Many Clitheroe and Ribble Valley residents will be aware of the fire that broke out in Clitheroe Health Centre on Tuesday 27th October.

Although the fire was small and concentrated, the building’s lighting, heating, IT, and telephone system were all knocked out and an immediate decision was made to close the centre. Read the rest of this entry.

Clitheroe residents who live in the Mearley Brook Flood Alert area will soon be receiving a leaflet from the Ribble Valley Borough Council detailing how they out to prepare for the a potential flood alert and how to respond if flooding occurs.

In addition the Environment Agency are arranging a flooding related one day exhibition at Clitheroe Library on Tuesday 24th November. the latest updated Flooding Advice and Recovery leaflets will be available for all members of the public attending.

A new Home Office crime map which allows people to compare crime rates in Clitheroe has already been available in Lancashire for over three years.

The Lancashire MADE Public website broke new ground in 2006 by giving people access to a wealth of information on crime and disorder where they live.

By simply entering their postcode, people who log onto the site can find facts on calls to emergency services, violent crime, anti-social behaviour, deliberate fire setting, vehicle crime, road safety and domestic burglaries.

The site was set up by the Safer Lancashire partnership, which includes councils, the Police, fire service, the probation service and the ambulance service. The site breaks crime rates in Clitheroe down by district council ward. You can find out what it is in your area by clicking on the link and then moving the cursor around the map to where you live.

Lancashire County Council will spend an extra £54,000 on Clitheroe highways thanks to support from Cllrs. Allan Knox and Stephen Sutcliffe.

The decision was made at recent meeting of Lancashire Locals Ribble Valley. Here’s how the money will be spent: Read the rest of this entry.

Concerns are rising about the future of rural schools in the Ribble Valley, reports County Cllr. Allan Knox.

First came a report in the Lancashire Telegraph on Monday where it reported:

Former headteacher Bob Stott, who is now in charge of education from birth through to 18 at Lancashire County Council, said they may appoint one head for up to three primary schools to ease the crisis.

The next day Allan received a email from the Tory cabinet member in charge of rural schools which contained a briefing note for a potential themes that could be considered in a review of small rural schools.

It used phrases such as “mindful of emotive issues, “reshaping of provision” and “tightening of funding…likely to challenge the ability to continue to fund these levels of resources in small schools.”

County Cllr. Allan Knox said: “Rural schools, like post offices are at the heart of rural communities. If we really care about the rural communities then we should do all we can to protect them.”