On Patrol

I was invited to go out with the St. Annes police last night, and I was happy to accept. It turned out to be an unusually quiet Friday night, when I was there. I did ride with the officers as they toured various areas of St. Annes, paying special attention to back streets and alleyways, as well as the known "hotspots". One highlight of the evening was getting to see a drugs sniffer dog in action. The dog was walked through various pubs, and I must mention that the staff in those establishments were all very cooperative and welcomed us in. It was also interesting to see how through their patrols, the police are able to discourage anti-social behaviour. There were a few isolated incidents which mostly required just moving people on, but our very presence in the area seemed to act as a deterrent as well. I want to thank the police officers for allowing me to ride along, and I hope to join them again in the near future.

Progress on Disabled Access Review

I recently chaired a meeting of the task and finish group, which is conducting the review of disabled access highways, public open spaces, and public buildings in Fylde. I want to thank you for your responses to our survey questions. They were very helpful in showing us your immediate concerns. Highway issues were most often quoted and these included a lack of dropped kerbs, the regeneration of existing dropped kerbs, uneven pavements, and roads with potholes and paving issues. I will be preparing an improvement strategy and action plan for your highways issues, which will be given to Lancashire County Council's highways officer, when he comes before the task and finish group at its next meeting in February. We will be asking a lot of questions and seeking solutions to the massive highways issues you have brought forward. As the task and finish group continues its work, we will be looking for solutions to the problems at Kirkham Railway Station, and issues of access to buildings and shops throughout Fylde, as well as seeking ways of helping children with disabilities enjoy our parks and open spaces. I will keep you informed of progress. And, remember, I am always eager to hear from you regarding new ideas that you may have to improve disabled access.