Councillor Naheed Mather highlighted the work of the Greenspace Action Team
A superb month of August was had by our Greenspace Action Team.
A superb prosecution from Stephen Walker and Greg Hardwick at Kirklees Magistrate Court for fly tipping. The defendant Jack Virr was found guilty for 2 counts of section 33. He received a Community Order for 12 months, with conditions to carry out 270 hours unpaid work, with a Curfew Order between 7pm and 7am with electronic tagging for 10 months and was disqualified from driving for 15 months. He was also required to pay costs of £385.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-Yorkshire-news/fly-tipper-who-used-facebook-16727343
Another brilliant prosecution for Stephen Walker regarding losing control of waste. Rizwan Abed and Altaf Ravat appeared at Kirklees Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to all the section 34 offences.
The defendants were sentenced as follows:
Rizwan Abed - £450 fine consecutive for each offence, making a total fine of £2250, costs £1000, compensation £755 and victim surcharge £45. A total of £4050
Altaf Ravat - £481 fine consecutive for each offence, making a total fine of £2405, costs £1000, compensation £755 and victim surcharge £48. A total of £4208.
The above amounts to be paid at £175 per month and first payment within 28 days. The compensation is made up of £350 for DCP Solutions and the balance of £1160 to Kirklees Council.
The team has successfully completed Ward Walkabouts requests for Ashbrow, Dalton, Almondbury and Mirfield by the ward reaction team (WRT). Good feedback was received from Councillors and the general public. The team issued 8 fixed penalties, 3 Fixed Penalty notices were issued for littering from a motor vehicle, 5 for Litter face to face and 4 of these have already been paid.
See pictures below for examples of the work done by the team in the Wards:-
Cutback of PROW on Moorlands View Birkenshaw - before and after pictures.
Millbrook Gardens Batley Fly tipping removed and turning area cleared - before and after pictures.
Red Laithes Lane, Ravensthorpe - Fly tip clear up - before and after pictures.
Civic Centre Huddersfield - shrub area tidy up - before and after pictures
Alder Street Ashbrow fly tip clear up - before and after pictures
Riddings Close clear up Ashbrow Ward before and after pictures
Mountain Way clear up - Dalton Ward - before and after pictures
Somerset Road - Kidroyd, Almondbury Ward
Junction of Thorpe Lane - Fleminghouse Lane Almondbury Ward
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Councillor Naheed Mather gave an update on her 'Greener Kirklees portfolio'
Waste Strategy
A Draft Kirklees Recycling and Waste Strategy will be published later this year.
Enviro-Crime
Inward Investment
Huddersfield
Members of Cabinet (the Council's main decision making body) met on 16th July to make a final decision on the future of Almondbury Community School (ACS).
Cabinet members recognised both the depth of feeling in the local community and the fact that many people are supportive of ACS. They acknowledged that difficult decisions are sometimes needed when making changes to a school in order to improve standards of education.
Cabinet agreed to remove the secondary phase of ACS, with effect from September 2020. There will still be a primary phase for 3-11 year olds on the site. Arrangements will be made to relocate the high school pupils on to the roles of neighbouring schools from September 2020. Discussion will take place with every family affected on a one to one basis to work out with them what will be the best schooling arrangements for the family. The school will operate as normal during the next academic year. In September 2020, the age range will become 3 to 11 years, instead of 3 to 16, and ACS will continue as a primary school, serving its local community. Detailed plans of how the transition will take place and be managed are being worked on at the moment and it is hoped to share this with families in the three weeks of September.
The Cabinet has made this decision as a result of very challenging circumstances surrounding the school. ACS has had a large number of spare places for many years which has made it incredibly difficult to offer a broad, sustainable curriculum and maintain financial viability. The school has only been half full in recent years. Cabinet members strongly believed that if they did not alter the age range of ACS, the council would have received a government instruction to close the whole school. As a result of a recent Ofsted inspection, which found the school to be in need of Special Measures, the school would have been forced by the government to become an academy and a large financial deficit and little chance of increasing its pupil numbers to overcome that deficit. This is the reason why we believe that the government would have forced the closure of the school.
Throughout the process, the council has listened carefully to parents' concerns about children potentially needing to move schools. We know the value of making this transition as smooth as possible. We can assure you that our aim will be to provide a calm, secure and supportive environment for every young person to complete their secondary education with minimum disruption and with the maximum opportunities to achieve their potential. It is vitally important for all children to access a broad curriculum in a setting which is secure, sustainable and financially viable. This improves their outcomes and enhances their opportunities, offering them the best start in life.
A superb month of August was had by our Greenspace Action Team.
A superb prosecution from Stephen Walker and Greg Hardwick at Kirklees Magistrate Court for fly tipping. The defendant Jack Virr was found guilty for 2 counts of section 33. He received a Community Order for 12 months, with conditions to carry out 270 hours unpaid work, with a Curfew Order between 7pm and 7am with electronic tagging for 10 months and was disqualified from driving for 15 months. He was also required to pay costs of £385.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-Yorkshire-news/fly-tipper-who-used-facebook-16727343
Another brilliant prosecution for Stephen Walker regarding losing control of waste. Rizwan Abed and Altaf Ravat appeared at Kirklees Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to all the section 34 offences.
The defendants were sentenced as follows:
Rizwan Abed - £450 fine consecutive for each offence, making a total fine of £2250, costs £1000, compensation £755 and victim surcharge £45. A total of £4050
Altaf Ravat - £481 fine consecutive for each offence, making a total fine of £2405, costs £1000, compensation £755 and victim surcharge £48. A total of £4208.
The above amounts to be paid at £175 per month and first payment within 28 days. The compensation is made up of £350 for DCP Solutions and the balance of £1160 to Kirklees Council.
The team has successfully completed Ward Walkabouts requests for Ashbrow, Dalton, Almondbury and Mirfield by the ward reaction team (WRT). Good feedback was received from Councillors and the general public. The team issued 8 fixed penalties, 3 Fixed Penalty notices were issued for littering from a motor vehicle, 5 for Litter face to face and 4 of these have already been paid.
See pictures below for examples of the work done by the team in the Wards:-
Cutback of PROW on Moorlands View Birkenshaw - before and after pictures.
Millbrook Gardens Batley Fly tipping removed and turning area cleared - before and after pictures.
Red Laithes Lane, Ravensthorpe - Fly tip clear up - before and after pictures.
Civic Centre Huddersfield - shrub area tidy up - before and after pictures
Alder Street Ashbrow fly tip clear up - before and after pictures
Riddings Close clear up Ashbrow Ward before and after pictures
Mountain Way clear up - Dalton Ward - before and after pictures
Somerset Road - Kidroyd, Almondbury Ward
Junction of Thorpe Lane - Fleminghouse Lane Almondbury Ward
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Councillor Naheed Mather gave an update on her 'Greener Kirklees portfolio'
Waste Strategy
A Draft Kirklees Recycling and Waste Strategy will be published later this year.
- It will contain ambitious proposals allowing our residents more opportunities for recycling. The more recycling we do, the less reliant we become on non-renewable natural resources.
- The document will include a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to support new proposals having a reduced impact on our environment when compared to current operations.
Huddersfield District Heating Network
Following a successful feasibility study, we are continuing to develop the business case for the Huddersfield Heat Network.
- We have received further funding from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to help us to complete this work.
- If implemented, the heat network will deliver resilient low-carbon and lower-cost heat and power to the Council, businesses and partners in Huddersfield Town Centre.
Enviro-Crime
Latest enviro-crime statistics for the period 1 July 2018 to 1 July 2019:
- Total no. of complaints = 5089
- Fixed penalties issued = 119
- Prosecutions = 16
- Seen at court with results = 5
- Still to go to court/ongoing =11
Inward Investment
Kirklees Council has commissioned a new Inward Investment Strategy and Action Plan to better direct this work in the future and this commission is due to report shortly. In the meantime:
- Take up of employment sites is proving to be strong with the Enterprise Zone at Lindley West to complete and Moor Park expecting its first occupant in November.
- Construction of Phase 3 Bradley Business Park is well underway with completion due by the end of 2019. Aflex Hose will be taking occupation of this new 17,000 sq.m manufacturing facility which they anticipate will be fully operational by Q2 2020. Their relocation will assist their growth aspiration and with it retain their existing workforce as well as provide further opportunities for new jobs and apprenticeships in the District.
In addition, following the adoption of the local plan, plans for the development at Whitehall/Whitechapel Road are coming forward and land at North Bierley off junction 26 has outline planning permission for approximately 400,000 sq.ft (37,100m2) of manufacturing and storage and distribution space. The development would create 800 jobs at a strategically significant location. Progress is also being made in bringing forward a scheme to support approximately 122,500 sq.m of business and industrial development at Chidswell with an application expected in the near future.
We continue to engage with businesses both indigenous and from outside of the District and support them in realising their growth aspirations to ensure good quality jobs are created and safeguarded for our residents.
Huddersfield
Councillor Graham Turner Cabinet member for Corporate Services attended the Open Day at Almondbury Library on 13th July and said:
"This investment in creating a dementia friendly modern library at the heart of the community, demonstrates what can be achieved by working with partners and residents. I'm sure this new library will go from strength to strength as it becomes the centre for the whole of the Almondbury community.
I would like to personally thank the Mayor and Mayoress and our VIP guests for joining us on such a special occasion, not only for Almondbury residents but for the rest of Kirklees, as we start our ambitious programme to invest in our library services over the next few years."
https://kirkleestogether.co.uk/2019/07/26/almondbury-library-holds-fun-filled-open-day-in-exciting-new-dementia-friendly-building/
https://kirkleestogether.co.uk/2019/07/26/almondbury-library-holds-fun-filled-open-day-in-exciting-new-dementia-friendly-building/
Councillor Viv Kendrick, portfolio holder for Children, regarding Care leaver's success and Care Leaver's Forum said:
"I was honoured and really pleased to attend the graduation ceremony at Huddersfield University, for Sanna Mahmood. Sanna is a young woman who was in care in Kirklees and has now achieved a first in her degree in Health and Human Behaviour. Sanna has done tremendously well, and now intends to continue her education to obtain her Masters."
Children in Care Council and Care Leaver's Forum
"Along with senior managers, I attended the Children in Care Council and Care Leaver's Forum on 15th July. The young people had been working for several weeks on graffiti art projects and were displaying their work and talking about the issues that affect them and changes that they would like to see.
"I was honoured and really pleased to attend the graduation ceremony at Huddersfield University, for Sanna Mahmood. Sanna is a young woman who was in care in Kirklees and has now achieved a first in her degree in Health and Human Behaviour. Sanna has done tremendously well, and now intends to continue her education to obtain her Masters."
Children in Care Council and Care Leaver's Forum
"Along with senior managers, I attended the Children in Care Council and Care Leaver's Forum on 15th July. The young people had been working for several weeks on graffiti art projects and were displaying their work and talking about the issues that affect them and changes that they would like to see.
It was really useful to discuss and hear their views and they gave me a 'shopping list' of issues to look into and to address"
Councillor Cathy Scott, Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy said:
"I'm proud to announce that we have now completed the build of our first council houses in eight years but they certainly won't be the last.
We have huge ambition for Kirklees and the key to seeing the borough thrive is good quality homes for people who live here.
We have much more developments like this in the pipeline as we look to ensure our housing stock meets the demands of our residents."
We have huge ambition for Kirklees and the key to seeing the borough thrive is good quality homes for people who live here.
We have much more developments like this in the pipeline as we look to ensure our housing stock meets the demands of our residents."
https://twitter.com/i/status/1148625424257359872
Councillor Carole Pattison, Portfolio Holder for Learning, Aspiration and Communities gave an Almondbury Community School update:-
Councillor Carole Pattison, Portfolio Holder for Learning, Aspiration and Communities gave an Almondbury Community School update:-
Members of Cabinet (the Council's main decision making body) met on 16th July to make a final decision on the future of Almondbury Community School (ACS).
Cabinet members recognised both the depth of feeling in the local community and the fact that many people are supportive of ACS. They acknowledged that difficult decisions are sometimes needed when making changes to a school in order to improve standards of education.
Cabinet agreed to remove the secondary phase of ACS, with effect from September 2020. There will still be a primary phase for 3-11 year olds on the site. Arrangements will be made to relocate the high school pupils on to the roles of neighbouring schools from September 2020. Discussion will take place with every family affected on a one to one basis to work out with them what will be the best schooling arrangements for the family. The school will operate as normal during the next academic year. In September 2020, the age range will become 3 to 11 years, instead of 3 to 16, and ACS will continue as a primary school, serving its local community. Detailed plans of how the transition will take place and be managed are being worked on at the moment and it is hoped to share this with families in the three weeks of September.
The Cabinet has made this decision as a result of very challenging circumstances surrounding the school. ACS has had a large number of spare places for many years which has made it incredibly difficult to offer a broad, sustainable curriculum and maintain financial viability. The school has only been half full in recent years. Cabinet members strongly believed that if they did not alter the age range of ACS, the council would have received a government instruction to close the whole school. As a result of a recent Ofsted inspection, which found the school to be in need of Special Measures, the school would have been forced by the government to become an academy and a large financial deficit and little chance of increasing its pupil numbers to overcome that deficit. This is the reason why we believe that the government would have forced the closure of the school.
Throughout the process, the council has listened carefully to parents' concerns about children potentially needing to move schools. We know the value of making this transition as smooth as possible. We can assure you that our aim will be to provide a calm, secure and supportive environment for every young person to complete their secondary education with minimum disruption and with the maximum opportunities to achieve their potential. It is vitally important for all children to access a broad curriculum in a setting which is secure, sustainable and financially viable. This improves their outcomes and enhances their opportunities, offering them the best start in life.
Councillor Naheed Mather has given an update on Climate Change and Air Quality in her 'Greener Kirklees' Portfolio July 2019:-
The Council has declared a 'climate emergency'. In doing this, the Council has recognised the severity of this issue and the scale of the challenge. Through the Climate Emergency Working Party, we are developing proposals for ambitious targets beyond 2020-21 to align with the new proposed national target of 'net zero' by 2038. Specifically we are:
- Undertaking a dynamic Audit and Action Planning process to help develop our own future carbon emissions targets and plan through to 2050, including how we increase the climate change resilience of Kirklees.
Developing a district-wide approach to addressing the climate emergency, recognising that this is an issue that requires us all to work together to increase climate change resilience, both in terms of mitigation (reducing emissions) and adapting to changes resulting from climate change.- Initiating a comprehensive internal communications campaign to engage with staff around environmental issues and to encourage them to make a positive difference both as staff and residents
- Ensuring the work to address the climate emergency is closely aligned to the council's approach to air quality management. Both contribute to achieving the Council's Clean and Green corporate priority.
- The Working Party will report back to Full Council with recommendations later in 2019.
The Council has 2 current carbon reduction targets that run to 2020-21:
- To reduce district-wide carbon emissions by 40% by 2020-21, based upon a 2005/6 baseline. Current progress : For 2016 (the most recent data available), the district has reduced emissions by 35%
- To reduce the Council's own emissions by 40% by 2020-21 based upon a 2005/06 baseline. Current progress: For 17/18 (the most recent data available), the council has reduced its carbon emissions by 30.9%
What is 'net zero' by 2050/2038?
- It means reducing greenhouse gas (including carbon dioxide) emissions levels to near zero by 2050. Another way of putting it is that it is an effective 100% reduction in emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. 'Net' zero is used as it recognises that it is likely to be achieved through a combination of significant carbon emissions reductions and also the direct removal of carbon from the atmosphere, e.g. by carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Air Quality-specific updates
- Approval of a report by Kirklees Council relating to Gelderd Road in Birstall was received from National Government. The report was in response to Ministerial Direction on 19th March 2019 and concluded that the area of concern in Birstall raised by national government did not exceed health related objectives.
- The Air Quality Management order for AQMA 10 was signed by 10th June 2019. This order is for the pollution exceedances in Thornton Lodge.
- The public consultation for the draft Air Quality Action Plan for the district and our 10 Air Quality Management Areas finished 10th July 2019. Officers are currently reviewing the information that was received and will be updating the plan accordingly, before submitting to national government for approval.
- In March 2019 the Licensing and Safety Committee agreed to a revised standard of testing to an emission based testing for vehicles to encourage the take up of low emission and electric vehicles (rather than based on age).
Information from WYCA on the Bus Information Strategy 2019-24 Engagement
Public feedback is requested between Monday 1st July and Sunday 25th August 2019.
Information can be found on
www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/bus-information-strategy
Its aim is to ensure people are provided with information about local bus services in ways that best meet their needs.
Evidence shows that customers are increasingly using online options to access bus information to plan their journeys. By contrast, Transport focus research tells us that just 8% of passengers in West Yorkshire still use printed timetables.
This shift to online information is borne out by nearly 2 million service users visiting the Metro website
www.wymetro.com
almost 6 million times over the past 12 months. More than 3.2 million bus timetables were downloaded and people accessed yournextbus real-time information service 14.1 million times via the Metro site. Yournextbus was used 39 million times via apps using open data provided by the Combined Authority.
Although the demand for the traditional, printed sources of information is declining it is recognised that there are still a number of passengers who rely on them. Feedback is needed from people to understand their requirements.
The updated Bus Information Strategy acknowledges this and sets out how it is planned to provide information in the form people want and to increase awareness of the information sources that are available.
How can people have their say?
People will be able to use online and printed questionnaires to provide feedback. There will also be a series of organised focus groups at colleges and community groups along with drop-in sessions at bus stations across the county. Information will also be available at West Yorkshire Travel Centres.
You can find out more about the engagement through the YourVoice portal at
www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/bus-information-strategy
or if you would prefer printed information please contact the Consultation and Engagement team on
yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
or 0113 251 7413.
All the feedback received will be assessed and will incorporate these views into a finalised Bus Information Strategy which will be presented to the Combined Authority Transport Committee.
Public feedback is requested between Monday 1st July and Sunday 25th August 2019.
Information can be found on
www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/bus-information-strategy
Its aim is to ensure people are provided with information about local bus services in ways that best meet their needs.
Evidence shows that customers are increasingly using online options to access bus information to plan their journeys. By contrast, Transport focus research tells us that just 8% of passengers in West Yorkshire still use printed timetables.
This shift to online information is borne out by nearly 2 million service users visiting the Metro website
www.wymetro.com
almost 6 million times over the past 12 months. More than 3.2 million bus timetables were downloaded and people accessed yournextbus real-time information service 14.1 million times via the Metro site. Yournextbus was used 39 million times via apps using open data provided by the Combined Authority.
Although the demand for the traditional, printed sources of information is declining it is recognised that there are still a number of passengers who rely on them. Feedback is needed from people to understand their requirements.
The updated Bus Information Strategy acknowledges this and sets out how it is planned to provide information in the form people want and to increase awareness of the information sources that are available.
How can people have their say?
People will be able to use online and printed questionnaires to provide feedback. There will also be a series of organised focus groups at colleges and community groups along with drop-in sessions at bus stations across the county. Information will also be available at West Yorkshire Travel Centres.
You can find out more about the engagement through the YourVoice portal at
www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/bus-information-strategy
or if you would prefer printed information please contact the Consultation and Engagement team on
yourvoice@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
or 0113 251 7413.
All the feedback received will be assessed and will incorporate these views into a finalised Bus Information Strategy which will be presented to the Combined Authority Transport Committee.
