I must start this annual report with the Heckmondwike Bus Station or in METRO terms the Heckmondwike Bus Hub. It is now open after a process that has been running, not from the time we decided to build a bus station where it is, but from a time in the early eighties when myself, and the then Conservative Councillor, Friend Fisher were trying to get a bus station built on land that the council owned, having been bought by Heckmondwike Council to allow the building of a new Swimming Pool and council offices (Heckmondwike was never pretentious enough to want a Town Hall). That land was where McDonalds now stands.
Obviously that never materialised, along with a plan to bypass the town centre on the railway line from the Robert Peel to Huddersfield Road, or the plans for a bus station (obviously a very small one) on the triangle of land at the top of the Green.
We come now to the current location. I had mixed feelings about demolition of the George (originally called The George and Dragon, presumably renamed to ingratiate the town with Royalty), but the resultant open space it created I have to admit made the town brighter.
We purchased most of the properties we needed to build a Bus Station and new library, unfortunately one property owner held out and we had to start compulsory purchase procedures, due to that owner “playing the game” in order to squeeze as much money as he could from a, to be generous, a mediocre property, incredible delays were incurred.
This brought us past the time when the Banking Community gambled on secondary mortgages in the Mid-West of America and through their immense greed, would have brought capitalism crashing to the ground, if Governments throughout the West, Governments who the Capitalists say should not interfere in their schemes and wheezes, bailed them out.
Unfortunately, despite the noble efforts by George Brown to stimulate the economy, praised by economists throughout the world, the Conservatives managed to perpetuate a lie, not challenged by the wishy washy Labour Party MPs, that somehow the Labour Party were to blame for this failure of Capitalism and they convinced the electorate to vote for a government intent on rewarding the rich. The Liberal/Democrats who had their heads turned with the chance to be Cabinet Members, joined with the Conservatives in their aim to “Roll Back the State” (their way of saying, cut taxes for rich people and blame the poor for being poor) by dismantling, or selling, public assets.
This freeze meant our plans for a library and bus station were immediately downsized, then downsized again as Eric Pickles, in ecstasy over the joy he got in making cuts to the Northern Councils made even more.
But at last we have a “Bus Station”, it is looking well, there are some problems over Traffic Flows in the Town Centre still to be worked out, but we are getting there.
Otherwise on the local front case work increases as the cuts and the downturn in the economy bite. More housing problems, school allocation problems, Social Care Problems and environmental health issues have presented themselves, some obviously have been impossible to resolve. One particular problem we have had locally has been with “Travellers”, despite our efforts to secure council land; one particular group has caused us problems. It appears that no action can be taken against them for breaking locks or gates to gain access to other peoples land; apparently they are allowed to fly tip at leisure as any action against them would be discriminating against them. We will continue to do all we can to prevent these encampments.
Unfortunately, another effect of the cuts, the ABLE project had to fold. Over the years it had provided training and opportunities for many vulnerable people, their plans were not helped when Eric Pickles intervened in the Planning Process to overrule the “independent” inspector he had appointed to stop the Ponderosa Development that included expansion plans for the ABLE project. The legacy of the project is that we have acquired a fishing pond in Heckmondwike that will be run by a Youth Fishing Club hopefully.
Another year of success for The Crown of Lights Music Festival, demonstrated how much we rely on the efforts of dedicated individuals for doing something for the community.
A year as Leader of the Council at a time when Councils, particularly in the North, are under pressure much more draconian than anything that has gone before, is at the least, “challenging”. The challenge has been, and still is, to set and operate a budget that protects the members of our Society who cannot, through no fault of their own, protect themselves. To establish a growth for our area that enables us to maintain a minimum level of services, to encourage that growth against a background of Nimbyism masquerading as environmental concerns, to encourage that growth whilst Conservatives bury their heads in the sand and have no reservations against misleading the public.
The demand for Council Services is growing at a rate that would cause pressures for a growing budget at a time when budgets are contracting. Services that we have all come to expect are having to be cut, whilst the strongest voices against the cuts are those who by voting Conservative, voted for the cuts. Any service that we do not have to provide statutorily has to be questioned. We need to ask ourselves, does the service meet our needs of caring for vulnerable people; does it keep them out of care or delay their need for care? We need to look for new ways to do things and for new partners to work with.
There is a Mandarin curse, “May you live in interesting times”. We are living in “Interesting Times”
Obviously that never materialised, along with a plan to bypass the town centre on the railway line from the Robert Peel to Huddersfield Road, or the plans for a bus station (obviously a very small one) on the triangle of land at the top of the Green.
We come now to the current location. I had mixed feelings about demolition of the George (originally called The George and Dragon, presumably renamed to ingratiate the town with Royalty), but the resultant open space it created I have to admit made the town brighter.
We purchased most of the properties we needed to build a Bus Station and new library, unfortunately one property owner held out and we had to start compulsory purchase procedures, due to that owner “playing the game” in order to squeeze as much money as he could from a, to be generous, a mediocre property, incredible delays were incurred.
This brought us past the time when the Banking Community gambled on secondary mortgages in the Mid-West of America and through their immense greed, would have brought capitalism crashing to the ground, if Governments throughout the West, Governments who the Capitalists say should not interfere in their schemes and wheezes, bailed them out.
Unfortunately, despite the noble efforts by George Brown to stimulate the economy, praised by economists throughout the world, the Conservatives managed to perpetuate a lie, not challenged by the wishy washy Labour Party MPs, that somehow the Labour Party were to blame for this failure of Capitalism and they convinced the electorate to vote for a government intent on rewarding the rich. The Liberal/Democrats who had their heads turned with the chance to be Cabinet Members, joined with the Conservatives in their aim to “Roll Back the State” (their way of saying, cut taxes for rich people and blame the poor for being poor) by dismantling, or selling, public assets.
This freeze meant our plans for a library and bus station were immediately downsized, then downsized again as Eric Pickles, in ecstasy over the joy he got in making cuts to the Northern Councils made even more.
But at last we have a “Bus Station”, it is looking well, there are some problems over Traffic Flows in the Town Centre still to be worked out, but we are getting there.
Otherwise on the local front case work increases as the cuts and the downturn in the economy bite. More housing problems, school allocation problems, Social Care Problems and environmental health issues have presented themselves, some obviously have been impossible to resolve. One particular problem we have had locally has been with “Travellers”, despite our efforts to secure council land; one particular group has caused us problems. It appears that no action can be taken against them for breaking locks or gates to gain access to other peoples land; apparently they are allowed to fly tip at leisure as any action against them would be discriminating against them. We will continue to do all we can to prevent these encampments.
Unfortunately, another effect of the cuts, the ABLE project had to fold. Over the years it had provided training and opportunities for many vulnerable people, their plans were not helped when Eric Pickles intervened in the Planning Process to overrule the “independent” inspector he had appointed to stop the Ponderosa Development that included expansion plans for the ABLE project. The legacy of the project is that we have acquired a fishing pond in Heckmondwike that will be run by a Youth Fishing Club hopefully.
Another year of success for The Crown of Lights Music Festival, demonstrated how much we rely on the efforts of dedicated individuals for doing something for the community.
A year as Leader of the Council at a time when Councils, particularly in the North, are under pressure much more draconian than anything that has gone before, is at the least, “challenging”. The challenge has been, and still is, to set and operate a budget that protects the members of our Society who cannot, through no fault of their own, protect themselves. To establish a growth for our area that enables us to maintain a minimum level of services, to encourage that growth against a background of Nimbyism masquerading as environmental concerns, to encourage that growth whilst Conservatives bury their heads in the sand and have no reservations against misleading the public.
The demand for Council Services is growing at a rate that would cause pressures for a growing budget at a time when budgets are contracting. Services that we have all come to expect are having to be cut, whilst the strongest voices against the cuts are those who by voting Conservative, voted for the cuts. Any service that we do not have to provide statutorily has to be questioned. We need to ask ourselves, does the service meet our needs of caring for vulnerable people; does it keep them out of care or delay their need for care? We need to look for new ways to do things and for new partners to work with.
There is a Mandarin curse, “May you live in interesting times”. We are living in “Interesting Times”
