Bye Laws
Rishton Urban District Council Minutes
Rishton Area Council Minutes (2000 Onwards)
All the MPs that have served Rishton.
Forms
1884 Form of Notice for Demolition
1884 Form for Unfit
Habitation
Rateable Values
Rates
Population
Rishtons Population
over the years.
Council History
The Rishton local board was formed on November 22nd
1880, this became the Rishton Urban District Council in 1894 when the
Local Board was wound up. The Urban District Council formed with just 9
Councillors and ran that way until 1920, when the number of Councillors
was increased to 12, a figure which it stood at until its amalgamation
into Hyndburn in 1974.
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The
Council buildings were opened on
Brook Street
in 1909, built the year before, and opened in June.
Mrs. Robert Clayton, of the " Turrets," Blackburn
Road, Rishton, attended the Council Chambers on the 19th September 1935,
and presented a gold chain and pendant to the Chairman of the Council in
memory of her late husband, Mr. Robert Clayton, J. P., to be worn by all
succeeding Chairmen during their term of office. The Chairman accepted the
chain, on behalf of the Council.
The Chairman of
the Council reported upon a Conference held at Accrington Town Hall, on
the 11th November 1943, concerning Local Government Reform at which it was
resolved to make strong representations to the Government concerning the
undemocratic method in which Local Authorities were having their powers in
many spheres taken away from them. It was also decided at the Conference
to call a further Conference of all Local Authorities in Lancashire and
all Members of Parliament representing Lancashire Constituencies at which
this matter would be discussed.
On the 15th April 1946, Division of the District
into Wards was discussed at the Council meeting. It was Resolved -
That the Chairman of the Council, the Chairman of the Building and
Highways Committee, the Chairman of the Health Committee and Councillor
Bridge be appointed as a Sub-Committee to investigate this matter and to
report their findings to the first available meeting.
On the 7th May 1946, the Mayor, Town Clerk and other
representatives of the Borough of Accrington attended and submitted their
proposals for an amalgamation of districts sufficient to warrant a case
being put to the Boundary Commission applying, for County Borough status.
Details of the suggested scheme were put forward by the Town Clerk and
supported by other representatives. At the conclusion the representatives
were: thanked for the lucid way in which they had explained the proposal
and were informed that consideration would be given thereto in due course.
Previous discussions having ensued as to the details of
the subject and the boundaries of each ward having been agreed, it was
Resolved by the Council on the 13th June 1946, that application be made to
the Lancashire County Council under Section 37 of the Local Government
Act, 1933, for their approval to the division of the district into four
wards as defined on the map produced, with a view to the proposal, if
approved, being made applicable for the next ordinary Urban District
Council Election to be held in March/April 1947.
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In 1947, the Council was divided into 4 wards for the
purpose of the election of the Urban District Councillors, with 3
Councillors representing each ward.
In 1950, of the 28 chairmen that had previously held
chair since the formation of the Council, only 9 were still alive. The
Council in that year, being desirous of recognising their services
presented them with a pendant. The presentation was made by Sir Robert
Adcock, C. B. E., D. L., Clerk to the County Council. Shortly after this 2
of the ex chairmen passed away,
Lord Hacking and Ralph
Leeming Esq. This left just 8 Chairmen if you included the current one, J.
W. Sanderson, Esq., J. P., one of which was J. R. Booth who had given more
than 30 years service to the town as a Councillor and retired in 1947.
Rishton and Clayton Le Moors combined to form the
Hyndburn Division for the purpose of electing a representative onto the
Lancashire County Council during the 1940's. In 1946 F. Worsley was
elected following the retirement of
George
Thomlinson, the current Minister of Education.
Legacy by the Will of the Late T. W. Bracewell, 9th
November 1944. The Clerk read correspondence intimating that the late
Mr. T. W. Bracewell by his will gave to the Council the legacy of £1,000
free of death duties, such legacy to be known as the "T. W. Bracewell
Trust," the income from the sum to be distributed at Christmas among poor
residents of the district. The bequest was accepted and administered in
accordance with the wishes of the Testator.
On the 17th December 1966, Great Harwood and Rishton U.
D. C. 's agree to amalgamate with Accrington.
6th April 1971, Accrington and 6 U. D. C. 's including
Rishton agree on a merger under the Governments reorganisation proposals.
On the 5th August 1972 it was announced that the new
Hyndburn council was to have 48 seats consisting of councilors from all
the U. D. C. 's.
The 9th of January sees the release of a draft scheme
for the first elections for the new borough council. Voting is due to take
place on June the 7th.
A row broke out on the 24th February 1973, when
Rishton, Great Harwood, Oswaldtwistle, and Clayton Le Moors favour the
name "Hyndburn" for the new district, while Accrington, Altham and Church
favour "Accrington".
The results from the 7th June elections see the
Liberals holding the balance of power. Labour won 24 seats, the
Conservatives 21, and the Liberals just 3 seats in the newly formed
Hyndburn council.
10th July 1973 sees the last civic procession through
the town. 300 people turn out to be lead by Councillor J. K. Jackson.
|
Chairmen of Rishton Urban District Council 1894 -
1974 |
| 1894-1897 |
James Hanson |
1944-1946 |
J R Booth |
| 1897-1899 |
J Marshall |
1946-1948 |
H W Sutcliffe |
| 1899-1901 |
J Whittaker |
1948-1950 |
J Bridge |
| 1901-1903 |
W Wilson |
1950-1952 |
J W Sanderson |
| 1903-1905 |
T Clayton |
1952-1953 |
G Hoyle |
| 1905-1906 |
C Heap |
1953-1954 |
H
Ramsbottom |
| 1906-1908 |
J H Hothersall |
1954-1956 |
R Lightbown |
| 1908-1910 |
B Smith |
1956-1957 |
J
O’Rourke |
| 1910-1912 |
H H
Cormack |
1957-1958 |
D J McNeil |
| 1912-1914 |
F Pickup |
1958-1959 |
J W Banks |
| 1914-1915 |
Douglas H
Hacking |
1959-1960 |
R H Whittaker |
| 1915-1918 |
J Bateson |
1960-1961 |
J Eyre |
| 1918-1924 |
R Gilroy |
1961-1962 |
J P Ernstzen |
| 1924-1926 |
J R Booth |
1962-1963 |
J Tattersall |
| 1926-1927 |
J T Hope |
1963-1964 |
J R Aspden |
| 1927-1928 |
G Knowles |
1964-1965 |
J T Calvert |
| 1928-1929 |
T W Bracewell |
1965-1966 |
T Threlfall |
| 1929-1931 |
H A Airey |
1966-1967 |
J C MacKenzie |
| 1931-1933 |
B Ainsworth |
1967-1968 |
D J McNeil |
| 1933-1935 |
R Leeming |
1968-1969 |
L Rushton |
| 1935-1936 |
J W Edmondson |
1969-1970 |
J P Ernstzen |
| 1936-1938 |
A Trengrove |
1970-1971 |
J R Aspden |
| 1938-1940 |
A Smith |
1971-1972 |
Mrs A K M Walker |
| 1940-1942 |
W Sturzaker |
1972-1973 |
F Edmondson |
| 1942-1944 |
F Worsley |
1973-1974 |
J K Jackson |
On Thursday 06 August 1998, A
SCHEME to promote civic pride and community spirit in
Hyndburn was set to get off the ground. The Outer Town
Initiative aimed to improve the environment in the
borough's outlying areas through council and private
funding.
There were proposals for projects
in Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Rishton, Great Harwood
and Oswaldtwistle. A council report stated: "The
project aims to benefit the quality of life of
residents and foster civic pride by improving the
environment and tackling eyesores and dereliction. It
also aims to promote community life by assisting
projects initiated by local groups and encouraging the
involvement of young people."
Town hall chiefs were set to
consult with businesses, residents and voluntary
groups in the districts to discuss the scheme. A total
of £200,000 was set aside and council officials were
hoping to attract private funding to sponsor schemes.
A list of projects has already been drawn up, ranging
from building facelifts to the improvement of the
centre of Oswaldtwistle.
Reported in the local press on Friday 13 August 1999
were plans for the towns in Hyndburn to be given individual councils as
early as the year in a major shake-up of decision-making in the borough.
The Conservative leader of Hyndburn
Borough Council Peter Britcliffe,
announced plans to split the borough into five separate power bases.
Under the reorganisation, Great Harwood and Rishton,
Clayton-le-Moors and Church, Accrington North, including Huncoat,
Accrington South, including Baxenden and Oswaldtwistle would all have
their own councils, chosen because of their roughly equal populations.
The set-up could be similar to the situation in Pendle,
where five different committees decide on a specific area's issues, such
as planning and housing, before final decisions are taken at full borough
council level.
Hyndburn could also introduce a cabinet which would
issue policy guidelines from the group in power, which
was then the
Conservatives.
Local representatives from each town, such as residents
and traders, could also sit on the councils and influence decisions.
Each council would have its own budget, plus an area
office and manager to help them find their feet.
The council is drawing up suggestions for reshaping
electoral wards in the borough, which will be submitted to the Local
Government Commission for England, in a bid to help them restructure the
council.
A pilot scheme is set to the test the water on the new
set-up in the new year - and Councillor Britcliffe believes it will be a
make-or-break issue at next year's local elections.
He said: "This is our devolution revolution. We want to
give power back to people in all of Hyndburn's towns and give them an
arena to shout about what affects them most in their own area.
"We have got to change the way the council is run and
by devolving, we will slim down the centre and make Hyndburn a more
efficient, effective and dynamic local authority.
"If we are returned to power in May these councils will
be set up, so it is the people's choice at the ballot box. This is a major
step that will affect everyone's life."
In September 2000 an area council was formed by
residents, with the backing of Hyndburn Borough Council, to promote the
needs of the town.
The 16th January 2005 was a sad day for Rishtons former
glories. Peter Monk passed away in hospital, after spending the previous
month there. Peter was the last Council clerk for Rishton Urban District
Council, and although he carried on working for Hyndburn Borough Council
after, finally left to work in Preston. His family home on Woodside Avenue
was left with his wife Eileen, and his children Gillian and Adam. Peter
was just 69 years old, and will be remembered fondly for his work with
Rishton Council.
References
Lancashire Evening Telegraph
13th August 1999.
A Chronology of
Accrington and Men of Mark, by R. S. Crossley, Published 1924.
Rishton on Record, the Festival
of Britain 1951.