The newly renovated Longridge old station was opened by the Ribble Valley Mayor , Councillor Lois Rimmer , Longridge Mayor, Councillor Jim Rogerson and Conservative County Councillor Green , cabinet member responsible for economic development at Lancashire County Council on Saturday 9th April. Those attending included Nigel Evans MP for the Ribble Valley , and Longridge Councillors on the County, Borough and Town Councils .
Councillor Rimmer paid tribute to all those involved in the project ,Longridge Social Enterprise Company , the Town Council , officials of the Ribble Valley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council .
Rupert Swarbrick, the Chairman of Longridge Social Enterprise Company who led the project commented ‘’The Old Station has been funded with 13 different grants totalling over £550,000 including £100,000 from the Ribble Valley Borough Council . It contains a business centre used by small businesses for advice ,information technology support and service office as well as a Heritage Centre funded by a grant of £230,000 from the National Heritage Fund including funding for 2 heritage officers for 2 years , now run with the assistance of the History Society and 20 volunteers.
‘’The exhibition area and meeting rooms are used by local organisations and for public as well as private meetings for local organisations. The successful café is let to Louise Coupe who has put in considerable investment to the project. The centre adopts the railway theme and retains the platform and station architecture.
‘’The building was renovated by Carefoot’s Builders of Longridge , during one of the worst winter’s we have ever faced, but they overcame every obstacle ‘’
Ken Hind Longridge Conservative Branch Chairman , member of the LSEC board commented ‘’ The whole project is part of a strategy to provide a service hub for the people of Longridge and surrounding parishes . Coupled with the Civic Hall also run by LSEC it provides a whole additional range of facilities. Currently the civic hall contains the children’s centre , gym ,meeting, theatrical and dancing facilities , bar, Town Council offices , exhibition area and home for the town band .
‘’If there was grant to be had in planning and executing the station project Rupert Swarbrick and his team applied for it. The project epitomises what the Prime Minister means by the’ Big Society’ where volunteers have put in years of effort since 2004 to better the lives of the people in their community.’’
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