Councils team up in office deal
Tracy Scholes hands over the key
News Article
St Annes Town Council now has the keys to “new” prime-site offices after a deal was struck with Fylde Council.
The offices, at the entrance to Ashton Gardens, belong to Fylde Council but are now leased to the town council, so that its staff have a base from which to work.
Tracy Scholes, Fylde Council’s director of Governance and Partnerships, handed over the keys to Councillor Tony Ford, St Anne’s mayor, at a celebration this week.
The town council was formed in 2005 to bring “parish-level” representation to the town.
Mrs Scholes said: “Fylde Council uses part of the building and St Annes Town Council has the upper floor.
“We are keen to work with all partners for the good of the area and we wish St Annes Town Council well. This sort of co-operation is what we want to see more of.
“It is a superb base for the town council – right at the entrance to Ashton Gardens which will soon, once again, attract thousands of people thanks to its £2m refurbishment programme. The town council couldn’t wish for a better building.”
Councillor Ford, a Fylde Council member and a town councillor, said the building would be “very much a community resource”.
He said: “It will be great having a base from which to work. We’ve had to hold meetings in our own homes in the past. Now that we have a place of our own we can improve our levels of engagement with the community.
”Fylde Council has been particularly supportive of us in the last 18 months and we are very grateful for their help and assistance.
“They gifted the mayor’s pendant to us and now we have negotiated a good deal for the lease of these offices.”
