Annual Report 2016-2017: Cllr Eric Firth

Once again it gives me great pleasure to submit my annual report.

As per usual I do not intend this to be a diary of events nor an essay, I will as usual give you a flavour and an overview of what I have been doing on behalf of my group and my constituents throughout the year.

Council meetings and committees

I have of course attended every council meeting in the civic year.

Dewsbury District Committee

I have attended most, but on occasions I have had to miss when representing the authority elsewhere.

Dewsbury Regeneration Board

I have substituted on many occasions at both the Heavy Woollen and Huddersfield planning committees, and the strategic committee.

I continue to sit on the standards board.

The Councillors Commission

You are undoubtedly aware this has been meeting all year and taking evidence from anyone and everyone, local people young and and not so young. Leading academics, councillor’s and officers from our authority and many more from across England. The culmination of which was a presentation to full council and a launch at Huddersfield University. This was, I believe, welcomed by just about everyone and attracted lots of interest from Government and other local authorities. The work of the commissioners is, I assure you, far from finished and will I believe continue for many years.

Member of the substitutes Panel

Outside Bodies

• WYCA Deputy Chair of the Transport Committee
• PTEG special Transport Interest Group
• Delegate from WYCA to The East Coast Mainline Consortium
• Chair, Bus Committee
• Passenger Consultative Committee
• West Yorkshire Pension Fund Investment Panel
• West Yorkshire Pension Fund Advisory Group
• KCA
• Chair of the National Association of Councillors
• Chair of the Executive Committee NAC
• Deputy Chair for England  NAC
• Trustee of One Community
• Member of the Greenwood Trust
• Co-operative Party Member

Achievements

Continuing to represent my constituents in Dewsbury East, in exceedingly difficult times.

The second was to work with my fellow councillors to re-elect our Member of Parliament Paula Sherriff with a very good majority.

Keeping my constituents informed by producing and distributing Newsletters, which I once again remind readers that we pay for these ourselves.

Holding monthly surgeries

Street surgeries
Increasingly use electronic Media, as another way to contact constituents

Attending Tenants and residents meetings whenever possible, we as ward Cllrs always ensure at least one of us attends these important meetings.

Courses attended

I continue to attend courses whenever practical which enables me to better understand the challenges that local government faces, this I assure you I will continue to do.

• Partnerships
• Local Government Finance
• Safeguarding
• Councillor Safety
• Emergency Planning
• Equality and Diversity
• Planning refresher
• Licensing updates

Ward work
Ward work continues to come in and I and my fellow Cllrs are there to help in any way we can, we are fortunate in Dewsbury East to have three colleagues who work together. All have different strengths but together we make a formidable team and really good at finding solutions to difficult problems. But we welcome our constituents coming to us because as we tell them continually we are there to help and we also tell them that they are our eyes and ears. With the best will in the world we cannot be everywhere so, so in these difficult times we need them as much if not more than they need us.

To conclude dear reader this is as I stated when I started writing this short report it is but a flavour of what I do throughout the year. But my commitment to you, my ward, my party and to Local governance is undiminished.

We continue to face many challenges, this year because of the massive cuts yet again to our budgets we will have to yet again look at the services we provide and how we provide them.

But be assured we will face up to these challenges to the best of our abilities.

Yours Sincerely

Eric Firth