I’m delighted to see Lowther Pavilion awarded a grant of £129,860 by the Government as part of its £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.
The pandemic has clearly affected the theatre, which has been a huge success story in recent years.
A funding package from Government for the Arts was always going to come – but it took a long time. I’m pleased to see some of the first round of funding awarded here in Fylde. Hopefully the funds will secure the theatre’s future as we continue to tackle the pandemic.
Lancashire is this week set to go into Tier 2 of the Government’s Coronavirus measures.
Our health leaders have stated quite clearly that we are a matter of days away from our hospitals being at capacity – with more Coronavirus patients than at the height of the first wave.
It is therefore absolutely vital we adhere to the new rules and regulations – do not mix with other households at home or in any venues. If we can slow the spread of the virus, these measures will be reduced.
The Government has not called for businesses to close, but that may change if we do not abide by these new measures. Closing businesses is not only economically damaging, it brings health issues of its own – mental health issues especially.
The vast majority of us pulled together so well when this virus first hit. We must do so again to make sure we keep our friends and relatives safe, and to further protect the NHS.
I saw the new transatlantic cable come ashore this week. The cable will give us a quicker internet link to the US and other areas than London, and gives us a great opportunity to not only generate jobs, but also improve broadband for residents throughout Fylde. We’ve already had initial meetings, and I look forward to the next developments.
I was also pleased to see the improvements made to the multi-storey car park in St Annes. I met earlier this year with the owners and St Annes Coun Gavin Harrison to raise concerns of local residents following anti-social behaviour there.
The Conway Group has acted swiftly to install new security measures and a member of staff on site – they clearly want to invest in the car park and our town centre.