It gives me great
pleasure in presenting this annual report for the last 12 month, a period that
has seen a continuity of service to the constituency that was rewarded with the
re-election of Cllr Mahmood Akhtar for the Batley East Ward. I am also pleased
to report that I and my two colleagues, Cllr Mahmood Akhtar and Cllr Amanda
Stubley, have formed an excellent working relationship and team spirit that
will produce the best outcomes for both the constituency and the Labour Party.
Participation in Meetings
I have attended the Full Council Meetings, as I have endeavoured to attend the Labour Group meetings on fortnightly intervals. I have engaged effectively as a panel member of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Children and Young People, and my social work background aided in this process. And as a member of Town and Valleys Committee (Batley, Birstall and Birkenshaw), I have continued to maintain good working relationship with various local organisations to ensure they receive support in order for them to provide valuable community work. I also attend many meetings that are held within the community.
I get involved with a wide range of Ward issues on a daily basis throughout the year. However, the two biggest issues I am often asked to address is around lack of Housing, especially for the young people and Housing Benefits. The other major issue being Anti-Social Behaviour (mainly substance abuse/dealing)
Other related Ward issues are:
Development:
As a Ward councillor, training and development is an on-going process. Whenever a new situation arises, it has to be dealt with and this can often result in some form of training requirement to assist me in dealing with the task. I will continue to seek out training courses and seminars which I feel are relevant and appropriate and which will enable me to carry out my Ward duties, as well as Council duties, more effectively and efficiently. My main source of developmental need continues to be work related and in-house training.
Acknowledgements
In submitting this report, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude for the support I have received in these past twelve months, as well as in previous years. I have already mentioned the fantastic working relationship developed with my fellow Ward Councillor colleagues Mahmood Akhtar and Amanda Stubley. I wish to extend my thanks and appreciation to my Party Leader, Deputy Leader, Labour Group and its Admin Staff, Branch Officers and Mike Wood MP for Batley and Spen and many others for all their continuous support and encouragement.
Maintaining and
improving relationship with the constituency will be of paramount importance as
the Central Government Cuts begins to unfold and have its full impact on
services year on year. Therefore, it is of great credit to everyone, mainly the
officers, in combating the impact of these cuts to date. However, the struggle
is not over; as for the period 2014/2015 the Council is facing further cuts of
around £60m and then following year
even further cuts which will present severe challenges and
pressures on services and public relations, therefore it is imperative that we
‘Protect and Prioritise’ services to those who are most vulnerable in our community,
the elderly, the disabled, the children and those in abject poverty.
Participation in Meetings
I have attended the Full Council Meetings, as I have endeavoured to attend the Labour Group meetings on fortnightly intervals. I have engaged effectively as a panel member of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Children and Young People, and my social work background aided in this process. And as a member of Town and Valleys Committee (Batley, Birstall and Birkenshaw), I have continued to maintain good working relationship with various local organisations to ensure they receive support in order for them to provide valuable community work. I also attend many meetings that are held within the community.
Ward Work
For me, my ward work is
the most important thing that I do as a Councillor, and it is something I enjoy
doing. I continue to be kept busy in dealing with the many problems which
residents pass on to me and my ward colleagues. As the cuts starts to
bite, I have seen my ‘ward’ work increase over the year and expect the trend to
continue as many services will cease to exist or function at a minimal
level. Large part of my ward work is performed via telephone calls and
emails, however, there have been many occasions where residents came knocking
on my doorstep.
We continue to have an
excellent working relationship with the Officers from Streetscene (Highways) to
ensure that our roads are safer and in good condition from the budgets
allocated for this purpose. Similarly, we continue to work closely with our
policing team in Batley to tackle crime in the hot spot areas. We have
continued to provide improved play facilities for the young children and
supported local sport clubs by allocating grants through the area committee.
All three Councillors work closely with the Council staff to carry out regular
inspections to identify action needed to tackle litter, fly tipping, overgrown
trees and shrubbery etc. I get involved with a wide range of Ward issues on a daily basis throughout the year. However, the two biggest issues I am often asked to address is around lack of Housing, especially for the young people and Housing Benefits. The other major issue being Anti-Social Behaviour (mainly substance abuse/dealing)
Other related Ward issues are:
•
Education • Refuse
collection • fly
tipping/Vandalism •
Immigration matters
• Roads (potholes) and
Pavements
•
Street-lighting
• Aids and AdaptationsDevelopment:
As a Ward councillor, training and development is an on-going process. Whenever a new situation arises, it has to be dealt with and this can often result in some form of training requirement to assist me in dealing with the task. I will continue to seek out training courses and seminars which I feel are relevant and appropriate and which will enable me to carry out my Ward duties, as well as Council duties, more effectively and efficiently. My main source of developmental need continues to be work related and in-house training.
Over the past twelve
months, I have attended number of Labour Group Seminar days (often on Saturday
Mornings) which has been very informative and beneficial as it give an in-depth
insight on issues affecting the administration of the Council ad helping me to
understand the decision making process of the Labour Party cabinet.
Acknowledgements
In submitting this report, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude for the support I have received in these past twelve months, as well as in previous years. I have already mentioned the fantastic working relationship developed with my fellow Ward Councillor colleagues Mahmood Akhtar and Amanda Stubley. I wish to extend my thanks and appreciation to my Party Leader, Deputy Leader, Labour Group and its Admin Staff, Branch Officers and Mike Wood MP for Batley and Spen and many others for all their continuous support and encouragement.
