Brand Pendle

[David Whipp]

Below is the text of a press release issued by Pendle Council yesterday.

“We’re launching an enterprising marketing initiative for Pendle’s future,” announced Executive Councillor James Starkie.

It’s designed to be a partnership between the public and private sector, including the media and is being led by Pendle Council.

“We recognise that the economic vitality of the borough can be driven by embracing the concept of a new tagline and logo,” he said.

The tagline is:

Pendle ~ The In Place to Work - Live - Play.

The new tagline will be featured on literature, signage, on our websites.

Businesses and organisations across Pendle will be able to use a new shield shape logo on their own promotional material.

The shields will be designed to say ‘Shop in Pendle’ ‘Stay in Pendle’ ‘Made in Pendle’ ‘Learn in Pendle’ ‘Fish in Pendle’ ‘Walk in Pendle’ etc.

Councillor Starkie is leading the initiative and said:

“Pendle is more than a district council ~ it is now an established geographical area with a great deal to offer. “

Our aim is to:

• Encourage employment opportunities to create a stronger local economy

• Promote the pleasant and great value housing, for people working within or outside the borough

• Highlight the outstanding recreational facilities on our doorstep.

The new style can be seen on Pendle Council’s website: www.pendle.gov.uk

“Part of this campaign is designed to change hearts and minds, so that we can all have pride in Pendle and work together to make the most of our wonderful borough,” he said.

The launch date is the end of March 2014 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Pendle Council.

Events are also being organised to celebrate Pendle’s birthday, including some which look back to what Pendle was like when it was formed in 1974.

[David Whipp]

At a time when Pendle Council is cutting millions of pounds off services, it's disgraceful that thousands are to be spent on a very dubious 'branding' exercise and birthday party.

The 'tagline' for this exercise is a joke, the logo an infantile squiggle and the proposed road signs a cluttered mess.

But the very concept of pushing a 'Brand Pendle' is doubtful. I find it difficult to think of the borough of Pendle as a 'place'.

To me, Pendle is a hill, and a very well known one.

The borough of Pendle is an administrative unit of local government. The townships covered by Pendle have distinct and proud identities and won't be happily subsumed within a Pendle Brand.

Nelson and Colne College has presumably refrained from re-branding itself 'Pendle College' because its current title works both locally and nationally.

A strong plus for Barnoldswick is that we have a good 'brand' to sell already.

(When Councillor Starkie presented the Brand Pendle initiative at the council executive on Thursday, he had the effrontery to picture a Rolls-Royce engine under a heading 'Engineered in Pendle'. Is Barnoldswick to be airbrushed out of the picture? Do we want Hope Technology to change their 'Made in Barnoldswick' stamp?)

If the economic vitality of the borough is being driven by embracing the concept of a new tagline and logo, count me out.

[Tardis]

Yes, David.

You are part of the Coalition that agreed to this process, and voted it through. I was at the Council Meeting where it was passed, in the public gallery.

Collective responsibility must be an unknown word in your vocabulary

[plaques]

I think this logo is a fantastic piece of foreword thinking. Should we ever get the LCC's and Pendle's proposed Villages bypass then everything will be in "easy reach" of the Motorway, (ref: Core Plan). The whole area will then be considered as "spoilt" and open to Industrial (tin box) development. Not to mention more "vibrant" house building on greenbelt land. Forget local identity it will become just one big lump. Keep repeating the mantra "Pendle" "Pendle" "Pendle".

[Stanley]

'Collective responsibility' does not mean the stifling of individual opinions. Ever heard of a minority report? I agree with David, the whole concept demonstrates ignorance of local history and disregard for local opinions. Barlick has a long history of independence and will ignore this infantile dumbing down just as it did the boundary changes.

[David Whipp]

You are part of the Coalition that agreed to this process, and voted it through. I was at the Council Meeting where it was passed, in the public gallery.

Collective responsibility must be an unknown word in your vocabulary

Unfortunately, Pendle's full council hasn't been able to vote on this; it may have been voted down.

The two decisions relating to this have been at the executive, where me and other members of my group have strongly opposed it, but have been outvoted. Now the executive have agreed to delegate further decisions on the initiative to the chief executive and respective executive member.

Disappointed that you can't see that this is a badly done, daft idea pushed through at the worst possible time.

[plaques]

David, a honest reply. I like it.

[Stanley]

David, I totally agree. It's one of the worst aspects of 'marketing' that the wonks can persuade the captain of the Titanic that it would be a good thing to rearrange the deckchairs!

[Thomo]

I agree with David, it is a daft idea. OK so Barlick is in Pendle, but up until now Barlick, along with Earby, Foulridge and a few other bits have retained a degree of their independence and character and have not yet become just another part of a somewhat faceless conurbation. I have just heard a nasty rumour that there are plans to close the Civic Hall, the old Liberal Club on Station Rd, why I wonder? Hopefully not to go the same way as the Silverman Hall in Nelson. Here in Barlick we have at least three well established and diverse industries that contribute to the local and global economies, made in Barnoldswick should not be replaced by made in Pendle. Just what do they make in the rest of Pendle that can be compared with that?

[Tardis]

Disappointed that you can't see that this is a badly done, daft idea pushed through at the worst possible time.

I made no comment about it's value. I was at the Council Meeting where it was waved through without a debate. The Tories do not have a majority, you serve in a coalition.

I haven't read the figures about how much is actually being spent, or whether it is Pendle money rather than a grant from elsewhere or sponsorship. If there's no money in the budget, then surely it will be voted down?

I agree about individual town identities and Barnoldswick has had £10k from the Portas Pilot thing, but nothing has yet appeared about where the money has been spent on promoting just the town.

[Stanley]

Anyone who thinks Mary Portas is the 7th cavalry is doomed to disappointment.

[David Whipp]

Six non-executive councillors have 'called in' last week's decision to go ahead with Brand Pendle. This means that, subject to two out of three spokesmen from each group on the council agreeing, the issue will be referred back to the executive for reconsideration.

Ken Hartley is particularly angered by the initiative. In an email responding to one from Cllr Starkie criticising the call in, Ken wrote, "...from my experience as an industrialist I would not touch either the concept or the art work with a proverbial Barge Pole. I am fully incensed with the proposal and its total insensitivity to the current financial climate..."

[Stanley]

Good! It seems there are some sensible heads at work!

[Tardis]

This is all that I could find online

http://www.pendle.gov.uk/egov_downloads/BrandPendle.pdf

There are no costings attached, or indeed where the funding comes from, but it must be happening before the next budget as the launch is March 2014 and "The project has the full backing of Council Officers", so the money is already there.

You'll notice that it was launched back in February 2013 and I understand that because it is a coalition in Pendle a LibDem was on the leading group to develop the campaign. I won't name them as it would appear that they don't appear to have shared information with their colleagues.

Seems odd to support something for so long and then at the 11th hour do this. Hardly seems a part of the constructive working partnership.

So "show me the numbers", and let us see how much money is actually being wasted and we can decide on actual value for money.

[plaques]

Rightly or wrongly it seems to re-enforce peoples views that the "Council" will do as they please irrespective of what ordinary people think.
Of course all the old cliche's will be trotted out. "Creating an all inclusive vibrant economy. Pendle is open for business. A single identity we can all be proud of". My view, include me out!

[Thomo]

On the grand scale of things, and given that Nelson is the epicentre of Pendle, and the fact that Barnoldswick existed in its original form in the Domesday Book, this, culled from the internet may be interesting:-

The town of Nelson, Lancashire, was originally two villages, Little Marsden and Great Marsden. A small mill had been established by the Ecroyd family at Edge End as early as 1740, and there were two coal mines nearby, but it was the coming of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in 1796, followed by the East Lancashire Railway Line in 1849, that spurred its development as an industrial town, with an economy based mainly upon cotton weaving. There was already a Marsden on the railway network in the neighbouring county of Yorkshire (West Riding), so the new railway station was called the Nelson Inn, Great Marsden, after the adjacent public house, the Lord Nelson Inn named after Admiral Lord Nelson, from which the town also in time derived its name. Walverden Mill in Leeds Road was built in 1850, and was soon followed by others. The town became associated in the 20th century with the production of confectionery as well, including Jelly Babies and Victory V and was where the package holiday company Airtours (formerly Pendle Travel and now part of Thomas Cook) began life as an independent travel agent. The textile industry, in particular, has now sharply declined, leaving the town with high unemployment.

Nelson was granted its charter of incorporation as a municipal borough by Queen Victoria in 1890. Radical left wing politics in the early 20th century led to it being labelled "Little Moscow" by both the local and national press; indeed, the Nelson Leader ran the headline "Moscow calling" during the lockout of 1928. There was significant Communist Party influence in the town between the wars. When the Labour Party came to power in the town, they responded to local political feeling by placing utilities such as gas and water under the control of the municipal council, anticipating by decades the nationalisation of such utilities after World War II. The council refused, moreover, to participate in celebrations for King George V's silver jubilee in 1935, saying that they would rather spend public money on free dinners for school children and the jobless.

So then! Barnoldswick predates Nelson by centuries, has never been radical, and I believe that Aerospace, Quality Furniture and Hi Tech Bicycles trump anything that Nelson can offer. And! people walking around our little Town know that they are still in England.

[David Whipp]

Have to set off to Preston soon, and will respond further later today.

I understand that because it is a coalition in Pendle a LibDem was on the leading group to develop the campaign. I won't name them as it would appear that they don't appear to have shared information with their colleagues.

I quote the report to the executive "...a member/officer working group led by Councillors Starkie and White... has met regularly to take it [the initiative] forward." Neither Starkie or White are Liberal members of the council.

[Tardis]

I understand that there is no budget for this, because it is not expected to cost anything to the Council.

I have done a little more digging. All work currently done has been on a "voluntary" basis, which I would have thought that Cllr Whipp would welcome.

I therefore query the "Value for Money" and "outrageous waste of money" lines of attack.

I believe that lots of notes were taken at the Executive, so there will be many quotes.

Your reference to only 2 names? Isn't that because your LibDem colleague never attended those particular meetings, even though they were on that group and were invited?

Seems like politicking and obfuscation to me. What are you trying to cover?

Weak?

[David Whipp]

It's interesting Tardis that you won't discuss the main issue (Brand Pendle and its deathly designs) but just engage in personal attacks. Would that have anything to do with standing against me in May's local elections?

What do people think about the Brand Pendle boundary signs pictured below?

20 boundary signs at £250 a time.

[Stanley]

They are terrible. Confusing and superfluous to requirements. 'A Mars a day helps you live work and play'. Any connection?
David, recognise that the Tories in Pendle have been electioneering for some time now, don't you wish you had their budget for publicity and leaflets. Of course nobody will tell you where the money comes from in a transparent way. Can you afford a Lord Greaves House/

[plaques]

I can only imagine what Alan Sugar would have to say on this. One more person on Benefit Street I think.

[Wendyf]

The sign is awful. Will drivers be able to take any of that nonsense in? If we were to get one of those on the boundary up here I would be very tempted to get a spray can out.

[Thomo]

I agree Wendy, what colour would you like? Stanley, at least its English!

[Stanley]

"At least it's English'. What has that got to do with anything?

[Stanley]

Good coverage in the BET this morning of this controversy. What puzzles me more than anything is why, in a funding crisis, this hare-brained scheme ever got off the ground. Who sets the priorities for spending? Have they not noticed that there is a hole in the accounts? If nothing else, the priorities of the situation should have made this a non-starter from the outset.