We have a wonderfully dedicated and skilled workforce in our local NHS. They, and the patients they treat, deserve the very best facilities. This Government’s pledge to build 40 new hospitals was a key manifesto pledge and, despite changes in Prime Minister, this commitment has never wavered. I was delighted to see £20 billion ringfenced to ensure that the projects will be seen through to completion, joining the five builds currently underway and the two hospitals already completed.
Among this pipeline of projects are those serving us here in Lancashire. Throughout their development I have been meeting with Jerry Hawker and the team in charge of replacing the aging Royal Preston Hospital & Lancaster Royal Infirmary, which will see people in Fylde and across Lancashire treated in state of the art, modernised facilities.
Several different proposals remain under consideration but, with the ringfencing of this money, the team has the certainty it needs to decide upon the locations and designs that best deliver for patients.
On Wednesday I met with Avanti West Coast Managing Director Andy Mellors. As a regular passenger I have experienced first-hand the frustration of cancellations, delays and the last-minute confirmation of timetables that have all too regularly disrupted the travel plans of Fylde residents over the past year or so.
The Government intervened late last year, putting Avanti onto a series of six-month contracts, with each renewal conditional on improvement. Things are now moving in a positive direction, and I spoke with Andy about the ongoing steps they are taking to continue this momentum, as well as the important role the West Coast Mainline plays in connecting Fylde to the rest of the country.
Nevertheless, if we are to make the most of these connections, be it for business or leisure, we still need to see services on the South Fylde Line doubled, an objective I remain determined to achieve.
Fylde’s farmers play such a key role in feeding the nation but for many outside the industry, it is a world we know little about beyond episodes of Countryfile or Clarkson’s Farm.
Last year I was delighted to nominate Helen Chappell as Fylde’s farming champion for her work with local schools, organising school trips that help shine a light on this all too often overlooked industry, and it was fantastic to see some of this in action as I visited her and the animals at Ridgeway Farm.
The farm has previously been a finalist for Lancashire Tourism and British Farming awards, and they are preparing to diversify their offering with a new maze on site, set to open later this year, another example of the fantastic tourist attractions we have here in Fylde.