New Sports and Leisure Centre Opens Council COLLABORATES with College Despite Budget Cuts to Build State of the Art Facility
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TheMARCH2015 ShuttleFor more information about all Council Services see www.blackburn.gov.uk iNSide 2015/16 Budget agreed aNd CounciL tax frozeN. See page 2 Just good Nominate a tHiS friends picture good Neighbour Shuttle goes iSSue: Special Competition online - pages 6&7 - pages 8&9 - page 16 SpLash! New SportS aNd LeiSure CeNtre opeNS CouNCiL CoLLaBORATES witH CoLLege deSpite Budget CutS to BuiLd State of tHe art faCiLity The new £13.5m Blackburn partnership with the college has REBECCA’S VISIT Rebecca Adlington Sports and Leisure Centre meant a similar level of investment opened its doors to the public from the council has secured a Olympic freestyle swimmer this month. purpose built new leisure centre. Rebecca Adlington OBE will The new centre, in Feilden This has the additional benefit of two officially open the Sports and Street, opened on Monday, March 9 new sports halls that could not have Leisure Centre on March 20. two weeks after been afforded After the official unveiling of Waves Water “DESPITE FACING MASSIVE BUDGET via a council the plaque, invited guests will Fun Centre CUTS THE COUNCIL HAS JOINED only funded enjoy a tour of the new facilities closed. FORCES WITH THE COLLEGE TO FORM project. and around 100 school students, It is the A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE along with representatives from end of an era SURE OUR RESIDENTS MODERN the sports clubs and organisations for Waves HAVE THE BEST FACILITIES from Blackburn with Darwen’s which was FACILITIES AND Community Sports Forum, will opened by OPPORTUNITIES The new take part in a question and answer AROUND” P r i n c e s s centre, which session with Rebecca. Anne more - Councillor Damian Talbot will be the Waves will be demolished than 25 years envy of other next month and the site sold for ago. places across development by the council as part D e s p i t e the region, of ongoing regeneration of the town difficult financial times the council combines the best of both worlds, centre. The deSign includeS: has worked innovatively in with its modern sports facilities partnership with Blackburn College including dance/aerobic studio, • Six lane, 25-metre pool SEE - page 3 FOR MORe to share the cost of bringing a new health suite, sports halls and sports • A learner small pool, screenable for single gender leisure facility into the heart of the science lab together with the new ON THIs sTORY use with a moveable floor borough. swimming pools, water fun zone, • Two aqua-catchers children’s play area and the flumes. • Children’s water play zone REPLACING WAVES Students from the college and • An 80 station fitness suite community sports groups have • A dance/aerobics studio with a sprung floor A study was carried out that been using the dry side of the • Sauna and steam rooms estimated it would cost £8.3m to centre since last year. Work on the refurbish the dilapidated Waves new pools is due to be complete in • Two four-court sports halls building. However working in the next few weeks. • A sports science lab for college use For more information about all Council Services see www.blackburn.gov.uk 2 The Shuttle MARCH2015 Dear Resident For all of us living in Blackburn with Darwen there will be no increase to the part of Council Tax which funds services provided by Blackburn with Darwen Council. This is because we believe we need to do everything we can to keep the cost of living down, even though we know it means we will have to cut the services people value and need. Your Council continues to face very challenging financial circumstances due to drastic Government cuts to its core funding, as well as increasing demands and pressures. So far, since 2010, we have had to cut £70 million, with a further cuts of People have shown great £31m savings needed over 3 years to balance our budget. That’s a total of £101 community spirit and got involved million removed from our local economy. to make the borough a better place We are doing everything possible to re-think how we deliver services to reduce the The most expensive areas are adult impact felt by residents. After consulting residents, the priorities we have set to social care and children’s services serve the 147,300 residents and 60,251 households in the borough are: Creating more jobs and supporting business growth Improving housing quality and building more houses Improving health and wellbeing Improving outcomes for our young people Safeguarding the most vulnerable people Making your money go further We will continue to talk to you about where and how these cuts are implemented and also keep you updated on all the vital investment projects for our area. During this year’s consultation we made extra effort to include our younger residents. Thousands of people continue to be involved in community Your Call activities which remains an important way of working with the Council and helps ensure we can continue to help improve lives and look after the area. The annual report tells the story of those getting involved. For more information see the Council’s website: www.blackburn.gov.uk Councillor Andy Kay Executive member for Resources Bringing investment, jobs, housing and support for business remains at the heart of our plans Creating a connected, prosperous, clean, safe and healthy Blackburn with Darwen For more information about all Council Services see www.blackburn.gov.uk The Shuttle 3 investment update oLyMpiC freeStyLe SwiMMer Set to opeN BLaCkBurN’S New SportS CeNtre Olympic freestyle swimmer and Sunday, March 20 and 21. To book and find out more, log Damian Stewart, Curriculum Area Rebecca Adlington is delighted Visitors will get the chance to try out onto wwww.blackburnleisure.com Manager for Sport at Blackburn College, to be opening the new Blackburn a host of free activities and swim or www.facebook.com/BlackburnS said: “Having Rebecca, a distinguished Sports and Leisure Centre on with top Olympic athletes. Booking portsandLeisureCentre olympian, come and speak to our sport March 20. is essential for many of the events. students and open our £13.5m Sport She said: “I’m delighted to be INVESTMENT and Leisure centre is great as she can invited to open Blackburn’s new sports pass on her advice and experience to “i Hope tHe faNtaStiC and leisure centre. I hope the fantastic Blackburn with Darwen Council the students.” faCiLitieS avaiLable facilities available will help to encourage leader Kate Hollern said: “The Council Councillor Damian Talbot, will HeLp to encourage a major priority for the Council. We students and the public to get involved StudeNtS aNd tHe publiC has invested heavily in leisure services Executive Member for Culture, Leisure in sport and enjoy keeping fit for a to get iNvoLved iN Sport to make sure our residents, young and have joined forces with the college in and Young People said: “I am sure the healthier lifestyle.” aNd enjoy keepiNg fit for a old, have access to the best facilities a unique partnership to ensure that new pool and flumes will bring visitors A special opening weekend of HeaLtHier LifeStyLe” around. Improving participation in our investment is spent wisely for the from far and wide – just as Waves has events is being held on Saturday - Rebecca Adlington OBE sport and health and wellbeing is benefit of the borough and our residents done over the years.” reap the health benefits.” CoNTINUED NEW CATHEDRAL QUARTER TAKES SHAPE FROM Cathedral Quarter New Look FRONt LiBrary PAGE... Blackburn Central Library welcomed scores of visitors for a special open day to commemorate FIRST CLASS the end of its £2m restoration. The exterior of the Town Hall Street Councillor Damian Talbot, heritage building has been restored to Executive Member for Culture, its original 1930 state, transforming the Leisure and Young People said: look of the whole area. “Waves was state of the art when It has been covered in scaffolding it first opened more than 25 years for months while the former 1970s ago and has provided a lot of fun concrete cladding was carefully for a lot of people over the years. removed. Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Young “Since then, people’s needs People said: “This was a vital piece of and the facilities or activities investment, and what it did was give us available to us have changed an opportunity to restore the building dramatically and the new sports to its original glory. The library is very and leisure centre will be first important in the town, very well used class venue for the borough. and one of the busiest libraries in the north west, and it is a landmark building “Sports facilities and activities in Blackburn centre.” at the new centre will be second The facelift started in April 2013 to none but we will not lose the coinciding with transforming the inside into an online information hub as well as fun side and I am sure the new a store for thousands of books. pool and flumes will bring visitors from far and wide – just as Waves has done over the years.” New offiCeS aNd HoteL deveLopMeNt for For more information, log onto www.blackburnleisurecentre. tHe CATHedraL QUARTER com installed and works start to take suppliers and the contract for the PREMIER INN By Shuttle Staff place inside the buildings. glass for the office and hotel has “SPORTS FACILITIES The Cathedral Court been awarded to a Blackburn Premier Inn signage has now The Cathedral Quarter development including residential company, SG Aluminium.