Welcome to Winning Back Morecambe's West End

The AGM of the West End Partnership (WEP) took place recently and new members are always welcome.

Anyone who lives or runs a business in the West End of Morecambe is eligible to become a member of the WEP. Membership brings with it the opportunity to stand for election to the Management Board or at least vote for those who do stand.

The Management Board comprises 8 local residents, 7 local Councillors, and three co-opted members, with administrative support from Lancaster City Council.

So why get involved?

The WEP is the vehicle through which the Council will deliver the Winning Back Morecambe’s West End Masterplan, a sub group of which receives updates on progress and funding from the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships and is very influential on how the money is being spent.

The WEP is also the means of delivering the new Neighbourhood Management funding, and further sub groups will soon be established to consider such issues as the environment, older people, young people, crime, health and education. Membership of these sub groups is open to the wider membership, which now stands at around 200.

The ‘Project Liaison Working Group’ is also advising on the development of plans for a redesign of the promenade gardens, from the Battery to Regent Road, and linked projects from the Promenade to Yorkshire Street and beyond.

The next three to four years will be vital to the future of the West End and the WEP will play a pivotal role. For an application form contact Cllr Peter Robinson (Chairman), on 401164; or John Deacon (Project Director), on 401004, or Alison Kinnon (Neighbourhood Officer), on 405836.

Members of the West End Partnership would like to thank Josephine Lean, one of the original members, who stood down at the AGM. You will be missed, Josephine. Thanks for all your hard work.

Lancaster City Council is encouraging all of us to work together to ‘put litter in its place’.

In April the council launched a district wide campaign, to coincide with new powers it has received to crack down on litter louts.

Some 100 council staff, including street wardens, environmental health officers, parks and grounds maintenance staff, dog wardens, recycling officers, bin men and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are now able to issue £75 on the spot fines to anyone dropping litter, gum or cigarette butts in the street.

In June the campaign focused on cigarette butts and the council gave away free portable stubb pouches to the public.

The pouches are pocket sized and allow gum and cigarette butts to be stored until they can be dropped into a bin rather than dropped in the street.

The airtight design means that smoke odours are locked inside, and they can be emptied when full and reused again.

The stubb pouches are available free from all council buildings including Morecambe Town Hall reception, Morecambe Tourist Information Centre and the Winning Back Morecambe’s West End office.