A Labour-led Lancashire County Council to provide significant investment for Mercer Hall

Cllr Noordad Aziz, Cllr Kate Walsh and Michael Hindley

A Labour-led Lancashire County Council has committed to partnering with Hyndburn Leisure Trust and Hyndburn Council to ensure that there is an excellent new facility at Mercer Hall.

Azhar Ali, leader of Lancashire Labour group said,

“We are committed to tackling health and wellbeing. We now want people in Great Harwood to fill in our consultation so that we can hear what the people of Great Harwood want.”

Please fill in our consultation with what you would like to see:

https://www.lancashirelabour.com/2021/02/14/mercer-hall-consultation/

Lancashire Labour Group Leader, Cllr Azhar Ali

Labour group leader Azhar Ali said;

“Facilities such as Mercer Hall will play a vital part of our commitment at Lancashire County council to deliver health and wellbeing across the county. We significantly increased the budget for wellbeing after May’s county elections. As part of that commitment, we will work to ensure that there are new facilities for the 21st century at Mercer Hall working with Hyndburn Leisure Trust and Hyndburn Council.”

The Leisure Trust have committed to “repurposing of the Mercer Hall Leisure Centre”. “The facility is a local asset and the Council, and the Leisure Trust wish to work with the local community to identify a future use for the site. The Council has previously successfully achieved similar projects across the borough including Great Harwood Town Hall and Churchfield House.“

Councillor Miles Parkinson had highlighted the need for further funding before any ideas can be brought forward for a decision; “We have got 30 per cent of the £10m.”

Supporting Labour Group leader Azhar Ali, Hyndburn’s cabinet reported that; “The relationship between poor health, inequalities and deaths from coronavirus has been identified, as has the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on individuals and families from more deprived backgrounds. “However, the level of physical inactivity in Hyndburn is significantly worse than the national average, contributing to poor health and early deaths.”

Lancashire Labour candidates have played a vital role in bringing this investment to the town working hard behind the scenes.

Great Harwood resident Noordad Aziz said;

“Mercer Hall is a jewel in the crown for Great Harwood and doing nothing isn’t an option as identified by the independent report which highlights the serious building issues. Great Harwood in my opinion must have a significant leisure offering as it has some of the worse childhood wellbeing in the borough. Mercer Hall has empowered some of the most deprived and hard to reach parts of our community and we can’t underestimate how much it has saved significant for other areas of public health. This commitment by Lancashire Labour to work with all the bodies including Hyndburn Leisure and Hyndburn Borough Council to future proof and invest in Mercer Hall is exciting and transformative.”

Fellow Great Harwood Labour candidate Kate Walsh said;

“It is important to look to the future; to what we can achieve here in Great Harwood. For me its vitally important that our children have access to the best leisure facilities possible and that we are working towards promoting healthy lifestyles for our residents of all ages. With commitment from several partners, I believe we can achieve this while also breathing new life into this historic building preserving its heritage. It is key that our residents are at the heart of all decisions.”

The promise of investment has also met with approval from local district Labour councillors who are delighted that discussions are underway to take Mercer Hall forward.

Michael Hindley, Labours candidate in Overton said;

“Harwood Baths was a great achievement by a Labour-controlled Great Harwood Urban District Council. Leisure has a broader meaning nowadays and we need to move with the times towards broader leisure facilities in the Town and this commitment of investment into Mercer Hall is welcomed”.

Melissa Fisher, councillor for Clayton Ward said;

“Residents want to see Hyndburn and Lancashire working better together. Lancashire Labour and Hyndburn Labour can achieve a lot more working together. In May people have a chance to vote for a significantly upgraded facility at Mercer Hall.”

Cllr's Noordad Aziz, Kate Walsh and Melissa Fisher

Hyndburn Council’s cabinet member for leisure services, Munsif Dad JP BEM said;

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Great Harwood. Hyndburn Council is committed to working with a Labour-run County Council to deliver an upgraded facility at Mercer Hall”.