my blog
10th Anniversary of Birkby Fatal House Fire
Tomorrow will see the 10th anniversary of an arson attack that caused the deaths of three generations of the same Huddersfield family – including five children.
Just before 2am on May 12th, 2002, a major fire at 40 Osborne Road in Birkby, Huddersfield, led to the deaths of eight members of the Chishti family.
This was a horrific crime, and shocked the whole community. But while many people have moved on, for the family involved this crime is still all too real and shattering for them.
In July, 2003, three Huddersfield men were convicted for their part in the crime. However 20-year old Shahid Mohammed, who was arrested in the early days of the investigation, escaped justice by failing to answer bail.
Now, on this poignant anniversary the police are renewing an appeal for information on his whereabouts.
I believe someone in the local community knows something about Shahid Mohammed that could help the police bring him to justice and to allow the family to grieve properly for their lost loved ones. Until this happens there can be no closure for the family.
I would join the police in appealing for that person to come forward and give all the information they have on Shahid Mohammed – a man involved in mass murder.
The Police believe that Shahid Mohammed could have fled to Pakistan but he was also known to have strong links to people in London, Birmingham and Leicester.
Anyone who could help with this investigation should call Huddersfield Police via 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, where a community action trust reward could be available.
Shahid Mohammed in 2002
Have your say….improving health and wellbeing
We are inviting organisations, groups and local people to help develop the Kirklees approach to improving the health and wellbeing of residents across our district.
Currently we are formulating the Kirklees Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, the aim of which is to see significant improvements in the health of local people and to reduce inequalities at every stage of people’s lives by 2020.
Rugby Internationals visit Galpharm Stadium
On Friday 4 May the England and Ireland Rugby Football League Head Coaches will visit the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield ahead of the England vs Ireland fixture in the Rugby League World Cup 2013.
We are delighted that representatives of both teams will visit the stadium where they will have the opportunity to tour the ground and see the excellent facilities we have in Kirklees.
The bid to host the Rugby League World Cup in Kirklees was led by the council and we are delighted to be hosting this fixture which is the only guaranteed England match in West Yorkshire.
Kirklees Council, Huddersfield Giants, Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury RAMS and their partners are now working hard to promote opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to get involved in the sport whether as players, volunteers, coaches or spectators so that as a district Kirklees and rugby league will benefit in the long term from hosting this prestigious fixture.
Labour Councillors cleared by Standards Board
On February 13th of this year I met with Mick and Barry Thandi, along with Labour colleagues and Conservative Councillor Ken Sims, to discuss the businessmen’s proposal to build a pub at Castle Hill.
Following this meeting a complaint was submitted to the Kirklees Standards Board by Tory Councillor Christine Smith, alleging that the meeting had breached planning protocols by holding an unofficial meeting without informing Kirklees Council officers.
I am pleased to confirm that the independent Standards sub-committee dismissed this complaint at the first stage of the Standards process, which is designed to identify complaints in need of no further action.
Kirklees Council’s innovative carbon reduction work
Kirklees Council has been nationally recognised for its commitment to the environment and sustainability.
We have gained this green reputation through such ground-breaking measures as the award-winning Warmzone programme and by being the first council to set a carbon budget in 2008. We have also won many awards for our environmental management work (EMAS) which included managing carbon emissions.
Below are just a few examples of some of our achievements; however you can click here to view the full article.
Late night levy for pubs and clubs
It’s entirely appropriate that bars and clubs should contribute towards the cost of cleaning up the inevitably messy aftermath of a big night out.
Under new Home Office proposals, councils and police will be able to charge venues for the cost of protecting their customers and cleaning up after them. However the Government is proposing that 70 per cent of the fee would go to the police.
This is why the Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government to ensure that its proposed new Late Night Levy for clubs and bars adequately compensates councils for keeping nightlife hotspots clean and safe.
Potential fuel shortage – safety guidance
It is understandable that residents will want to take sensible precautions for any possible fuel shortage and for some that will mean storing petrol at home.
However at Kirklees Council we want to make sure that residents are fully aware of existing laws and can store petrol safely and securely.
Filling a single petrol container with twenty litres of petrol is against the law and potentially lethal.
Currently, residents can legally store up to 30 litres (6 gallons) of petrol at home in two 10 litre (2 gallons) metal containers and two 5 litre (1 gallon) plastic containers.
Kirklees to host England v Ireland for Rugby League World Cup 2013
Today we have head that England will play Ireland at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield in the Rugby League World Cup 2013.
This is fantastic news for rugby league in Kirklees! Our aim is to fill the Galpharm Stadium for this exciting world class fixture. We want to encourage people not only from Kirklees but from all across Yorkshire and further afield to visit Huddersfield, see the England – Ireland match and experience firsthand the thrill of rugby league being played at the very highest levels.
Kirklees Council supports a low carbon economy
The Kirklees Energy and Water Conservation Fund is a long-standing fund which is used to deliver efficiency projects that reduce carbon emissions and save money on utility bills within council owned buildings.
The fund programme for the forthcoming year has some exciting and innovative schemes but the two major projects that will be considered for 2012/13 are Skills for Climate Change and Environmental Support to Businesses.
Interfaith support for brave soldiers
Today is another difficult day for the families of the three local soldiers who died in Afghanistan, as their bodies are returned home, and as a council we will continue to do all we can to support the families at this extremely difficult time.
As the news broke about the deaths of these brave soldiers, we wanted to act quickly to pay tribute to the these courageous young men who died serving their country.
Flags on all our town halls across the district were immediately lowered to half mast, and the Mayor immediately contacted the families to pass on condolences on behalf of the people of Kirklees, and to offer them support.
Free outdoor concerts return to Huddersfield
McFly who performed at Concerts in the Park in 2009
Music lovers will be in for a royal treat this June, with a FREE three day music festival which will be held in Greenhead Park from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 June.
Created as the centrepiece of our Kirklees jubilee celebrations, this will be the first time that the concerts have been held in Greenhead Park since the renovations and we hope that residents and visitors alike will flock to the park to make it the perfect family weekend, full of live music and entertainment.
Further talks on Children’s Centres
Recent talks with Gemma
I have again met with Gemma Wilson, chair of the local Save Our Sure Start group, for further talks on the possible changes to children’s centres and family support services.
Everyone knows that these are tough times for local government and savings need to be made. We are looking very carefully at the range of services that could be offered at each centre.
Increasingly we would like to see people within communities getting involved in the way their children’s centres are run and my recent talks with Gemma are a key part of the engagement process.
Following the nine-week public consultation we have listened to what local people have to say and our original plans have changed as a result. New proposals for the centres will be considered by the Councils Cabinet on March 13.
Charity Antics
At the top!
On Thursday I took part in a fundraiser for the Mayor’s charity, the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield.
The charity supports children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses and their families from Kirklees, Wakefield and Calderdale.
Changes to children’s centre proposals
There is no escaping the fact that these are difficult times and due to the massive cut in the funding that we receive from government, savings must be made and we are looking very carefully at the range of services that could be offered at children’s centres across Kirklees.
Proposals from Government risk public health
People take great comfort in the fact that councils are working on their behalf to make sure the food they buy from shops, restaurants and takeaways is properly prepared and safe to eat.
However new legislation proposed by the Government would prevent environmental health officers carrying out on-the-spot hygiene checks. Instead environmental health and trading standards officers would have to seek a warrant through the courts to carry out inspections, unless given permission to enter by the business owner.
Tesco application approved
I am happy to say that the planning application for a new Tesco store in Huddersfield has been passed.
This means that the plans to build a new 21st century sports centre at Springwood can go ahead.
The centre will be a state-of-the-art facility that serves the leisure needs of thousands of people and will replace a building which unfortunately is long past its best.
Hundreds of construction jobs will be created at the new Tesco and sports centre and the surrounding area of the existing Tesco at Viaduct Street will be regenerated – high quality housing and much needed hotel accommodation will be built.
True picture of rent arrears in Kirklees
Recently the Huddersfield Examiner printed an article concerning the collection of rents at Kirklees Council.
The figures quoted in the article are skewed as they mix up current arrears and former arrears.
The following figures show the true picture of rent arrears in Kirklees:
|
2002 |
2012 |
|
|
Current arrears |
£3.5m |
£1.5m |
|
Former tenant arrears |
£3.4m |
£2.5m |
Work Begins on new Council Homes
I announced in December that we had managed to secure funding to build 466 new homes in Kirklees. See previous story in this blog. Well I’m now pleased to be able to say that work has started on twelve of the sites earmarked for development. (more…)
Kirklees Insulation Scheme
Any Kirklees householder who has not yet had their home insulated can apply to have it done free of charge through the Kirklees Insulation Scheme which is offering FREE loft and wall cavity insulation.
Following the success of the Kirklees Warm Zone scheme, we have allocated some more funding for loft and wall cavity insulation for owner-occupiers and private rented tenants, regardless of income.
The funding is limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. If you are interested contact the Kirklees Insulation Scheme, Private Sector Housing Unit, Kirklees Council on 0800 3280075 or 01484 221392, email: kis@kirklees.gov.uk.
Reliability of Wind Turbines
During recent gale force winds, a small number of privately owned turbines failed in the Hepworth and Cumberworth areas.
The failures involved one particular model and, following a review of information placed on the manufacturer’s website, we have decided that the council should put on hold any pending or future applications for this model of turbine until the manufacturer’s investigations into the mechanical failures have been completed.
Kirklees leads campaign against scrap metal theft
It’s absolutely clear that we have to find ways of combating scrap metal thefts, both inside Kirklees and on a wider national scale.
That’s why Kirklees Council is planning to become the first authority in Yorkshire to introduce a code of conduct for scrap metal dealers.
If Cabinet members give their approval at a meeting on January 31, Kirklees Council will consult with scrap metal dealers about the voluntary code – and will also take the campaign into a national forum, encouraging central government to bring in new legislation which helps councils and the police to enforce the code’s principles.
Council deal with KSDL
I am pleased to announce that the Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd (KSDL) Board has agreed to a restructured financial arrangement with the Council.
The council’s position on the private arrangement for transfer of shares between the owners of Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants has been dictated by the economic conditions. Everybody knows the financial pressure that the council is under and that the clubs are in a much healthier financial position than they once were, with Dean Hoyle and Ken Davy driving forward their future success.
Low carbon economy will help to save money
Investing in low carbon measures would have a real effect on reducing energy costs in Kirklees and so have a positive effect on the local economy.
This message was delivered loud and clear at the launch of a new low carbon drive for the whole of the Leeds City Region and the 11 local authorities, including Kirklees, which are part of it.
I was part of the panel that launched the new report which is the culmination of a two year commission by the Centre for Low Carbon Futures to provide a strong business case for investment in carbon reduction in the Leeds City Region.
Fake Vodka health warning
Trading standards teams are warning all consumers looking to save money this year to be on the look out for cheap fake vodka.
Tests on counterfeit bottles recently seized by trading standards officers from around the country have revealed alarming levels of methanol – a key ingredient used to make anti-freeze with the potential to blind somebody – as well as various industrial solvents.
It is often made in uncontrolled conditions and those buying and drinking it will have no idea of its contents.
Metal theft scheme to be launched
Theft of scrap metal is soaring.
Until now outdated legislation has meant that councils and the police have not had enough power to clampdown on rogue dealers who buy stolen metal.
But a new scheme is set to be trialled in North East England from January 3rd will mean people who sell scrap metal to dealers will have to provide proof of identity, supported with a utility bill.
Dementia sufferers falling victim to financial abuse
The Alzheimers’s Society calculates that 15% of people with dementia have been victims of financial abuse such as cold calling, scam mail or mis-selling.
These figures are very worrying. If a resident thinks they or someone they know may have fallen victim to crimes that involve scams or rogue trading, they should contact their council trading standards service, the police, or Crimestoppers immediately.
Council signs contract to deliver new affordable homes for rent Kirklees
Council has announced the conclusion of negotiations with the government and private sector partners, paving the way for 466 brand new high quality affordable homes for rent to be built within the district.
This is fantastic news for Kirklees. While the process we’ve been through has been complex, I’m delighted that we will soon be able to offer 466 families and individuals the opportunity to move into the quality homes which suit their needs, and which they deserve. This programme also gives us the opportunity to regenerate communities, in some cases removing old buildings which were no longer fit for purpose and replacing them with new modern quality homes.
Huddersfield’s Victorian arcade attracts new tenants as existing businesses expand
Already home to over 20 independent retailers and cafes, Huddersfield’s Byram Arcade has seen resurgence as retailers expand their businesses and new shops move in.
The past few months have seen three expansions, three new businesses move in and several major refurbishments – giving the towns oldest arcade a boost just before Christmas.
LDF Debate
On Wednesday, after a marathon 13-hour meeting, Kirklees Councillors from all parties agreed a Local Development Framework (LDF) plan for the area that will span the next 15 years.
However following a recent government announcement we will have to delay the implementation of the strategy – whilst this is very frustrating it is, unfortunately, unavoidable.
Kirklees Council’s Recession Board wins award
I am delighted to reveal that Kirklees Council’s Recession Board has been named as joint winner of a top award in Yorkshire and Humberside.
The Recession Board scooped the joint prize for ‘Outstanding responses to the economic downturn.’ at the Local Government Yorkshire and Humber ‘Make a Difference Awards’.
Labour plan for 36,000 jobs and just 63 houses per year in the green belt
The Kirklees Labour group has published its proposal for a Local Plan to provide jobs and homes over the next 15 years.
We understand the need for balance when planning for a growing number of homes and the creation of conditions which will attract jobs and investment, while taking care to maintain the character of Kirklees.
Our long term vision will build on the proud fact that Kirklees is the 3rd most important district in England for manufacturing. These proposals meet the needs of current and future businesses, improves residential amenity and preserves the unique character of the district.
Powers to stop scrap cowboys
Following a surge in the theft of copper and lead from memorials, railway lines and power cables, councils really need greater powers to hold scrap metal dealers to account.
The majority of metal stolen by thieves for profit will end up being bought by scrap yards and because of the lax regulation of the scrap metal industry, thieves can make a quick buck from unscrupulous dealers without any worries it could be traced back to them.
Christmas free parking in Kirklees
I would like to remind everyone that free parking will once again be on offer on certain days in the major town centres in Kirklees in the run up to Christmas.
The busy retail period in the run up to Christmas is precisely the time we should be attracting shoppers to our town centres and offering some free parking concessions is a vital way of supporting town centre businesses. By doing this we are demonstrating our commitment to doing everything we can to help tackle the effects of the recession.
Carbon Reduction Commitment Kudos for Kirklees
Kirklees Council has topped the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) League Table for Yorkshire and Humber Local Authorities.
The Environment Agency’s newly published league table ranks Kirklees Council as 168 out of approximately 2000 organisations, and I delighted that we scored highest out of all the Yorkshire and Humber Local Authorities. Overall we were fourteenth out of all UK local authorities participating in the scheme which is a great achievement.
Kirklees Women’s Awards 2012
Kirklees Women’s Alliance has launched the Kirklees Outstanding Women awards for 2012.
The awards aim to honour individuals of outstanding merit who have gone that extra mile to help others.
They celebrate the many contributions that women and young girls of all ages and backgrounds make to their families, work, communities, businesses and society as a whole which improves the lives and wellbeing of those around them.
Greenhead Park bowling pavilion gets green light
I am happy to say that the new bowing pavilion at Greenhead Park is definitely going ahead.
This week council officers met with the architect for the scheme and have discussed and agreed the construction details for the new pavilion. The council are committed to this programme of works and to ensuring that everything is ready for the spring 2012 bowling season.
The Waterfront and Kirklees College – The Facts
The Waterfront scheme is vital to Huddersfield. Not only will it will transform an area that has previously been under-rated and under-used but will also produce huge regeneration and economic benefits including 985 new jobs, 70 jobs safeguarded, new industrial floorspace and commercial development, 1.2 hectares of land improved and of course a new purpose build campus for Kirklees College.
In 2009 The Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the funding body for Further Education Colleges, announced that it had financial problems and told Kirklees College that it had to reduce the requested level of funding for their campus on the site otherwise it may lose the funding all-together.
This is when Kirklees College approached the Council about the possibility of obtaining a loan to fund part of the costs of the new campus. It was clear that we needed to act quickly to effectively save the application to the LSC and protect the plans for the new college, so a loan to assist the college was agreed to secure a better future for our young people and to help create jobs during the recession.
Festival Fun!
This year’s Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival was the busiest ever in the history of the event!
Visitors to the festival, which took place from 11th to 14th August in St George’s Square and the Byram Arcade, nearly topped 100,000 over the course of the four days, which is up 35% on last year.
200 new jobs for Dewsbury with Think3e
Further to my post on 11th May, I am pleased to announce that Think3e is ready to take on its next wave of jobs at the Calder Mill Site.
There will be 200 new vacancies created for local people, making a total of 300 up to now.
Significant decrease in Kirklees crime
Newly released figures show that there has been real success in reducing crime and re-offending in Kirklees.
Over the last two year we have continued to work in partnership with the police, the NHS and the Probation Service as well as voluntary organisations and it’s great to hear that re-offending rates are falling.
Recycling creates 100 new jobs in Dewsbury
The opening of a brand new recycling plant has created 100 new jobs for unemployed local people in Dewsbury.
Think3e who are the largest recycling social enterprise in the UK has been working with the Council since last July to open the site at Calder Bank Mills in Scout Hill, Dewsbury.
Future Jobs Fund makes big impact on young people in Kirklees
Over the past 18 months a total of 742 young people in Kirklees have been helped into employment by the Future Jobs Fund.
Supporting our young people and increasing opportunities for them is one of the priorities for the council so it’s fantastic news that so many have been able to benefit from the Future Jobs Fund.
Government minimum alcohol pricing will have negligible impact
Earlier this year Government Ministers unveiled plans to set a minimum price for alcohol in England and Wales.
They want to ban shops and bars from selling drinks for less than the tax paid on them in the hope of cutting crime and to set a “base price” for the first time.
If this would mean the cheapest can of lager would cost 38p and a litre of cider 40p – less that a can of Coca-Cola!
Austerity protests spread across the UK
The brutal cuts to services being inflicted by this government are unnecessary, unfair and ideologically motivated. There are many organisations have been formed to oppose these cuts, however there is one group in particular that has been staging very high profile protests as part of the anti-cuts movement.
Funding shortfall for Community Safety
Earlier this year the Home Office revealed details of the funding they would be providing for councils to improve community safety and tackle crime in their areas for the next two years.
In January the Home office announced that a 20% cut would be made to the 2011/12 community safety budget. If that wasn’t bad enough the Home Office then went on to reveal that a further 50% cut would be made for 2012/13. These savage cuts to funding jeopardise vital services which combat crimes such as anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, graffiti, problem families and substance misuse.
Do it online! New e-petitions help you have your say
Check out the new online tool for creating e-petitions on the Kirklees Council website.
It’s now easier than ever for you, your friends, family and neighbours to make your views known to the council, when you think we can make a difference.
And I think it’s got to be easier to bring your petition to the attention of a wide range of people – particularly younger people – when it is online.
Just send them a link!
Government attack on social housing
This government are proposing changes that represent the biggest shake-up to social housing provision in many years which will result in the most vulnerable in society losing out.
The Government want to push councils and housing associations to grant fixed term tenancies lasting at least two years for new tenants. At the moment social housing tenants are granted a “secure tenancy”, giving them considerable rights and the confidence that, providing they keep to the terms of their tenancy, the house is theirs.
Kirklees Fairtrade Success!
Huddersfield and the whole of the Kirklees area have been successful is achieving Fairtrade Town status from the Fairtrade Foundation.
I’m delighted that we have been successful in gaining Fairtrade status, not just for Huddersfield, but for the whole of Kirklees and it is a deserved reward for everyone’s hard work.
Should Kirklees abandon its work on a local plan?
Recently some MPs have not been completely open with residents and claim that the council should abandon work on preparing a Local Development Framework (LDF).
The LDF is the way in which Kirklees Council presents its proposals for the use and development of land and for changes to the transportation system in our local area.
Our Local Development Framework plan has been developed by an All Party Councillor Working Group and was advised by Council Officers, taking into account government rules and regulations.
Over the last 10 weeks we have invited residents and businesses to put forward their views and during this time we have made information available to residents in a variety of different ways to encourage and maximise participation.
Kirklees Council – cross party proposals for a fully costed four year financial plan which minimises the impact of cuts and provides some protection for priority services
Cabinet members met yesterday to recommend a budget that promotes local economic growth while minimising the impact on frontline services. It will now be up to all councillors at full council to make the final decision in two weeks.
Setting the budget for the next three years has been the hardest challenge in my experience of local government. The three major parties have worked closely together on the proposals as it is too vital an issue to allow party politics to intervene. (more…)
25% cut to crime fighting budget
In parliament on Monday the final local government finance report was announced by the coalition government.
The report confirmed what we already feared in that local government will have to cover a funding shortfall of around £6.5bn in the next financial year, with some councils, especially in the north, facing huge reductions in the amount of money they receive from the Government, in fact it will be the toughest settlement in living memory.
Included in the report were the details of the funding that the Home Office will be providing for councils to improve community safety and tackle crime in their areas throughout 2011/12. We have been waiting since December to hear about this part of the settlement, and the delay has made planning for the future extremely difficult. The result was very bad news…
Poorest hit under government compulsory water meter proposal
Under new government proposals every household could be forced to have a water meter – if they are made compulsory in all homes then it could send water bills rocketing in some of the poorest areas.
Obviously those who use the highest amount of water will be worst affected and unfortunately this includes the disabled, large families, and those who regularly water large gardens or wash their cars.
The impact that water metering could have on people on low incomes or those with large families and who are in receipt of benefits could be catastrophic.
Festival of Light Success
I would like to thank everyone who came out and made Festival of Light 2010 such a huge success. Despite the snow and very cold temperatures, I was delighted to see thousands of smiling faces in Huddersfield on Friday and Saturday evenings enjoying the show in the square – and what a show it was! High-flying angels floating in front of the train station isn’t something you see every day – and the well-timed snow shower on the Friday night added to the spectacle. (more…)
Helping business through the Recession
I understand that all businesses have been struggling over the last year or so as the Recession bites. This has been exacerbated by the Government’s spending review, the details of which have yet to be fully revealed to us.
However, we believe that Huddersfield and the rest of Kirklees have a prosperous future. Within Kirklees Council we have been working tirelessly to do all we can to help local businesses, employees and the unemployed to thrive, grow and have better prospects.
Response to Recession
So far we have had the following successes in responding to Recession:
- 10 manufacturers awarded £731,000 of business rates’ relief, safeguarding 384 jobs
- 87 key account businesses engaged and 385 others offered general business support
- 22 leisure business start up enquiries
- 75 jobs created by Enterprise Centres and 105 known jobs safeguarded by business engagement
Recession Fund
We established the Recession Fund to respond quickly and effectively to the impact of the Recession on our district. This has resulted in a number of successful schemes:
2533 new members recruited to the local credit union to alleviate financial hardship
- Future Jobs Fund – so far 448 long-term unemployed have taken up employment opportunities
- 759 Kirklees Passports issued in the last six months (giving holders discounted access to a range of chargeable council, partner and private sector services)
- ‘build’ – engaging with and assisting SME businesses in a unique membership employer network, promoting the interests of the construction industry and assisting in the creation of jobs. Since Recession Fund support, the project has exceeded targets: 113 businesses assisted, 1516 jobs supported/safeguarded, 209 disadvantaged residents skilled, 32 employment opportunities created and 21 residents given work experience.
Supporting Town Centre Businesses
We are proud to have given direct support to commercial enterprises within Huddersfield in the following ways:
- Actively promoting town centre events such as the Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival and Festival of Light to increase footfall and visitor dwell time
- Engaging with owners of town centre properties to reduce vacancy levels and help improve the appearance of vacant shops.
- Business breakfast meetings giving the chance to network
- Management of the Retail Radio
- Promoting Huddersfield through Huddersfield Magazine and the Definitive Guide
Local Enterprise Partnership
We are excited to be playing an active role within the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which brings together councils, businesses and key partners within the area to lead on local economic priorities.
The LEP, which should be operational by September 2011, brings together public and private sectors to create the right environment for businesses to flourish and be able to compete in national and international markets.
This includes providing the necessary skills and training for the region’s workforce and investing in transport infrastructure.
The LEP will be funded through local authorities and external partners. Its key tasks will be to commission responsibility for economic development and regeneration, specifically:
- Integrated strategic planning
- Housing and regeneration
- Transport
- Skills and worklessness
- Innovation and enterprise, including business support
- Economic development, including inward investment and sector leadership
- Climate change
We are sure that in combining all these measures, Kirklees Council can make a real difference.
Establishing a minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented properties
As the Leader of Kirklees Council I have recently signed up to support a new minimum energy standard for private rented properties.
Charities and consumer groups concerned about the number of cold, health-hazard rented homes are demanding a new law to help protect tenants and have issued a joint statement to which they are asking organisations to support and to sign up to.
The coalition of organisations, including housing, children’s, disability and environmental charities, is calling for urgent government action to make it illegal to rent out the least insulated properties until they are brought up to a higher standard of energy efficiency.
Private rented homes are the worst maintained part of the housing stock with many private rented properties failing the Decent Homes standard and a quarter of tenants living in fuel poverty.
In fact in Kirklees we have 26,030 properties that are privately rented and 8410 (32.3%) are deemed to be non decent. Therefore it is vital that we sign up to this campaign.
Improved information, advice and financial incentives for tenants and landlords are needed and all landlords, regardless of the energy efficiency rating of their property, must be helped to improve their properties through specially targeted schemes such as the Green Deal, which must provide upfront low-interest finance for the necessary energy efficiency improvements, including in hard-to-treat properties. With such assistance many landlords may choose to improve their properties and local initiatives such as accreditation can help with this, rewarding the best landlords.
The coalition of organisations believe legislation is essential to protect households who live in the very worst insulated and least energy efficient private rented accommodation from high energy bills, ill health and fuel poverty. This must be done by setting a legal minimum level of energy efficiency for private rented properties and a date by which it will be an offence to let properties which do not meet this standard. The Government must also legislate to sweep away the cost, complexity and resource barriers which stop local authorities using their existing powers under the Housing Act 2004 to improve the worst properties.
The previous Government had made commitments toward creating such a standard in order to ensure that private sector tenants had decent homes for their families.
Benefit Changes
The Government have announced a number of changes to Housing Benefit that will affect the Private and Social Rented sector. Some of the planned changes only affect Local Housing Allowance claimants and hence Social Rented sector tenants are unaffected directly by those changes. In summary all of the changes reduce the value of Housing Benefit whilst increasing rents charged to individuals.
• The Government will use the Consumer Price Index for the price indexation of benefits and tax credits from April 2011. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) will replace Rossi and Retail Price Index (RPI) as the tool used to decide on benefits increases in April each year (also known as uprating). The implication here is that benefits will increase at a much lower rate than was previously the case with recipients losing a potential 1.7p in the pound compared to the status quo.
• Deductions for non-dependents will be increased in April 2011 The rate of deduction made from a claimant’s Housing Benefit award if they have a non-dependant living with them had been frozen since 2001.However from April 2010 non-dependant deductions to be increased (uprated) on the basis of prices using the Consumer Prices Index. The implication is that the highest deduction might increase by around £22 per week. This will inevitably increase the rent charged to those with non dependants.
• The 5 bed rate in Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be removed Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be restricted to four-bedroom rate regardless of household size. A claimant’s LHA rate will be reduced on the anniversary of their claim and will ultimately lead to a reduction of around £56.00 per week. About 8,000 households will be affected.
• The £15 top up in Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be removed This is the rule that if the LHA rate is higher than the rent that a Housing Benefit claimant is paying, they can keep the difference up to a maximum of £15 a week. However there will no longer be a payment of up to £15 a week where individuals have secured a rent lower than the LHA rate.
• From October 2011 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be based on the 30th percentile of rents of the local area rather than the 50th percentile All LHA cases will be reassessed between October 2011 and October 2012 to take account of the new rate. Rates are expected to reduce by around £10 a week for most claimants. Around 7500 households will be affected.
• From April 2013 Government propose to introduce a local Council Tax Benefit scheme This will be a local scheme decided upon by each LA. It has been suggested that a local rebate scheme might also include the awarding of discounts and exemptions as well as “benefit” and this might be rolled up into a new scheme.
• From April 2013 we are likely to see that new Housing Benefit applicants cannot make Housing Benefit claims and that from this point they will need to make an application for the new Universal Credit to cover housing costs. At this stage Housing Benefit as a scheme is retained for Pensioners, this change only affects working age customers. All working age customers will to move to Universal Credit by 2017.
• From April 2013, housing entitlements for working age people in the social sector will reflect family size. At the moment Social Rented Sector tenants receive housing benefit based upon the rent charged by their landlord. From April 2013 their Housing benefit will be restricted to a rate applicable to a property of an appropriate size.
• Structural changes to Income Support and Incapacity Benefit. Lone parents whose youngest child is over 5, will be transferred from Income Support to Jobseekers Allowance. All claimants receiving Incapacity Benefit will be transferred to either Jobseekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance following a medical assessment. Both changes will increase the number of “jobseekers” which has major implications in relation to the following point.
• Housing Benefit awards will be reduced to 90% of the initial award after 12 months for claimants receiving Jobseekers Allowance. From April 2013 Jobseekers Allowance recipients will lose 10% of their Housing Benefit award if they have been seeking work for 12 months or more.
• Total benefit receipts capped at £500 for those with children From April 2013 if Housing Benefit is in payment it will be reduced to bring the total benefit award down to £500. Couples with 5 children and single people with 6 children are affected at today’s benefit rates.
• LHA single room rent applies to 25 to 35 year olds. From April 2013 single people under 35 will be expected to share a house with others. There are currently around 800 single people aged 25 to 35 where Housing Benefit is based on a rent of £85 per week, that will reduce to £56.00 per week.
• From April 2013 LHA rates will be increased (uprated) by CPI and will from that point onwards be divorced from actual rents. If rents increase greater than CPI then this will reduce the value of benefit, if rents increase less than CPI then the value of benefits will increase.
Greenhead Park cafe to re-open this weekend
The completion of the restoration of Greenhead Park moves a step closer with the re-opening of the park café this weekend. The newly-restored café is a splendid place to visit, with ample seating space both inside and outside (weather permitting) for all visitors to the park.
The building has been closed for over a year and has been completely transformed both inside and out as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Kirklees Council restoration project.
The café will open to the public this Saturday at 10am. It will be open to the public from 10am until 3pm every day during the winter, with longer opening hours during the summer months.
The re-opening of the café marks an important milestone and signifies that this extensive restoration project is nearing completion. I would urge all the park’s visitors to go along this weekend and see what the new-look business has to offer.
There has been a café in the park since the end of the 1920s, but whilst the refurbishment has been taken place the business has been restricted to a small trailer near the play area. The café building also has a meeting room together with new public toilets.
The refitted café is heated by a ground source heat pump and has insulated walls, ceilings and floors to make it as energy efficient as possible.
Festival of Light 2010
Since the first event in 2004, Huddersfield’s Festival of Light has acquired a national reputation for bringing innovative and exciting street theatre to Yorkshire.
Corazon de Angeles by Theater Tol
This year’s Festival of Light has been extended to include two performances of the main show, Corazon de Angeles, and a programme of other entertainment and live music across Huddersfield over the whole weekend. Corazon de Angeles (translated as ‘Angel Heart’), comes courtesy of Belgian performers Theater Tol, who have entranced millions across the globe with their airborne operatic shows. Audiences have two chances to catch this amazing free show, which will be performed at 7.30pm on 3rd and 4th December in St George’s Square.
The town centre will come alive over the Festival of Light weekend with a veritable feast of attractions and performances in addition to the main show. A street theatre stage will appear in Market Place on Saturday and Sunday and play host to amazing hair artists Osadia who sculpt crazy hair styles on willing participants using various materials, including trolls (has to be seen to be believed!) They will be joined by renowned jugglers Gandinis and a whole host of walk-about street theatre artists who will be taking over the town centre and entertaining the crowds.
As dusk falls each evening, some of Huddersfield’s most beautiful buildings will be dramatically lit as part of a trail of light installations across the town. Byram Arcade, one of Huddersfield’s finest Victorian arcades, will be one such place and inside its beautiful building will be Ragroof Theatre, running a series of stylish tea dances taking people back to the roaring 20’s, 30’s and 40’s and giving them the chance to learn some new moves.
Also on the trail will be Huddersfield’s first ever ‘Lightgarden’, created especially for Festival of Light using animation and sound installations projected onto buildings including the Lawrence Batley Theatre and Huddersfield Library/Art Gallery. Christopher Baker’s Urban Echo will also be making its debut in Huddersfield over the weekend, an interactive projection which invites audiences to send text messages and voicemails and see them projected onto vacant shop windows. This piece has been seen all over the world, including a number of cities in America and across Europe.
Festival of Light is has become the jewel in Huddersfield’s event calendar, and over recent years, has been attracting more and more visitors from across the region and beyond into the area. We’re delighted to be working with Welcome to Yorkshire on this event and have their recognition that this event is a Yorkshire highlight.
The Festival programme is jam-packed and will give everyone the chance to discover, or re-discover, Huddersfield and see our buildings, gardens and town centre in a whole new light as performers take to the streets, buildings are illuminated and we have high-flying angels gliding across the sky!
Another first for Huddersfield in the Festival of Light programme is be an Art Market, brought to town by the organisers of Holmfirth’s successful and well established event. Visitors can browse the stalls inside Huddersfield’s innovative Media Centre to find jewellery, ceramics, art, leather goods and much more, most of which is made and presented by local artists. The Art Market will be open Friday to Sunday.
A festive food and drink market, traditional fairground and open-air ice rink will also be open over the whole weekend for visitors to enjoy at their leisure. A spectacular firework display will bring the weekend to a close on Sunday 5th in St George’s Square at 5pm.
In addition to the main Festival programme, over 30 Fringe Events are taking place across the town centre, giving festival-goers the chance to make the most of their weekend and enjoy live music, comedy and other entertainment. Highlights include singer-songwriter Sandi Thom, Leeds based indie band Sunshine Underground and live jazz from the Matt Wates Sextet. This year’s festival promises to be the biggest and best yet, and provides a perfect opportunity for all the family to enjoy.
The official Festival of Light website is www.huddersfieldlightfest.co.uk.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2010
The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an occasion to re-affirm and draw attention to the rights of people who live with disabilities worldwide. It is held annually on December 3 and in Kirklees this year’s event will be bigger than ever before.
Kirklees Council is leading the two day event (the main event on the Friday) to raise awareness of disability issues, promote inclusion and independence, and celebrate achievements.
Activities will take place in Dewsbury on Wednesday 1 December, and then in Huddersfield on Friday 3 December. Taking centre stage will be a Dragons Den style event hosted by Huddersfield Town’s Andy Booth, where local people can test their inventions to make a difference to the life of a person with a disability, with the winners receiving an accessible holiday. Other events in Huddersfield sports centre are sports activities including football, rugby, table tennis, bowling, dance and climbing, as well as the chance to take part in arts competitions. All activities are fully accessible. At Queensgate market, there will also be a series of cook’s challenges in the demonstration area, showing recipes suitable for people with food allergies or intolerances.
The Dewsbury events will take place in the d-shop in Longcauseway and include arts and crafts, beauty treatments, games and lots more.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an important event to celebrate the achievements of those with all kinds of disabilities while raising awareness of what life can be like for someone who has a disability. As a provider of services and as an employer, Kirklees Council is committed to supporting the education of children and young people, and the wider community by raising awareness of disability issues and the importance of valuing individual’s differences.
Diversity gives us strength, and by highlighting some of the barriers that exist to people playing their full part in society, we can ensure that the aspirations of disabled people are reflected in our services.
HUDDERSFIELD ON ICE RETURNS
I am pleased to tell you that Huddersfield’s sparkling Ice Rink is to return once again to be at the heart of the town centre’s Christmas experience.
Now firmly associated with the start of Christmas, the rink has grown in popularity each year, with last year’s ice-rink regularly reaching maximum capacity for the skating sessions, particularly on late night shopping evenings and weekends. Figures released from last year show that the rink brought thousands of shoppers into the town centre in 2009. So you’ll not be surprised to learn it’s popular with local retailers. Vernon O’Reilly, who manages the Piazza Shopping Centre where the rink is based, thinks it helps put the Piazza at the heart of the Christmas festivities in Huddersfield creating a wonderful atmosphere for shoppers to enjoy.
The Queensgate Market Traders Association has also reported that the ice-rink makes the Piazza area of the town centre much busier than before the rink opened, and are pleased to see the rink returning to the Piazza.
For me it’s crucial that we keep shoppers visiting our town centre at Christmas. Our town centre businesses rely heavily on their Christmas income and this year could be critical for many businesses. I am committed to doing everything possible to keep our town centre competitive and ensure the economy is supported. Not only that, but the rink itself will employ more than 30 local people, something very worthwhile doing over the Christmas period.
This year we are doing a lot to encourage more families to come skating, with ticket offers and a little helper for young skaters. Penguin skating aids are likely to prove a big attraction this year as they can be used to help budding young skaters gain confidence on the ice. And to make the rink an affordable attraction for everyone we have reduced the ticket price for children aged 12 and under who need to be accompanied by an adult.
My priority is making the rink accessible to everyone in Kirklees. The ice-rink team works hard to ensure this happens, with discounts available to make the visits affordable. It also makes sure all residents have the opportunity to experience the ice. Every year, we have opened the rink for a private skating session for Action for the Blind, we have wheelchair users on the ice and have supported groups of children with disabilities from some of our local schools. These visits ensure that the rink is a very special attraction at Christmas.
The ever-popular schools skating programme starts at the end of November and offers the opportunity for all children to experience skating at Christmas. Extra support is provided to the schools, and costs are subsidised to make it affordable for every school. Schools across the area can book the rink for 90-minute sessions just for their pupils. Exclusive use of the rink is important for the safety and support of the visit for the schools, and has proved a successful formula, with more schools than ever already booked to attend this year. The school trip programme is once again being boosted by the opportunity for schools to secure corporate sponsors for their school trip. Local businesses are being offered the opportunity to sponsor a school trip to the rink for up to 40 pupils and a minimum of four teachers. In return the sponsor company can have their logo on the Huddersfield on Ice website, be featured in the ice-rink promotional booklet and receive 25 half-price tickets for the rink.
Any businesses wishing to sponsor a school should contact the Events Team on 01484 223730. The deadline for sponsored visits to ensure inclusion in the marketing booklet is Friday November 5.
Huddersfield on Ice is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/huddersfieldonice and people are encouraged to join the site to be the first to hear about special offers.
The ice-rink will open to the public on Thursday December 2 and continue until Sunday January 2, closing Christmas and Boxing Day only. ENDS
Huge budget cuts could push Yorkshire charities to the wall
Charities and voluntary groups in West Yorkshire fear many will fold as Government funding cuts push the sector into “terminal decline”.
Seventy per cent of voluntary sector organisations in the region plan to cut staff over the next three months according to the latest research by Yorkshire & the Humber Forum.
Unsurprisingly, almost all those surveyed in September expect the general financial picture for the sector to worsen over the next twelve months, mirroring the sentiments of the public and private sectors.
With proposed budget cuts of between 25 and 40 per cent across the board it is obvious why many council leaders are seriously concerned over the financial position of charities and the protection of vulnerable communities.
I attended a meeting on Tuesday that was arranged by civil liberties group JUST West Yorkshire which enabled charities and black and minority ethnic groups to discuss their fears with council leaders. I met delegates from groups such as Bradford Action for Refugees and Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.
The cuts make me extremely anxious. It’s something that keeps me up at night, thinking about how we’re going to manage to deliver good quality public services and protect vulnerable communities. The level of cuts is absolutely draconian.
A meltdown in public services is what’s coming. All local authorities are striving very hard to improve efficiencies, but you can’t take this amount of money out of public services and not cut them.
There is a big question about whether smaller organisations, who are on the front line, delivering vital services to the most vulnerable, will survive these cuts.
The chairman of voluntary support consortium West Yorkshire Local Development Agencies, Chris Hollins, has said that cuts already hitting third sector organisations can only get worse and that there “are going to be lots of organisations which will disappear”.
The Government has yet to reveal its plans, but everything we have heard so far points towards cutbacks to reduce the UK’s deficit.
All aboard the charity ghost train
The Pakistan floods began in July following heavy monsoon rains and more than 2,000 people have died and over a million homes have been destroyed since the flooding began. Companies across Kirklees have mounted fundraising drives to raise money to help the people of Pakistan. Events include a charity cricket match, sponsored car wash, Town Hall charity dinner and a sponsored drive in a clapped out banger from Huddersfield to Granada!
Now the the Grand Central Railway Company in York are organising a special ‘Ghost Train’ in aid of the Pakistan Flood Appeal, on the evening of Thursday October 28th. It starts at Bradford at 1835 and picks up at Halifax at 1850 and Brighouse (handy for Huddersfield!) at 1905. With ghostly goings-on, spooky tales, scary songs and lots more it should be a really great night out. Tickets can be purchased via the Station Buffet on Huddersfield Station or directly on 01904 633307. Click here for further details.
Kirklees Concert Season 2010/11
Did you know that Dewsbury is the smallest town in the country to have its own orchestral season?
The orchestral seasons at Huddersfield and Dewsbury Town Halls are delivered by a partnership between Kirklees Council and the Orchestra of Opera North. Last year the audience grew by 13%, bucking the trend elsewhere in the country where audience figures were at a standstill or declined.
The theme for Kirklees Concert Season 2010/11 is ‘Romantics and Revolutionaries’, and with 36 concerts being played at Dewsbury and Huddersfield Town Halls there’s something to suit everyone’s musical tastes.
The season begins on Thursday 23rd September 2010 at 7.30pm at Huddersfield Town Hall with performances of works by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.
Since the last concert season there has been an exciting development with resident orchestra, The Orchestra of Opera North, being named Classic FM’s Orchestra in Yorkshire. They now join other Classic FM orchestras who are regular guests in the season: the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Northern Sinfonia. Together with Classic FM, the Orchestra of Opera North has selected four concerts from the new season which will make the ideal introduction to the power and variety of great classical music.
These popular concerts continue to gain a strong following with the residents of Kirklees and visitors from surrounding areas. If you haven’t been before, treat yourself to some of the best classical music around played live in our wonderful town halls
Completing the showcase of the great northern orchestras, Kirklees are also pleased to welcome the BBC Philharmonic and, for the first time in several years, the Hallé.
Click here to view the Concert Season brochure and for tickets contact Kirklees Booking Offices:
Huddersfield Visitor Information Centre in Huddersfield Library, Tel: 01484 223200
Dewsbury Town Hall Box Office, Tel: 01924 324501
Holmfirth Tourist Information Centre, Tel: 01484 222444
Or book online at http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/townhalls
Green Housing Projects
Ground Source Heat Pumps in Almondbury
Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) is replacing old, inefficient electric storage heaters in over 180 council homes on Fernside Estate, Almondbury with ground source heat pumps. The new pumps will cut customers’ energy bills by at least a third, provide much more efficient and controllable heating systems, and reduce carbon emissions by two-thirds.
In addition, most of the homes already have solar panels fitted, which means that on some bright or sunny days, the ground source heat pumps will run on solar energy, effectively providing free heating and hot water.
The £1.6 million scheme is part of a much bigger project to improve energy efficiency in council homes as well as tackle carbon emissions and fuel poverty. Over the next five years, KNH will invest more than £13 million in schemes like these and another £8.5 million on thermal cladding on properties that can’t have cavity wall insulation.
Air Source Heat Pumps in Caldercliffe
Community Energy Solutions, working in partnership with KNH, recently installed 60 state-of-the-art air source heat pumps (ASHPs) into homes in Caldercliffe. Using heat pumps can help reduce domestic heating energy needs by up to 70% and can help cool homes in summer. All of the homes, which are off the gas network, previously had to rely on outdated electric storage heaters.
Other KNH Energy Efficiency Initiatives
- KNH are currently installing external cladding to 1100 of our non-traditionally built homes. This is a five year program costing £8,500,000.
- Schemes for the replacement of old inefficient gas boilers with high efficiency ones is ongoing. The budget for 2010/11 is £2 M
- Replacement of commercial sized gas boilers (district/sheltered heating) with high efficiency gas and biomass installations is ongoing, with four scheduled in 10/11.
- Installation of a voltage optimisation unit at Holme Park Court. Other large usage sites are being considered, including Perseverance House
- As part of the maintaining decency programme, loft insulation is being topped up to the current recommended level of 300mm.
Residents urged to avoid danger and protect their money this Christmas
Almost four years have passed since Farepak collapsed and the 120,000 families affected are yet to receive a penny in compensation, which is why I would urge residents to stay well away from informal Christmas savings clubs this year and join Castle and Minster Credit Union to ensure that their savings are safe.
The Farepak scheme allowed customers to choose Christmas hampers and vouchers, months in advance before making regular payments towards the goods over the year. Despite customers thinking of their contributions as savings which were safe, none of the money was actually protected and an estimated £37 million was lost when the company went bust in 2006.
On the other hand, credit unions such as Castle and Minster are fully regulated by the Financial Services Authority and account deposits are protected up to a value of £50,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme so your money will never go missing. Furthermore not only is your money safe, in contrast to high street banks Castle and Minster operate on a not-for-profit basis, meaning any surplus income generated from loans is shared between the members as a bonus on their savings. Members can even borrow money at competitive rates after saving for a short time.
The only criteria for joining Castle and Minster is that you live within Kirklees. Unlike some other financial services providers, you don’t have to be employed in a job or pay a large deposit to become a member. There are no hidden fees or charges either – you simply make a one-off payment of £1 to open an account.
Castle and Minster have three branches within Kirklees, with offices in Huddersfield, Batley and Dewsbury. However support received from Kirklees Council, the Deighton and Brackenhall Initiative, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing and Kirklees Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations now means that Castle and Minster services are offered at the Civic Centre 1 in Huddersfield town centre, Marsden Information Point and the Chestnut Centre in Deighton too.
For more information on the credit union, please contact me at mehboobkhan@kirklees.gov.uk
Action on litter
In response to my article in the Weekly Examiner about ‘grot – spots’ in the town centre, I have been receiving emails from residents who want to report such areas. For example over the weekend I was emailed by a resident who wanted to bring to my attention one particular ‘litter-strewn-stairwell’ in the town centre.
Council Officers visited the site this week and agreed action points with the neighbouring local business to ensure that the area is cleaned up. For example, the area will first be fully cleared and then a net secured over the recess next to the stairwell to ensure that litter does not fall or cannot be thrown into the bottom and can be easily cleaned off the netting on a much more regular basis.
It was evident from the litter that was collected that the rubbish left behind was not from the local business but from people who congregate in the area and residents in nearby flats. So we are working with the enforcement team, cleansing services, the Police and Community Rangers to keep on top of waste issues in this area and to hopefully find a more permanent solution to the problem.
I was also contacted by a local resident who wanted to report a’ grot spot’ near his home and he also sent me this photo. The resident reported seeing a neighbour throwing litter onto the path and this is the result. A Recycling & Waste Advisor visited the site on Wednesday 16th September and the litter was removed from the site. Contact was made with a resident to the property to ensure this situation does not arise again and this matter was also passed to the Enforcement Team to follow up with regards to waste on domestic land.
- Evidence that the rubbish has now been cleared
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Request for rethink on proposed travellers site at former tip
At today’s Full Council meeting I will receive a thousand-signature petition against the proposed travellers site on the Wakefield Boundary near Ossett and Shaw Cross.
The traveller site is being proposed as part of Wakefield Council’s draft Local Development Framework (LDF) and would be located at Owl Lane when the current household waste site is shut down. The proposal would see 18 new pitches for travellers.
This petition has been drawn up by Cllr Paul Kane, Chair of Dewsbury’s Regeneration Board, on behalf of Kirklees residents affected by the plan and I intend to discuss it, on behalf of Kirklees residents, with Cllr Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield Council.
We are asking Wakefield Council to think again on the location of this site. The original proposals were to use the land as a golf course or other local amenity and those plans would fit much better with the aspirations of local people.
Wakefield Council has asked that as many people as possible put forward their views on the LDF by the deadline at the end of September. As well as making an objection on behalf of Kirklees residents, we will make sure that residents who may be affected by the plans are also encouraged to take part in the consultation.
Objections to the site have also come from Dewsbury Rams Rugby League Club who believe that their development plans could be affected by a loss of investment if the site went ahead.
At least 1,000 local people, many from Shaw Cross and Dewsbury, have signed the petition against the site which they say could affect more people in Kirklees than it does in Wakefield.
Views can be made online through Wakefield Council’s website at www.wakefield.gov.uk/ldf and the deadline is 5pm on Wednesday September 29. More information is available on 0845 8 506 506.
Litter clean-up pledge
Huddersfield is a great town, full of surprising qualities, strong traditions, impressive architecture, good shopping, top class sport and exciting festivals. It is the second most important in West Yorkshire after Leeds and we have a lot to be proud of, however there is always room for improvement.
In areas of the town centre there are “grot spots” which are full of litter, bags of rubbish and graffiti. I would urge all Huddersfield residents to help me tackle town centre “grot spots”.
Therefore I would be grateful if residents would email me with details of instances of littering and graffiti – so the council can put pressure on property owners to clean up eyesores sites.
Currently we have had a real drive to tackle fly posting and graffiti. We have bought new equipment to wash and remove dirt and chewing gum from pavements. But it is clear that our expectations must be even higher.
The level of the problem became apparent to me during a walk from the town hall to attend a meeting at the Media Centre. On the way, I saw examples of eyesores including a pool of oil outside St Peter’s Church and flower pots and planters used as ashtrays and many of the problems involved private land.
The council is prepared to take enforcement action against the owners to clean up their sites, but we would prefer to find the owners and speak to them. There are sometimes easy solutions to these problems. If the owners want us to clear things up for them, we will, although in some cases we will have to make a charge.
If people email me with examples of “grot spots” I could then build up a picture of the worst cases for council officers to target – I am not bothered if I get bombarded with emails. We need to find out where the problems are and work with the owners of these properties to sort them out. I will take each email seriously.
Improving the look of the town was important as part of efforts to encourage more shoppers, visitors and businesses into Huddersfield.
Email me at mehboobkhan@kirklees.gov.uk
Pakistan Flood Appeal Charity Dinner
The people of Pakistan are now facing the largest humanitarian crisis in their history as worsening floods are affecting even more people than the Boxing Day Tsunami and Haiti earthquake combined. Nine million children have now been affected – more than the entire population of Greater London.
To help raise essential funds, Kirklees residents are being given the chance to buy tickets for a prestigious charity event on September 26 in aid of the Pakistani Flood Appeal.
The event is being organised by United Huddersfield which is a partnership between Huddersfield Pakistani Community Alliance and Radio Paigham.
It will feature a formal dinner with musical entertainment and is being held at Huddersfield Town Hall. I will be attending the dinner along with Professor Bob Cryan of the University of Huddersfield and Ken Davey and the Huddersfield Giants.
This will not only be a prestigious event to be enjoyed by all who attend, but it has a serious purpose in bringing everyone together to focus efforts to help people displaced by these disastrous floods. The Pakistani community in Huddersfield have set themselves a fundraising target of £50,000 but this is already nearly halfway there with the proceeds of a charity cricket match held in August which raised £21,000.
Many groups are organising other events across the district and we are pleased to support these admirable efforts within the community to assist those suffering in Pakistan.
To buy tickets (£25 per head) or to make a donation, please email floodappeal@hpca.org.uk or telephone 01484 544877.
Join the debate on tough financial choices
Since the government cut funding to the public sector throughout the country, Kirklees has to save £83 million over four years. We are struggling to keep our front line services – and this means we have to make some difficult choices.
This is a massive cut to the Kirklees budget which will affect the lives of everyone living in our towns and villages. It is a Tory government decision and we can’t avoid it.
However, because of the drastic effect it could have on the lives of many residents, we think it is only right that we should ask for your guidance on the difficult choices we have to make.
Kirklees Council has set up Your voice…, a website where you can put forward your ideas on how we can do things differently to save money. You can also see what other people think and join in the debate.
Everyone uses council services and many people are dependent on them to maintain their way of life. We want you to tell us what is most important to you and if you have any suggestions about how we can make our services more affordable.
We have already made many savings in our efforts to protect front line services. We plan to become more efficient and provide improved value for money. For example, we have found more ways of working together with our partners to reduce costs.
Unfortunately, this is not enough. We need to do a lot more and we would like to hear your ideas on the best way forward for the future of Kirklees at this difficult time.
The site is available on the following link: www.yourvoice.kirklees.gov.uk. Forum users need to register with an email and a password and can then post their views and take part in ‘polls’ on various issues as well as vote on which comments they agree with, and those which they don’t agree with!
The views collected through the forum will be considered by the leadership of the council.
Community Energy Savings Programme
Our aim is to secure Community Energy Savings Programme funding from utility companies to support energy efficiency measures in homes which are not able to benefit from the Kirklees Warm Zone ‘Hard to Treat Homes’.
In Kirklees approximately 40 Lower Super Output Areas (LSOA) are eligible being in the lowest 10% on the basis of income. Community Energy Savings Programme funding can be used to match both council capital funding and European Regional Development funding. Both private homes and social housing are eligible for the funding.
The Community Energy Savings Programme is targeted to support energy efficiency measures in hard to treat homes through a ‘whole house’, ‘whole community’ approach. The more support that a house receives and the more homes receiving measures in a particular LSOA, the more credits in the form of carbon points are given to the scheme and the more match funding awarded by the utility to the scheme. Payments are retrospective from the utility company.
Currently Community Energy Savings Programme schemes are being developed in three areas where European Regional Development funding is also available, in Golcar, Chickenley and Eightlands, Dewsbury.
Fieldhead celebrates first new homes
The first new homes to be built on the Fieldhead estate in Birstall were officially handed over to their new owner Kirklees Community Association (KCA) this week, exactly a year after work got underway on the £16 million regeneration project.
The new homes have been built by Keepmoat on behalf of Kirklees Community Association, a local charitable trust, whose unique status has enabled the project to be funded at a time when many other social housing schemes have been put on hold. Other key partners include Kirklees Council, which donated the land, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH), which manages the estate, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), which provided a grant, and local residents.
The Fieldhead project involves 155 unpopular flats and maisonettes being demolished and replaced by 139 new family homes for rent and for sale. The remaining homes are also being upgraded to blend in with the new properties; new shops and play areas are being built; the road system is being improved; and a range of other environmental improvements will be carried out. The project is due to be completed by autumn 2011.
KCA will over 70 of the new homes. The first eight will be for rent, while others will be available for shared ownership, which means that those who qualify will be able to buy a 50% share in a brand new home from only £45,000.
The council is committed to building affordable homes, creating jobs and giving our communities a much needed lift during these still difficult economic times. The Fieldhead project is helping us achieve these aims and I’d like to thank everyone involved who has helped to get us to this stage.
Restoring Upland Wildlife Habitats
The uplands in Kirklees are European Designated Wildlife Sites, which need to be protected under planning obligations.
Significant quantities of carbon are stored in the peat soils of the uplands – but air pollution has damaged the vegetation which creates these peaty soils and peat is no longer being created in the uplands. Consequently, the ability of the soils to absorb carbon from the atmosphere has been lost.
In addition, peat is being lost from the uplands through erosion and drying (likely to be exacerbated by climate change), which is adding to district carbon emissions.
Moors for the Future (a non-government organisation) has secured a total of £7.12 million of European and other funding to restore upland habitats in the Dark Peak and South Pennine areas, including those in Kirklees. This restoration work will help stabilise peat soils in the uplands, so reducing carbon losses. The project will also research how the peat forming vegetation can be encouraged to recover and once again facilitate the growth of peat and, the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere.
We are working with Moors for the Future to support the restoration of the uplands area and to determine the role of the uplands in helping to meet carbon reduction targets.
Town Halls Autumn Events
Kirklees Town Halls are wonderful historic public buildings in the heart of Batley, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury and Huddersfield. There are also a diverse range of public halls within the area from Holmfirth to Gomersal and from Slaithwaite to Honley.
These prestigious venues located across Kirklees accommodate a variety of events differing in size and style from 12 – 1200 people. The venues have a variety of spaces offering the ideal settings for main stage concerts, events, conferences, meetings, film locations, wedding receptions, award ceremonies, multi cultural events and other celebrations.
The area is renowned for its celebration of music with Huddersfield and Dewsbury Town Halls hosting the Kirklees Orchestral Season. We aim to offer a lively and diverse programme of music, shows and comedy promoting both local and international talent.
Click here to view the new season’s brochure which is available from today!
Highlights of the season include:
Huddersfield Town Hall: Best of British Variety Show, New Mill Male Voice Choir featuring Julian Lloyd Webber, Marc Almond, Rhod Gilbert and Kirklees Orchestral season.
Cleckheaton Town Hall: Open Mic UK Singing Competition Heats, American Wrestling, The Full Monty, Wizard of Oz Panto and Ratpack at Christmas.
Batley Town Hall: Guys and Dolls, Family History Fair, Beatles Show and Hammonds Saltaire Brass Band Christmas Concert.
Dewsbury Town Hall: Black Dyke Band Christmas Concert, Open Mic UK Singing competition Yorkshire Finals, Orchestra of Opera North @ Dewsbury Minster (due to the roof being replaced above the Main Hall).
Tickets can be obtained from the box office: 01484 223200 / 01484 222444 / 01924 324501 or online at: www.kirklees.gov.uk/townhalls
Hillhouse Greening the Gap – Low Carbon Communities Challenge
This is an innovative pilot project, one of only 22 nationally that have been funded through the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Low Carbon Communities Challenge (LCCC). As a pilot project, the aim is what enhances low carbon outcomes and what doesn’t.
Greening the Gap is working with the community in Hillhouse to plan and install solar PV panels onto around 40 homes and four community centres in the area. The Solar electricity panels will reduce energy bills for the people paying them (typical saving of £130 per home/ yr). In addition, national government will pay money each year for twenty years through the ‘Clean Energy Cashback’ Feed in Tariff scheme for the electricity generated.
Money from the Clean Energy Cashback will be around £20,000 per annum and will be used to create the Greening the Gap Community Energy Fund which will be spent on further low carbon work in Hillhouse for at least 20 years.
Community engagement and education work will take place alongside the physical measures, to encourage positive behaviour change to reduce carbon emissions.
Learning to go green
Work is being done to integrate climate change into classes and modules at adult learning establishments, providing strategic and community grants to support low carbon community initiatives, and promoting council schemes that encourage low carbon living.
Tempted to Go Green is a tutorial website which will be available across Kirklees. This new interactive web resource is an informative learning tool designed to help users develop their essential computer skills and raise awareness about important environmental issues such as climate change, energy use, waste and transport. It was launched at the Adult Learning Centre in Paddock Village Hall, May 2010. To view the package visit: www.temptedtogogreen.org.uk
Work being is also being undertaken with Kirkburton Children’s Centre and Brian Jackson centre to include energy efficiency / renewable energy measures.
Rethink needed on possible court closure
The Ministry of Justice announced in June the start of consultation on the possible closure of 103 magistrates’ and 54 county courts – including Dewsbury County Court and Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates Court – on the grounds that they are ‘underused and inefficient.’ The consultation ends on September 15.
I am unconvinced by the arguments being put forward to close Dewsbury magistrates Court and move cases to Huddersfield. What sounds simple on paper may lead to greater inefficiencies in practice with the result being more expensive and less effective justice.
Delivery of justice and public confidence in the legal and courts process should be at the heart of this argument rather than the merits of whether the buildings themselves are usable or require investment.
The move would result in defendants from North Kirklees having to travel seven to ten miles to the court and failure to appear, or arriving late, would have a negative impact on the running of the courts and the amount of time available for defence or prosecution arguments to be made. The transportation of prisoners from Dewsbury Police Station would become more costly as would travel for witnesses and families of those involved in cases and extra pressure on the Huddersfield court could also lead to problems.
There will be a knock on effect for Dewsbury’s economy as court staff will spend their money elsewhere and if local cases are moved even further afield, such as Wakefield, Bradford or even Leeds, the effects will be even greater.
Everyone in the public sector is well aware of the need to cut costs but this should not be at the expense of justice and to the detriment of local towns. This proposal damages justice and damages the Dewsbury economy as everyone involved moves out to Huddersfield. This is the direct opposite of what I as council leader, want to achieve in regenerating and rejuvenating Dewsbury.
Pakistani cricket internationals turn out for Pakistan flood appeal game in Huddersfield
Star cricketers took part in a Twenty/20 match to raise thousands of pounds for the Pakistan flood appeal.
Test professionals from Pakistan and India joined local amateur players for the game at Birkby Rose Hill Cricket Club on Tuesday.
The match, organised by the club within 10 days, featured top players including Pakistan internationals Misbah Ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Shabir Ahmed and India international Wasim Jaffer.
However on the morning of the game it looked like there was no chance of the match happening, most of the ground was under water. However not only did the match happen but it happened around the scheduled time and it is well on target to raise 20k which is an amazing achievement.
Hundreds of spectators from Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Bradford and further afield gathered around the pitch for a close-up view of some of their favourite players.
By 4.30pm the match had raised £12,000, mainly from donations at the gate, and the money will go to the Edhi Foundation to provide relief work in Pakistan.
The floods, which began a couple of months ago, have been the country’s worst natural disaster in recorded history, affecting 17 million people.
The number of spectators at the event was estimated at around 1270.
Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival 2010
Huddersfield’s free Food and Drink Festival returned to celebrate its 10th anniversary. This year’s Festival really had got something for everyone, with local celebrity chefs, its tempting mix of local and regional fresh produce stalls, cooked food, free cookery demonstrations , real ales and ciders and plenty of free entertainment for children including cookery workshops and circus skills.
Due to the recent remodelling of St George’s Square, the Festival was able to host more than 70 food and drink stalls, more than 80% of stalls were occupied by Yorkshire businesses.
The Festival kicked off with a cookery fight between local celebrity chefs Barrington Douglas, chef and owner of Caribbean restaurant Discovery Bay and Tim Bilton, chef and owner at the award-winning The Butcher’s Arms. Both chefs have had TV fame – Barrington was one of Gordon Ramsay’s finalists on his F Word Best local restaurant programme last year and also went around the Caribbean with Chef Gary Rhodes on Rhodes Around the Carribean on UKFood channel. Tim Bilton recently competed in the North East heats of BBC1’s Great British Menu.
A number of initiatives also took place to encourage festival-goers to visit the town centre as well as the Festival in St George’s Square. On Saturday 7th August (week before the Festival) a Taste Trail raised the profile of local restaurants amongst hundreds of new customers and shopping vouchers from independent retailers were given out during the Festival at the festival information marquee.
The feedback from previous festivals was that people wanted late night opening so on Friday and Saturday stalls stayed open late and with live entertainment to entertain the crowds, St. George’s Square had a continental feel about it on both nights.
More than 65,000 visited the event over the course of the four days, with many of the stallholders commenting that it was the most successful food and drink event they’ve been at this year anywhere in the country and stallholders are already asking if they can sign up for next year and have bigger stalls.
New weekend-long Festival of Light
Now attracting almost 20,000 visitors to the town, Huddersfield’s incredibly popular Festival of Light will grow to a two-night Festival this December, spanning one of the busiest weekends in the run up to Christmas.
Festival of Light is undoubtedly our most popular winter event, and over recent years, has been attracting more and more visitors from across the region and beyond into our town. By extending the Festival over two nights, not only are we creating further audience capacity for what is now an extremely busy event, but generating a really lucrative opportunity for Huddersfield businesses to get involved and take advantage of extra visitors in the town each evening.
We know that restaurants and bars around the town enjoy one of their busiest trading evenings for Festival of Light, so by adding an additional evening’s entertainment, we’re hoping to sustain footfall in the town for an extra day, supporting our town centre and local businesses.
We are keen to work with retailers in the town centre, and want to encourage shops to extend traditional opening hours, to attract shoppers both before and after the main show. We’re also suggesting that bars and restaurants might see this as an ideal opportunity to host live music over the duration of the Festival, again encouraging festival visitors to stay longer and spend more with our town centre businesses.
Theater Tol production
The spectacular centre-piece of this year’s Festival of Light comes from German performers Theater Tol who have entranced audiences across the globe with their airborne operatic shows, featuring angels gliding serenely across the night sky. With further activities yet to be announced in the run up to the December event, Theater Tol will be performing on both Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th December in St George’s Square.
In just a few short years, Festival of Light has grown to be one of the biggest nights of the year for our town. By sustaining that magical atmosphere over a full weekend, I am confident that Huddersfield’s Festival of Light can become one of the biggest and most attractive weekend destinations for visitors in the entire region.
Dewsbury Court Update
Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court could close under plans announced by the Ministry of Justice. Ministers have said that consultations will take place on modernising and improving the use of courts in England and Wales.
The arguments for closing Dewsbury Magistrates Court that have been put out so far do not convince me. I have now written to Dyfed Foulkes, the Area Director for Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) to register my objections to the proposed closure and to let him have my views on the relevant areas in the consultation document.
Having spoken to a number of agencies, the feeling is that the proposed moves towards a more streamlined service in Huddersfield would not only create logistical problems with a likely impact on the criminal justice process but also will have a direct impact on the Dewsbury economy at a time when we are striving to invigorate the area.
Further issues relate to the logistical aspects caused by the increased delay with a likely increase in the number of defendants failing to appear and increased levels of waiting time at Courts which are likely impact on space, compliance and increasing the workload and costs of an already overstretched police service.
I also share the concerns that have emerged in discussions with partners about the capacity of the proposals such as whether there will be enough trained magistrates to manage complex cases of domestic violence and relating to Drug Rehabilitation requirement .
It is also likely that the increased business in the remaining courts may reduce the availability for Probation staff to access court facilities such as interview rooms for preparing “on the day” reports therefore causing adjournments and delays in justice. The delay in breach courts could increase re-offending and impact on victims, communities and further increase the prison population.
However the strongest part of my objection is that another service is being removed from Dewsbury town centre with the distinct possibility that this will impact on local business in the form of retailers or equally businesses such as solicitors in the town at a time when we are making good progress in regenerating and rejuvenating the town.
In fact the danger is that rather than save money – if the current proposals are implemented – we may well see more expensive and less effective justice.
Update on Voluntary Action Kirklees
I thought it would be useful to provide you with some background information on the decision to reduce the council’s funding to voluntary and community sector and its impact on Voluntary Action Kirklees in particular
I would like to emphasise that this decision has no impact on the existing £5.1 million of grants and development support that is paid directly to VCS organisations. There are over 20 grant programmes that include both grants for specific activities and funds to support development. For example the community organisation development fund administered in adult social care and the creative enterprise development fund administered in Communities and Leisure.
Due to the change of Government and the emergency budget on 22 June, the financial picture which was put forward in the early months of the year has now changed significantly, increasing the savings the Council need to make year on year. The Council had forecast that savings up to 20% over 5 years needed to be made. However, the new government has set the savings at 25% over 4 years. There will also be a significant reduction in capital funding.
To put the savings into context, by the end of 2014 the Council’s target is to be saving £83 million from its budget. This is the equivalent of what we currently spend on Highways, Regeneration, Culture and Leisure plus Environmental Services – including Waste Collection, Waste Disposal and keeping our streets clean.
With reference to VAK; we were already in a process to commission sector support though a competitive tendering process. The aim was to ensure transparency and openness whilst ensuring we would best meet the needs of the sector as identified through previous consultation with the sector.
This is clearly the way we wish to continue to engage with the wider voluntary and community sector. Our immediate focus is on the impact on VAK and the support services they provide. However beyond this our challenge as a partnership will be for us to engage with the widest range of VCS organisations and groups as possible. Together I hope we can then continue to build on the strength of the sector in Kirklees and strive for further improvements across Kirklees.
Dewsbury Magistrates Court
Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court could close under plans announced by the Ministry of Justice. Ministers have said that consultations will take place on modernising and improving the use of courts in England and Wales.
Dewsbury’s Magistrates’ court is one of 103 being looked at which are classed as underused and inadequate. The town’s county court is also on the hit list as one of 54 underused county courts.
The arguments for closing Dewsbury Magistrates Court that have been put out so far do not convince me. In fact the danger is that rather than save money – if the current proposals are implemented – we may well see more expensive and less effective justice.
The consultation document states that moving the work from Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates Court to Huddersfield would lead to a more efficient listing of cases, reducing the overall number of court sessions required, reducing administration and therefore lead to efficiency savings. But my fear is that the process sounds simple on paper but will lead to greater inefficiencies in practice.
Quite apart from the merits of whether the buildings themselves are usable or require investment, delivery of justice and public confidence in the legal and courts process is at the heart of this argument. For example, if defendants have to travel from north Kirklees to Huddersfield, they will have perhaps seven to 10 miles to travel. If they fail to appear, or arrive late, this impacts on the running of the courts and the time for legal officers whether defending or prosecuting.
Transporting prisoners from Dewsbury police station also becomes more expensive and difficult to organise, and the difficulties in travelling can be extended to families and witnesses who will all be inconvenienced.
There will also be a knock on effect for Dewsbury’s economy. Local trade will be affected, as solicitors, court staff, clerks, administrators spend money elsewhere.
On a practical level, I am also to be convinced that Huddersfield’s court will cope with the increase – when you add to the daily court lists other functions such as coroners court, drug rehabilitation requirement reviews, interview rooms for solicitors to meet their clients, probation service space and all the other activities that go with the work of the courts, there will be a lot of pressure on space.
All this could mean an even worse case scenario where local cases are moved elsewhere – Wakefield, Bradford or even Leeds which will remove local knowledge from the cases as well as inconvenience people further.
Everyone in the public sector is well aware of the need to cut costs and cope with the wider economic climate. But this cannot be at the expense of justice and to the detriment of local towns. As the proposal stands it is the worst of both worlds – justice is damaged, and as everyone involved moves out to Huddersfield and damages the Dewsbury economy, the result is the direct opposite of what I, as council leader, want to achieve in my efforts to regenerate and rejuvenate the town.
Swim4Free to continue for the Young
Kirklees’ Swim4Free scheme will continue until the end of September for children only.
The scheme, which currently offers free swimming during public swim times to people aged 16 and under and 60 and over, has been running since April 2009.
The Government will no longer be funding the scheme; however Kirklees Active Leisure and Kirklees Council will be able to continue it for a short while. People aged 60 and over who have registered can swim free of charge until 31st July. Those aged 16 and under will be able to continue with Swim4Free until 30th September.
Children taking part in the Learn to Swim scheme are also entitled to swim for free for the duration of their course of lessons during public swim sessions and free adult swimming lessons will be extended to include all adults who are either complete beginners or weak or nervous swimmers which is good news.
It is a shame that we are not able to continue the free swimming programme in the long term as many people both old and young have enjoyed taking advantage of the scheme but it will not be possible without continuing Government funding.
We are have been keen to continue withSwim4Free in some form until the end of summer so as to benefit children throughout the summer holidays and with two thirds of the free swimming customers being 16 and under, the majority will still be able to take advantage.
Swim4Free has been a massive success in Kirklees, with more than 28,600 people registered and more than 108,000 visits since April 2009. We are also delighted that Kirklees benefited from the single biggest capital grant of £2.37m given out as part of the Swim4Free project. The programme to update and refurbish the ageing pools at Batley Sports and Tennis Centre has just been finished, creating a fabulous modern swimming facility for all the community to use. The new look pools and changing rooms will reopen on Monday, July 19.
The Huddersfield Salon
The Huddersfield Salon is a new space in Huddersfield for people who are interested in hearing provocative ideas from engaging speakers, and participating in stimulating debate.
The general format of the salon is to take a specific question such as ‘Is Feminism Dead?’ and invite a speaker in favour and one against to present their argument. Then the audience is invited to ask questions and join in the debate. So far, they have had debated multiculturism, assisted suicide, feminism, supermarkets, wind turbines and many more.
The next debate will be held at Café Ollo, The Media Centre, Huddersfield on Tuesday 13th July at 6.30pm. The topic will be Britain after the Cuts. The speakers will be myself and Andy Howell, political blogger and former Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council.
Dewsbury and Batley mean business
This winter the economic climate has been harsh. We hope that the situation is beginning to improve, but we know that many companies, jobs and consequently families have been badly affected by the recession.
We are only too aware of this terrible reality and have been trying to put in place measures to kickstart an upward spiral of positive trading and successful future for our local businesses.
Supporting local businesses
Over the past year we’ve launched and supported a number of initiatives to encourage more people to shop in our town centres. Dewsbury’s free car parking initiative has been a huge success with over 200,000 free scratch cards distributed in the town and the extension of the scheme until June this year. In addition, the free town bus in Dewsbury is also proving successful.
And in Batley, we’re pleased to be supporting the Batley News ‘Help our High Street’ campaign which encourages local people to spend a minimum of £5 per week in local independent shops to support our retailers.
A total of 50 small businesses in Batley and Dewsbury will receive free security packs from the council as part of a scheme designed to benefit those adversely affected by crime in the last two years. The successful businesses will benefit from items including forged note detectors, alarms, shopwatch radios and cctv systems.
Helping people into jobs and employment
Various initiatives and projects have been developed to boost the job market in Kirklees; we were the first council in West Yorkshire to secure funding for the Future Jobs Fund for example. A total investment of £2.4 million has been made from the Government and we are creating nearly 400 jobs across the district for people who have been unemployed for a long time.
We have also made sure that local people and employers are benefiting from national schemes such as Train to Gain. In Kirklees, Train to Gain has assisted 2,710 local people with training and nearly 6,000 apprentices gained new qualifications to help them into work.
Engaging events
Events create memories and positive feelings about a place and support local businesses by increasing visitors into a town or area. Those who came to Dewsbury’s street theatre show Spirit at the end of February will have enjoyed the fantastic atmosphere in the town; I have also heard that the shops and cafés that chose to stay open late during the show benefited enormously from the increased footfall
I hope that all these initiatives, projects and investments should all work together to improve lives of the people of Batley and Dewsbury.
A new Sports Centre for Huddersfield
Artists impression of the exterior of the building
The council is inviting residents to see the artist’s impressions and proposed plans for the new state-of-the-art sports centre in Huddersfield at a series of public displays.
The display will show how the sports centre could look from the outside and some of the facilities inside the building. There will also be architect’s plans of the proposed layout to see.
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The proposed new sports centre will offer wonderful modern, quality facilities for the people of Huddersfield as a place for keeping fit and active as well as having fun. The display brings to life the look and feel of the facilities to make it real for people.
The proposals reflect our commitment to encourage everyone to use the facilities as, amongst others, the needs of older people, families with young children and disabled people have been taken into account by the design team.
These proposed new facilities would be a huge boost for Huddersfield, attracting visitors into the town centre.
The display will be in the reference section of Huddersfield Library from Wednesday 17 March until Friday 26 March. (Opening hours are Mondays and Tuesdays 9.30-8pm, Wednesdays 9.30 – 5pm, Thursdays and Fridays 9 – 8pm and Saturdays 9-4pm). The display will then move to the existing Huddersfield Sports Centre from Monday 29 March until Wednesday 7 April before moving to the Stadium Business and Leisure Complex until Friday 16 April. The display will then move to other locations across Kirklees.
You can also view the artist’s impressions, plans and online video of the proposed facilities at www.kirklees.gov.uk/hsc
Empty Shops
As in the case of Huddersfield, Dewsbury vacancy rates have some improvement, with the number of vacant units edging closer to the 2007 level.
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| Floor Space % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | April2009 | October 2009 | December2009 |
| Huddersfield | 12.2 | 10.6 | 4.7 | 8.2 | 6.3 | 5.8 |
| Dewsbury | 11.3 | 12.8 | 17.3 | 18.2 | 14.9 |
The improvements are due in part to successful interventions funded from the council recession fund and in partnership with Huddersfield Town Centre Partnership Ltd and Dewsbury Town Centre Traders and Business Association.
The improvements are due in part to successful interventions funded from the council recession fund and in partnership with Huddersfield Town Centre Partnership Ltd and Dewsbury Town Centre Traders and Business Association.
Gurmail Singh Memorial
A faith event will take place in Huddersfield on Saturday following the tragic death of shopkeeper Gurmail Singh.
The gathering is to show solidarity in condemning the murder and to express sympathy to the Singh family, and to all those affected by the recent events, on behalf of the Muslim community.
The event is on Saturday, March 13 (7pm) at the Hanfia Institute, a mosque on Bentley Street, Lockwood.
I will be attending along with key figures from local communities. The council’s Safer Stronger Communities service is supporting Hanfia with planning and West Yorkshire Police will also be represented. The Mayor of Kirklees, Cllr Julie Stewart-Turner and representatives from the Interfaith Council will also be attending.
People from all faiths and backgrounds were shocked by Mr Singh’s death. He was a pillar of the community and the event on Saturday will be a real show of support, not only for Mr Singh’s family but for the wider community. The strength of community spirit and positive relations between people of different backgrounds have shown that as a community, we are united and determined to support one another. We will remember Gurmail, and continue to support both the family during this ordeal and the police in their very important work.
Halabja Memorial
On Tuesday 16th March 2010 there will be a memorial service to commemorate the Halabja at the Grace Centre, St Johns Road, Birkby at 11.00am.
The Halabja Memorial will remember the poison gas attack in Iraqi. This occurred in the period of March 16-17, 1988. Chemical weapons were used by the Iraqi in the Kurdish of Halabja. The attack instantly killed and injured thousands of people. Thousands more died of complications, diseases, and birth defects in the years after the attack. The incident, which some define as an act of genocide, was as of 2010 the largest-scale chemical weapons attack directed against a civilian-populated area in history.
Before the Memorial Service a procession will take place from the main gates of Greenhead Park to the Grace Centre. From this the service will begin and will include music, poetry and moments of silence to remember those who were affected by the attacks.
Gurmail Singh: portrait of a random British killing
The below link will take you to a moving article that has been written by The Observer journalist, Euan Ferguson about the life of Gurmail Singh.
The piece is compassionately written and truly highlights the level of respectful regard in which Gurmail was held by those who knew him and by those who didn’t…
I encourage you to read the article.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/07/gurmail-singh-murder-euan-ferguson
More local jobs created as Future Jobs Fund extended in Kirklees
I am pleased to say that Kirklees Council has extended its Future Jobs Fund programme, which is a Labour Government scheme aimed at tacking long term and youth unemployment in ‘hot spot’ areas, bringing the total number of new local jobs to 371.
In the first phase of Future Jobs Fund, we created 138 jobs with local organisations and a large number of the additional 233 positions have already been identified. This announcement brings the total investment of £2.4m through the project to date.
The Future Jobs Fund initiative compliments a range of recovery from recession projects which are aimed at boosting the local economy, increasing employment and skills and creating a future fair for all. Kirklees Council was the first West Yorkshire authority to rise to the challenge and submit a successful bid in September 2009.
Tackling youth and long term unemployment is a priority for this council and the government and I’m delighted that we have been given the extra funding, enabling us to build on the good work done so far and give even more people the chance to get back into the workplace and enhance their skills.
Since October, we have been working with organisations across the district such as the University of Huddersfield, Kirklees Active Leisure and the National Day Nurseries Association to create the positions and Job Centre Plus has recruited people into them. As well as managing the project, the Council has created a third of the jobs to date.
Employers who have recruited through the programme tell us that people are grasping the opportunity with both hands and impressing the companies they are working for, as well as building up their own confidence in the workplace.
For example, Alasdair Brown, Kirklees Active Leisure’s Chief Executive told us:
“The Future Jobs Fund has provided KAL with a group of enthusiastic young staff members, who have taken to the range of tasks asked of them with energy and commitment.
We would certainly recommend any employer with the opportunity to get involved in the FJF programme to do so and to help develop the skills, self-confidence and ability of these young people that will hopefully lead to their permanent employment in the longer term.”
We have also had excellent feedback from the young people and long term unemployed people who have taken up positions through this scheme. For example:
44 year old Joan has been working at Kirklees Council’s Ray Street Enterprise Centre since December, after being unemployed for 18 months following a redundancy.
Joan said:
”When I found out I’d got the job I was relieved and ecstatic – just totally over the moon. When I was made redundant I went from working long hours in a job that I enjoyed to having no money and no real purpose to my days, and that was so hard. Being employed again is fantastic, and it’s not just about the money – it’s about getting back to normality and having a routine again.”
The jobs created through the Future Jobs Fund last for six months; Joan’s job will end in June this year but she is optimistic about the future;
“I’m using this opportunity to keep my skills fresh and regain confidence in myself. The people I’m working with are really fantastic and it’s great working again. I’m so grateful to have been given the chance to do this and look forward to what the future holds for me.”
Sally, age 21, trained for three years to be a hairdresser after leaving college and was devastated to be made redundant after just three months on the job. She is now working in the sales and membership team at Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL) and looks forward to a bright career;
“I’m the type of person that needs to always be doing something so I was applying for all sorts of jobs and rarely hearing back about them. It really started to knock my confidence as I didn’t feel like I had a purpose and it was hard not having any money.
This job is only for 6 months but I’ve already been talking to my manager about what I could do next, they’re really supportive and have even mentioned putting me on a lifeguard training course.
I hope that other people get the chance to have this opportunity like I have, working within KAL has built my confidence within the workplace, benefiting me for any future job that I may have.”
Tribute to Gurmail Singh
The response from the public to the sad and untimely death of Gurmail Singh has been overwhelming. Gurmail’s family is obviously going through a very difficult time but all the offers of support and warm wishes have been a great comfort to them.
The Sikh community held a memorial service for Gurmail at the Sikh Temple on Sunday 28th February. This was attended by hundreds of people including many who do not follow the Sikh faith and many people who live in the Cowcliffe area. Those from outside the Sikh faith also took part in the ‘Langhar’ which is the traditional sharing of food after the prayers have concluded. It was heartening to hear the many stories that were told about Gurmail. People spoke emotionally and very fondly about his good work for the local community, tales were told of how he would help elderly people with enquiries about bills or arrange council services for them and how he recently delivered goods to their homes in snowbound conditions.
Next Sunday a memorial service for Gurmail will be held at St Hilda’s Church in Cowcliffe from 3pm to 4pm.
I have known Gurmail personally for many years. We lived on the same street in Fartown from 1991 to 2000 and in that time my family and I got to know him and his family very well. He was a hard working family man who devoted himself to his children and to caring for his elderly wheelchair bound mother. His death comes as a deep shock to everyone but it is also a very personal loss for me, not just in my capacity as a local councillor but I regarded Gurmail as a longstanding personal friend.
My family had a convenience store on Bradford Road in Fartown from 1983 to 2003. My brothers and I helped out in the shop and some evenings, particularly Friday or Saturday things could get lively with attempted shoplifters or rowdy customers but I could never imagine that such low level anti-social behavior could escalate into such a heinous crime in a corner shop in Huddersfield.
Gurmail’s shop was in an area with a low level of crime. It seems that his shop was deliberately targeted, possibly because he was 63 years old, the perpetrators may have thought that he would not be able to adequately defend himself or his shop.
The police investigation team, led by Supt Pervin is doing a fantastic job and have so far arrested and interviewed six individuals in relation to death of Gurmail.
The strength of community spirit and positive relations between people of different backgrounds have shown that as a community, we are united and determined to support one another. We will remember Gurmail, and continue to support both the family during this ordeal and the police in their very important work.
Energy efficient
As a council we plan to make significant improvements to the energy efficiency of our buildings. Measures go recently agreed by cabinet include pipework insulation, improvements to hot water systems and upgraded lighting.
If we can run these buildings in a more efficient manner, we will be able to save money for other essential services and help us make better use of taxpayers’ money. These measures also help reduce our carbon footprint, and prepare for government initiatives about to come into force.
Over the lifetime of the energy efficiency measures of ten years we will save the public in the region of £1 million and 8,000 tonnes of carbon. We have also carried out energy surveys for all buildings and schools to identify opportunities to make further savings.
In addition to the Warm Zone scheme which has given all residents in Kirklees the opportunity to residents to reduce costs and their carbon footprint, we have also been awarded £500,000 from the Department of Climate Change, Low Carbon Communities Challenge Fund for a pioneering scheme in Hillhouse, Huddersfield.
Houses in this area will get low carbon makeovers including insulation, draught-proofing and solar electricity panels. The energy measures will also be carried out on the Chinese Community Centre, Clare Hill Community Centre and Hudawi Centre. The solar panels could generate around £21,000 a year and this will be invested back into the community to fund more energy improvements to benefit the 1,500 residents.
St John’s Church memorial to honour Birkby fire victims
A special memorial to the victims of an horrific mass murder in Huddersfield was dedicated on Saturday 6th February.
People of all backgrounds and all faiths attended the ceremony at St John’s Church, in Birkby, honour the victims of the Osborne Road arson attack.
The fire in the early hours of May 12, 2002, was to claim eight lives – from three generations of a family.
The memorial displays the names of the 8 victims
Now their memories have been revived in an inspiring stone memorial, created by Huddersfield artist Mike Disley. The sculptor has carved a large tree shape, with eight gold branches representing the victims marked out in gold on the front. It is made of local products, with Appleton stone for the base and Mosledon stone for the tree itself and is a soft colour that will mellow with age.
A plinth below the stone pays tribute to the victims, who ranged from a grandmother to a baby.
The memorial has been commissioned by the Birkby Fire Appeal Fund and the Vicar of St John’s, the Rev Sue Clarke, led the short dedication service on Saturday.
It is time that we have a fitting memorial to the victims and it is appropriate it is placed at St John’s Church, just 100 yards from their former home and a place where people of all faiths can pay their own tributes.
Click here to view the story that appeared on the BBC News website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/8501922.stm