About Me

I am married with two children who are now adults, one is a serving Police Officer and the other is a Payroll Officer.

My wife, Alene works for a local solicitor in Garstang and we have lived in Garstang since 1981.

I spent all my working life in the Construction Industry starting out as an apprentice Carpenter & Joiner and culminating at the end of my career as a Senior Manager with a national company.

I have been the Treasurer of Garstang United Reformed Church since 1993 and was involved in the refurbishment of the Church in 1984 and heavily involved in the work of the Church Hall refurbishment in 2002. I stepped down after 15 years of being the Treasurer on 31st July 2008. However, this concluded over 40 years of being a Church Treasurer. Commenced with Church of Scotland Kettle Parish Church in December 1966. Further details of the Church can be had from www.garstangurc.org.uk

I am a Trustee of the A B Grace Charity Trust that is responsible for distributing money each year to specifically mentioned organisations that benefit the local community.

I am also a Trustee of the W H King’s Almshouses Trust, which looks after 7 houses in Dimples Lane, Barnacre- with-Bonds. The houses are prescribed for the needy of the area that have a need for a home and are unable to obtain one from conventional means.

I am a Trustee on Garstang Town Trust who operate the Indoor Market Hall and own the Art Centre and run the weekly open street Market on almost every Thursday through out the year. The Trust supports many local organisations.  The Trust dates back to the 1770’s . I stepped as  Chairman at the AGM on the 9th May 2011. The Chairman  for the year 2011 - 2012 is Trustee  Mrs Anne N Humphreys and Trustee Mr Tom Ibison was duly elected Vice Chairman.

I am a Director of the Garstang & District Partnership Ltd, which was set up to manage and spearhead the regeneration of Garstang and surrounding areas. The work of the Partnership has come to an end but the Company remains.

I am  the Finance Director of The Institute of Carpenters who are the leading institute for fully trained Carpenters and Joiners in the United Kingdom www.instituteofcarpenters.com. The Institute was formed in 1890 and I was their National Chairman of Council in 1987 and the Institute is linked to the Carpenters Company who first gained their Charter in the reign of Edward 1V in 1477.


The Carpenters Company (www.thecarpenterscompany.co.uk) run the very successful Building Crafts College in Stratford, London.


The Institute of Carpenters run the Carpenters Craft Competition each year which is open to all Colleges who run training courses for Carpentry & Joinery and further details of this can be had from www.carpenterscraft.com. The picture (left) shows the judges at last year’s final judging.

The Institute of Carpenters also run Examinations for all grades each year for those working in the wood trades and further details of these can be had from www.iocexams.co.uk. 

 
I am a Member of Garstang & Over Wyre Rotary Club and was their President in the year 2005 – 2006. They do a tremendous amount of fund raising for local charities and they support quite a number of overseas ones as well. Garstang & Over Wyre Rotary Club hold weekly meetings at the Pickerings Hotel, Catterall at 7.30 pm and they would like to hear from you. Their website is www.garstangrotary.org.uk.

As Councillor for Garstang

I care deeply about the well being of Garstang and am on record that I wish to see more Police presence on our streets, to see cleaner pavements and play areas by which I mean dog owners should clean up after their dogs rather than leave it to others to do the job for them.  I would like to see a new Community Centre for GARSTANG where the local groups such as the Garstang Theatre Group and the Garstang Light Opera Group can hold their productions.

After many years with working with the Garstang & District Partnership Ltd, Garstang Chamber of Trade, Garstang Town Trust and Garstang Town Council we have at last convinced Lancashire County Council  to allow us to have  Parking Bays on the High Street limited to 30 minutes with no return in 30 minutes. They have also allowed limited Parking Bays on Bridge Street, Church Street, Moss Lane and Dorchester Road. This should ensure the continuing prosperity of the hub of Garstang. 

I would like to see no more new housing built in Garstang on Green Field sites and if new developments have to be built  then this  should only be on Brown Field Sites. Any new housing should be affordable for purchase so that the young people do not need to move away to have a house of their own. A few bungalows would not go amiss as well.

I am currently Chairman of the Audit Committee on Wyre Borough Council and we try to ensure  that the Council fulfil its role properly.

I am currently on the  Councillor Development Group and the Planning Policy Group.

I am also a Member of Garstang Town Council who look after the affairs of Garstang Ward and own the Kepple Lane and Moss Lane Playing Fields.

I am nominated by Wyre Borough Council to sit on the Management Committee of the Garstang Sports & Social Club - whose members include the following:- the Canoe Club, the Cricket Club, the Football Club, the Rugby Club, the Running Club and the Tennis Club. The Sports Club will soon have the ownership of the sports field rather than paying rent to Wyre Borough Council.

You can contact me on tbalmain@wyrebc.gov.uk