas recently inspected the progress and reports: “The internal work is being carried out to a high standard and it will be a light and airy space.” ‘The food hall will be at the front area of the market and will be open during the day and in the evening with lots to offer.’ “Upstairs will be rental workshop studios for creative people who design and make their own products.”.

Pendle Borough Council granted £200k for the large outside area to be flagged and used for outside dining, markets and outdoor activities.

We could be singing the bin-day-blues in Pendle if Lancashire County Council add millions of pounds to district council-tax bills by shunting waste transfer costs onto borough councils.

LCC is threatening to make district councils pay to transport domestic rubbish and recycling across the county. In Pendle Council's case the change would add between £560,000 and £2.6m to the district council's costs.

These are costs currently paid by the county council. It's a cynical move to shunt waste transfer costs onto the districts. East Lancashire councils are most badly affected because of historic patterns of waste disposal and the location of the county council's food waste plant at Farrington, in the west of the county.

Up to now, bin wagons in Pendle have tipped their loads at a waste transfer station on Regent Street in Colne. LCC has then paid for the transfer of the bulked up rubbish to its disposal point. The county council is threatening to make us meet the costs of moving rubbish across Lancashire.

The LEAST costly option is for Pendle bin wagons to continue to tip at Regent Street, at a cost of over half-a-million pounds, but if the waste has to be taken to the county council's plant near Leyland it would be a £2.6 million bill. The threat of extra costs comes at the same time as councils like Pendle are having to bring in weekly food waste collections, so it's a double whammy for local council tax payers.

Pendle Council's Executive is considering a report on the waste transfer costs at its meeting on Thursday evening. Lancashire County Council's Cabinet is due to discuss the issue on 4th September.

PBC Leader - (David Whipp) has asked to meet with Lancashire Reform leader, County Councillor Atkinson, to ask him not to impose these costs on local council tax payers.