Roughlee Parish Council
RFO Vacancy, Big Planning Changes, Neighbourhood Watch, Funds, Ice...
We will shortly have a vacancy for the role of Responsible Financial Officer as Jon Bailey has decided to step down. We are incredibly grateful to Jon for all his hard work and dedication over the last few years. The search is now underway for his successor. This is a paid role involving the management of parish council finances, typically requiring just a few hours per month. If you are interested or would like an informal chat to find out more, please speak to Martin or email Mary at clerk@roughlee.org.uk.
There will be a major change to how planning applications are decided to take effect from 31 October. At the moment, Pendle borough councillors meet at the monthly Barrowford & Western Parishes committee to discuss and vote on any disputed local planning applications. Parish councils participate in that meeting to represent local views, but have no vote. However, going forwards under new national rules, almost all applications will be decided solely by Planning Officers at Pendle Borough Council, completely removing the involvement of these councillor-led planning committees. Strong protections for the National Landscape area remain in place through the Pendle Local Plan, and local residents and the Parish Council will continue to submit written comments as at present. But it is a huge change, and we will be monitoring future decisions very closely under this new system.
On a related point, the planning application for two houses on the land between the Bay Horse and Old Hall Close is no longer due to be considered at the B&WP meeting in early October. Instead, Planning Officers are waiting for revised plans to be submitted, and they will make a final decision under the new processes outlined above.
PCSO Alan Fielding has approached us to gauge local interest in establishing a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in Roughlee. A similar scheme was recently launched in Fence, enabling residents to share crime prevention alerts, look out for neighbours, and coordinate directly with the police. If you have thoughts on this, please email Mary or come along to our next council meeting.
The long-debated Local Government Reorganisation for Lancashire (where Pendle BC and Lancashire CC were to be replaced) has now been “paused” by the government. As a result, current local government structures remain unchanged for the foreseeable future. Local elections will proceed as scheduled in 2027, with potential shadow elections in 2028 ahead of a possible Vesting Day in 2029.
Please update your contacts for our Clerk – Mary can now be reached at clerk@roughlee.org.uk. We have also updated and published our website Accessibility Statement, Data Protection Policy and IT Policy on the village website.
Work at the Village Centre is progressing well. The new boules area, planters, and wildlife boxes are now complete, and work has commenced on phase two to replace a section of the roof and house the generator. This work has been made possible through the Pride in Place Impact Fund. Additionally, we have secured funding from Pendle Borough Council’s Capital Grants scheme to install the new fencing and clear diseased trees surrounding the car park, so the whole outdoor area is looking excellent.
The Parish Council has also been awarded £2,900 from the Pendle BC Legacy Fund to deliver a project that creates a lasting positive benefit for the village. We would love to hear suggestions from residents across Roughlee on how best to allocate these funds. Please send your ideas to Mary at clerk@roughlee.org.uk.
Looking ahead to the winter months, we have received temporary ice hazard signage from Lancashire CC for the top and bottom of Jinny Lane. These will be deployed during cold spells to discourage drivers from following sat-nav routes onto the ungritted road.
On a final note, we’ve successfully collated all of the minutes from parish council meetings dating right back to 1945. To ensure these historic records are safely preserved and made accessible to researchers and local historians, they will shortly be formally submitted to Lancashire Archives.
Next PC meeting Monday 5 Oct, 7pm at RVC – all welcome.