Well here I am, back from my jollies to French France.

I have to admit, I have come back something of a Francophile.

Despite their having the temerity not to attempt to learn English and driving on the wrong side of the road, my fondness for the place grew.

The towns are immaculately clean, especially the seaside ones. How come ours our so grotty and rundown? I would not claim to be an expert on the French political system which is four tier and highly bureaucratic.

But where I think it works at a local level is that even the smallest villages have a directly elected Mayor and they also have local tax raising powers this allows them to keep everything looking pristine.

Whilst on my ‘fact finding’ tour I was also looking out for municipal swimming pools and they are certainly more thinly spread than people would have us have in Rossendale.

For a population of 67,000 we can’t not justify three swimming pools. Building a new pool at Haslingden was a political compromise by the Conservative group.

Anyone with any sense would have realised where you to feel the need to build a new pool the place for it was Marl pits.

Replace the 25m pool with a 50m pool the increased flexibility would make it a money spinner and tremendous asset to the borough.

Unfortunately the perception that being populist helps retain/win seats led to the situation we now find ourselves in.

Back to France for a moment, if I ever have trouble getting to sleep, I try and think of a way of rejuvenating Bank Street, indeed High streets per se.

That soon gets me to sleep, as it is such an intractable problem. Yet in France they have truly incredible supermarkets (Leclerc knocks Tesco’s into a cocked hat), great big traditional markets selling all sorts and yet the high street has few empty shops and they are all very individual and seem busy.

In my opinion the proposed 50,000sq ft of additional shopping space at the Valley Centre is not required and will never happen.

Very brave decisions will have to be taken. I agree we should scrap the pool and use the money to purchase the Valley Centre and flatten it.

I just need to be shown how we fund it and I will quite firmly nail my colours to the mast with Alyson Barnes.