Parish News

The annual Remembrance Service at Barley Village turning area will be on Sunday 8^th November starting at 10.45am. Everybody is welcome to join the service which is always made especially poignant through the stories of Barley residents who made unimaginable sacrifices during times of conflict. There will be the usual laying of wreaths and flowers, 2 minutes silence, bugle playing of the last post, and refreshments at the Chapel afterwards. In addition to the service, the remembrance flag will be erected on the flag post at the start of November and taken down on the 12^th.

Other upcoming dates for your diaries are:

• 21^st November – Annual Tour of Pendle race starting from the Village Hall
• 13^th December – Barley to Bethlehem
• 20^th December – Carols by Candlelight at the Chapel
• 27^th February – Curry & Quiz fundraiser for the Village Hall, always a great night.

Thank you to everyone who has helped maintain the playground equipment since it was redesigned and replaced just over 2 years ago. The next project for the playground is to improve the barrier between the equipment area and the river. If any residents can volunteer time and/ or expertise to support with this, please speak to Counsellors Jayne Harthan or Dan Goldsborough

In other news, during October a waste bin was installed in the centre of the village green. This is the fifth time the Parish Council, in collaboration with Pendle Borough Council, has replaced a single sized bin with a new double sized bin. The reason is to reduce overflow and keep our public spaces cleaner.

Also during October, residents will have noticed that work to improve the turning area started. This involved a temporary closure of the area for the duration of the works. The turning area surface is made up of granite setts and over the years they have sunk in some areas causing ponding when it rains. Similarly, a smaller macadam area has deteriorated. The Parish Council, in collaboration with Pendle Borough Council, are jointly funding drainage and macadam surfacing works which will significantly reduce the areas of standing water. This project, due to be completed early in November, will improve access, safety, and the appearance of the turning area.

Rainfall has affected the work. One day it caused flooding of the drain trenches, caused by blocked existing drainage pipe. We were fortunate to be able to get urgent assistance from Lancashire County Council (LCC) to limit disruption and extra costs. LCC, surprisingly, have no records of the drainage in the village. We should be prepared for more extreme weather and knowing where our drains go could be a good start. The Parish Council will be looking further into this.

The new drain will run close to the bridge abutment wall and include two new gullies.

This image shows where the drain excavation has been reinstated with granite setts, a new gully is being installed, and beyond the gully is the line of the drain excavated heading off to the outfall.

During the works the access bridge to Barley Farmhouse and associated properties must be closed. A big thank you to the Lowcock family and others who have been tolerant and supportive.