I wonder how our international readers will take to an electoral ward called "Little Hoole and Much Hoole"
South Ribble really is.....well, bless it, it's bonkers. Things aren't helped by having "all out" elections, so swings are usually extreme at the best of times.
Leyland and Farington swinged (....swanged.....swang.....) in such bonkers ways because of one big local issue - a waste disposal/recycling site of some substantial size built on the boundary between the two towns. I worked in Farington at the time and on the walk to the bus stop sometimes the stench was insane. A spokesman for the plant suggested that local residents who didn't like the smell to use air freshener more often :rolleyes:
Prior to the construction, you had Lancashire County Council investigating itself into the planning application, the LibDems protesting against the construction (hence them doing well in that year), and then once the thing finally got beat someone had to suffer the electoral blame....
The boundary of Leyland St Ambrose cuts Buckshaw Village in half. That's the brand new, slightly Truman Show village being built on what was military ordnance property - all super modern houses with thin walls and themed street names, that sort of thing. The local authority boundary cuts it right down the middle and so at one point I assume this will have to be resolved....
