Cllr Ben Ward - Ingol and Cottam

01/11/2026

I've written to the Canal & River Trust to raise ongoing concerns about the neglect of the Lancaster Canal through Ingol and Cottam.

While I welcome the Trust's decision to deploy w**d harvesters to tackle vegetation problems on Lancashire's waterways, I was astonished to read that while this specialist equipment is being used on the adjoining Ribble Link, the nearby Lancaster Canal in north-west Preston appears to have been overlooked once again.

For several years, I have campaigned for this stretch of canal to be prioritised for action. The Trust itself has acknowledged that the canal through Ingol and Cottam is particularly prone to vegetation blooms due to its unique geography, urban location, and the fact the canal terminates at Cadley. In recent years, the trust has been forced to aerate the canal and deploy weevils to tackle waterfern infestations on several occasions. Sadly, dead fish on the canal has become a common sight for regular users.

This is not a quiet rural stretch of waterway. It runs through densely populated communities, links directly with the Guild Wheel, borders important green spaces in Cottam and passes alongside Haslam Park. Thousands of residents use it every week for walking, cycling, boating and recreation.

The Lancaster Canal is one of our area's greatest assets. It is an important part of our local heritage, a treasured environmental resource and a key recreational facility. Given its extensive use and the recurring problems it faces, I believe the Trust should be giving this section of canal far greater priority.

I've asked the Canal & Rivers Trust to explain why the Lancaster Canal missed out on the current programme and to provide reassurance that future vegetation management schemes will include Ingol and Cottam.

My full letter can be read here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12BmDpzUpX0SPF6pBxOpFXG5-rjZEMJsd/view?usp=sharing



https://www.lep.co.uk/news/ps150000-floating-tractor-scheme-to-stop-lancashires-canals-turning-green-9305829

“Floating tractors” are removing around 30 tonnes of w**d per week from waterways across the region.

31/10/2026

A True Star, On Stage, On Screen, and In Life

Like many of my generation, the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart has prompted reflection, not just on an extraordinary career, but on the quiet influence he had on countless lives, including my own.

I've often wondered whether I was drawn to Star Trek: The Next Generation because its values already appealed to me, or whether the programme helped shape those values in the first place. Perhaps it's a bit of both. What I do know is that throughout my twenties, the weekly dilemmas faced by Captain Jean-Luc Picard left a lasting impression and turned me into a lifelong Trekkie.

Unlike many television heroes, Picard rarely solved problems through force. His approach was to explore, understand, negotiate and, whenever possible, leave a situation better than he found it. The ideals at the heart of Star Trek were ambitious and optimistic. Looking back, I definitely feel these themes helped shape my own progressive and altruistic view of how governments and communities should operate.

Then there was Professor Charles Xavier. Xavier's mission was different, but the values were familiar: identify potential, nurture it, defend the vulnerable and help people become the best version of themselves. Beneath the mutants, supervillains and exploding laboratories was a simple belief that society is strongest when everyone is allowed to contribute, and that we all work together. For me, his portrayal reached an emotional peak in Logan, where an ageing Xavier struggles with dementia and the loss of control over his immense powers. Sadly, it now feels as though the role foreshadowed the challenges Sir Patrick would later face, making the performance all the more moving.

Yet Stewart's range stretched far beyond starships and superheroes. His cultural home was the stage, performing Shakespeare, but he also voiced animated characters and appeared in comedies. Perhaps most famously he portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. For more than two decades, the Patrick Stewart version of the Charles Dickins classic has been a constant highlight of the festive season in my house.

Away from the screen and stage, Patrick Stewart's greatest role may have been himself. Born in Yorkshire and a lifelong Huddersfield Town supporter, he never lost touch with his roots despite becoming one of Britain's most recognisable actors, perhaps best demonstrated by a recent starring role in a Yorkshire Tea advert, where he poked fun at his own legendary status. He used his fame in support of causes ranging from domestic violence awareness and veterans' welfare to human rights, animal welfare and refugee support.

The older I get, the more I appreciate that Patrick Stewart wasn't simply playing heroes. Whether as Picard, Xavier, Scrooge or himself, he championed the same enduring values of curiosity, compassion, service and hope. Thank you, Sir Patrick - make it so!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

19/10/2026

At the weekend I visited the Horrockses exhibition at the Harris, a beautifully curated collection celebrating a remarkable chapter in Preston’s history.

Horrockses brought the elegance and sophistication of the Paris catwalks into homes across post-war Britain. It is a fascinating reminder of the city's rich heritage and its contribution to British culture.

It definitely made me Preston Proud!

The exhibition is free to visit and remains on display until 1 January, making it well worth a trip to the Harris.

18/10/2026

Cottam Parkway: Now It Must Be Delivered

October’s Cabinet meeting saw further progress on the long-awaited Cottam Parkway railway station, with the £69.2 million project approved for inclusion in Lancashire County Council’s Capital Programme.

Importantly, the money is largely identified. £64.7 million will come from the Department for Transport, Lancashire Combined County Authority and other partners, with Lancashire County Council contributing £4.5 million.

There should also be no ambiguity about responsibility. Network Rail will deliver the station and car park, Lancashire County Council will procure the highway and bridge works, and overall responsibility for driving the project forward rests with the Council’s Executive Director of Place, supported by senior transport, finance and legal officers.

Like our new school, Cottam Parkway has been stop-start for far too long and should already have been delivered. It is welcome news that real progress is finally being made, but announcements must now become action. With funding identified, responsibilities agreed and authority granted, any further unnecessary delays would be unacceptable. It is time to get on and deliver it.

18/10/2026

Lancashire’s Roads: Reform Isn’t Convincing Anyone!

Just a couple of months ago, Lancashire County Council was apologising for the “terrible” condition of our roads. Now, somehow, we’re expected to believe they’re in a “fantastic state”.

The problem for Reform UK, which came to power promising to “fill every hole”, is that residents drive these roads every day. They know better.

The Council’s own highways data, published in its September 2026 Transparency Report, tells a very different story. The proportion of A roads in good condition has fallen significantly in recent years, with a quarter now graded Amber or Red. The figure rises to a third for B and local roads. Lancashire’s roads are deteriorating despite years of promises from both the Conservatives and Reform UK.

Then there’s the pothole data. Information obtained through Freedom of Information requests and highlighted by The Lancashire Lead shows that, last winter, fewer than 20% of pothole defects were repaired within the Council’s own 20-day target. Yet just as performance appeared to be at its worst, routine publication of these statistics stopped, reportedly because of changes to the Council’s reporting systems. The timing hardly inspires confidence.

To make matters worse, the Council has lowered key highways performance targets, making it easier to claim future success while residents continue to face substandard and increasingly dangerous roads.

The reality is simple: Lancashire’s roads are not good enough. Rather than delivering on Reform’s promise to “fill every hole”, the Highways Department underspent by more than £10 million last financial year. No wonder the state of our roads was so disgraceful by spring.

A burst of summer patching does not mean the problem has been solved. The real test will come this winter, when repairs must withstand the rain and frost. If potholes reappear by spring, it will raise serious questions about whether Reform is more interested in cutting costs than fixing our roads. Short-term savings mean little if the result is more dangerous roads, damage to vehicles and bigger repair bills for drivers.

Lancashire County Council disputes the accuracy of the full six months of data provided by its own team

15/10/2026

Sorry, I couldn't resist it. 😄

After the Tories and Labour unveiled their own Bayeux Tapestries, I thought Ingol and Cottam needed a Lib Dem version.

Here we have your local champion Lib Dems fighting for our new secondary school, pushing for completion of the Brickworks, and booting profiteering children's home owners out of the ward!

Now all I need is a suitably cheesy slogan to rival Badenoch's "Kemistry" - something that combines my name with my progressive, ambitious politics... So far I've come up with "Ben Better" and "Fast ForWard".

12/10/2026

A quick update on local issues and casework.

Cottam Secondary School - My Stage 2 complaint regarding secondary school provision has now been submitted. I was also pleased to support Stuart as he presented a report to the Parish Council seeking formal backing for a new secondary school in Cottam. Lancashire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Salter, attended the meeting to set out and defend the County Council's position. While Stuart challenged the figures underpinning Lancashire's case, I focused on the real-world impact on local families: the cost and inconvenience of transporting children across Preston and beyond, and the wider social consequences of our community continuing to grow without a local secondary school.

Cottam Brickworks - I recently met with Jigsaw Homes to discuss progress on the Brickworks development. The spine road is now complete - apart from the final surface layer which will only be added once the development is finished - and should open within days. Good progress is also being made on plans for estate repairs, with a community meeting planned for once consultations are complete. Current plans remain for contractors to be on site by November.

Ancient Oak Footpath - Repairs to the damaged fencing behind the Ancient Oak have now been completed, along with new gates and fences. I have been pressing Preston City Council for this action over the last six months, as the collapsed sections posed a safety risk and were attracting fly-tipping. The finished work looks great.

The Smiths Arms - Following support for the local community's bid to have the closed pub registered as an Asset of Community Value I have I received many messages of support. I have contacted PCC for an update on the current situation, to try and establish how the new owners are planning to develop the site.

Edith Rigby Way Safety Barrier - Disappointingly, Lancashire County Council has rejected my request for a safety barrier where the Sidgreaves Lane footpath and cycleway joins Edith Rigby Way, stating that the path's layout and gradient do not warrant additional safety measures.

As ever, I've also been out across the ward delivering our latest Focus leaflet. I'm easy to spot, I'm the one the LibDem colours - scarf and trainers no less! Please do stop me, if you want to raise a local issue.

10/10/2026

NW Preston Shows Why Infrastructure Must Come First

As a councillor in North West Preston, I know what happens when housebuilding races ahead of the infrastructure needed to support families moving in. Cottam and the wider NW Preston Masterplan area have become a textbook example of development done backwards: thousands of new homes, but no essential community services — from GP surgeries to new schools.

That’s why the national debate on housing policy matters so much locally: the choices made in Westminster shape the reality on our streets.

The Liberal Democrats have set out a clear, practical approach — infrastructure must come first. Their recent “GP Guarantee” is one part of a wider principle I strongly support: new housing should not be approved unless essential services are already planned and funded. Developers would contribute directly to new GP surgeries and staffing, ensuring residents aren’t left fighting for appointments in overstretched practices. It’s a model designed to prevent exactly the problems NW Preston has been living with.

The Conservatives, by contrast, used their 2026 conference to propose scrapping the mechanisms that fund local infrastructure — Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy. These are the tools councils rely on to secure affordable housing, GP expansions, school places, road upgrades and community facilities. The Tories talked of introducing an unspecified new housebuilders’ levy, but claiming it would lower costs by £50,000 per home suggests councils would receive far less funding.

The suggestion that abolishing infrastructure funding obligations will somehow reduce house prices is, frankly, not credible. What it is far more likely to do is unleash further rounds of greenfield development — without the GP capacity, school places or transport links communities need. NW Preston already knows what that looks like.

So the choice is clear. One approach insists on infrastructure upfront, protecting communities from being overwhelmed. The other strips away the safeguards that make development sustainable. For areas like ours, where the consequences of getting this wrong are felt every day, that difference matters.

10/10/2026

Great work from Cllr van Mierlo — and credit to the PCC fly‑tipping team, who are usually very quick to respond. I expect this mess will be cleared soon.

But clearing it is only ever a short‑term fix. The underlying problem remains.

We need a proper long‑term strategy for tackling fly‑tipping. The current dump‑and‑clear cycle has gone on far too long, and it doesn’t change behaviour. We need to shift attitudes as well as practice — making it clear that fly‑tipping isn’t just irresponsible, it’s unacceptable.

And where individuals persist, we need better monitoring and stronger sanctions. Without that, the same hotspots will keep reappearing.

If we want cleaner, safer neighbourhoods, we need a plan that prevents the tipping in the first place, not just one that reacts to it.

10/10/2026

Wow. That was invigorating! I think?

Out delivering leaflets across the ward this weekend — and it really was four seasons in one day. Glorious sunshine one minute, wild winds and a proper downpour the next.

Just as I finished a round in Cottam, this rainbow appeared. The yellow stripe was particularly strikingly bright… perhaps a sign of future Lib Dem success!?! 🌈 ;-)