Competing visions of Chorley's post-pandemic future

Alistair Bradley was setting out the authority’s strategic priorities for the coming years to a meeting of the full council, which heard that 85 percent of its major projects were on track in spite of the disruption caused by Covid.

Plans for a major care and community development in Tatton and employment site on Alker Lane, together with upgrades to the borough’s play spaces and the deepening of a shared services agreement with neighbouring South Ribble, are all progressing to their expected timescales.

However, a report presented to the meeting revealed that the demands of making the borough’s town centre Covid-secure had knocked some proposed improvements to the shopping area off course - shop front revamps are currently under review, while an overhaul of the covered market is slightly behind schedule, but will still go ahead.

Cllr Bradley said that his Labour administration had spent eight years “mending the roof while the sun was shining” and forging relationships with other organisations - enabling a “seamless” response to the pain inflicted by the pandemic.

“We have some short-term problems to deal with, [but] we need to keep our eyes focused on the long term - the green agenda, jobs and helping people help themselves. Because every time we do that, they really show what Chorley can do,” he said.

However, Conservative opposition group leader John Walker said that there was “nothing new” in the strategy, as he proposed an alternative plan focusing on themes including the environment, housing, education, the economy and health.

The Tory document also highlighted what were described as “so-called" investments in commercial properties in and around the town centre. Former opposition leader Martin Boardman decried them as a “quick fix solution”.

“They’re borrowing money...to buy these assets in order to make a return. What we’re not looking at is the greater risk associated with that.

“Covid has brought the biggest risk we have ever seen - I’d like to know how much money Strawberry Fields [office development] has made over the last twelve months,” said Cllr Boardman.

However, deputy leader Peter Wilson defended the council’s assets portfolio.

“Since we purchased Market Walk, we have made a profit of £5.3m, since we purchased TVS [warehouse site in Buckshaw], we have had an income of nearly £500,000 - so that...means we don’t put up council tax and can invest in services.”

Cllr Boardman also said that environment considerations needed to run through all of the council’s policies, not just those where they were overtly referenced - but was told by Cllr Wilson that the authority’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030 underpinned everything it did.

The Conservatives’ alternative corporate strategy claimed that the need for affordable housing was the “single biggest issue facing the future of the borough” - and Cllr Walker told the meeting that it was “an omission” from Labour’s plans, while also criticising the level of unwanted development in Chorley.

Cllr Wilson said that he “didn’t disagree” with concern over housing housing numbers and a requirement for more affordable properties. However, Cllr Bradley added that the current situation which has seen Chorley bombarded with applications for housing on land not yet earmarked for development had only arisen after a government inspector had “driven a coach and horses” through an agreement to redistribute housebuilding targets across Central Lancashire’s three district authorities.

Meanwhile, members from across the political divide lined up to pay tribute to council staff for their work in distributing government support to businesses and the authority’s own assistance to the community at large during the pandemic.

However, that was where the cross-party consensus largely ended, as the stage was set for another debate over competing visions at the budget in February.