Buckshaw Village

Come along to Cuerden Valley Park for a grand day out on Saturday 18 May.  The annual Cuerden Valley Fair returns with lots of fun and entertainment for all the family.  A family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) is just £8 and the Fair is open from 10am to 4pm.

You’ll find the traditional children’s fairground rides, bouncy slide, animal shy and face-painting. See how high you can climb on the climbing wall, learn new skills in the circus workshop and find out how long you can survive in the Battlefield Live laser tag arena. Why not get crafty and see what you can make in our education marquee, see what wonders can you fold with the origami man, or join in the jelly competition?

Watch the intrepid cyclists on their obstacle course, make your own cycle-powered fruit smoothy and bring your bike along for a free safety check. Get moving with Active nation, or maybe you’d like to experience a gentle Segway ride.

And did we mention the animals? There’ll be a dog agility display, rare-breed sheep and reptiles to meet, or maybe you’d like to join llamas on a trek in the park. Not forgetting the birds of prey with flying owls, hawks and eagles.

In the woods you’ll come across woodcraftsmen demonstrating the ancient arts of blacksmithing, charcoal making, besoms (witches brooms), hurdles and trugs; and you can try your hand at willow weaving and woodcarving.

Picnic in the orchard as you listen to the brass band. There’ll be lots of tasty food and drinks to buy, famers’ market stalls and crafts. With a police car, fire engines and lots more to see you’re sure to have a grand day out. Adults £4, children £2, family (2+2) £8.

http://www.cuerdenvalleypark.org.uk/

Cllr Mark Perks has been contacted by a number of Buckshaw residents regarding issues relating to contracts taken out with a local business. Mark has been in contact with Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards team who have issued the following advice and the appropriate course of action that consumers should take in such circumstances.

The Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 indicates that contracts should be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Consumers could therefore potentially argue that the company is in breach of contract if they are not providing the service that the consumer contracted with them for.

Consumers should initially write to the company and advise them that they consider them to be in breach of contract. They should also provide details of the information that was provided to them at the time that the contract was entered into and if possible provide a log detailing the dates and times that the problem occurred and any dates and times that they contacted the company to complain about the service.

It would also be helpful that consumers give the company a reasonable opportunity to investigate the complaint and find a solution (generally 14 days). If this is unsuccessful, consumers may then need to go through the company’s official complaints procedure. If this does not resolve the complaint to the consumer’s satisfaction then given that the company does not appear to be a member of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Service the consumer would need to consider issuing a claim in the small claims section of the County Court.

The Telecommunications Act 2003 places a requirement on all telecommunications businesses to be members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution Service. As it appears that the particular telecom company in question are not members of either of the 2 schemes that are authorised under the act. This information has been forwarded to OFCOM, the telecommunications regulator, for their information and any action that they might deem appropriate.

If a resident wishes to provide this information to Cllr Perks he is happy to involve the Trading Standards team to look at the company’s terms and conditions and to discuss the matter directly with the company if necessary.

Walking her pets through Leyland town centre can take Marie Forshaw half the day.

She has been stopping traffic and raising smiles as she steps out with her two dogs – and miniature Shetland pony, Bella.

The daily trots along the streets are all part of one-year-old Bella’s training to be a therapy pony, visiting elderly people in care homes.

Marie, a mental health nurse, learned about the benefits the ponies can bring, particularly for those suffering from dementia, who can feel comforted by stroking and interacting with the animals.

The 40 year old said: “I had taken the dogs into work a few times and one night on the internet, I came across something about miniature horses being used as therapy pets as well.

“I thought I would get one myself and I bought Bella from a dealer in Cheshire.

“She goes out twice a day for a good walk around Leyland with my dogs, Rosie and Marley, and she is getting quite famous!

“People think she is a dog at first but she is only half the size of a Great Dane. She has almost caused a few crashes when people do a double-take.

“It can take hours because people keep stopping me and stroking her.

“The more people she meets the better and it gets her used to traffic.

“It’s going to take her about a year to get her trained up and make sure she is well used to people and not going to nip or kick.”

Bella was a hit with residents when Marie took her to The Lodge care home in Buckshaw Village, where she works.

Marie says: “It was surprising how people’s faces lit up when they saw her.

“I keep her at home and she comes into the house sometimes.

“She stands next to me when I’m cooking because she likes the peelings and potatoes.

“She’s cheaper to feed than the dogs – a bale of hay at £7.50 lasts her a month – but she would just eat and eat if you let her.”

Marie hopes to take Bella around local care homes when she is fully trained and is looking for a charity or similar organisation she can work with. She can be contacted on 07702 977879.

Lancashire Evening Post
7th May 2013

Buckshaw Village is an award winning new urban development, set in the heart of Lancashire which will provide in excess of 4,000 new homes as well as a primary school, health centre and outdoor sport facilities. In addition, it is estimated that the 80 acre business park adjacent will eventually accommodate approximately 377,000 m² (4,058,028 ft²) of commercial floor space with a workforce of some 9,000 people.

The development is perfectly located for access for all access to all the North West being two miles from Chorley and Leyland, around 10 miles from Preston city centre and less than 30 miles from Manchester. The scheme benefits from excellent road connections lying between the M6 and M61 motorways, with a direct connection to junction 28 of the M6 and junction 8 of the M61 together with easy access to the M55, M65 and M62. There are also plans underway for a new railway station within Buckshaw Village itself which will provide a direct service onto Preston-Manchester (and Manchester Airport) line. For satellite navigation directions, Commercial Quarter can be located by the adjacent postcode PR7 7EL

The Commercial Quarter, which will form the hub of Buckshaw Village, will incorporate a 3,252 m² (35,000 ft² ) Tesco food store, together with a petrol filling station and 1,788 m² (19,250 ft² approx) of ancillary retail in 16 individual units of varying sizes. Uses which are considered suitable for the scheme include a pharmacy, bookmakers, bakers, hairdressers, dry cleaners, estate agents, restaurant/café and hot food takeaway.

The units will be finished to a shell specification to include screed floor and services to distribution.

Eckersley Commercial Property Solutions
http://www.eckersleyproperty.co.uk/properties/commercial-quarter-buckshaw-village-chorley/

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Plans for Leyland’s Runshaw College to build a state-of-the-art theatre have been passed by South Ribble Council’s planning committee, despite objections from residents.

Runshaw College theatre and performing arts centre plans, Langdale Road, Leyland

One member of the committee spoke out against the ambitious proposals, which will see a single-storey building demolished to make way for a two-storey build to accommodate a theatre and specialist facilities for music, dance and drama.

Coun Mary Green voted to reject the plans last week, saying that neighbours on Langdale Road are worried about loss of privacy, but other members of the committee said the facility would compliment the rest of the sixth-form college and be a welcome addition to the community.

The architect who has designed the theatre said at the Civic Centre: “I have tried to keep the scale of the development within reasonable limits.

“I have also worked hard to keep the height in line with recent developments at the college, and to address concerns from residents about overshadowing and privacy.”

Sitting on the committee, Coun Jim Marsh said: “Runshaw is a magnificent place and this vibrant, professional unit should be supported.

“The so-called neighbours are on the other side of the road, so how they can complain, I don’t know.”

The council has received two letters of representation from residents.

Now, deputy principal of the college, Simon Partington, who takes over as principal in September, has said the scheme is more about modernising the performing arts facilities, rather than just the growth of the campus.

He said: “It is a really interesting time at Runshaw and during the years I’ve been here, the front of the campus has been transformed with the library, student services and restaurant all being developed from one-storey to two-storey builds.

“The one remaining building is old fashioned now, and we started to think about what we might want it to become.

“Most people agreed a bigger theatre would really benefit the college, because the current one is tired and too small for a college of Runshaw’s size.

“We believe the quality of our productions deserves a bigger audience.

“Neighbours may be worried about the growth, but it’s really about refreshing and modernising the facilities here; we can’t afford to stand still.

“The whole purpose of a college is to give students the best possible facilities and experience.”

The construction of the new building will be dependent on securing funding from the Skills Funding Agency and some private sector sponsorship.

But if all goes well, Mr Partington said work could begin in around 12 months, with a view to the theatre being completed by the summer of 2015.

Planning permission was granted with a vote of 10 to one.

There were conditions that the arts centre should not be open to the public until 6.30pm during term time, to prevent traffic congestion.

Leyland Guardian
24th March 2013