This has been my first year as a Councillor having been
elected in May 2016 and it has been a privilege to represent the area in which
I grew up. This year has been a learning curve getting to grips with both the responsibilities
that come with being a Councillor and the different Committee’s and functions
of the Council. I have really enjoyed seeing the fantastic work that local
volunteers, community groups and Schools do in challenging circumstances.
My main areas of focus in the ward have been;
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Crime and Anti-social Behaviour – Unfortunately crime in some parts of the ward has been an issue over the last 12 months. I have worked with the Police on a regular basis speaking to local officers and PCSOs as well as having meetings with the Huddersfield Inspector and Chief Superintendent. I have also looked to highlight issues of anti-social behaviour which in some cases can really affect the lives of residents and have looked for ways the work with the police and the Council to find solutions.
- Case Work – I have kept up to date with requests and concerns from residents and ensured action was taken to resolve problems. This has included fly tipping, nuisance motorbikes, tree cutting and school applications. Where necessary I have escalated issues within the Council to make progress with significant local issues.
- Funding local projects – I have supported local groups and initiatives within Ashbrow ward to gain funding from the Huddersfield District Committee.
- Local Events – I have supported local events which promote community engagement such as the Ashbrow Awards and have enjoyed attending cultural events such as the Deighton Carnival. The Ashbrow Awards particularly made me proud of my Ward showing the diverse community we have and the great number of inspirational volunteers we have who invest so much of their time and energy into our community.
Council Meetings/Committees
Full Council Meetings – I have attended all Full Council Meetings
contributing and voting on key proposals such as the Council Budget. I have
contributed by making speeches on the Draft Local Plan, NHS/Social Care Funding
and the Democracy Commission Report.
Huddersfield Planning Committee – Being a member of the Planning
Committee has been extremely interesting, learning about planning law and
making decisions on planning applications.
Licensing and Safety Committee & Licencing Panel – I’ve
enjoyed sitting on the Committee mainly looking at Council policies related to
taxi’s and private hire vehicles. Sitting on licencing panel has given me
experience of dealing with applications which are not universally supported and
I have made sensible decisions balancing the overall needs of both applicants
and the whole community.
Policy Committee – I have been actively involved in the
committee contributing to discussion and reports on the Council’s future waste
strategy and social value on the Council procurement procedure.
Huddersfield District Committee – I have attended both the
Councillor planning meetings and the subsequent public meetings. I found that
the public meetings were a great way to engage with residents on key issues
such has town centre development and the main issues affecting the borough. I
have supported funding applications from groups on Ashbrow ward as well as
others across the Huddersfield District.
Local Groups
Neighbourhood Management Group – Working with Community
Safety Officers, Housing Officers and the Police to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour
and housing issues. As stated above crime has been an issue over the last 12
months and the main focus of this group has been to develop ways to tackle this
issue. We have also worked with KNH and Housing Associations to deal with
Anti-Social behaviour caused by residents to make our communities a better and
safer place to live.
Bradley Forum – This is a monthly meeting where local issues
are discussed; I often pick up casework and bring back updates to subsequent
meetings. It is always an informative meeting and is ideal for understanding
the real issues felt by local people in the area.
Ashbrow Ward Forum – This forum is used to discuss the key
issues across the ward and like Bradley forum case work is picked up. I have reported
back to this forum on district committee funds spent in the ward. In the year
ahead I would like to build up this forum and encourage more residents to
attend to get a wider discussion of local issues.
Fartown Neighbourhood Watch – attending this meeting is a
crucial way of understanding impacts of crime in the area. Sadly these meetings
have currently been suspended as the Fartown Village Hall is currently closed.
I will be working hard to get both the Hall and the neighbourhood watch
meetings back up and running.
Training Completed
-
New Councillor induction programme
- Planning
- Licencing
- Safeguarding
- Dementia Friend
