Issue 18 - Autumn/Winter 2008
Broadband
Early in 2008, the Parish Council received a number of complaints about the inadequacy of the broadband provision in certain areas within the parish, notably Upper Cumberworth, Birdsedge and High Flatts. We decided to take up the issue and try to secure a reliable and effective broadband service for the whole parish. We distributed leaflets to all households in these villages, asking people to contact us to let us know about their experiences with broadband. A total of 700 leaflets were delivered and we received 100 replies; of these, 94 complained of an inadequate service, with slowness being by far the most frequently cited problem. Additionally, 48% of respondents reported that their service dropped out frequently, 18% that there are times when they can’t log on and 6% that they are unable to access broadband at all.
Use of the Internet is now a central and indispensable part of life and the Parish Council is concerned that the impact of such poor service inhibits the economic and social development. We have, therefore, sent the report to BT and are currently arranging to meet with the BT Regional Manager and the Head of Business Improvement at Yorkshire Forward to discuss what can be done to improve the service.
Hanging Baskets
As you hopefully will have noticed, all villages in the Parish benefited from hanging baskets this summer. These were initially funded entirely by the Parish Council although a number of local businesses have also taken the opportunity to sponsor baskets, thereby not only contributing to their local communities but taking the opportunity to advertise their business. This is a scheme which we intend to extend next year so that there are more baskets, other kinds of floral displays and, hopefully, more sponsors.
Sponsorship is not limited to local businesses and traders. Local residents may also sponsor baskets near their homes. If you would like to consider sponsoring a basket, please contact the Parish Clerk on Tel 222963.
Local Community Groups
The Parish Council continues to provide financial support to many local community groups. This support is targeted to meet the specific and varied needs of the groups, and ranges from grants of a couple of hundred pounds to grants of a couple of thousand pounds. Local groups that have recently benefited from the latter include the Denby Dale Centre and the Skelmanthorpe Youth Project. The Denby Dale Centre is an established project which provides a host of services to residents of the area, particularly to those who are elderly and/or isolated. The Skelmanthorpe Youth Project has only recently emerged from the planning stage and aims to provide much-needed opportunities and resources for young people in the Parish. The projects are alike, not only in their community base, but also in that they are staffed by volunteers and constantly battle for financial stability. The Parish Council is pleased to have been able to support them.
Parish Review
All 5 Parish and Town Councils in Kirklees are currently under review. As part of this process, Kirklees is seeking the views of residents on whether Denby Dale Parish Council is effective and whether it reflects the identities and interests of the communities in the Parish. If you
would like to express your opinion on the Parish Council, this is your opportunity. You can do so in several ways: - via the Kirklees website www.kirklees.gov.uk, by collecting a form from any
library or by writing to The Admin Team, Policy and Governance Service, 2nd Floor Civic Centre 3, Huddersfield, HD1 2EV. The closing date for comments is 12 noon on 28 November.
European Funding for Rural Areas
Earlier this year, a Sheffield City Councillor visited both Denby Dale and Kirkburton Parish Councils asking us to join rural parts of Sheffield (centred on Stocksbridge) and of Barnsley (centred on Penistone) in a joint bid to obtain European funding for rural projects in our area.
Representatives of both Parish Councils, together with other community and business representatives formed a Local Innovation group to run the project locally. At the end of September came the excellent news that up to £800,000 could be available over a 6-year period to the Local Innovation Group for grassroots projects in Denby Dale and Kirkburton. Ideas are now being sought from community associations and other local groups. Please contact the Parish Clerk for further information.
Public Transport Working Party
Last year, the Parish Council set up a working party to look for ways of achieving long-term improvements in public transport in this area.
The group has lobbied Metro and the local bus companies on a number of issues and some modest improvements have been achieved – a further meeting with Metro is scheduled. We also aim to ensure that the services we already have are well-known and well-used.
We have registered with Metro to receive bulk copies of all new local bus and train timetables and are distributing these as widely as possible.
Your comments on public transport concerns are always welcome.
INFORMATION ABOUT DENBY DALE PARISH COUNCIL
Vacancy for Parish Councillor
The Parish Council is looking to co-opt a Parish Councillor to fill a vacancy representing the Skelmanthorpe Ward. Being a Parish Councillor is a worthwhile job – albeit unpaid – which enables local residents to speak on behalf of and represent the interests of their local community. If you are interested in being co-opted, please contact the Parish Clerk (details below).
Council Meetings
The Parish Council meets on the first Tuesday of each month (except August) in the Council Offices in Skelmanthorpe. Meetings start at 7pm. The Plans Scrutiny Committee meets at 7.30pm on the last Tuesday of each month to consider planning applications within the Parish. The Finance Committee meets three times a year. All meetings are open to the public and the first 15 minutes of each meeting is an open session when members of the public may raise any issues or concerns.
Click here to contact the Parish Council
