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• Issue 6 - May 2005

ISSUE 6                                                                                                                     MAY 2005

Welcome to Issue 6 of the Parish Council Newsletter

Latest News

 It’s now official Denby Dale Parish Council is a Quality Council and the first in Kirklees! After 18 months hard work the Council has been accredited with Quality Status. This is a new initiative that ensures a Council is representative and actively engages with the community, is properly managed and is the first step towards devolution of powers to the local community. Our thanks go out to Gillian Wood, our clerk and Kenneth Haigh, assistant clerk for the tremendous effort they have put in to this project.

FEBRUARY 2005

It was reported last month that the Parish Council were supporting parents and staff at Linda’s Nursery, Bedale Drive Skelmanthorpe to be included for priority gritting in the interest of safety. Unfortunately, Kirklees Highways have stated the road does not fit the criteria for priority treatment but is included as a secondary route. In response to this the Parish Council have asked Kirklees M C to consider providing a grit bin principally in the interests of safety.

Members of the Parish Council and the Road Safety Committee met with Highways Engineers in Station Road Skelmanthorpe where it was agreed to modify the roundabout in order to address some of the safety issues raised, it was also agreed to alter the no waiting zones in an attempt to improve safety in the vicinity of the Grove junction.

It was reported that a dinner organised by Clr Alicia Dellapuppa, La Dolce Vita Restaurant and residents of Scissett had raised in excess of £5000 for the Tsunami Appeal.

MARCH 2005

The Council have been informed by the Allotments’ Officer for Kirklees MC that plot holders on the Cumberworth Road allotment site will be able to continue gardening until the end of the growing season by which time the new site at Windmill Crescent should be ready for occupation.

Following a public meeting at Birdsedge the Council have asked Highways to review speed limits between the Sovereign Crossroads and Birdsedge.

In the wake of power supply problems Yorkshire Electricity have offered to use the Parish Office as an additional point of contact for keeping the community informed.

APRIL 2005

Members of the public voiced their concerns over road safety issues at the Grove Inn junction Skelmanthorpe, there was considerable opposition to proposed waiting restrictions, particularly by the residents and traders affected. The Parish Council agreed to host a public meeting to address the issue and have asked Kirklees M.C. to postpone the current proposals.

Inspector Barnett gave a presentation on the new Kirklees Neighbourhood Policing initiative, and described how Denby Dale has the lowest crime rate for Kirklees, and how they were tackling cross border problems within the area.

It was reported that Royal Mail had agreed to install a new post box adjacent to the village hall in Birdsedge.

Youth Initiative

The Initiative was launched about three years ago in response to the need for some activity for youngsters in Denby Dale that would help lead to a reduction in disturbance or trouble. The Parish Council quickly realised that this was a need in most of the local villages. The following is a quick outline of what has been achieved through the hard work of a number of local people and the youngsters themselves.

The project can be broken down into four phases....

Phase 1 - Denby Dale Sunnybank Site (completed)

Phase 2 - YEAST (Young Emley Active Sports Team)

Phase 3 - SSP (Skelmanthorpe Skate Park)

Phase 4 - Clayton West (Group yet to be identified)

Phase 1 was instigated through the concerns of the Nursery School in Denby Dale about the number of young people gathering at the School and the degree of damage done to the buildings and the grounds. From this starting point a public meeting was called to gather the views of local residents and young people as to the kind of facility that could be sited in Denby Dale.

The project decided upon was a multi-use games area (MUGA) aimed at meeting the needs of a broad age group. The project was delivered with funding through the Parish Council and the Denby Dale Pie Committee.

Total Project Costs - around £31,336.

Phase 2 was instigated by the formation of a group who undertook a local door-to-door consultation, a questionnaire and a planning exercise held on a community open day at the Wentworth Club in Emley. From this, the majority opinion was again for a ‘MUGA’. This would incorporate basketball hoops/football goalposts and a kick wall.

At present The YEAST group is fundraising for the project and so far have raised or been promised £21,000 with applications being worked on for grant aid to fill the gap.

The group is currently seeking new members to help share out the workload.

Contact: Neil Gemmell 01924 840478

Phase 3 the impetus for the group came from a petition and presentation to the Parish Council by the young people of Skelmanthorpe asking for improvements to the existing skateboard equipment at the Cross Lane recreation ground. The young people are represented on the Group's Committee and have provided the ground plan for the proposed project, which will probably consist of concrete built ramps and jumps similar to those in Greenhead Park, Huddersfield (on a less grand scale).

A fundraising package is currently being worked on to raise the estimated £40 – 50,000 needed for the project.

Contact: Howard Singleton 01484 862023

                  Andy Wickham 01484 222960

Phase 4 no formal work has been undertaken in Clayton West as of yet but plans to initiate the project are being worked on.

If interested contact Andy Wickham 01484 222960.

Talk to your Community Constable

Our local Community Police Officers are holding regular surgeries where you will be able to address issues face to face. These are to be held in Skelmanthorpe Library 1 st Wednesday in the month and Denby Dale Library last Wednesday in the month, both between 4pm and 6pm.

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DENBY DALE PARISH COUNCILLORS 2003 – 2007

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ANNUAL ABRIDGED REPORT 2005

MAY 2005

The Annual Council Meeting takes place in May with the publication of the Council’s Accounts and Annual Report. There follows an extract from the report and summary of accounts 2004/2005. Full copies are available in the Library or can be obtained from the clerk.

 CHAIR’S OVERVIEW

Organisation

We are now halfway through the four-year cycle and have now achieved Quality Status, which may give the Council extra devolved powers and will give us more influence over the delivery of services within Kirklees. We are also negotiating a new Charter with Kirklees M.C., while striving to maintain our independence.

The Area Committee has become more prominent over the last year, which has caused some concern within the Parish Council. A way forward must be found to work with the Area Committee for the good of the people of Denby Dale. There are opportunities for joint funding and more communication and a strong lead from the Parish Council.

Communication

The Parish Plan is being written, with public meetings being held in most villages as a means of deciding the contents of the Plan. It is hoped that the Plan will be published at the end of 2005 / beginning of 2006 and may be used to influence the Local Development Framework (LDF).

Our attendance at Emley Show in 2004 was a good public relations exercise, which I hope will continue in 2005.

Contentious Items

Roads continue to be a major concern, especially speeding in Emley, Skelmanthorpe and Birdsedge, the increase in the volume of traffic in the area and their general condition. There is a need to review all the speed limits in the Parish and to improve enforcement. Upper Cumberworth has benefited from a crossing and a well marked speed limit, and Denby Dale has a long awaited crossing, but there is a lot to do in the coming months.

Transport is an ongoing problem, especially from the outlying villages. There have been losses, the 484 and the Emley link, but the cross-border bus is still serving Upper Denby from Penistone. Evening transport is an especial problem, but as yet the actual demand is unknown.

The fear of crime is of concern, but the crime figures for Denby Dale Parish would indicate that this is a safe area to live. The Police have recently changed to community policing with 1 Sergeant, 2 Constables and 2 Police Community Support Officers working out of Kirkburton. The Police have also agreed to attend a public meeting organised by the Parish Council in April, to give a short presentation and to answer questions.

The possible siting of two wind turbines at Pool Hill, Denby Dale, has raised a lot of opposition, which was evident at the public meeting held in September, organised by the Parish Council. As yet no planning application has been received. Kirklees M.C. has said they will hold another public meeting when / if the application has been submitted.

The allotments at Cumberworth Road have been sold, and planning permission has been granted for housing development after a long battle. New allotments, with improved facilities, will be developed near the Windmill, using funds promised by the developer.

Youth

Youth Facilities are progressing, with Sunnybank, Denby Dale now in use, thanks to money from the Parish Council and the Denby Dale Pie Fund. Improvements at Emley, with a Parish Council grant of £7,500 are well advanced. The facilities at Skelmanthorpe, with another grant from the Parish Council of £7,500 are progressing. Youth facilities at Clayton West are under discussion with local residents. Since the opening of the Sunnybank youth area there has been a reduction in vandalism around the Denby Dale Nursery School. The Parish Council as also set aside £7,500 for next year’s youth facilities provision.

The Future

With Quality Status, we should have more influence on the services provided by Kirklees Metropolitan Council. We do need to raise our profile within the community and find other worthwhile causes within the Parish to develop.

Clr. Robert G. Allen

Chair 2004/2005

DENBY DALE PARISH COUNCIL

SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS 2004/2005