Liberal Democrats believe that a quality education is the biggest opportunity to improve people’s lives. The coalition government published its white paper on schools – “The Importance of Teaching”. It sets out a reform programme to raise standards for all children while narrowing the gap between rich and poor.It shows how the Government is delivering the fair start for every child that we promised in the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

The White Paper announced four key reforms –

·         Delivering a Pupil Premium, on top of the budgets that schools already have, to go to every deprived child wherever they live, to allow schools to put extra resources into narrowing the gap in attainment between the richest and the poorest.

 ·         Giving all schools more freedom to make the right choices for their pupils – slimming down the national curriculum, removing bureaucracy and red tape and reducing testing and league tables.

 ·         Recognising that it is the quality of teaching that really makes a difference in the classroom – expanding graduate teacher programmes like Teach First, developing networks of “teaching schools” and supporting continuing professional development. 

 ·         Something important to Liberal Democrats, matching school freedoms with a strong strategic role for local authorities in ensuring fairness – in admissions policies, for children with special educational needs, and in championing educational excellence in all schools, including Free Schools and Academies.  

Your Neighbourhood Your Voice!

The next meeting (Huddersfield North) 16th November, Mount Methodist Church, 7pm. This will be followed by Mount Forum.

The PACT process gives you the chance to influence what happens in your neighbourhood. Through PACT, the community is able to influence and shape services in their area, identify and communicate their priorities with partners and help create community spirit and take ownership for an area. Come along to the next meeting and tell us what matters in your neighbourhood.

07th December 2010 Birchencliffe Community Centre
11th January 2011 Mount Methodist Church
01st February 2011 Birchencliffe Community Centre
15th March 2011 Mount Methodist Church
05th April 2011 Birchencliffe Community Centre
17th May 2011 Mount Methodist Church
07th June 2011 Birchencliffe Community Centre
12th July 2011 Mount Methodist Church

All meetings start at 7pm

Much needed work is nearing completion on Baker Street, Lindley.  

The works should be completed by next week, weather permitting from its junction with Acre Street to its junction with Gibson Street, the existing unmade street will be resurfaced with bitumen macadam and traffic calming measures will be put in place.  Baker Street will also benefit from improved drainage.

I am very pleased that Kirklees Council  has managed to secure this money to carry out the much needed repair works.  I  used to live on Baker Street myself and  I envisage that those travelling along Baker Street will hopefully see massive benefits.

The works have been deemed necessary by Kirklees Council on a priority basis and the scheme costing approximately £30,000 has been funded out of the Highways budget.

Most roads are maintained by the Council at the public’s expense.  However there are some streets called private streets (also known as unadopted roads) that are not the responsibility of the council even though the public may well have a right to use.

The people of Huddersfield are invited join in Remembrance Day commemorations in Greenhead Park, Huddersfield, on Thursday, November 11. Ex-servicemen, standard bearers and civic dignitaries will be taking part in the annual parade from the park’s Trinity Street entrance to the war memorial set within the Belvedere at the top of the main pathway.  

The Royal British Legion have appealed for local people to support the event and turn it into a heartfelt tribute to war veterans and those serving in Afghanistan.

             http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/support-us/how-to-give            

I and fellow Liberal Democrat Councillors are going to be in the centre of Huddersfield on Friday 5th November in support of the national “Yes! To Fairer Votes” campaign.

Between11:45am and 12:45pm Local Lib Dems will be manning a stall at Market Place outside Natwest to explain why the existing First Passed the Post voting system is unfair and how the introduction of the Alternative Vote (AV) would make parliament fairer and ensure that everyone’s vote matters when it comes to election day.

The “Yes! To Fairer Votes” campaign is being organised by “Take Back Parliament” a coalition of different groups and organisations including Unlock Democracy, Electoral Reform Society, Greenpeace and others who have come together to call for the introduction of fairness into voting system.The campaign began after the coalition government announced its intention to bring forward a referendum on electoral reform in May 2011 which would include provision for the introduction of AV should voters demand it.

http://www.takebackparliament.com/

 The Council of the Borough of Kirklees have made the above Order under their powers in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 the effect of which will be to prohibit the waiting of motor vehicles between the hours of 8am and 6 pm, Monday to Saturday on the following lengths of road: – 

1.    Kirkwood Drive, Lindley – North east side from its junction with Plover Road for 10 metres north westwards.

2.    Plover Road, Lindley –  North west side from its junction with Kirkwood Drive to a point 43 metres south west of its junction with Acre Street.  This Order will take effect on Monday 15 November 2010.

A copy of this Order, together with a plan showing the affected lengths of road and a statement of reasons for making the Order, may be examined during normal office hours at:- 

1.         Reception, Streetscene Service, Flint Street, Fartown, Huddersfield and

2.         Legal Reception, 2nd Floor, Civic Centre III, Huddersfield.

3.         Library and Information Centre, Lidget Street, Lindley.

CLICK HERE:  Plover Road, Lindley – Proposed Parking Restrictions

On Sunday the 17th of October I ran in the Huddersfield 10k, to raise money for Cancer Research UK (Bobby Moore Fund).

You can still sponsor me and make a donation to Cancer Research UK.
 http://www.run10kforbobbymoorefund.org/cahalburke

I have been campaigning for this service for some time now. I am pleased to announce the new Service will be run by JTR Travel in partnership with METRO from the end of the month. The new service takes over from the old 357 service which is being withdrawn by another bus company. The withdrawal of the old service threatened to leave Quarmby residents with a severely reduced level of service running between their homes and Huddersfield Town Centre.  

Overall I am very pleased that METRO has responded to me and my residents concerns about the withdrawal of the old service and they’ve done a good job of sorting out a suitable replacement in a very short period of time.  Local people have now got to use this service.  Its being provided on a ‘use it, or lose it’ basis from the end of the month, and METRO will only be able to justify funding it if it’s carrying enough people. 

My ward colleagues and I urge people living locally to get behind the new service and make certain that METRO have no choice put to keep it on the road.

Works to turn a forgotten Lindley cemetery into a bright and attractive remembrance garden are well underway.Zion Graveyard, between Holy Bank Road and Zion Close in Lindley, was once a functioning burial plot.  But at some point in the past the gravestones were moved to the side of the land and the space became a thoroughfare for local people heading to the local school and shops.

Local councillors felt that there was a need to improve the area, both for local people – making it nicer and easier to get across during the winter – but also for those interred there who they felt deserved a dignified resting place. This lead to £6750 project being funded via Huddersfield North Area Committee.

I am delighted that this is work is now underway and the final design taking shape. It will really improve the appearance of the area and make it more pleasant for local people.  It will also be a more fitting place considering its history.  On that note, I would like to urge people who walk their dogs in the area to be responsible and clean up appropriately after their dogs.  This is a graveyard and people should be respectful of that.

As you are probably aware, our new Mobile Library and Information Centres go into service for the first time this week. Therefore, this week, a new timetable comes into effect. Many customers will be unaffected. If you have any further queries, please contact 01484 226320.