DENBY DALE PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER - Issue 1. February 2004.
DENBY DALE PARISH COUNCIL – ITS ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY
Denby Dale Parish Council serves the semi-rural parish of Denby Dale within the Metropolitan District of Kirklees. It has twenty Councillors in total, serving the four Wards of Denby and Cumberworth (incorporating Denby Dale, Upper and Lower Cumberworth, Upper and Lower Denby, Birdsedge and High Flatts), Skelmanthorpe (incorporating Scissett, Skelmanthorpe and the hamlet of Kitchenroyd), Emley (incorporating Emley and Emley Moor), and Clayton West.
The Parish Council, over the years, has played a leading role in supporting environmental projects in the parish. The Parish Council is supportive of the local community through its annual grant scheme which is usually held in the Spring or early Summer.
The Parish Council is a consultee in respect of planning applications. The Council considers all planning applications for the parish area and observations are forwarded to Kirklees Metropolitan Council, which is the Planning Authority for the area.
NEW BEGINNINGS
In May 2003 a new Council was elected which, politically, is comprised of twelve Labour Councillors, four Save Our Scissett Councillors and four co-optees. Their names, addresses and contact numbers are on the last page of this newsletter. The Councillors are keen to work with and for the community and meet on a regular basis to discuss issues and concerns that affect the area in which many of us work, live and spend our leisure hours. Most Council meetings are open to the public and the Council have instituted a public discussion time where members of the public can address the Council on issues relating to agenda items.
The Council now contribute to a local community website : denbydale.com. All the Council’s agendas and minutes are detailed on the site, which also contains points of interest about the Parish. Community organisations throughout the parish are encouraged to use the website as a facility for advertising their groups and events. Please use it!!
We are aiming to publish this newsletter at least four times a year. It is hoped that future editions will include news from around the Parish and details of forthcoming events. Please ring, fax or email the Parish Council with details of any event that you wish to be included in the newsletter.
CURRENT MATTERS
Over the last few months various issues have been discussed at Council meetings. Set out below are extracts from the minutes of those meetings.
November, 2003
At the Council meeting, Gordon McLean and Stuart Sandys of the Calderdale and Huddersfield N.H.S. Trust gave a presentation on Foundation Hospital status. The Council were informed that the external audit of the Council’s accounts had been completed with no matters to report. It was reported that the Parish Council were now ‘on line’ through the denbydale.com website. Other matters under discussion included the new regulations relating to members’ allowances and the level of lighting at the zebra crossing in Skelmanthorpe.
The Finance and General Purposes Committee met in November and recommendations were made as to the estimates of expenditure and precept for 2004/2005. Clr. Allen was appointed as Chair Elect of the Council and the future funding of the Countryside Project was discussed.
December, 2003
Debbie Lumb, from Shelley High School, and Andy Wickham, the Countryside Officer, attended the Council meeting to give a progress report on the youth facilities provision initiative. It was intended to provide a youth shelter, or other facility, at the Sunnybank site in Denby Dale and public consultation would take place before Christmas. The Council agreed that they would seek Quality status and a sub-committee was set up to progress the initiative. It was agreed that a meeting be held between representatives of the West and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executives, the Countryside Agency and the Parish Council with a view to obtaining a Parish Transport Grant to extend the bus service between Upper Denby and Penistone. The Council agreed to begin the formulation of a Parish Plan and invited a representative of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council to attend a future Council meeting to discuss the scheme. The precept for the year 2004/2005 was formally set. The Clerk of the Council and the Chair attended a presentation at DEFRA headquarters in London where the Clerk was presented with the AQA certificate in Local Council Administration. Clerks have to obtain this qualification if their Council wishes to achieve quality status. This is a relatively new initiative and only a small number of Clerks so far have been successful in obtaining the qualification.
A Plans Scrutiny Committee was held during December where a number of planning applications were considered. It was agreed that an application be submitted to the Countryside Agency in respect of a Parish Transport Grant for the extension of the Penistone – Upper Denby bus service. Other matters discussed included the proposition, by Kirklees M.C. to install a footway on Denby Lane at Upper Denby.
January, 2004
Debbie Lumb and Andy Wickham submitted a report on the public meeting held at Denby Dale to discuss the youth initiative and it was agreed that Andy and Debbie continue to liaise with residents and young people in Denby Dale and also institute the provision of youth facilities in other villages within the Parish. It was noted that a joint meeting was to be held between Parish Councils and Kirklees M.C. to discuss quality status. Other matters discussed related to Cumberworth Road Allotments in Skelmanthorpe, the provision of a Parish Plan and the new Local Development Framework consultation.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Parish Council Grant Awards: Closing date for applications is the 21st May, 2004 – forms are obtainable at the end of March from the Council Offices, Commercial Road, Skelmanthorpe – or from Parish Councillors
Emley Show Saturday, 7th August, 2004
