Residents and businesses affected by the Boxing Day floods are being urged to take advantage of the financial support being offered.

Chorley Council is administering the help that will include relief from council tax and business rates as well as money towards getting people back into their homes and businesses as soon as possible.

It comes after hundreds of people across the borough had their homes and businesses turned into rivers just hours after celebrating Christmas.

Just a reminder that the Neighbourhood Area Meetings are scheduled as follows:

Southern Parishes on Wednesday, 13 January at 5pm
Chorley Town West on Tuesday, 26 January at 5pm
Western Parishes on Wednesday, 27 January at 5pm
Clayton and Whittle on Tuesday, 2 February at 5pm
Chorley Town East on Thursday, 4 February at 6pm
Eastern Parishes on Wednesday, 10 February at 5pm
Euxton, Astley and Buckshaw on Monday, 15 February at 6pm
Southeast Parishes on Tuesday, 16 February at 6pm

Residents and businesses are being urged to take part in a countywide consultation asking whether people support the proposal for a Lancashire Combined Authority.

Councils across the county have given the go-ahead to gauge public opinion and everyone is being encouraged to have their say.

Councillors have labelled the move a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring Lancashire together and make sure it is a key part of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’.

Combined authorities give councils a stronger voice to influence Central Government and draw down more powers, functions and funding to benefit the area and let locally elected people drive change.

They are not about local government reorganisation and would not result in the creation of a ‘super council’ or local authorities merging.

Each council would still be responsible for the services it provides e.g. bin collections, highways, education.

The annual Holocaust Memorial Day Service will take place on Saturday, 23 January commencing at 10.45am at the cenotaph in Astley Park Chorley. This event is held to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, and to help build tolerance and understanding of different faiths and cultures across the borough. The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2016 is “Don’t Stand By”.

The Service will be followed by a gathering in the Lancastrian at the Town Hall with speeches, poetry, candle lighting and refreshments. Anyone who would like to attend should meet at the main gates of Astley Park by 10.45am.

The Prevention of Homelessness Strategy and Review 2016-19 has been published for consultation 21 December 2015 to 21 February 2016.

If you would like to keep your children occupied during the school holidays, Chorley Council has organised a wide range of sports, play and arts activities as part of our fantastic Get Up and Go programme.

For four to seven year olds, there's everything from mini football, FUNdamental movement and games, to Trigolf, dance and even arts and crafts. Or if you have children aged eight to 13, they can enjoy our two day multisports camps, which will give them the opportunity to learn new skills or improve existing ones in a range of different sports.

For those who like to enjoy a selection of fun activities, check out our play around just for fun sessions taking place in different community venues around the borough during the half term week.

A prestigious cycle race that attracted thousands of people into Chorley will return to the borough for a second time at Easter.
Chorley Council has teamed up with British Cycling and Chorley Building Society to host the event that will see more than 100 professional riders take on a challenging course around the borough in the first race of the 2016 British Cycling Elite Road Race Series.
The popular event is returning to the borough after it was held in Chorley for the first time last year with the race being described as ‘one of the best ever supported national road series rides in the country’. It will also showcase the beautiful borough to a European audience when the event is broadcast on Eurosport.

A bid for funds to help provide fit-for-purpose accommodation for homeless people in Chorley has been won by Chorley Council.

The council has secured more than £658,000 from the government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to provide tailored accommodation and improve facilities for rough sleepers with the aim of helping them off the streets and transforming their lives.

This money, along with an additional £200,000 to be invested by the council, will mean that refurbishment works at Cotswold Supported Housing, which provides accommodation for single, non-priority homeless people, and for homeless families, can be completed.

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