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. This has now been discontinued with officers being required elsewhere.

Since the events of December, a public meeting has taken place involving all concerned parties including the police, School staff, parents, residents and local councillors resulting in a working group being formed which has now produced several options for further exploration.

A survey of the area has also been undertaken by the council’s Highway’s Department showing that between the hours of 8 and 9am and 5 and 6pm 615 and 437 unaccompanied children crossed George Street respectively.

While Lindley Councillor Cahal Burke is pleased that action is being taken he is concerned that the process involved in introducing the changes will take too long and that – ultimately – funding may not be available. The Councillor believes a crossing Patrol on George Street should be introduced immediately to help ensure child safety while the options are explored and consulted on and the availability of funding established.

Cllr Burke said:

“While I am pleased that officers are taking the concerns of parents, residents and councillors seriously, I am very concerned that an accident is going to happen before anything is actually done. Around 1000 unaccompanied children cross George Street each day and the situation could be immediately improved by the introduction of a crossing patrol and this is what should happen while work on the various options is undertaken. To not do this wilfully places the safety of local children at risk. We want to create an environment which gives parents the confidence to allow their children to use alternatives to the car for their journey to and from school and bringing in a crossing patrol would help to achieve this.”

“My understanding is that George Street does not meet the criteria for a crossing patrol. I have a number of objections on this front. Firstly, the decision has been made on evidence gathered on just one day. Secondly, the efforts Police, the Schools, parents and councillors have made to reduce the number of vehicles travelling along George Street should be taken in account when considering the results of the survey produced by officers. At present, they seem to be saying that we can’t have a crossing patrol because we have helped ourselves. This strict attitude to policy seems to run in the face of common sense, actively discouraging people from trying to tackle issues themselves. It is also likely that in September when the new intake of children come the issue will flare up again so whatever improvement there has been it may not be permanent. I have written to the Director responsible for the service explaining this and asking for them to be flexible over the criteria on this occasion and that they introduce a crossing patrol as an interim measure until a longer term solution can be found and implemented.”

People can sign Cllr Burke’s petition to get a crossing patrol instated on George Street Lindley by visiting: www.signme.org.uk/692

Sgt Simon Short of Lindley Neighbourhood Policing Team said

“It is disappointing that we have not been able to secure the services of a crossing patrol. We will continue to work with all interested parties to further improve road safety around George Street”

LABOUR RUN COUNCIL is starting a scheme to turn off 2000 street lights in Kirklees.

Do we really live in a country where we can’t afford to provide street lighting to our citizens? The environmental argument doesn’t wash; this is purely about cost cutting. Good street lighting reduces crime, it makes the public feel safe and it reduces the risk of road traffic accidents.

Residents have expressed to me concerns that it will encourage vandalism and burglary. For many people, particularly those who live on their own, it will be very intimidating. Kirklees should be looking at more environmentally friendly lighting technology.

Motoring organisations have also warned that the changes could increase the number of road accidents.

The AA, said: “There is concern that some local authorities appear to be doing this to save money, rather than to save the environment.”

“In terms of road accidents, we have to be sure that this won’t lead to more deaths and injuries on the roads, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians who are difficult to see at the best of times.”

“The statistical evidence shows that there are more fatal and serious accidents when roads are unlit.”

I would like to inform you that Metro is proposing to remove the bus shelter (450 22782) on Weatherhill Road, near Weatherhill Crescent.

Metro has undertaken a passenger usage survey on 20/09/2011 and found that there was 1 passenger usage of the bus shelter. This site no longer satisfies the Integrated Transport Authority’s criteria of a minimum 50 passengers per day using the bus shelter.

To keep a bus shelter on a street which has a low/zero passenger usage, results in maintenance costs in cleaning and damage repair for low use facility. Metro intends to remove this bus shelter permanently from this site.

If you have any comments on this issue please contact Mr. Neil Stewart (Highways Liaison Coordinator) on 0113 2517289 or by e-mail neil.stewart@wypte.gov.uk before 3rd February.

Currently children are in danger from road traffic when walking to school in Lindley.

The School Crossing Patrols are an integral part of the council’s Road Safety Policy. We want to create an environment which gives parents the confidence to allow their children to use alternatives to the car for their journey to and from school. Without the School Crossing Patrols it is likely that many parents would not allow their children to walk to school.

Road safety is an issue to which great importance is attached by both central and local government. The Government, through local councils, is also seeking to promote a series of measures which are designed to reduce car journeys and encourage alternative means of transport. Examples include School Travel Plans and School Safety Zones.

Lets get Kirklees Council to establish a School Crossing Patrol Service on George Street in Lindley. This will ensure that children and adults can travel easily and safely whilst on their journeys to and from school.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE: www.SignMe.org.uk/692

I am delighted to tell you that Kirklees Council have now decided not to introduce the proposed parking charges for the permit scheme. This is down to your fantastic response to the letters and petitions we have sent out about this.

I have campaigned long and hard on this issue and kept up the pressure on Kirklees Council to reverse their decision.

If I can be of any help with this or any other matter, do not hesitate to contact me. Together we can make real changes in your area.

Lib Dem councillors had a ‘sound’ researched plan to put forward which rejected the proposal for development (Greenbelt and POL) in the Grimescar Valley on the grounds that it is of particular environmental value to many residents in Huddersfield and because that part of the town has already had significant numbers of new homes with several hundred more in the pipeline. We listened carefully to local residents and acted.

Labour and the Conservatives did not have a plan to prevent all development on Grimescar Valley!

Out of the three Lindley ward councillors, two attended the meeting Cllr Christine Stanfield and Cllr Cahal Burke who also spoke against development on Grimescar Valley.

The conservative plan was weak and was intended to make headlines and nothing else. Led by a disillusioned Colne Valley M.P. who tried to fool everyone about empty homes, this myth was quashed. The same M.P. had previously stated we didn’t need a plan! He also did not turn up to the meeting but found the time when there was a photo opportunity at the weekend! Nothing new there…

After 13 hours we voted for a plan which included the possibility to remove the provisional open land because the other proposals would not have given the opportunity to do this. The conservatives did not vote to save the provisional open land despite stating that they were against development on Grimescar Valley. As a result of the deal that was done, 4 groups will be sorting out the next and crucial stage of which sites should be developed. The Tories will not be part of that.

Cllr Cahal Burke, Lib Dem Member for Lindley Ward, has completed the Resolution 15k Run at Cheshire’s Tatton Park on Sunday 20 November.

Cllr Cahal Burke said:

“The fact that every year, over 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), that’s one person every five minutes, is astonishing.

I feel that by taking part in this event it has given me the opportunity to be part of a very worthy cause which is very important to me. The benefits have been two-fold, firstly and most importantly to raise money for the Stroke Association and also on a personal level to improve my general health and fitness.”

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. Below are some a few facts about Stroke.

• An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke in the UK each year
• Stroke accounts for around 53,000 deaths each year in the UK
• Stroke is the third most common cause of death in England and Wales, after heart disease and cancer
• Stroke accounts for 9 per cent of all deaths in men and 13 per cent of deaths in women in the UK
• Stroke has a greater disability impact than any other chronic disease. Over 300,000 people are living with moderate to severe disabilities as a result of stroke
• Three times more women die from stroke than breast cancer
• 10,000 people under the age of 30 will have a stroke each year
• For every £1 spent on cancer research in the UK , around 6p is spent on stroke research

You can support the Stroke Association: http://www.stroke.org.uk/donate/index.html

Liberal Democrats have submitted their plans for the Local Development Framework. This is a strategic plan to determine the amount of land needed over the next 17 years for new homes and new businesses.
Housing: The Lib Dems plan 2 distinct phases for housing. The first phase is for 15,436 houses. The vast majority of these houses are on sites that already have planning permission but which have yet to be developed because of the recession. The second phase of 7,000 homes would NOT be included in the plan unless the housing in phase 1 was in the process of being developed.

This achieves the Liberal Democrat aim of “forcing” housing developers onto brownfield sites first. At the same time it safeguards Greenfield sites as these would only be developed once the land supply of brownfield land has dried up.

This approach also ensures that there will be enough homes in the area but that these will only built in line with known demand.

Land for business: There are currently £2.6 million people who are unemployed. In Kirklees the unemployment rate is 5% and nearly 30% of young people are without a job. These figures demand a positive response from the Council. That is why we are determined to create the necessary environment in which businesses are attracted into Kirklees to create new jobs that are high skill and high value.

Liberal Democrats want to give Dewsbury and Batley the chance to regenerate from within with a once in a lifetime injection of £400,000,000 of private sector investment. This will provide new homes and new jobs in Dewsbury and the regeneration of the Bradford Road corridor. An investment of this scale will bring much needed new businesses to the town centres and the potential for major additional investment in roads and other services.

For Huddersfield, the creation of a Business Park at Cooper Bridge will bring a significant number of new jobs for Huddersfield. Liberal Democrats want the Council to work with the University to encourage “spin-off” businesses from university research.

The Liberal Democrat Group have rejected the proposal for development (Greenbelt and POL) in the Grimescar Valley on the grounds that it is of particular environmental value to many residents in Huddersfield and because that part of the town has already had significant numbers of new homes with several hundred more in the pipeline.

We have listened very carefully to representations from local people. We have balanced the known need for more houses – there are 17,000 families on the Housing Register for instance – with a determination to safeguard as much of our green land as possible.

We have also borne in mind the fact that it is a Government appointed Planning Inspector who will have the final say on the Council’s plan. The Inspector has the power to instruct the Council to increase the amount of land for housing and business if he considers the council plan to be inadequate. We want elected councillors to be in control of the plan for Kirklees not an unelected and unaccountable inspector who doesn’t live here. That is why having a credible plan that is in the words of the Government guidance “sound” is vital.

Council officers will present their draft proposals on a planning blueprint for the next 15 years to the council’s Cabinet at their meeting on November 8.

View webcast on November 8 here: http://www.kirklees.public-i.tv/core/

This Local Plan sets out how many jobs and homes will be needed in Kirklees by 2028, and outlines proposals on where and how much land could be made available across the district.

Local Development Framework (LDF) core strategy draft proposals for submission to the Secretary of State:
http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/Secure/meetings/pdfs/1111/CABINET08111143987D.pdf

The Plan is to be considered by Cabinet Members at their meeting on 8 November. Officers will invite Cabinet Members to refer the Plan to the meeting of full council on 23rd November when all 69 councillors will make a decision, subject to any alternative proposals or amendments proposed by the political groups.

Information for Lindley ward:
http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/business/planning/ldf/SHLAA-reports/lindley.pdf

I was in favour of having the special meeting open to residents to attend and speak and thankfully the format will now allow members of the public to be involved in the council meeting when the Local Development Framework will be discussed.

The specially arranged meeting – to be held on Wednesday November 23 – will begin at 10am, when councilors will hear from members of the public and interested groups.

This session will close at 2pm, and the meeting will resume at 3pm with a presentation by officers on national planning framework guidelines, localism and the need for housing and employment land, before the leaders of each of the three main groups put forward their proposals. All councilors will then hold a debate until a decision is made. Anyone wishing to speak at the meetings should contact the council’s governance section on 01484 221712.

Following the decision by full council, the proposal will then go to the Secretary of State for further examination with a further opportunity for members of the public to make representations. Any representations in the six week period will be passed to the Secretary of State and considered at the examination stage as a key opportunity to influence the plan proposals.

I have a number of issues with the proposals being put forward to develop the Grimescar Valley and I am campaigning against this and also want this land to be kept out of the Local Development Framework (LDF). The Northern Gateway plan includes 841 houses; 355,000sq ft of office space; 10,000sq ft of shops and a 60-bed hotel. The Lindley ward area is now well-developed, with many new homes being built in the last five years and the local area would struggle to accommodate such a level of growth in terms of demand on local services such as schools and GP surgeries, as well as increase in traffic and air pollution.

Again I would like to reiterate that I will be fighting against the proposals for the development of the Grimescar Valley and will keep residents up to date on www.cahalburke.co.uk and twitter: @CahalBurke on matters as they arise.

SIGN OUR PETITION: http://signme.org.uk/683

Lib Dem Councillors Christine Stanfield and Cahal Burke are battling to save the one bit of Greenbelt left in Lindley Ward.

Grimescar Valley is a beautiful island in green on the edge of Lindley Ward. The Thornhill Estates, who own the land, have just unveiled plans to develop the valley from end to end!

Ainley Top and Birchencliffe would be reserved for employment and the rest of the valley for residential housing, 800 homes in total..

Cllr Christine Stanfield said: “We are totally opposed to any further erosion of the greenbelt in Lindley. We have just lost a huge acreage to buildings for employment and 300 houses and enough is enough! We will do everything we can to keep this valley out of the LDF.”

Cllr Cahal Burke said: “There are many other areas of Kirklees which are more suitable for development. Lindley is now well developed with many new homes being built in the last 5 years and the area really can’t take any more. Local residents have expressed to me their anger about Lindley Moor and then to have this come up for development just adds insult to injury. With local Labour councillors keen to develop areas of Kirklees and Conservatives nationally making it easier for builders to get permission to build, protecting places like Grimescar is going got be increasing difficult but we will be fighting this every inch of the way.”