It Pays to be a Good Neighbour

Poulton Neighbourhood Management ran a Christmas competition to find the areas ‘Best Neighbour’.

Nominations came in from people who have shown acts of kindness and from people who have gone out of their way to help others. The winner received £100 in high street vouchers and was chosen because of her ongoing commitment to the community and to her neighbours.

Jean Pollard of Victoria Parade, Morecambe, was nominated by neighbours Matthew Taylor and Michelle Wilson who said:

“Jean always puts everyone else first. She spends most of her time fundraising and collecting for charities. We moved in a year ago and Jean has been so helpful and friendly since day one. She always looks after the neighbourhood’s pets when they are on holiday!”

Poulton Neighbourhood Management was pleased to help thank Jean on behalf of her neighbours and the community. Well done and keep up the good work!

Yes, Minister gives Morecambe Thumbs Up

Yvette Cooper, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, spent a day in Morecambe to see for herself how we are working to regenerate our neighbourhoods.

The first stop on the visit was to Poulton and ‘Fishermen’s Square’. Yvette admired the remodelled eco-friendly family houses on Green Street that have been sold for shared ownership. She also admired the Home Zone, murals and the former college building that is currently being converted into luxury maisonettes. Work on restoring Mona House has started and Yvette learned about how the Townscape Heritage Initiative has been helping to restore other interesting buildings back to their former glory. One such business currently undergoing the THI treatment is ‘Browns’ carpet shop next to Mona House.

The next stop was the Midland Hotel, currently undergoing major renovations by developers Urban Splash. Yvette was taken onto the roof of the hotel to get a birds-eye view of Morecambe and she was impressed by the views across the bay and down the promenade and the stone jetty.

Before moving on to see how progress in the West End is moving on, Yvette and colleagues from Government Office were given a presentation to explain how the different elements of Morecambe’s regeneration fit together, such as the ‘Resort Action Plan’, Neighbourhood Management and the challenges for the housing market. She then had a walk around the West End of Morecambe, visiting remodelled properties on Clarendon Road, where she was able to look at how the former guesthouses have been converted into practical, modern family homes.

The visit from the Minister for Housing proved to be a great success and was an opportunity to put Morecambe in the spotlight. Yvette Cooper can take back to London a greater understanding of our issues which can only help to influence and shape future Government policies in our favour.