Update from Ward Councillors October 2018

Thank you for your continued support

Update for West Ardsley Community Group from Councillors Lisa Mulherin, Ben Garner and Karen Renshaw, your local City Councillors for Ardsley and Robin Hood ward.

Firstly please accept our apologies for not being able to attend the meeting (9th October 2018 West Ardsley Action Group) on this occasion.  We would be very happy to take up issues working with the West Ardsley Community Group following the meeting and in the meantime we thought a quick written update on some of the work we’ve been doing for West Ardsley since the last meeting might be helpful.

On the Site Allocations Plan, Cllr Mulherin and Cllr Renshaw attended the hearing in relation to West Ardsley.  The inspectors have very recently issued a post-hearing note and a further response, which together provide interim views on areas of land identified as “broad locations” and finds that these should remain as green belt.  This is good news locally for the sites by the reservoir car park off Haigh Moor Rd and Westerton Rd towards the reservoir.  The inspectors have not yet given any indication of their views on the sites like ones around Haigh Wood that had been put forward for housing.  The indication is that we will hear more about these sites later in October or perhaps November.  What the inspectors have indicated is that if they modify the plan for any of these sites they would expect the Council to provide alternative sites in the same Housing Market Characteristic area.

At the last meeting, there were concerns about anti-social behaviour and people starting fires around the reservoir and the field behind Hilltop Academy.  Cllr Mulherin took this up with the Police and the Council’s Youth Service.  Arrangements were made for information sessions to be delivered at all of the local youth groups in the ward over the summer about the risks and dangers of starting fires and these sessions were successfully delivered by the West Yorkshire Fire Service working alongside the Council’s Youth workers.  The PCSOs and Youth Workers also visited the areas affected to engage with any young people gathering.

Councillor Renshaw attended the defibrillator launch at the Hare and Hounds, alongside community fundraiser Cody Hartley. It is great to see this fantastic resource in the village and we hope that as many local residents as possible will take the opportunity to take up the training on how to use it.

Councillor Garner and Councillor Renshaw thoroughly enjoyed the first meeting of the West Ardsley In Bloom group.  We have been in email correspondence with the group and with Richard Gill since to discuss options for funding a bench to go alongside one of the areas that the group are intending to plant.  The Council is to provide spring bulbs to get the group started.

We have added our support to the call to ensure that Haigh Moor Road is included in the West Ardsley 20mph zone and have placed an order for the location of a Speed Indication Device on Batley Road.

On a final note, we have met with West Yorkshire Combined Authority to call for improvements to bus services in West Ardsley.  We have made it clear how disappointed we are alongside local residents that the bus companies have paid no heed to the consultation that was carried out by WYCA and the bus companies last year and we are demanding a better service. We hope this is a helpful update and we look forward to seeing you soon for bulb planting if not before!