Nick-Dionne Would you like to have a chat with one of us about the actual figures? For the 2026/27 financial year, Rossendale Borough Council expects to retain approximately £6.985 million from council tax. This is far less than your figures. The rest goes to Lancashire, Police. Cllr Nick Harris

Dionne-Councillor Nick Harris Thank you for your response Nick. A private conversation would be of little benefit in this situation. The concerns being raised are shared by many residents and business owners across Haslingden, and they deserve to be addressed publicly rather than privately. The points raised are all on the petition.

I appreciate that council tax is divided between several authorities and that the borough council retains only a portion of the overall amount. My intention was not to misrepresent the figures, but rather to highlight the scale of public funding contributed by residents and the importance of transparency and accountability in how projects affecting the town are managed.

Many people in the community feel that Rossendale as a whole deserves a clear acknowledgement of the ongoing disruption being experienced on a daily basis. Local businesses in Haslingden in particular have been affected and deserve some acknowledement  regarding impact these works have had on trade and accessibility within the town. Not just here in all of Rossendale.

My council tax amounts were an estimate and didnt include essential charges ie Council Tax, Garden & Waste and Recycling Charges, Parking Permits and Fines, Parking Permits, Replacement Bins, Planning and Building Applications, Business Rates, Council housing rent, Marriage Registry, Animal Liscencing, Leisure/Gym Memberships, Market Stall Rent, Street and Other Trade Liscensing. My friend runs a local Doctors which has an estimate of around 22,000 in Haslingden area alone I was told today-so there must be clarification of where you get your numbers-transparancy. Which is far more than stated online.

The concerns and questions being raised by residents and business owners are outlined within the petition. Once a sufficient number of signatures has been gathered, the traders and residents of Haslingden will consider the most appropriate next steps in raising these concerns through the proper channels available to the community.

Ultimately, the aim is to ensure transparency, accountability, and meaningful communication between the council and the people who live and work in Rossendale.

To have a public conversation would build relationships with the public.