In an effort to better represent the needs and interests of all residents, I hold a residents advice surgery with Cllr Anthony Smith and Cllr Ashleigh Robinson every month.
Whether in the Lindley ward or in Kirklees, our work is guided by the needs and priorities of all our residents.
If you need to speak to us about an issue affecting you or the local area, feel free to get in touch or attend a residents’ surgery, no appointment necessary!
9:30am – 10:30am (Lindley Library)
and
11am – 12pm (Salendine Nook Shopping Centre with the Neighbourhood Policing Team)
If you are unable to attend, please contact us using the details below.
Delighted to attend the opening of Huddersfield Royal Infirmary’s new A&E department along with the new wellbeing garden.
The 24/7, purpose-built A&E will serve the people of Huddersfield and the surrounding area, enabling the provision of high-quality urgent and emergency care for local people.
The new A&E is a much-needed replacement for the existing department, which dates back to the 1960s. It is in a brand-new location on South Drive, easily accessed from Acre Street with parking for cars and ambulances.
The new A&E at HRI is almost twice the size of the current department, and has much-improved facilities, including:
• a larger resuscitation area with four private bays
• a dedicated children’s waiting area
• treatment rooms with sliding glass doors to improve privacy and dignity
• two state-of-the-art x-ray rooms
• a sensitively-located bereavement suite for families.
Cllr Cahal Burke is now mayor following a ceremony at Huddersfield Town Hall.
Lib Dem councillor for Lindley Cllr Cahal Burke has begun his term with his daughter Sinead by his side as Mayoress. The councillor who was first elected to Kirklees Council in 2010 was described by party colleagues as “truly an outstanding councillor.”
Fellow ward colleague Cllr Anthony Smith (Lib Dem) nominated Cllr Burke to become the new mayor at today’s ceremony. He told the town hall: “Cahal is the epitome of a public servant and politician who aspires to office for all the right reasons.”
Cllr Smith spoke of Cllr Burke’s involvement in his local community of Lindley over the years including his role in establishing the Lindley Community Group of which he currently chairs. He added: “In the Lindley ward, everyone knows someone who has been helped by Cllr Burke.”
Seconding the nomination was Lib Dem leader Cllr John Lawson (Cleckheaton) who also spoke highly of the new mayor. Cllr Lawson described Cllr Burke as “driven to serve his community” and “somebody committed to people of the borough.”
He added: “The people of Kirklees can expect a hardworking, energetic mayor,” and described the new Mayoress as an “exceptional young woman with a bright future ahead of her.”
Addressing the town hall, Cllr Burke said: “Politics and elections were always part of my life. I remember as a child growing up going on polling day with my parents when they went to vote. By voting and participating, I knew early on that we were able to express our views to the decision makers about important issues.
“I think we all need to do more to open up the process to younger people and make politics and elections part of life. I know our children and young people’s engagement officers do a fantastic job with a democracy friendly schools programme and do great work engaging with children in schools and we need to support the work and ensure it continues so we can increase participation in our democratic process.”
He added: “Although the wonderful achievements of my predecessor will be a tough act to follow, I nevertheless pledge my energy and efforts to achieve another successful year supporting our civic life, council and most importantly all the residents and communities of Kirklees.
“It is a great honour and privilege and humbling experience for me to be mayor especially as Kirklees celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. During my term of office I’m looking forward to getting to meet many more community groups, organisations, businesses that make our borough a special place to live, work and visit.”
Congratulations to my ward colleague Cllr Anthony Smith who has been successfully re-elected!
Thank you to everyone who voted and supported us!
Cllr. Smith is a dedicated hard working local councillor and I’m delighted with his emphatic win, he thoroughly deserves it.
We can now continue to get on with helping all the residents and communities in our area and making it a wonderful place to live.
The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.
We ran a successful positive campaign based on our proven track record of delivering for local people – thank you to all the candidates who stood.
Following our campaign working with the council, local groups and residents Cllr Anthony Smith and I are delighted that the council have listened to our concerns regarding Occupation Road, Thornhill Road and Syringa Street.
They recognised our concern about making Occupation Road one way, the removal of uncontrolled parking on Thornhill Road and the high volume of traffic on Syringa Street making it potentially unsafe as a mixed-use route (where cyclists and vehicles share the carriageway).
As a result, when a funding stream is identified, the council believe it will be possible to ensure new proposals:
• Maintain the 2-way system on Occupation Road • Will not remove uncontrolled parking on Thornhill Road • Will not propose a mixed-use route on Syringa Street • Will review our existing alignment on Syringa Street and Thornhill Road
The project is now on hold and when funding streams are identified residents will be updated and a consultation will begin on the new proposals.
Thank you to all those who have campaigned so hard! Working together we can achieve so much.
On 5 July 2022, the NHS will mark 74 years of service. This milestone will present us with opportunities to showcase how the NHS has innovated and adapted to meet the changing needs of each successive generation.
We can all play a role in supporting the NHS in this birthday year, by volunteering, raising money for a local NHS charity, or by taking steps to look after our own health and using services wisely. To sign up to host your own NHS Big Tea event and receive a fundraising support pack, please visit www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk
In 1942 Liberal William Beveridge produced a report, the Beveridge Report, which identified five evil giants – want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. In identifying disease as a barrier to progress, he proposed a free national health service.
In 1946, the new government passed the National Health Service Act.
Myself and Cllr Anthony Smith have been working with Highways to deal with a number of local parking issues over the last few month and years.
We now have proposals for a number of local roads including Plover Road, Plover Mills, Oakes Road & Wellington Street. plan showing various new lengths of double yellow lines and a section of single yellow line.
These are proposals to address the issues on the following Roads that have been reported to us:
• Plover Road – Visibility issues exiting Equilibrium on to Plover Road, including vehicles sometime parking right on top of the junction corners.
• Plover Mills – complaints about cars parking on Plover Mill close to the junction with Plover Road.
• Oakes Road – Various extensions and new lengths of restrictions between New Hey Road and School Street West – this is in main to aid the passing of large lorries that periodically need access to the local mill and have often struggled due to inappropriate parking.
• Plover Rd – between Wellington St and New Hey Road – changes to again improve route for HGVs leaving the area.
• School St West junction with Oakes Rd and Plover Rd – extension to existing double yellow lines to help with turning manoeuvres for lorries, including extending to the west of the entrance to Woollen Spinners site.
• Wellington St/junction with Oakes Rd – double yellow lines from corner up to start of permit parking bay to prevent parking across dropped kerb crossing points.
There will be a full consultation and residents will be able to comment on the proposals. Please contact us if there are any other Road or Highways issues.
Anthony John Smith
