Posting may be a little patchy over the next three weeks as we run up to the local elections. Like many people across the UK I will be out and about supporting our candidates.
What that means is walking up driveways to drop off leaflets or knocking on doors to catch up with as many members of the public as possible and being prepared to answer the questions they may have about our plans.
There are 22 seats which are subject of election this year, seven of which are in the five towns area. Hello to Phil Thomas (Pontefract North), Mark Crowther (Pontefract South), Richard Wakefield (Normanton), Gordon Tennant (Altofts and Whitwood), Eammon Mullins (Castleford & Glasshoughton), Mellissa Wan (Airedale and Ferry Fryston) and Tom Dixon (Knottingley). I must also mention an old friend and colleague Richard Molloy who is standing in Ackworth.
We have had some very positive responses so far and I look forward to polling day with interest.
AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Transport Strategy for Pontefract...is the Walsh Hat in Danger?
Attended a meeting last night held at the Kings School in Pontefract by SELRAG (South East Link Road Action Group)about 65 members of the public, the key SELRAG officers and several local councillors and our two candidates for Pontefract North and South, Phil Thomas and Mark Crowther.
As public meetings go it was quite straightforward, unanimous concern about traffic congestion, pollution and safety at Town End and the desire to see this situation put right.
I attended a similar meeting in 2006 just before the local election where I was elected by the people of Pontefract South. The issue at that time was that proposals for improving Pontefracts situation was blocked at a regional level because the WMDC officers had not been able to make the case that this was a priority and Pontefract did not appear on the WMDC list as such.
What government funding that was available went to priority cases and we were told that the next opportunity for inclusion of Pontefract on the regional plan would be in 2010.
Well 2010 looms and I am concerned to discover that Pontefract still does not appear to be placed on a priority list and as such we could find that we miss this new deadline. As someone commented WMDC planners seem able to draw road lines on an east west basis but do not appear to have any north south pencils.
I have commented in other posts about the lack of a transport strategy for Pontefract and it will only be when we can instruct officers to treat this as a priority do I feel that we may see some progress.
Unfortunately the traffic chaos grows and my hat is still safe. Lets see what the local elections bring and see if that gets the controlling groups attention.
As public meetings go it was quite straightforward, unanimous concern about traffic congestion, pollution and safety at Town End and the desire to see this situation put right.
I attended a similar meeting in 2006 just before the local election where I was elected by the people of Pontefract South. The issue at that time was that proposals for improving Pontefracts situation was blocked at a regional level because the WMDC officers had not been able to make the case that this was a priority and Pontefract did not appear on the WMDC list as such.
What government funding that was available went to priority cases and we were told that the next opportunity for inclusion of Pontefract on the regional plan would be in 2010.
Well 2010 looms and I am concerned to discover that Pontefract still does not appear to be placed on a priority list and as such we could find that we miss this new deadline. As someone commented WMDC planners seem able to draw road lines on an east west basis but do not appear to have any north south pencils.
I have commented in other posts about the lack of a transport strategy for Pontefract and it will only be when we can instruct officers to treat this as a priority do I feel that we may see some progress.
Unfortunately the traffic chaos grows and my hat is still safe. Lets see what the local elections bring and see if that gets the controlling groups attention.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Danger Rangers at Pontefract
An amazing morning at Pontefract Fire Station at the request of the Council's Health Development Unit. Local councillors were invited to see an initiative that is aimed to make primary school pupils more aware of some of the host of things that they need to be aware of and can do to keep safe.
I tagged along with a group of 12 pupils and a teacher from a local school who were part of a group of sixty there for the morning and followed them through sessions:
With the West Yorkshire Fire Service and what to do if the fire alarm goes off at home. Including the way to make sure that you do not dash out of your bedroom straight into the teeth of a fire (touch the handle with the back of your hand, so you realise it is hot before you grab it). How to make a 999 call and the fact that 112 is a zone specific service that tracks you if you have a mobile.
A briefing with a safety officer looking at a wall sized graphic of a kitchen and the children spotted 33 dangers that were present from pictures that showed open bottles of bleach through, vases of flowers full of water on shelves above the toaster, to the pans of boiling liquid on the stove with the handle sticking out for the attentions of innocent toddlers.
Then with the Health Authority team who warned about the dangers and hazards that can be found lying around on streets and in parks, including what not to do about discarded needles, or glass bottles of booze lying around and the way to put some distance between yourself and an adult that tries to grab you.
A session on road safety from the WMDC's Road safety Team where the children turned to detectives to identify what may have gone wrong in a mocked up road accident that put passengers and pedestrians at greater risk. The quality of responses and the savvy of these nine to ten year olds was impressive and then you think about adults and the messes that they can get themselves into.
We finished with a briefing and walk through a series of harrowing scenarios with a British Transport Policeman about what can happen when people young or old take dares, vandalise or stray on to railway tracks, that electricity from overhead power lines can jump up to three metres when it is trying to escape and if you happen to be grounded and in the way to earth you may not be lucky if you survive.
This all may seem bleak but actually the way that the information was delivered and the style of the individuals concerned was such that I am sure it was really good learning experience and those children present hopefully have some good ideas to take away.
I then thought back to my primary school experiences and the differences, the main thing was that a number of the dangers that we explored today did not exist or were not significant when Walsh was a nipper. Good luck to them all and I hope that this particular programme gets as much of a fair wind as we can give it.
I tagged along with a group of 12 pupils and a teacher from a local school who were part of a group of sixty there for the morning and followed them through sessions:
With the West Yorkshire Fire Service and what to do if the fire alarm goes off at home. Including the way to make sure that you do not dash out of your bedroom straight into the teeth of a fire (touch the handle with the back of your hand, so you realise it is hot before you grab it). How to make a 999 call and the fact that 112 is a zone specific service that tracks you if you have a mobile.
A briefing with a safety officer looking at a wall sized graphic of a kitchen and the children spotted 33 dangers that were present from pictures that showed open bottles of bleach through, vases of flowers full of water on shelves above the toaster, to the pans of boiling liquid on the stove with the handle sticking out for the attentions of innocent toddlers.
Then with the Health Authority team who warned about the dangers and hazards that can be found lying around on streets and in parks, including what not to do about discarded needles, or glass bottles of booze lying around and the way to put some distance between yourself and an adult that tries to grab you.
A session on road safety from the WMDC's Road safety Team where the children turned to detectives to identify what may have gone wrong in a mocked up road accident that put passengers and pedestrians at greater risk. The quality of responses and the savvy of these nine to ten year olds was impressive and then you think about adults and the messes that they can get themselves into.
We finished with a briefing and walk through a series of harrowing scenarios with a British Transport Policeman about what can happen when people young or old take dares, vandalise or stray on to railway tracks, that electricity from overhead power lines can jump up to three metres when it is trying to escape and if you happen to be grounded and in the way to earth you may not be lucky if you survive.
This all may seem bleak but actually the way that the information was delivered and the style of the individuals concerned was such that I am sure it was really good learning experience and those children present hopefully have some good ideas to take away.
I then thought back to my primary school experiences and the differences, the main thing was that a number of the dangers that we explored today did not exist or were not significant when Walsh was a nipper. Good luck to them all and I hope that this particular programme gets as much of a fair wind as we can give it.
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Update...Darringfield, send for VanHelsing its alive!
This evening I attended the Darrington Parish Council Meeting and amongst a number of items, Darringfield was on the agenda.
At a recent PC meeting the Council had resolved to write to the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government to express their concerns about the potential impact of said eco-town.
Reply comes back in an envelope addressed to the Clerk to the Parish Council of Darrington, the letter inside from the senior civil servant who had responded was addressed to the Clerk to the Parish of Darringfield.
The members of the council were very unimpressed.
So just as once upon a time in Transylvania a monster was given life by Doctor Frankenstein, Darringfield seems to have been brought to life by a Mr Hall.
At a recent PC meeting the Council had resolved to write to the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government to express their concerns about the potential impact of said eco-town.
Reply comes back in an envelope addressed to the Clerk to the Parish Council of Darrington, the letter inside from the senior civil servant who had responded was addressed to the Clerk to the Parish of Darringfield.
The members of the council were very unimpressed.
So just as once upon a time in Transylvania a monster was given life by Doctor Frankenstein, Darringfield seems to have been brought to life by a Mr Hall.
Update...Leeds City Region Eco Towns - Darringfield & Willow Green
Had a brief conversation with a reporter today, who tells me that having asked a press officer at the DCLG specifically if Darringfield and Willow Green were off the table, was told that they had not been ruled out as Leeds City Region choices for Eco-Town.
Somehow I am not surprised.
Somehow I am not surprised.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
Leeds City Region Eco Towns - Darringfield & Willow Green
Well here we are the saga goes on and the Minister confirms that there is to an Eco Town from Leeds City Region on the shortlist. Leeds City Region is a government construct that brings the City, County and Metropolitan District Councils together to look at a number of strategic issues for Yorkshire. Who LEEDS well there is a clue in the title.
In this case LCR has three eco-towns on the table. I am hearing from colleagues that Micklefield may be deselected, leaving Darringfield and Willow Green, either of which will have a significant impact on the five towns and this eastern part of the WMDC area. Real impact will be felt in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley as people commute from their 20 or 40,000 spiffy new eco homes to shop or to work.
Our resources are scarcely able to cope with existing demands. The new Pontefract General Infirmary henceforth known as the cottage hospital is reducing from 450 plus beds at its peak to a little over 100 when the new hospital comes on stream in 2010.
(Incidentally I have just heard of an initial proposal to build a first phase of 150 new homes on the parts of the hospital that will surplus to requirements.
If either or both get selected we have the makings of huge problems and that at a time when we are about to be consulted on a further nearly 2000 homes to be built in and around the Pontefract area.
More to follow as the picture gets clearer.
In this case LCR has three eco-towns on the table. I am hearing from colleagues that Micklefield may be deselected, leaving Darringfield and Willow Green, either of which will have a significant impact on the five towns and this eastern part of the WMDC area. Real impact will be felt in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley as people commute from their 20 or 40,000 spiffy new eco homes to shop or to work.
Our resources are scarcely able to cope with existing demands. The new Pontefract General Infirmary henceforth known as the cottage hospital is reducing from 450 plus beds at its peak to a little over 100 when the new hospital comes on stream in 2010.
(Incidentally I have just heard of an initial proposal to build a first phase of 150 new homes on the parts of the hospital that will surplus to requirements.
If either or both get selected we have the makings of huge problems and that at a time when we are about to be consulted on a further nearly 2000 homes to be built in and around the Pontefract area.
More to follow as the picture gets clearer.
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