Issue No. 20 Summer 2009
New Chairman
At its Annual Meeting in May, the Parish Council elected Cllr Nick Wilson (pictured above) as Chairman for the forthcoming civic year. Cllr Wilson was first elected onto the Council in May 2007 and last year he served as Vice Chairman of the Council. He is the Managing Director and major shareholder of Pink Pig, a drawing book manufacturer based in Emley covering the UK. His interests include supporting Huddersfield Town, gardening, modern architecture, including eco-houses, historic buildings and history, in particular Soviet history, which has resulted in him sharing a wartime T34 tank. He is supported in his role by Cllr Kelvyn Waites, as Vice Chairman.
Bringing Rural Projects to Life
Last year Denby Dale and Kirkburton Parish Councils were asked to join with Penistone and Stocksbridge to form an East Pennine area which could bid for funding from the EU via the Rural Development Fund. This money is especially for rural areas such as ours, and is to be used to help improve employment, community spirit and the environment. Since then, a group has formed, called the Local Innovation Group (LIG), composed of representatives from Parish Councils, Kirklees Council, community groups and local businesses. The type of initiatives that may receive funding are those which encourage tourism, improve local heritage and leisure facilities or help people to access services locally (as, for example, the Advice Centre sessions advertised below). The group is keen to involve representatives from as many community groups and business sectors as possible, so if you feel you would like to get involved please contact the local LIG Chair, Parish Cllr Richard Brook on 01484 606275 or email richardbrook@fsmail.net or Stephen Gould, EPIP Manager on 01226 763373 or by email Stephen.epip@hotmail.co.uk
Advice Centre
Stocksbridge Advice Centre now runs outreach sessions for advice on a wide range of issues including benefits, debt etc. at Springfield Mill, Denby Dale on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Monday of every month and at The Hub, Kirkburton on the 4th Monday of every month. If you are unable to get to the sessions, a home visit may be possible – contact the Advice Centre office on 0114 288 7575 to arrange.
Walkers are Welcome
An increasing number of towns and villages are acquiring Walkers are Welcome status, signifying that they are places with something special to offer walkers. Acquiring Walkers are Welcome status helps to strengthen a community’s reputation as a place for visitors to come to enjoy the outdoors, bringing useful benefits to the local economy, in particular pubs, cafés and public transport. It also helps to ensure that footpaths and facilities for walkers are maintained in good condition. The Parish Council was made aware that a number of local residents were keen for the Denby Dale parish to become a Walkers are Welcome area and, to this end, arranged a meeting of interested parties on 19 May. At the time of writing a further meeting is due to be held to elect a steering group.
Local Success Stories
In the last financial year the Parish Council has given substantial sums of money to three large projects in the parish: the Denby Dale Centre, Birdsedge Village Hall and the Skelmanthorpe Youth and Community Centre. Each of these projects makes an important contribution to their immediate and neighbouring communities (or soon will, in the case of the Skelmanthorpe Centre), but each also relies heavily on the energy and commitment of a small group of volunteers. We are fortunate that, in our Parish, we have so many individuals who are prepared to give their time and energy to strengthening their communities and to meeting the needs of vulnerable groups within them.
Countryside Project
Denby Dale Parish council jointly sponsors the Denby Dale Parish Countryside Project headed up by Andy Wickham, the Countryside Officer. Andy is working on a number of environmental projects with schools in conjunction with BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) E to E, a training scheme for young people wishing to pursue a career in environmental work. Due to start in August is the Denby Dale great crested newt link project in conjunction with Kirklees Light Railway. This will involve linking two isolated colonies of newts, one in Scissett and one at Shelley College, via a series of ponds and habitat improvements along the Light Railway. Funding for this project is being provided by SITA UK’s Landfill Communities Find. The projects will run over a three year period and will contribute to the local biodiversity action plan for Kirklees.
Safe Routes to Schools
Two safe routes to school are currently being developed in the parish, one from Busker Lane to Scissett Middle School and the other from Leak Hall Lane via Leak Hall Crescent to Gilthwaites School in Denby Dale. The Busker Lane route is being funded by the Denby Dale Area Committee and Kirklees ‘Safe Routes to Schools’ scheme while the Leak Hall Crescent route is being developed by the Countryside Officer on behalf of local parents who initiated the project. The Countryside Officer is currently assisting the parents group to apply for funding from the Denby Dale Area Committee and possibly Denby Dale Parish council. The aim is to enable children to walk to school safely, to reduce the number of car journeys and to contribute to encouraging a healthier life style among young people.
Grants
As in previous years, Denby Dale Parish Council has set aside a small fund out of which it offers grants of up to £500 to local organisations from within the Parish Council area. In previous years, this scheme has funded a wide range of projects, including the purchase of musical instruments for local bands, repairs to church clocks, grants for equipment for youth and sports organisations.
The Parish Council will only make grants to bona fide not for profit organisations which are properly constituted and all applications must be accompanied by an up to date financial statement, copies of bank statements and evidence of the likely cost of the equipment or project for which grant monies are required. Grant forms can be obtained from the Parish Clerk (contact details below) and must be returned by 23 October 2009. Applications received after this date will not be considered. Applications will be considered at a meeting to be held on 17 November 2009.
Newsletter Distribution
The Parish Council is keen to ensure that the Newsletter is distributed across the whole parish, but it is not always possible to guarantee that the newsletter will reach everyone, particularly those in outlying areas. Please contact the Parish Clerk (contact details below) if you did not receive our last Newsletter No. 19.
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