Kirkheaton_Community website News

“The council has pledged its commitment to keeping libraries open but is looking to involve local communities in helping to run them against a background of ongoing cuts in budget.

The proposal is to develop a group of current service points as community-run village libraries which would each be supported by a ‘hub’ Library and Information Centre (LIC).

Cllr Shabir Pandor, Joint Cabinet member for Resources, said: “We want to get people involved in running their libraries and providing what their communities want. However, to gauge interest in this project we need everyone to get involved in the consultation and community engagement events. We need to hear what they want out of the service, and how they think it should be run, and how they can help do this. Communities will get a real say in what happens in their area. Already a number of community groups have expressed an interest in becoming involved and I am very encouraged by their enthusiasm”

He added: “This provides the opportunity for communities to consider doing things differently - for example they would have the freedom to run other activities or change opening times. It is a great chance for local people to shape what happens in their community potentially using the library as a centre of activity.”

The proposal currently being investigated in partnership with elected members is to see how communities can become involved in running their local library in Denby Dale, Golcar, Honley, Lepton, Kirkheaton, Shepley and Slaithwaite. These villages will see targeted community engagement events on the proposal and there will be some pilot projects to gauge success.

Local people are to be invited to take a full part in the consultation and the service offered at each of the libraries will be tailored to meet community needs using the results of this.”

As a minimum, the community-run libraries would offer self-service books and other media loans, public access computers for accessing the Internet, word processing and library-based events. Book reservation and enquiries would be provided through a free phone access to the ‘hub’ library and information centre. The hub would also provide librarian support to train community volunteers, help with stock, and provide advice and support for events.

The move is in keeping with the government’s ‘Big Society’ which sees councils involving their communities in defining and providing services. Many local authorities are already considering large-scale community-run libraries and the government-funded ‘Future Libraries’ research programme which is seeking innovative ways to provide services, has given strong support to the potential positive outcome of more community involvement in running library services.

People who want to get involved should contact their local ward councillors in the first instance”

Yetton Together was invited to a meeting to discuss this proposal by our ward councillors and council officials.

When the council has completed its research into the proposal a meeting will be held in Kirkheaton where interested individuals and groups will be able to consider the feasibility of Kirkheaton library being run by the volunteers from the community.

At the moment the council is still in the process of looking at the logistics of community run libraries and the financial and support implications.

YT meet with local business people
On the 15th November YT invited local shopkeepers and small business people to a meeting to discuss the Community Plan. About 15 people attended. Richard Steel started of the meeting by talking about how YT evolved and what it saw as its role in the community. Various members of the steering group then describe their particular roles in the various action plans being developed. The floor was then opened for discussion. There was lively debate on how more people could be encourage to shop in the village. Parking was seen as a major problem and a variety of imaginative ideas were put forward to address this problem. The business people there stressed that they wanted to help in any way possible and the general concensus was that the meeting had been a very worth while event as it also put them in touch with each other.

Neighbourhood Watch Information Evening
Around about 30 people braved the wet and windy weather to go to the United Church to find out more about the Neighbourhood Watch scheme [NW] David Whitteron [Liaison Officer] spoke of what exactly a NW scheme was and how to set a group up. Sarah Conderson [our PSCO] spoke about her role in the village and the value of PACT.
Hopefully it will be the start of many new NW groups in the community as many of the people there were enthusiastic and wanted to canvass opinions on their streets.
Anyone unable to attend the meeting but is thinking they would like to start a NW group in their street can contact David on 01484 436840

Over £3000 raised at Auction of Promises
On Saturday 8th October an auction of promises was held at Kirkheaton School in aid of The Building for Mission fund. Promises sold ranged from:

... the mundane eg 2 nights of babysitting [£32], half a day's DIY [£80]

... to the mouth watering eg home made pavlova[£12], 16individual sticky toffee puddings with pecan sauce[£40]

... to the crafty eg a handmade quilt [£110], bespoke item of furniture [£100]

... to the practical eg 5 hours of taxi service [£15],1 hour introduction to crown green bowling[£20]

... to the scary eg a ride on a BMW 1200cc bike + breakfast [eaten after the ride!] £100,a tandem bike ride [£35]

... to the educational eg 2 hours maths tuition[£5], music lessons[£30] map reading lessons[£35]

and many more - all donated by members of the community.
Altogether £2879.50 was raised which when gift aided brought the toal to well over £3000

An open letter from Kirkheaton Parish Church regarding the proposed use of the old school as a night shelter for a small group of Asylum Seekers

Use of Old School as temporary emergency night shelter

Kirkheaton Parish Church are currently working with Huddersfield based organisation, ASSURE (Asylum Seekers Support and Response) to explore the possibility of setting up a Night Shelter for asylum seekers.

The aim of the project is to support and assist asylum seekers who for a variety of reasons are not able to access the state support system and are thus destitute. This may be because their original application has been refused, which in turn is often because they have been unable to obtain adequate information regarding their situation for their originating country, since they had to leave rapidly because of the threat of violence or civil strife. In spite of this rejection they are unable to return to their originating country because the British courts have deemed it unsafe for people to return to those countries, for example, Zimbabwe and Iran.

These people are not legally allowed to work nor can they claim benefits, so they left without any form of support or shelter. Many of them are able to make a fresh claim as soon as they are able to accumulate the information required by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal, and then become entitled to limited state support. Others may, in due time, be returned to their country of origin (and there is a large backlog of such cases to be dealt with). But in the meantime they have few options of where to live. It is this emergency, short-term, need we are seeking to help. A similar scheme has been running very successfully in Sheffield for the last seven years. This is the scheme that ASSURE is modelling its own on.

If all goes ahead the shelter will most likely operate from 8 pm to 8 am for five nights a week, the residents returning to central Huddersfield during the day, where there are various supportive activities available. The organisation is also looking for families to act as hosts to cover the remaining two nights, or perhaps longer.
Initially there will be no more than 2 - 4 asylum seekers and numbers are likely to remain small, certainly no more than 10. The shelter will be run by at least two volunteers, who will remain in the building overnight in order to supervise and offer support.

We do not yet have a proposed start date, as there are still various things to be done to ensure all necessary regulations are followed, but the need is urgent, as Huddersfield has now become an official centre for Asylum Seekers to be sent. This scheme is temporary as the site of the Old School already has Planning Permission for six houses.

Letters have gone out to the immediate neighbours, various meetings arranged, we have gauged initial response to the idea with representatives of the community and local Councillors, taken the advice of the Police and are in the process of consulting with others.

There will be a public meeting at the Old School at 7 pm, 24th May to provide more information and to answer questions. All are welcome.

If you would like any more information before then please contact either the Rector, the Revd Richard Steel, (01484 532410) or Tony Bowers, Secretary of ASSURE Huddersfield - (07582 486833) or (01484 844737).

You can also find out more about refugees and their needs at www.kirkleesrefugeeforum.org.uk

May 24th May - As a result of opposition from residents the proposal for a night shelter for asylum seekers in Kirkheaton has been withdraw

How will the Local Development Framework affect us?

Kirkless Council has published a consultation document about how Kirklees should develop during the next 18 years. Issues addressed include location of new housing and jobs. This seems to have superceded the earlier 'Land Plan' when it was proposed that up to 1300 new homes would have been built in Kirkheaton.

Locally the issues include:

Dalton ward, which includes Kirkheaton, has been allocated a total of 400 new homes – 300 of which are already planned.[Proposed home building sites include the demolished Huddersfield Fine Worsted site, Jarmain's cleared site and an area in Briggate, Dalton]
An area around Cooper Bridge* [approximately 50 hectares] has been identified as future ‘employment land’ on greenfield land [land not already developed] with a potential of up to 3100 jobs
What affects might these developments have on our school, our roads and other facilities

You can find out more and comment [upto 6th February] by visiting www.kirklees.gov.uk/jobsandhome

* We are sorry that in our newsletter Colne Bridge was mistakenly identified as the area to be developed.

Can you help stop a historical footpath from falling into disuse?

Update January 2012
As the council has not made a decision regarding the status of the footpath a meeting was held in December between Yetton Together represented by David Clarkin and 2 other members, Bill Amer[PC] and the owner of the property adjacent to the path -Craig Miller. Craig agreed to make the area next to the path stable and to resurface the path upto the steps. Hopefully volunteers will then 'make good' the top part of the path.

February 2011

David Clarkin reports that he has a good response to his appeal for information. He will be meeting with the footpath officer for Kirklees at the end of this month to present all his evidence so he urges anyone who has a completed questionnaire to let him have it as soon as possible. David can be contacted on 01484 535643

The footpath between Shop Lane and St Paul’s Road [along the boundary of what was Huddersfield Fine Worsted Mills] has fallen into disrepair [see the map]
Kirklees MC will only maintain the path if it can be established as a public right of way.
David Clarkin and his wife who are residents on St Paul’s Road, are at the moment collating evidence to demonstrate that the footpath has been used regularly during the last 20 years to enable it to be adopted by the council.
They have been unable to find out ownership through the Land Registry and would welcome any information regarding this.
They are also wanting evidence from individuals who have regularly used the footpath during the last 20 years or even before.
David can be contacted on 01484 535643 or email to dsclarkin@btinternet.com

Action is needed now. People are already avoiding using the path as it is very overgrown and difficult to negotiate.

Shop Lane footpath