Update on Clayton West war memorial

Following on from the earlier posting about the war memorial, it is great to report that Kirklees have re-tarmaced the area around it, and cleaned it up. Well done Kirklees! I will post photos of this soon.

Cycle routes between villages update

Following on from the earlier post on this subject, Cllr. Jane Birdsall and myself have met to further the project. Jane wrote a summary of our work so far, as follows:



The idea is to identify safe routes between the villages in our Parish and to establish whether the condition of the surface needs to be improved.



Possible routes identified so far:

• Skelmanthorpe to Denby Dale - via The Thorpes. In need of some surface improvement.


• Skelmanthorpe to Clayton West - via Pilling Lane. In need of some surface improvement.


• Clayton West to Emley - via Frank Lane and Tyburn Lane. Frank Lane awaiting surface improvements after flooding last year.


• Upper Cumberworth to High Flatts via Birdsedge. Off road tracks fairly good surfaces.


• Upper Denby to Denby Viaduct. In need of some surface improvement on lower stretch.


• Shelley High School to Barncliffe Hill / Coal Pit Lane - establish if it is a bridleway and if it is in our parish. In need of some surface improvements midway

An existing leaflet entitled "5 circular routes in and around the Denby Dale area" is very useful and could be further developed through categorising the routes in terms of difficulty. There are some very big climbs and some of the routes use busy roads. We do not wish to supersede this leaflet, but would like to publish, initially on our website, suggestions of how local cyclists can travel between our villages. The social, environmental (as opposed to car travel), and fitness benefits are well known to everyone, and this is why we have taken up this project.

Some useful websites:

www.sustrans.org.uk

www.cyclingengland.co.uk

www.bikeforall.net

www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk

The websites give lots of information, and also possible sources of funding for any work needed. Please note that we do not intend to create the equivalent of 'cycle highways' like sustrans routes, as these would be far too expensive.

Parish Council support for new Youth and Community Centre

The Parish Council have recently granted the Skelmanthorpe Youth and Community Association £16,000 towards their plans for a new centre. The recent civic reception, which is held every year by the current chair of the Parish Council, also raised approximately £700 for this good cause. I am the secretary for the association, so if you would like to know more, please get in touch.

The project has been running for several years now. The old youth club building in Skelmanthorpe was two barns joined together and converted to a youth club in the 1970s. This building would have needed a lot spending on it just to bring it up to disabled access standards, and desperately needed major works to bring it up to date and suitable for use by local groups. The fact that it was a listed building further complicated matters, and the fact that it had no parking was a major drawback. Temporary repairs to the electrics and fabric of the building were originally carried out when a grant was obtained from the Parish Council (approx. 6 yr ago), to enable the building to stay 'habitable', while options for the future were considered.

An opportunity arose to buy the extension at the back of the Savoy Squash Club, which consists of 2 unused squash courts, changing area, and the car park area (often used by people using the Leap Frogs children's play centre nearby). After much discussion the youth and community centre committee decided to pursue this option due to the opportunity of designing a new interior to the building which would be disabled access friendly, and have plenty of car parking. The old building has been sold and the new one purchased. The new plans can be seen if you are interested - please contact myself.

More info on this story will be posted soon when i next have time - but we are currently looking for some friendly local builders who will work for us very cheaply - any ideas? Also ideas and help with fundraising will be welcome, as we have had quotes for £450,000! We have so far raised approximately £150,000 - more details soon.

Planning Committee

The Parish Council Planning Committee looks at all the planning applications that are sent in to Kirklees Council from our area. Large or contentious plans are considered by full council. We then put in observations, which may include things that the planning department may have not thought about. The planning department have a legal duty to consult us on planning applications, but Kirklees always makes the final decision.

If a planning application concerns you, come to our meeting and express your feelings. At the start of every meeting there is time set aside for members of the public to talk to us, telling us your worries. You can also contact your local councillors, both on the Parish Council and on Kirklees Council, and write to the planning department with your objections.

Councillors who are on the planning committee are not allowed to say before a meeting if they are for or against a planning application, due to the rules and regulations governing local councils. If they do this, they are then not allowed to take part in the decision on this particular application. They also have to declare if they have been 'lobbied' by members of the public, but this does not affect taking part in the decision on the application. We can only object to developments on valid planning grounds so speak to us or the planning department about this. Kirklees can only say no to a development for valid reasons, otherwise their decision can be overturned on appeal.

A recent large planning application was 'The Piggeries' at Strike Lane, Skelmanthorpe, which was for 30 houses. The Parish Council objected to this for several reasons. These included the fact that it was a 'greenfield development' which goes against planning guidance as 'brownfield sites' (areas which have previously been built on) have to be used first (protecting our open spaces and green fields), and highways safety issues as this would create a lot more traffic for an already congested area with small access roads.

If you have any comments about new developments in the area why not get in touch, or leave comments here. Do you believe green fields should be protected? I believe there is a need for affordable houses but these should be built on a very small scale, thus protecting the character and open spaces in and around our villages. Stating this, i should also mention that all applications have to be considered individually on their own merits, otherwise i would be seen as biast which would prohibit me from taking part in discussions and decisions.

Parish Council support for the Denby Dale Centre

The Parish Council agreed at their meeting on the 5th February 2008 to give a grant of £3,250 towards the running costs of the Denby Dale Centre. Cllr. Alison Tribe has written a summary about the work of the Denby Dale Centre, as follows.

The centre was set up two and a half years ago with under £50. It operates from a large room in the Denby Dale Mill Shop where it has a cafe, a charity shop and a 'drop-in' service for people wanting information on local services. It also runs a fortnightly group for young people with disabilities. The centre has a branch in Kirkburton called 'The Hub'. This hosts various community groups, for example, mother and toddler and tea dances for the elderly and provides a base for the Young Peoples Service. The centre has 3 minibuses whichare used most of the time. There are paid part-time drivers but volunteers are also necessary to ensure that the minibuses are used as much as possible.

The largest schemes run by the Denby Dale Centre are:

The Befriending Scheme - This co-ordinates volunteers to visit housebound and elderly people. It is a very successful scheme ande, despite the centre having a total of 60 volunteers in the Denby Dale area, the Befriending Scheme has a waiting list. The scheme also operates in the Kurkburton area.

Ring and Ride - This provides a door-to-door, accessible service for people who find it difficult to us public transport. It has 150 members who benefit from two weekly shopping trip, one to Morrisons and one to Barnsley, and regular social outings.

Minibus Hire - when the minibuses aren't being used for the Ring and Ride service, local voluntary groups can hire them at an affordable rate; they are regularly used by 59 groups. The Transport Clerk who co-ordinates the minibus services is jointly-funded by a Rural Transport pertnership grant and Worklink.

Birdsedge First School Eco-Schools and travel plan

I have been a governor at Birdsedge First School, representing the Parish Council, for several years now. I was invited to a meeting tonight (17/1/08) about the eco-schools initiative, and to help with the formation of the travel plan. I was really pleased that lots of children and parents were there too, all taking an active part in the meeting. This means that people really support the ideas, and the children will learn from the project, thereby making it truely sustainable.

The travel plan is an important part of the eco-schools initiative as this aims to reduce the number of car journeys to school, thereby reducing pollution. This will be a challenging project as only 15% of pupils attending the school live in the village, therefore most pupils (currently 82%) travel by car.

The plan is still being developed, but initiatives are already underway to meet an initial target of reducing car journeys by 5%. Children, parents and the local community are being involved at every stage, as was shown at the meeting. Surveys of residents, children and parents have taken place and are already feeding into the plan and actions taking place. Discussions took place about the main road being very dangerous, and people expressed strong wishes for traffic to be slowed by 30mph limits and flashing signs. Initiatives discussedfor the travel plan included:

1. Walking bus. Here parents are trained to escort children to school, and the children wear something reflective so they are easilly seen. Three parents have started operating this, which allows parents to drop children off at a set point away from school, thus reducing congestion around the gates. This will be appreciated by local residents, it helps children learn roadsense and encourages walking over car use. There has been a high volume of cars trying to pick up on Birdsedge Lane, which is narrow, and some parents just drive round in circles until their children come out. At the meeting it was said that it was operating successfully, drivers were slowing down and passing them widely, and that perhaps more children would join in the summer when it was warmer. Children at the meeting said they didn't like waiting outside in the rain till school opened, as the walking bus always arrives before school opens, so its timing will be adjusted. Also a shelter will be considered.
2. Car sharing. It was felt this would be effective, as people could take turns to drive. Many people pass near other's houses on their way to school. An official scheme has not yet been implemented, but ideas are being discussed and developed. Ideas included rewarding children who car share, and setting asside a special area for them to park in when dropping off.
3. Cycling. A few children sometimes cylcle to school with close parental supervision. Cyle lockers were discussed as some money is available to spend relating to the travel plan.
4. Buses. Parents expressed a wish for a service specially for children, so they would not need to come with them, as busses to return home are few and far between. Also timings of existing busses could be changed to suit school times, although young children could not travel on these on their own.

Eco-schools is a framework to help schools become more sustainable. Schools work towards bronze, then silver then green awards (www.eco-schools.org.uk) and do so as part of an international group of schools working towards education for sustainable development. Birdsedge First School is now working towards the bronze award, and the children are keen to achieve this.

A basic action plan has been introduced to achieve the bronze award, and ideas have been put forward for the silver award and green flag. These were discussed at the meeting. Ideas included an environment day, an eco code, assemblies, outdoor learning, a website to log onto and discuss ideas without using paper, and a school cookery club which will use veg grown in school. An energy audit has taken place, and issues raised are being investigated. There is currently a problem with the heating system in school as rooms are either too hot or too cold. Wind power would be a good demonstation project for renewable energy, especially due to weather conditions at Birdsedge!

Clayton West war memorial

On the 2nd October the parish council discussed the issue of the surrounds of the war memorial, as the area is looking tired, and the wall was damaged. I believe this is an important part of the village, and that the men who died in the war should be remembered in surroundings that help pay tribute to their sacrifice to this Country and our freedom.

Minute 241, accessible on the website, details this. We wrote to Kirklees to ask that a wall be repaired, and that consideration be given to improving the area. The wall was quickly patched up in time for Remembrance Sunday (well done Kirklees!). I am pleased to report that the area committee have since taken up this idea, as Cllr. Elaine Ward has mentioned this as a way to help improve the village centre.

What do you think needs doing to the area? Post your ideas and comments here. I believe a start would be to re tarmac the area immediately around the memorial, as this is very worn and damaged. The wall itself is attractive and made of stone, but the topping is made of concrete which spoils the appearance. The grass area could be improved by planting some shrubs, and maybe some flowerbeds. The wall could also have some steps put in to access the grass area easily, and improve its aesthetics.

On the Buses!

As people who use busses in this area know, there are many problems. I am on the busses subcomittee, with several other interested councillors. This was set up several months ago in response to the axing of the services to Barnsley, but many other issues have been discussed.

We are lucky to have a group of volunteers who travel every day on public transport and are keeping a diary of their experiences. Stagecoach have admitted that their services are unreliable in letters to the parish council and have set out action plans to remedy this. They are to introduce a new timetable from the 26th January, which allows more standing time inbetween runs, so that if they are running late then the knock on effect on the next run will be less. They also promised us new busses, the introduction of which unfortunately keep being delayed. They have taken note of overcrowding by ordering busses with 46 seats, as opposed to 40 seaters.

Will this be enough? When Yorkshire travel operated the 240 service, there were two companies each operating a 15 minute interval service, which were popular because they were frequent, reliable and comfortable fast new busses.

We have also looked at changes to the Wakefield buses, and discussed new routes to Barnsley. More information will be posted soon - watch this space.

Vacancy for Parish Councillor

If you are interested in local issues why not join us as a Parish Councillor?

We are a very friendly bunch who would welcome anyone new. It is fairly easy to get the hang of things - especially if you are good at talking like me! As you can see from our website we cover many local issues, and as a councillor you would have your say and be able to put issues on the agenda to be discussed.

The vacancy is for Skelmanthorpe ward, but you do not need to live or work in Skelmanthorpe, just in the Denby Dale Parish.

For more details please see our website http://www.denbydale.com/ and/or contact the Parish Clark Hazel Chowcat on 222963. Go on - give it a go!

Flooding

These photos show the floods of June 2007 in Clayton West and Scissett. If you have any photos or details of flooding elsewhere in the Parish please feel free to let me know and I could add them. The first photo shows houses in Clayton West next to the river. A new development is proposed in fields on the opposite side of the river bank. If these houses are built they will suffer a simular fate, and will add to flooding problems through contributing more water to the river. Water will run off hard surfaces such as roofs and roads into the river, whereas in fields it will soak harmlessly away.


Footpaths were also affected - in the second photo you can see there was no access to the bridge to cross the river - not even in wellies!




The Parish council has discussed the flooding issue and there is a report about this on the website. I believe possible local solutions could include creating natural flood areas in the valley floor so that fields are flooded not houses and businesses. This would also be good for wildlife (see photo 3).

If you feel strongly about this, write to your MP (Mary Creagh for Denby Dale Parish) asking for better defences. The government have issued compensation to many victims, but it is much better to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence. I (and many others in Britain) believe the current freak weather patterns are linked with global warming - more action immediately needs to be taken by the government to reduce greenhouse emissions.


The fourth photo shows behind the Junction Pub on Wakefield Rd. As can be seen the dirty waters of the river flooded these houses and the cellar of the pub, causing destruction and distress to all affected.
The fith and sixth photos show how the river took a new course through a new development (which is now a nursery) and ran across Wakefield Rd, causing chaos to traffic. The new Kitchen Salesroom business slightly further along the road was also devastated by the flooding. The waters had started receding when I took these photos, so the floods were even worse at their peak.

The 7th 8th and 9th photos show the proposed site of a new development of houses at Scissett - very wet!
The 10th photo shows the bridge and path on the snicket opposite the swimming baths leading to Clayton West, looking towards the main road. The bridge support was washed away but fortunately was quickly fixed.

The 11th and 12th photos show devastating damage to businesses at Scissett. The 13th shows the bridge on Barnsley Rd, Scissett / Clayton West, near the main Wakefield Rd. The river was very nearly onto the road here. The 14th and 15th photos show the damage to houses on Dearne Terrace / Barnsley Rd, near to Wakefield Rd. I used to live at number 7 and the river flooded here back in 2000, unfortunately soon after we moved in, so I have personally experienced the devastation floods cause. This shows flooding at this point is a reoccuring problem.

Unfortunately, some damage caused by the flood has not yet been rectified (January 2008). A bridleway leading from behind the Junction pub at Clayton West (Langley Lane then Frank Lane) up to Emley is still officially closed due to flood damage.

Cycle routes between villages

We have recently been discussing this idea to provide safe links between our villages without having to wrestle with the dangerous traffic on the main roads.

The first route we will look at is between Scissett and Skelmanthorpe along Pilling Lane. Ideas for other routes are welcome - we will then look at the possiblities of signage from the main road, better surfaces etc.

Not sure where we will get the funding from yet - we are only at the ideas stage so any comments are welcome.