Council tenants move into newly completed affordable homes in Lindley as part of “Excellent Homes for Life” project

Almost all of the new affordable “Excellent Homes for Life” homes built at the Willwood Avenue site in Oakes have now been occupied.

Work began on site at the start of the year with building getting underway in March. The finished homes were signed off in October.

Just one home remains unoccupied but the tenants will be taking up residence shortly.

The six new homes built in a two story block are part of the “Excellent Homes for Life” project – which aims to build 466 new affordable council homes for rent over the next two and half years on 27 sites across the borough.

All the homes are being built to high environmental standards. They are energy efficient, well insulated and use less water, which makes them cheaper to run and also reduces carbon emissions. The government’s Code for Sustainable Homes standard is being used as a basis for including environmental improvements in the design of the new homes.

The homes also meet the government’s Lifetime Homes standard which means the homes include design features which minimise the need for changes to be made to a building if the tenant’s needs change over time.

All homes have a good level of security to help people feel safe in their home and immediate environment. There is external lighting and the homes have doors, windows and locks which meet the high standards required by the Secured by Design standard.

Wates Living Spaces as part of the “Rengenter Excellent Homes for Life” consortium established by Kirklees and which also includes the John Laing Company was responsible for the building of the new homes.

Cllr Cahal Burke said:

“I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the new tenants to the area and to invite them to get in touch if they need any help while they are finding their feet.

“The Homes being built at Willwood Avenue are very much needed to help deal with the shortage in both affordable homes and council properties which Kirklees is currently struggling with following years of sell offs and underinvestment.

They are of the highest spec in terms of their design having been built to the Sustainable Homes standard, Lifetime Homes standard and the Secured by Design standard. No doubt they will last a very long time and I am sure that people will enjoy living in them and in the area in general which is very friendly with lots going on.

Cllr Cahal Burke, Lib Dem Member for Lindley Ward, has completed the Resolution 15k Run

Cllr Cahal Burke, Lib Dem Member for Lindley Ward, has completed the Resolution 15k Run for the second time now at Cheshire’s Tatton Park on Sunday 11 November 2012.

Cllr Cahal Burke said:

“I completed the Resolution 15k run last year and decided to go for it again. It is a worthy cause which is important to me as I have had family members who have suffered from a stroke and this is my way of contributing to the Stroke Association charity.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me in the 15K Run and the charity.

Every year, over 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), that’s one person every five minutes. Furthermore, there is the misconception that stroke only affects older people, however, in reality, 25% of strokes occur in people under the age of 65 and much can be done. Therefore, I feel privileged to have had the opportunity of completing the 15K Run for the second time now.

Not all strokes can be prevented, but every little bit we can do as individuals will help The Stroke Association to invest more towards reducing the lasting effects of stroke on the lives of patients and their families.”

A stroke doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone at any time in their life. Strokes are sudden and their consequences can be devastating. The Stroke Association is the only UK charity solely concerned with helping everyone affected by stroke. The Stroke Association are working for a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need.

A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is often called a mini stroke or mild stroke. The symptoms are very similar to those of a full-blown stroke, but they only last for a short time, anything from a few minutes up to 24 hours. If you have had a TIA you will recover completely within about a day. If your symptoms have lasted longer than 24 hours, you may have had a stroke rather than a TIA.

A TIA is a sign that part of your brain is not getting enough blood and you are at risk of having a stroke in the future. Each year around 46,000 people in the UK have their first TIA.

Further information can be obtained about what practical, emotional and financial support is available at the website for the Stroke Association: http://www.stroke.org.uk

LINDLEY WARD Residents Surgery

In an effort to better represent the needs and interests of all residents, I hold a residents advice surgery on the second Saturday of each month.

9:30am – 10:30am (Lindley Library)
and
11am – 12pm (Salendine Nook Shopping Centre with the Neighbourhood Policing Team).

No appointment necessary, just come along.

www.cahalburke.co.uk
www.facebook.com/CahalBurke
www.twitter.com/CahalBurke

Cllr Burke campaigning for a better bus service

Bus Changes mean residents going nowhere fast – especially on a Sunday

Older people and vulnerable residents living in parts of Salendine Nook, Mount, Lindley and Quarmby who are unhappy with changes to their bus service are being encouraged to come forward and let METRO know how their lives are being affected.

Councillor Cahal Burke – ward councillor for the area – has been contacted by a number of residents about the negative impact the changes are having on their lives asking him what can be done.

Under changes recently implemented by METRO:

• Residents living on Weatherhill Road in Lindley no longer have a Sunday bus Service as the 501 service will take a different route on a Sunday.

• the 357 and 368 services have been merged to form a single 377/378 service

Problems people are experiencing include

– Not being able to get to appointments with doctors or at the hospital in good time
– Having to pay for taxi’s to get to places when they can’t make the bus
– Having to spend much longer travelling than they did previously
– Not being able to visit friends and relatives
– Not being able to attend church on a Sunday

Some residents are saying that they are thankful for their free bus pass but it isn’t much use now there isn’t a bus that meets their needs.

Councillor Burke said:

“A lot of residents, especially older and vulnerable people, have come forward since the changes saying that they have their lives are now much more difficult. Every story is different. From the person who now has to spend three hours attending hospital appointments to the resident who no longer goes to church on a Sunday. I have written to people locally asking them to get in touch with METRO to register the problems that they are having so that they can understand what impacts the changes are having. Hopefully having received that information they might change things again in a way that will better meet people’s needs.”

Anybody who wishes to raise specific issues regarding the recent changes should email: busconsultation@wypte.gov.uk or write: FREEPOST BUS CONSULTATION TEAM (METRO)

Cllr Cahal Burke at the Lindley Walking Zone launch

Two local Lindley schools are all set to improve walking to school habits which is in line with October’s International Walk to School Month.

Cllr Cahal Burke said :

“The safety of the young people and family members that are on foot in and around the schools is of primary concern. This is the message from the two Lindley schools and they are both promoting walking to school and road safety with events being held during October.

It is encouraging that both schools are continuing to play an important role in tackling road safety in the vicinity. In the current financial climate with budgets being cut, it is good to see two local schools in my ward showing that there are lots of innovative ways to benefit from walking to school – even if that is just once or twice a week.

I am hopeful that events planned for October at the two schools will highlight there are ways of reducing the traffic and parking congestion around the schools. It will also make the area around the schools safer for the young people.

I will be taking part myself along with the Neighbourhood Policing Team and will show parents what is on offer and meet the Kirklees road safety mascot, Strider, who will be on hand to meet with the pupils and tell them why it’s good to walk to school.

Events during the month will highlight to parents through information given, how easy it is to walk to school rather than going by car. It also promotes ‘Park and Stride’ and ‘Drop and Go’ to those parents who live too far away and have to drive to school. We are hoping it will help towards reducing congestion and parking problems on the roads around both schools and improve safety. These are issues that have been of serious concern for some time for all those involved with the schools.”

Road safety outside Lindley Junior and Lindley CE Infant School has been of ongoing concern for parents for many years. In December 2011 the issue came to a head when parents protested outside the Schools blocking vehicles from entering George Street. This resulted in the police having to patrol the highway at the start and end of the school day for a number of months.

Earlier this year the Area Committee for Huddersfield committed £33,000 for works to improve road safety outside Lindley Junior and Infant Schools following the long running campaign of which Cllr Burke initiated. He will be keeping residents up to date on the developments and can be contacted for further information.
These monies will be split over the two years, with an allocation of £12,000 from 2012/13 and another £21,000 the following year.

A further contribution of £35,000 is being allocated from Highway Safety budgets. However the scheme will require planning permission and as such the overall scheme cost and contribution needed may change subject to any planning conditions implemented during this process.

Cllr Cahal Burke visits the new Oakes Community Cafe

A new Community Cafe at Oakes has opened its doors to the public for the first time on Friday 12th of October.

A “not for profit” project, Oakes Community Café – based at Oakes Baptist Church on Oakes Road behind the Highgate Pub – is now open top the public each Friday between 9am and 2pm.

The Cafe has being set up with funding from Kirklees Community Partnership Scheme and the help and support of Huddersfield Methodist Mission.

Running under the banner of “Here to serve you” it will offer “good wholesome food in friendly surroundings” for the whole community.

Cllr Cahal Burke (Lib Dem, Lindley Ward) popped in to the café to wish staff well on their first day:

“This is yet another example of the excellent community spirit and initiative that there is here in Oakes and in the Lindley ward in general. The café will be a place where people of all ages can come to enjoy some refreshment, meet other people and feel at home and part of the community. I wish them my best with this venture and will look to support them in any way I can.”

People can find out more about the café by visiting the Oak Baptist Church Website: www.oakesbaptist.org.uk

Birchencliffe Community Centre

Birchencliffe Community Centre – a popular and well used community facility in Lindley Ward – is being helped to create a play area and community garden thanks to a £10,000 investment agreed by Huddersfield Area Committee at its meeting on Tuesday 2nd October.

The centre is owned by St Philips Church and run as a non-profit organisation for the benefit of the community. It is home to a wide range of activities and clubs which promote health, welfare and social interaction whilst also offering facilities that can be booked by the community. Activities available include: Rainbows, Brownies & Guides, Beavers, Cubs & Scouts, The Mothers Union, The Cliffites Dramatic Society, Lindley Out of School Club, Kiddiecats Nursery, Weightwatchers classes, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Tai Kwan Do, Kick Boxing, U3A Wood Carvers, Music and the Deaf and many more. The Centre’s facilities include a large multi-purpose community hall which can be used for meetings, play, sports, exhibitions, concerts, wedding receptions and family parties. It also has several other smaller meeting and function rooms.

Earlier this year, again with the assistance of the Area Committee, the Community Centre purchased a piece of land from the council so it could establish a play area and community garden for the centre. As the piece of land purchased is adjacent to a busy road and has a pronounced slope it requires fencing and some ground works to make it useable and safe.

With the support of Cllr Cahal Burke (Lib Dem, Lindley Ward) the centre has approached the Area Committee to ask for funding to carry out the required improvements so that everyone who lives in the local community can benefit from the new resource.

Future plans for the play area and community garden include a planted area with the potential for community food growing and other environmental projects which the centre will undertake fundraising to pay for involving the local community.

Cllr Cahal Burke said:

“The Community Centre at Birchencliffe is a well used community facility where people of all ages go to as members of different clubs or to take part in events – it really is a very good community facility and the only one in the local area. The land that the Centre purchased is next to a busy main road and it also needs levelling so it is safe for everyone, especially for the young people. There is no other recreational site near by so it’s really good that the centre will now have this to offer to local people and their families while the community garden space should broaden the range of things that the centre can run and host. I am very pleased that the Community Centre has been granted the funding by members of the committee and I hope that it helps the centre go from strength to strength,”

Rev’d Mary Railton-Crowder said:

The new garden and play space will be a wonderful addition to the facilities at the Community Centre. We are very grateful to Councillor Burke and the Area Committee for supporting our efforts to turn this piece of wasteland into a valuable community resource.

Cllr Cahal Burke visits Huddersfield Fire Station.

I was invited to visit Huddersfield Fire station in my role as a member of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority recently by the District Commander, as part of the Kirklees District Team Performance Management.

It was an absolute pleasure to attend and observe training and also speak to so many fire fighters who do such a difficult job protecting and keeping people safe.

www.westyorksfire.gov.uk

New bikes for police in Lindley

Police patrolling Lindley Ward are being helped to improve their response times thanks to Huddersfield Area Committee.

At it meeting on Tuesday 2nd October, members of th…e committee agreed to fund the purchase of two new patrol bicycles for the ward’s PCSO’s.

The report presented to members explained that the investment would allow the PCSO’s to cover the area more effectively, both in terms of their response times to calls from the public but also when conducting their general patrols. It also said that these improvements would help residents to feel more secure by allowing the police to increase their visibility across the local area.

Cllr Cahal Burke said:

“The bicycles and equipment funded by the area committee will allow the Lindley Neighbourhood Policing Team to conduct more high visibility bike patrols throughout the area. The bike patrols will help in tackling crime by allowing the officers to cover more ground and improving response times. But they will also provide the Neighbourhood Policing Team with more opportunities to engage with residents and discuss any concerns that they may have by helping them to achieve more face-to-face contacts each day. The bikes compliment the current patrol strategies the NPT has in place and it is important the council and police continue to support one another in making our communities safer places to live and work. I hope the area committee funding will make a real difference to the local policing team within their frontline duties.”

Cllr Cahal Burke targets illegal advertising.

Residents in Lindley have been left frustrated at an eyesore created by businesses putting up huge commercial adverts illegally on unused buildings.

Cllr Cahal Burke, Lib Dem for Lindley Ward, has received numerous complaints from residents who are unhappy about the eyesore created on the now disused Post Office at Birchencliffe (Halifax Road Junction with Birchington Avenue).

Cllr Cahal Burke said:

“What we have here is more than just flyposting; it is companies trying to benefit from free advertising on empty buildings. This is inconsiderate to local residents and illegal, they clearly do not care about the eyesore they are creating for the area.

It is illegal to put up advertising on a building without permission from the owner. I would like to see businesses think carefully and, to check the situation with the Council, rather than just putting up advertising of any kind, illegally on empty buildings.

I hope this sends a signal out to other traders that the Council will take action and they will not get away with it.”

If residents would like to report any such matters, they are welcome to contact Cllr Cahal Burke on 07976 497980 or cahal.burke@kirklees.gov.uk

What You Can Do About Flyposting

Fly posting is the illegal and unauthorised placing of any sign, poster or sticker advertising or promoting an event or commercial activity on any street sign, public utility street cabinets or on private premises.

If you see flyposting on Council property, or the public highway, please report this to Kirklees Council using the step by step form available online at: http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/you-kmc/kmc-formsindex/reportit/locality.asp?type=flyposting or you can telephone Highways Section on 0800 731 8765.