Halton with Aughton Parish Council

07/03/2026

We are pleased to report that Neighbourhood Plan was approved

News articles by Halton-with-Aughton Parish Council

10/10/2025

You may have spotted a new banner as part of the Parish and County Council's campaign to tackle speeding. A concern often raised by residents and one of the Neighbourhood Watch's key issues.

Matching stickers are available to collect from The Centre Office or Halton Library. They are limited to two per household and it is recommended that you add one to your grey bin and one to a recycling or green bin so they are visible each week.

Thank you for driving within the limit around our village.

07/03/2025

Halton-with-Aughton Parish Council Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 16 Consultation

The Halton-with-Aughton Neighbourhood Development Plan has been formally submitted to Lancaster City Council.

Neighbourhood planning gives our communities the opportunity to influence planning decisions. The plans set out policies that reflect each Parishes priorities and can include policies relating to the design of new development, the type of new housing, the protection of spaces and community facilities and bespoke policies on flooding, the historic environment, biodiversity and landscape.
A neighbourhood plan must be in line with the District’s Local Plan and is subject to an independent examination and community referendum. If approved, a Neighbourhood Plan forms part of the district’s Local Plan and it is used in helping to make decisions on planning applications.

Having formally received a plan for the Halton-with-Aughton Parish area, the council will undertake a final consultation with members of the public before the Neighbourhood Plan can be submitted for examination. An independent examiner will determine if the plan meets certain criteria requirements and standards.

Carol Slinger, Chair of Halton-with-Aughton Parish Council said: "By submitting a Neighbourhood Plan which also conforms with the Lancaster District Plan, the Parish Council hope to ensure any development proposals within the Parish are sensible in scale and style, and include all necessary infrastructure improvements to maintain essential services across the Parish.”

Anyone wishing to be involved can view the submitted Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents at https://keepconnected.lancaster.gov.uk/halton-np/ or email any comments to [email protected] or by post to Planning and Housing Strategy Team, Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1PJ.

The documents are available for viewing during office hours at Lancaster Town Hall and Morecambe Town Hall. Paper copies can be found locally in the following venues:
• The Centre@Halton, Low Road, Halton, LA2 6NB
• Halton Mill, Mill Lane, Halton, LA2 6ND
• Aughton Recreation Room, Aughton Road, Aughton, Lancaster, LA2 8LT
• Halton Social Club, Low Road, Halton, LA2 6LZ
• Halton Library, Schoolhouse Lane, Halton, LA2 6QE

Deadline for representation is 12 noon Monday 28 April 2025.

11/12/2024

REFURBISHMENT OF ST WILFRID’S PLAY AREA
Initial quotes have been received for refurbishing St Wilfrid’s Play Area with the lowest starting at £47,000. The proposed list of new play items includes an inclusive roundabout, climbing net, toddler swings, junior swings, nest swing, stepping logs, roll 'n' rope, wobble board, clatter bridge and springers. The next stage is to explore how this could be funded, which will include identifying grants and if necessary, a loan.

BINS
There are continuing problems with dog bins not being emptied around Halton. We have raised this problem several times with Lancaster City Council who are responsible for emptying them. The team manager is aware of the issue, so we hope that this will be resolved eventually. In the future, if you spot a bin overflowing please inform the Clerk via email, or alternatively directly to Lancaster City Council.

Two new floor standing bins have been purchased and placed on Arrow Lane and in the ginnel between Penny Stone Road & Beech Road. These replace the dog bins that were removed.

TRAFFIC AND PARKING ISSUES
Many issues relating to traffic and parking have been reported to the council or online over the years. The restricted parking in some areas, such as High Road can result in damage to vehicles and obstruction to both vehicles and pedestrians. Highways are generally very reluctant to make any changes, so at the recent Parish Council meeting it was suggested that we start logging incidents and problems so that evidence can be gathered to persuade Highways that action is needed in some areas.

If you would like to help, then please email the Clerk with details of the issue or incident; this will be logged to build up evidence of issues in particular areas. This could cover obstructions to the road or footpath, damage to vehicles parked on the road, speeding, accidents or near misses.
Please include the following information:
• Date of the issue/incident
• The location or address of the issue/incident
• A brief description of the issue/incident
• A photograph if available or applicable

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN PROGRESS
The Steering Group has reviewed the comments from the formal Regulation 14 consultation which happened over the summer. The plan will be updated to reflect these comments ready for approval by the Parish Council at the December meeting, and then submitted to Lancaster City Council for the Regulation 16 stage and a review by the external Examiner. Finally, Lancaster City Council will organise a referendum of the parish to ask whether the plan is acceptable.

01/10/2024

GENERAL NEWS
We are in the process of obtaining quotes for new play equipment at St Wilfrid’s Park and the Centre. The next stage will be to seek grants to help fund the equipment. The recent annual play area safety inspection rated everything as low risk apart from the swings at St Wilfrid’s Park, so unfortunately all but one swing had to be removed.

The Regulation 14 public consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan has finished. We would like to thank everyone who responded to it. All comments will be reviewed and wherever possible, changes made to the plan. The next stage will be to submit it to Lancaster City Council for review.

We encountered issues with the dog bins over the summer. Lancaster City Council which empties the bins made an unexpected decision to not empty dog bins that were attached to lamp posts because they were too high. After discussions with the Public Realm, we have relocated bins or removed them if no suitable new location could be identified. Two new floor standing bins will be purchased as replacements.

HEDGES OVERHANGING PAVEMENTS
If you own a hedge that borders a pavement, please note that you have a legal responsibility to ensure that it is trimmed and does not hinder pedestrians. Remember that not all pedestrians have good sight or mobility and they should not be forced onto the road.

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE PART-TIME POSITION
We are very sad to see Carl Richardson leaving after more than seven years hard work. During this time he has kept a vigilant eye on the green spaces of the Parish and Community Centre, as well as fixing, painting and mending fences, benches and play equipment. A lot of work goes into keeping our Village the beautiful place to live that it is. We would like to thank Carl for all his work and dedication over the years and hope that he enjoys his well-deserved freedom to relax a little more. Though he is a busy man being involved with installations of B4RN in our Village and maintenance at the Lune Hydro.

Consequently Halton-with-Aughton Parish Council has a vacancy for a person to carry out maintenance around the village. You will work as part of a small team and report to the Parish Clerk. Your duties will include:
• Regularly (3 times per week) checking the play areas and equipment.
• Regularly (3 times per week) litter-picking and emptying bins.
• Maintaining various green spaces in and around the village which involves mowing, strimming, hedge trimming, pruning trees, controlling weeds.
• Minor odd-jobs, repairs and maintenance.

The ideal candidate would:
• Be prepared to work outside throughout the year.
• Have experience in grounds maintenance/landscaping and basic woodworking, e.g. working with garden/hand tools, machinery, power tools, putting in posts, repairing fences.
• Have access to a vehicle, since the job will involve tasks around the village and the local vicinity.

It will be a 12 hours per week; times to be agreed, but covering at least 3 days, with the potential for additional hours. The salary is £12.55 p/h, which is reviewed annually.

Further information and applications forms can be found on the website (https://www.haltonwithaughton-pc.gov.uk/grounds-maintenance-vacancy) or by contacting the Parish Clerk ([email protected]). Closing date 18th October.

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR
City Councillor Sarah McGowan will be holding Residents' Surgeries in Halton Social Club every other first Wednesday of the month, between 7pm - 8pm.
• October 2nd
• December 4th
• February 5th
• Apr 2nd
Pop along and discuss in confidence any problems you are re having with Lancaster City Council services and she will do what she can to help.
If you can’t make it in person, you can email her at [email protected]

14/07/2024

The draft Halton-with-Aughton Draft Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) has been published for formal consultation by Halton-with-Aughton Parish Council (Regulation 14, Town and Country Planning, England, Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012.

The consultation period runs for 8 weeks from 15th July until midnight 8th September 2024.

The Draft Plan and all relevant supporting documents can be viewed on the Parish Council’s website (https://www.haltonwithaughton-pc.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan-reg14-consultation).

Hard copies of the Draft Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed in the following locations at normal opening times:
• The Centre, Low Road, Halton
• Halton Mill, Mill Lane, Halton
• Halton Library, Penny Stone Road, Halton
• Aughton Recreation Room, Aughton

The Parish Clerk can also provide hard copies upon request (see contact details below).

Public drop-in sessions will be held at the following dates and locations:
• The Centre: Wednesday 24th July 2-4pm
• The Centre: Wednesday 21st August 2-4pm
• The Centre: Thursday 5th Sep 6-8pm

An online Response Form is provided for comments, but the Parish Council also welcomes comments (before midnight 8th September 2024) by email or in writing to:
• Parish Clerk, c/o 28 Forgebank Walk, Halton, Lancaster, LA2 6FD
• [email protected]

Following the public consultation process on the Draft NDP, the plan will be amended and submitted to Lancaster City Council together with supporting documentation.

06/06/2024

Castle Hill
The Parish Council and the local heritage group have secured money from the Government’s Levelling Up fund to open Castle Hill to the public. The grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund will be used to improve access to the field with new gates, paths and fencing being provided. A previous award from the Halton Lune Trust will go towards providing a picnic area and interpretation boards detailing the history of the site.
The works will start in September after the horses come out of the field and we hope to have a grand opening event with the Medieval re-enactment group Historia Normanis sometime in the spring next year.

Play Areas
We are restarting plans to improve the play areas in the village, including St. Wilfrid’s Park, the Centre and hopefully the one on Mill Lane too. This began in 2021/22, including consulting the village about taking out a loan to pay for the work. Whilst the response from the consultation was overwhelmingly positive and supportive, the council agreed with some of the concerns raised about the timing given the cost-of-living crisis at that point, so the work was suspended.
We would welcome input from any parents/carers who would like to get involved in the plans for any of the sites; just contact the Parish Clerk.

Ball-stop Fence for the Football Pitch
The planning application for the fence along the football pitch has been approved. We would like to thank Archihive based in Halton Mill for their help in creating the necessary scale plans.
The 1.2m high fence will stop the balls running into the overgrowth and onto the road. It should be fairly unobtrusive, since it will be around the same height as the existing hedge.

Neighbourhood Development Plan
The informal consultation stage has ended, so we would like to thank everyone who took time to read the plan and respond. These comments will be reviewed and appropriate changes made to the draft plan. The next stages will be a formal consultation, a review by Lancaster City Council and finally a referendum of the village later in the year.

25/04/2024

There will be three Neighbourhood Plan public drop-in sessions starting today:
* Thursday 25th April 3-7pm (The Centre)
* Friday 26th April 7-10pm (Aughton Village Hall)
* Saturday 27th April 10-1pm (The Centre)
Feel free to come along and ask any questions, raise issues or fill is a survey. Find out more here:

From the 8th April to 5th May 2024, we are undertaking an informal consultation on the Draft Halton with Aughton Neighbourhood Plan.The Halton with Aughton Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared to reflect the way in which residents of the parish wish to see their area develop until 2031. All response...

23/04/2024

We would welcome feedback on the draft Neighbourhood Plan via the following survey (you can say as much or as little as you wish):
https://forms.office.com/e/VvmBKYLJKC

The survey has a link to the Parish Council website which has a copy of the Neighbourhood Plan and Local Green Space Assessment Report.

Neighbourhood Development Plans gives the local community an increased ability to influence planning within the parish. In particular we are hoping to better protect local green spaces and areas that have important impact on flooding.

07/04/2024

We are undertaking an informal consultation on the Draft Halton with Aughton Neighbourhood Plan. This consultation runs from 8th April to 5th May 2024.

The Halton with Aughton Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared to reflect the way in which residents of the parish wish to see their area develop until 2031.

All responses received by the consultation end date will be considered when preparing the Neighbourhood Plan for the next stage, which will be the formal consultation (Regulation 14 of the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012), when there will be another opportunity to comment.

The final stage of the process will ask local residents to vote on whether the final plan should be adopted through a local referendum.

A copy of the Draft Neighbourhood Plan, feedback form and other supporting documents can be viewed online on the Parish Council website:

https://www.haltonwithaughton-pc.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan

A link to the survey is here: https://forms.office.com/e/VvmBKYLJKC

Hard copies of the plan will be available to view at:

• The Centre@Halton, Low Road
• Halton Mill, Mill Lane
• Aughton Village Hall Recreation Room, Aughton Road

You are also welcome to attend the public drop-in session that are being held at the following dates and locations:

• The Centre Thursday 25th April 3pm to 7pm
• Aughton Village Hall Friday 26th April 7pm to 10pm
• The Centre Saturday 27th April 10am to 1pm

20/12/2023

The Parish Council has submitted the following objection to the proposed development of 90 homes off Low Road.

The formal public notification of the application was posted yesterday, so you have 21 days (until 8th January) to also comment on it; just visit https://planning.lancaster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=S4FII1IZH1K00

15/12/2023

Residents may wish to respond to the outline planning application 23/01327/OUT (https://planning.lancaster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=S4FII1IZH1K00) for the er****on of up to 90 dwellings off Low Road. You can comment by clicking on the link then going to the “Comments” section where you can make a comment.

This is an "outline" planning application, meaning that they are seeking "in principle" permission for the development. If approved, the developer would need to provide full details in a further application.

The Planning Department have confirmed that it is not mandatory for the developer to carry-out any consultations prior to the application, hence why it has come as a surprise to everyone.

Official notification notices will be placed around the site sometime next week at which point there will be a 21-day deadline for final comments, so try to comment before the 1st week of January.

The Parish Council discussed it on Wednesday 13th December and will be objecting to the development for a variety of reasons including:
• It is not land allocated for Housing Delivery in the Local Development Plan and is classified as countryside.
• The site falls partly within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and whilst the buildings are not directly within the AONB, their presence will be detrimental to the view to and from the AONB;
• It would further extend the current natural boundary of the village and increases the risk of further uncontrolled development;