Issue No. 19 Spring 2008
New Parish Councillors
The Parish Council is fortunate to have the services and enthusiasm of three new members.
Philomena Calpin, a resident of Upper Cumberworth, joined the Parish Council in October. Philomena teaches nursing in Sheffield Hallam University. In November, we were pleased to co-opt Geoff Horton, who has lived in Skelmanthorpe for the last 12 years. Geoff has worked in the textile industry and also in finance, retiring in 2001. Geoff’s wife has taught locally, and they have a son and grandchildren also living in Skelmanthorpe. He has a wealth of experience in local politics. Shelley Wild, our most recent addition, already has 12 years’ experience as a Denby Dale Parish Councillor. Shelley has lived in Emley since 1981 and her decision to re-join the Parish Council has come from her belief in the value of the Parish Council and her commitment to local people being able to influence the decisions that affect them.
We welcome all three new Councillors, and encourage you to contact them about issues affecting your community.
Hanging Baskets
Last year the Parish Council provided hanging baskets in all villages in the Parish. These were a great success; not only did they improve the appearance of our village centres but they also provided advertising for local businesses that chose to sponsor a basket. We are keen to build on this success by increasing the number of baskets this year, and are therefore seeking more sponsors, both business and private. You can either sponsor a single basket for £40 or a double basket for £75. We will place a green plaque on the lamppost above the basket, stating that the basket is sponsored by you or your company. Please contact the Parish Clerk on Tel: 222963 if you are interested in some cheap advertising!
Allotments
As part of its Green Initiative, the Parish Council is seeking to provide more allotments in the Parish. Currently there are two Kirklees sites, one in Skelmanthorpe and one in Clayton West; this leaves the residents of most villages in the Parish without access to allotments. If you would like to have an allotment and/or if you have any suggestions for potential sites, we would love to hear from you.
Dog Fouling
Whilst there are many responsible dog owners who clean up after their pets, there are also many others who do not. These few words are a direct appeal to all dog owners in the Parish to consider their actions and to promote village pride and health and safety by cleaning up after their dogs.
Dog fouling provides one of the most frequent sources of complaint by members of the public to MPs, local councillors and local authorities. Denby Dale Parish Council has itself recently received complaints about the dog fouling in Birdsedge, Emley and Cumberworth, most shockingly on the pavement right outside Cumberworth school. The problem is particularly worrying because dog faeces contain tiny parasite eggs which, if swallowed, cause potentially serious infections, most notably Toxacara. The parasites carryng Toxacara enter the eye, causing scarring on the retina; this leads to 700 people a year losing their sight. The Toxacara eggs are transferred via contact with soil or sand, the dogs themselves or objects such as wheels of toys, soles of shoes, etc. Many infected areas are in children’s play parks and, as a result, Toxacara is mainly found in children aged 1- 5.
If dog owners act responsibly and clean up immediately, the threat of toxacara is virtually eradicated. If not, the eggs lie dormant in the ground long after the faeces themselves have weathered away.
So please, dog owners, always carry a poop scoop or a bag to remove the mess away. Biodegradable dog bags are available free of charge from the Parish Council and advice on “How to be a responsible dog owner” is available on the website www.directgov.uk. Come on all dog owners - please help to keep our villages clean and healthy!
Broadband Update
As you may be aware, the inadequacies of the Broadband service in some areas of the Parish is one of the issues which the Parish Council is seeking to achieve change. Since the last newsletter, representatives of the Parish Council have met with BT and with Yorkshire Forward (the regional development agency, whose responsibility it is to improve the Yorkshire and Humber economy). The outcome of this meeting was somewhat disappointing as, whilst BT plans to invest £1.5 billion to bring Superfast Broadband to 40% of the UK by 2012, these improvements will initially be made only to urban exchanges. It was decided that Denby Dale Parish Council should put in a bid for our area to be one of the first rural areas to be included in this scheme, but as it was felt that this could not be relied on, that Community Broadband schemes would also be investigated. The Parish Council has set up a steering group comprising the Clerk, Cllr Brook and five local residents.
Parish Review
The first stage of the Community Governance Review has now been completed. The consultation exercise attracted just over 30 submissions. All apart from 7 expressed their approval of Denby Dale Parish Council and satisfaction with the current structure and boundaries. Overall it was felt that the Parish Council should continue in its present format. Only 7 individuals were critical and put forward the suggestion that the Parish Council should either be abolished or split into smaller councils.
Kirklees Council is now embarking on stage 2 of the review and is asking local residents to express their opinions on three options which were based on the opinions expressed in the submissions. The first is that the council should stay as it is, the other two involve splitting the council up. Kirklees Council is recommending support for Option 1, namely that Denby Dale Parish Council should stay as it is. For further information go to www.denbydale.com.
