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. Great news that the government inspector report on the Pendle Local Plan is in and he accepts Lenches and the Upper Rough meet the criteria and can be added as Local Green Space (LGS). There are slight concerns as a new plan will be started next year but hopefully the protected spaces will be the last sites to be chosen for development. 

Email sent from Protect Pendle's Countryside (PPC).

 As you all know residents have campaigned for many years to protect this land for the next generation to enjoy. Things came to a head in Feb 2021 when Gleeson's started exploratory work before putting in plans for 104 houses (phase one). Residents came together as a collective to stop the land being destroyed. We tried so many ways but were frustrated by planning laws and the refusal to add us to the Colne neighbourhood plan. 

We suffered a devastating blow when our mentor councillor Lord Greaves passed away in March 2021. We battled on without Tony's guidance and were accused of being conspiracy theorists, misleading the public, editing posts and even our use of the apostrophe was criticised. We carried on the fight organising petitions, leafleting and speaking up at council meetings. There was a further setback in December 2021 when the Pendle local plan which would have protected Lenches was scrapped at the 11th hour. We didn't give up and continued to speak up and make sure Lenches was not forgotten about. 

A new draft local plan was published in late 2024 and to our delight (and to be honest amazement) Lenches was added as a protected green space! We then had to wait to see if a government inspector agreed that it was suitable and met the stringent criteria. Residents attended and spoke at a meeting with the inspector in July and then waited for his decision. 

The decision has been made, and the inspector has agreed that Lenches meets all the criteria to be protected as local green space!!! 

Over the moon is an understatement and the purpose of this email is to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU 

To every single person who has objected, leafleted, spoken at meetings, signed petitions or just generally offered support in any way. This is proof that we can make a difference. We don't have to sit back and hope for the best; we can stand up to be counted and those in power locally have listened to us. 

Be proud Lenches Lovers you have been part of something very special protecting this land for the residents and wildlife that depend on it. Our countryside is finite, and we need to keep up the fight to protect as much as we can 

Thank you✨ 🙏🏻✨

 sending love, light and Lenches love

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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.

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.

Santander Bank Latest

With the bank now closed and the building up for sale Santander have arranged with Colne Town Council to have a banking service advice sessions in the town hall each Wednesday, beginning on 30th July.

Councillors have worked to get a Banking Hub in Colne, but the organisation running such hubs says one planned for Nelson will serve residents in the area.

Town Council Chair, Councillor Mary Thomas said, "The town council has negotiated weekly Santander sessions to salvage the best service we can for the people of Colne. We would all have liked a full banking service, but this is better than nothing."

Councillor Andy Bell, who sits on Pendle as well as the Town Council, said, “We will continue to press for a banking hub, as that would provide a much better service, including over the counter cash handling, but that looks to be a remote possibility at present.”

In the House of Commons at PM Question Time, ED Davey demands the PM's support of Gaza.

 Ed Davey's Gaza Question to the PM

The world is looking on in horror as Netanyahu's Government plots to lock Gaza's entire population into effectively a giant prison.

The Prime Minister should make it clear that the UK won't stand idly by, starting by sanctioning Netanyahu himself.