Leader’s Viewpoint: Councillor Munsif Dad
I am incredibly proud to have been appointed as Leader of Hyndburn Borough Council at last week’s AGM and I am honoured to take on this responsibility. Having served as a Councillor for 18 years, I have represented this borough previously as Mayor in 2014/15 and as a Cabinet member for several years. In the last couple of years I have provided effective scrutiny to the Council as Leader of the opposition and now as I step into the role as Leader of the Council for the first time, I look forward to the year ahead.
I am pleased to report my Cabinet members have now been confirmed and they offer a range of skills and expertise. Councillors Melissa Fisher, Noordad Aziz, Vanessa Alexander, Scott Brerton, Stewart Eaves, Kate Walsh and Kimberley Whitehead will help me steer the Council’s priorities forward.
Hyndburn is currently undergoing a period of investment which I hope will benefit us for years to come, and as the new Leader I want to build on this and bring forward new ideas that will benefit our town centre and our outer townships.
I want Hyndburn to capitalise on opportunities for transformation and I want it to be a success. As Leader of the Council and with the support of my Cabinet members, I will do everything in my power to ensure these projects are successful and provide a service which benefits our borough.
Inevitably, a new controlling group for the Council brings with it our own ideas and priorities, and I’d like to outline some of these here. When we speak to residents, the cost of living crisis has been clearly the number one issue facing many and this will be at the top of our list. We want to review the current major projects underway and upcoming to make sure that resident’s voices are heard and the best results possible delivered.
This year marks 50 years since the creation of Hyndburn Borough Council and hundreds of other Councils across the country created under the Local Government Act 1972. As part of our 50th birthday celebrations, the Council is encouraging local organisations and groups to host community events, as we look to promote 50 events as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations. We’ve created a brand-new portal for community events taking place across the borough in 2024 to help promote all of what’s happening this year in Hyndburn. Events can be anything from community bring and buy sales and school summer fetes, to larger music festivals.
Whilst on the topic of events, our season of events sponsored by the Council will get well and truly underway this weekend with the Food Festival taking place in Accrington Town Centre. I had the pleasure of judging the cake competition ran by Amazing Accrington, and I was delighted to see over 900 school children enter. There truly were some fantastic designs and I can’t wait to see the winning cake baked by Molly Robbins this weekend.
The following weekend will see Eco Fest take place on Saturday 8th June and Oswaldtwistle Carnival on Sunday 9th June. I hope to see thousands of our residents supporting these events in the coming weeks. Early June is capped off with a fantastic event brought to you by the Council. ‘Connecting Cultures’ returns bigger and better for a second year. Marking National Refugee Week, Eid celebrations and Father’s Day the event promises a fun-filled day out for all, with free live performances, activities and exhibitions. This year we’ve shifted the event to Haworth Park and Art Gallery on Sunday 16th June, and we are providing free transport from Accrington Town Centre. This truly is an event that all the family can look forward to.