So many U-turns over M65 lights switch off

Back in 2009, so before the General Election and “Coalition cuts”, Labour-run LCC decided to switch off all the lights on the M65. The Conservatives campaigned against this and when they took power of LCC later that same year reversed the decision and the lights stayed on.

This is until 2011, when the Conservative administration realised it needed to find more savings and announced the lights will be turned off from midnight until 5am. This decision caused huge arguments and both the Lib-Dems and Labour slammed the Conservative county councillors in a full Pendle Council meeting for making the decision.

Now fast forward to 2014, we have a Labour-run county council again and they are proposing not only turning off the lights on the M65 but removing the lighting columns too so the decision cannot easily be reversed. This decision is supported by the Lib-Dems, as Labour do not have a majority on the council.

So we now have a situation where all three main parties have U-turned on this one issue.

Is there any wonder why the turnout in local elections in so poor?

Carley Hartley

Colne