27th November marked Lancashire Day, an annual celebration of our county, with the date chosen to commemorate the first Lancastrian representatives taking their seat in Parliament in 1295.
It has been a hugely significant few days of celebration. On Sunday I witnessed the signing of the Lancashire devolution deal at Lancaster Castle, an agreement that has been much debated but one which I hope will enable a more unified approach and, crucially, entice more business investment to our county.
The future is already looking positive, with Lancashire County Council providing an update on the progress of the new Heyhouses M55 Link Road, an upgrade to the old Moss Road worth tens of millions of pounds. The project has been long in the making, and we have overcome wrangling over funding to reach this point. Its opening will mark the culmination of a £300 million period of investment in Fylde’s roads, alongside the Preston West Distributor Road and the A585 Singleton bypass; projects which are dramatically improving journey times across Fylde.
My transport plan for Fylde is not yet finished, as we still need to see services on the South Fylde Line doubled. This is a process that will take several years to bring to fruition, but it is a campaign I am determined to continue to fight.
BBC Radio Lancashire visited Parliament on Tuesday, hosting the Graham Liver Breakfast Show from the Speaker’s State Rooms with local MPs. I was delighted to speak with Graham about just what it means to be your Member of Parliament, serving the people of Fylde both on the green benches and the work that goes on behind the scenes, particularly in helping people overcoming difficult situations relating to health, benefits, or other challenges. If you have an issue you would like to raise with me, please do not hesitate to contact me via mark.menzies.mp@parliament.uk.
The run up to Christmas turned up a notch over the weekend, with Kirkham holding its Christmas Market and the lights switch on in St Annes seeing two of our biggest town centres displaying their festive spirit. A real highlight for me was meeting with all the fantastic local businesses in Kirkham who made the afternoon so special, and the huge turnout was a testament to the efforts of the organisers. There was a similarly warm atmosphere in St Annes, where the Christmas lights and mulled wine brought a festive warmth to proceedings.
This weekend is Small Business Saturday, a celebration of those local firms who provide vital employment and make our high streets the vibrant places they are. I am always keen to champion small business, and there is still time to vote in my Fylde Business Awards 2023 before the ballot closes on 30th November. I look forward to meeting with the winners when they are announced and best of luck to those involved.