SPARK

Clippings

2012-02-08T10:52:00.000Z

RED House Museum has been saved.

The Labour cabinet met today (Tuesday) to thrash out its amendments to the council’s budget recommendations, which included plans to close the historic Gomersal building.

However, after both the Tory and Lib Dem groups announced they would not support the closure and the Labour group has followed suit.

A working group will now look at ways to generate an income from museums throughout the district.

Council leader Coun Mehboob Khan said: “We have proposed to save Red House Museum – it is an important part of our history and we want to look at more innovative ways of generating the income needed to keep it running, or look at how we might make the saving elsewhere.”

* Read the full story in this Friday’s Spenborough Guardian

Clippings

2012-02-08T10:50:00.000Z

Firm destined for Mirfield Moor makes job cuts

A GEAR manufacturing business set to open a new site on Mirfield Moor has announced cuts to its workforce.

David Brown today confirmed that up to 75 jobs could go at its UK headquarters in Lockwood, Huddersfield.

But it said the redundancies did not change its plans to build a centre of excellence for gear manufacture and a wind innovation centre on the Mirfield 25 site off Leeds Road.

Yesterday, staff at the Lockwood site were offered the chance to take voluntary redundancy.

But the company said it still planned to move 270 people to the Mirfield site in 2013 and expected to create 150 new roles in the next five years.

See Friday’s paper for more on the company’s plans.

Round the pubs

2012-02-02T02:02:00.000Z

The following is from the last round up of news about local pubs from the Heavy Woollen branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

The latest edition of Ale Talk is available here and includes a round-up from across the Heavy Woollen district and beyond.

Birkenshaw

Birkenshaw Liberal Club has Tetley's and a rotating guest. The Golden Fleece has varying guest beers and there are plans for a major refurbishment. The George IV has Tetley's and a rotating guest as does the Halfway House which has always sold lots of Tetley's.

Cleckheaton

The Old House at Home has Taylor's Landlord and Copper Dragon Best Bitter while the Rose & Crown is awaiting new management. A good variety of beer styles from mild to premium bitters is consistently available at the Wickham which also offers accommodation and morning coffee. The Priory (formerly the Brown Cow) has Tetley's Bitter and Mild. The Broomfield is a free house with a rotating guest, recently Withins Pale. The Station Tavern (ex-Royal) has a new landlady awaiting delivery of Black Sheep Bitter. Cleckheaton Sports Club has Thwaites Original and Wainwright. The Ex-Service Men's Club has Tetley's and an occasional guest. Cleckheaton Golf Club has Tetley Bitter. The Marsh is unique in having up to five Old Mill beers available including the tasty Old Mill Mild, Bitter, Blonde Bombshell, Bullion and a monthly-changing seasonal beer which is usually rather special. Food is available in the new conservatory-style dining room and there is a large smoking shelter.

Gomersal

Gomersal Cricket Club has Tetley's and a rotating guest (often from Titanic Brewery). The West End has John Smiths Cask, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin and Taylor's Landlord and will have a special seasonal beer available through the Winter. The Saw is for sale freehold despite earning a good reputation for food.

Hartshead

The Hartshead has Jennings Cumberland and two rotating guests.

Hartshead Moor Top

The Old Pack Horse stocks Theakston's Lightfoot, Jennings Cumberland and guests, recently Robinson's Young Tom, while across the road the New Pack Horse no longer has real ale despite its popularity under the previous management.

Heckmondwike

The New Charnwood is for sale; with an 80-seat function room in demand, a good kitchen, restaurant and established real ale bar in a fine, historic building with parking and an attractive garden, this could be a good investment for an enthusiastic, experienced publican.

Hunsworth

The Savile Arms has Tetley's and Theakston's Bitter alongside its food offering.

Liversedge

The Swan has four varying ales often including Ossett and Moorhouses. The Toby Jug has Tetley's and John Smith's Cask. The Shears has won the Autumn Pub of the Season award after quickly establishing itself as a welcoming free house with Tetley's, well-kept Black Sheep Bitter, Moorhouse's Luddites Ale (which is a secret blend of beers from Moorhouse's range) and a rotating guest beer. The Albion has Tetley's and occasional guest. The Black Bull has nine real ales with some interesting guests alongside Fuller's London Pride and beers from Ossett's four breweries each of which has some fine and unique beers.

Scholes

The Walkers Arms has well-kept Everards Tiger. The Rising Sun has Tetley's, Black Sheep Bitter and Golden Sheep plus occasional guests. On our recent visit, the Stafford Arms had Copper Dragon Challenger IPA and a Partners (formerly Anglo-Dutch) beer.

Birstall

The Greyhound has Tetley's and increasingly popular rotating guest beers while the Black Bull is being redecorated and continues to offer a frequently-changing microbrewery guest beer alongside Golden Pippin, John Smith's Cask and Sharp's Doom Bar. The Scotland has Tetley's and two increasingly popular rotating guests usually including a locally brewed choice (oh, and pickled eggs). The Pheasant has up to four ales including rotating non-Greene King guests.

Dewsbury Moor

Plans have been submitted to demolish the Woolpack for housing.

Big Ears - Zumba bends its knee to no man

2012-02-01T23:59:00.000Z

So many people turned up to Spen Valley's area committee meeting last night to protest at plans to close Red House Museum that staff had to go find extra chairs three times!

Council staff had tried to swap rooms within Cleckheaton Town Hall with the "Zumba" class that uses the main hall but the dance/fitness class wouldn't budge!

The packed meeting in the bar lounge heard objectors speak against the council's cost cutting plans which include closing the Gomersal museum, which has firm links with the Bronte sisters, and selling it off.

Dear SPARK - Sense of humour, RIP

2012-02-01T23:38:00.000Z

SPARK used to have a sense of humour – it seems to have lost it. It also seems to have adopted the policy – of why let truth get in the way of a good story.

Cllr David Sheard

HECKMONDWIKE

Big Ears - Wishful thinking?

2012-02-01T03:01:00.000Z

Big Ears has discovered a rampant case of wishful thinking... right at the heart of Kirklees!

The buzz around a number of Kirklees Council departments in Huddersfield is that Mirfield Tory councillor Martyn Bolt will NOT be seeking re-election in May.

Bolt's term of office as a ward councillor in the Tory stronghold comes to an end in May and rumours abound that he's packing it all in. An amused Big Ears reassured his contacts in Kirklees that this was highly unlikely!

Although...

Big Ears understands Bolt was furious with his Tory colleagues for supporting a recent planning application by David Brown engineering to develop on former greenbelt land at Mirfield Moor! An issue that has raised its head previously and put Bolt at odds with his fellow Tories locally and nationally.

Click to enlarge

Tory Mole tells Big Ears that while Tories in Mirfield have put it about that only Labour and the Lib Dems voted for the Brown plan in fact all the Tories (bar Bolt who refused to take part in the decision) on the planning and highways committee voted for it including the Tory chairwoman!

And this infuriated Bolt. But enough to pack it all in? Big Ears and Tory Mole agree it's highly unlikely.

Clippings

2012-02-01T01:54:00.000Z

Left in the dark

PARTS of Spen could be plunged into the dark to save money.

Tuesday’s area committee will hear of plans to switch off large numbers of street lights during the night, between midnight and 5am.

The committee wants Spen folk to come forward to say which ones should be turned off and which should stay lit.

The contentious issue was discussed by Kirklees Council’s cabinet before Christmas and it was agreed that local people would have a say in which of the district’s 52,000 should be switched off.

The council is set to save £19,000 per year in energy costs, from an initial cost of £60,000.

Committee chairman Coun Andrew Pinnock said he wanted to hear the views of local people on the plan.

“It should be an interesting discussion and I’m sure members and the public will share their views,” he said.

“The Liberal Democrats prefer the idea of putting dimmer switches into the lamp posts.

“That way you would still have to install the switches and you would probably satisfy more people because there would still be some lighting.”

Under the current system, the street lights in Kirklees emit 11,840 tonnes of carbon dioxide, costing the council a further £140,000 per year in Carbon Reduction Commitment tax.

That is set to more than double to £350,000 by 2020, if changes are not made.

Switching off street lights has found favour in Derby, where the local council conducted a public consultation that found more than two thirds of residents were in favour of the plans.

Whether the reaction will be the same in Spen remains to be seen.

Coun Pinnock added: “It’s been seen in Cambridgeshire that switching off street lights actually reduces crime.

“That could be because the darkness means thieves cannot so easily see what they want to steal. It should be an interesting discussion.”

Big Ears - A warning from history... and Batley

2012-01-31T13:26:00.000Z

Following our story about people opposed to the closure of Red House Museum attempting to force a public debate, Big Ears heard a tale about what happens when people power threatens Kirklees's notion of consultation.

Objectors had hoped to secure a debate on the proposal at tonight's meeting of Spen Valley area committee (7pm, Cleckheaton Town Hall).

But SPARK understands that committee chairman Andrew Pinnock, Lib Dem councillor for Cleckheaton, was asked to add Red House to the agenda for the meeting. Pinnock, who is a member of the Kirklees Historic Buildings Trust, reportedly laughed off the request and refused!

Objectors intend to force a debate at tonight's meeting irrespective of Pinnock's ruling. News of this reached as far away as Batley and locals there issued a warning to the Red House objectors, via Big Ears.

Their tale of warning centres on an attempt by folk from over the hill to force a proper "consultation" over the future of Batley Town Hall. Of course nothing scares Kirklees more than meaningful, genuine consultation and so, like a 19th century millowner fearful of the great unwashed, the council organised back-up...

Objectors arrived at the event at the town hall to find a couple of police officers loitering around outside.

When one Batley resident started to use that most reprehensible form of public protest - asking QUESTIONS of those in authority - the police were summoned and those concerned for the future of their town hall were turfed out of the meeting.

Objectors held their own meeting outside in the market place with councillors watching forlornly from the windows!

Big Ears - Sign of the times

2012-01-31T13:20:00.001Z

Which senior Kirklees councillor was so ashamed of a council 'highways improvement scheme' in his ward that he forced the workmen to carry out the works incognito?

Yorkshire stone paving was ripped up and replaced by tarmac along a pavement in Huddersfield. The council workmen at the scene erected a little sign to say who they were, as all such contractors should.

But on the road in question was a property belong to said senior councillor who demanded the sign be taken down so he would not be associated with an unpopular scheme - he knew electors in his ward would rather have Yorkshire stone than tarmac any day of the week.

The workmen refused, the councillor went over their heads and guess what? The sign came down!

If Big Ears suggested the instance occurred in the Greenhead ward, would that give you any clues?

Save our heritage: have a shag in a Bronte bed

2012-01-31T11:38:00.001Z

SPARK seems to have provoked an outcry against Kirklees Council's proposal to close down Red House Museum and sell it off.

Since our recent story not only have the newspapers started reporting the threat to the Gomersal museum but local politicians have swung into action!

The local Tories in Gomersal are appalled. Lib Dem leader Kath Pinnock says is must be saved. Spen MP Mike Wood played the north/south divide card and pointed out that Huddersfield's Tolson Museum is to stay open even though it's nought more than a "miserable collection of stuffed birds".

Spen Valley Civic Society, former local councillors and the Bronte Society have lined up to condemn Kirklees as philistines.

Not everyone however is taking the threat to Red House as seriously it seems...

Labour's deputy leader David Sheard however, a member of the Cabinet [The ruling nine councillors who blithely rubberstamp officers' recommendations, Ed], clearly thinks the whole thing's funny.

He wrote on SPARK's facebook wall: "Someone - can't think who - did suggest it should be marketed as a honeymoon suit to rich Americans or Chinese. Have a **** in a bed that one of the Bronties [sic] might have slept in if she possibly had a sleep over with her friend Anne."

He even got the name wrong. The friend at Red House was called Mary.

Our heritage is clearly safe in HIS hands!

While Andrew Pinnock, the Cleckheaton Lib Dem and chairman of Spen Valley area committee, was asked to put the issue on the agenda for tonight's area committee meeting. He laughed and refused! And he's a member of Kirklees's historical buildings trust.

Our heritage is clearly safe in HIS hands!

However, former Cleckheaton councillor Gillian Cookson, an archivist and historian, wrote on SPARK's Facebook wall: "This is pitiful. The amount "saved" is pathetic. Has whoever proposed this looked at ways of generating income to the site? A bit of imagination could sort this out e.g. remodelling as an educational project/ heritage experience for schools, running volunteer training projects, etc etc."

While SPARK suggested it be used as a wedding venue, Cllr Sheard's response was the "have a shag in a Bronte bed" proposal.

SPARK understands there will be moves to FORCE Cllr Pinnock to allow a debate to be held on this proposal at tonight's meeting, 7pm at Cleckheaton Town Hall.

Big Ears - Tory bid to turn the tables on Labour

2012-01-25T11:30:00.000Z

Big Ears hears from his friend Tory Mole that the Tories are lining up a local candidate to give Labour a run for their money in Heckmondwike at this year's local council elections.

The Tories, he understands, will stand Naeem Hashmi at the May elections. He is young, from Heckmondwike and a solicitor.

Tory Mole told Big Ears: "We have a dubious record in Heckmondwike as a party. We haven't fielded a serious candidate there since our perennial candidate, Roger Roberts. And we only stopped using him because he defected to the BNP and won the seat for them!

"Attempting to chip into the foundations of Labour's dominance in Heckmondwike is the only chance we have to beat them, particularly if we're not prepared to do any substantial, meaningful work."

Hashmi is a stooge of Tory party co-chairman Baroness Warsi of Dewsbury. He was also involved with Vital4 an odd and short-lived vanity pressure group project created by Heckmondwike's former Labour councillor Timothy Crowther after he ditched Labour in 2003, turned independent and lost his seat to the BNP in the ensuing by-election.

Clippings

2012-01-20T18:31:00.000Z

'Gutted' over homes plan

PONDEROSA bosses say they are ‘gutted’ after their plans for a retirement community were turned down by Kirklees Council.

Howard and Adam Cook, who own Ponderosa Rural Therapeutic Centre in Heckmondwike, said they were ‘hurt and disappointed’ that the planning and highways committee rejected their application for a 145-unit eco retirement village and care home last week.

The plans were turned down because they were an ‘inappropriate use of green belt land’.

Howard Cook said they were keeping their future plans under wraps until they had taken legal advice.

He said: “Everybody involved is gutted. We just can’t believe that was the outcome. We are hurt, and are now taking stock of where we are – though we are still committed to what we are doing with the Able 2 project and the probation services with young offenders.

“We have lawyers coming next week so we can’t really say anything else until we have taken advice.”

Previously the developers said they would no longer be able maintain Ponderosa’s not-for-profit element which worked with young people with disabilities and learning difficulties if the plans were not given permission. But this week Mr Cook would not comment on the future of the business.

He said: “Kirklees Council have done their financial work and they know what’s there. We are in consultation with a lot of people and with Kirklees Council and we are all trying to work together for a sustainable outcome.”

Mr Cook said he thought objectors were focusing on the green belt issue rather than the wider picture.

He said: “I don’t think people are really reading what the application is about, just thinking about the green belt. It’s always been a serious concern for the site.”

Meanwhile his son, Adam, said he was disappointed Ponderosa, would not be able to deliver the 400-plus jobs promised if the plans had been given the go-ahead.

He said: “We have had a huge rise in unemployment – and yet we have just had 440 jobs turned down. I am really disappointed. The scheme is privately funded and there would have been 200 apprenticeships. In times like these I can’t understand it.”

O In last week’s story ‘Planners refuse eco-homes bid’ we incorrectly reported that Conservative members voted for the development. We are happy to point out this is not true and that Labour supported the plans. We apologise for the inaccuracy.

Big Ears - The world gone potty

2012-01-20T14:46:00.001Z

Big Ears couldn't help notice that EVERY newspaper in Kirklees has gone potty over plans to close public lavatories across the district...

...while the closure of Red House Museum has passed unnoticed!

It can't be a happy time at Red House knowing you're second fiddle to those most ignoble of public monuments. Kirklees says almost 30,000 people visited the museum last year but have so far not published visitor numbers for ANY of the public toilets - including those in SOUTH Kirklees.

Big Ears wonders if this is a cover up.

[In the interests of public decency Big Ears was prevented from making any 'no pot to piss in' or other toilet related puns, Ed]

Red House Museum to be chopped

2012-01-20T13:00:00.001Z

Kirklees Council wants to shut down Red House Museum in Gomersal and sell it off!

The museum, along with Oakwell Hall, was expected to have its opening hours severely cut back but instead Kirklees has now drawn up a plan to shut it and sell it.

The north Kirklees museum is the only museum in the whole of the district to be earmarked for closure. All south Kirklees museums escape the budget cuts.

The museum was home to the Taylor family who had strong connections to the Brontes. Only last year it won a national award for the quality of its educational experience.

Click to enlarge

Clippings

2012-01-18T16:24:00.003Z

Benefit fraud Lindley councillor, Tony Brice, to wait another month to see if expelled from Tories

A CONSERVATIVE councillor, convicted of benefit fraud, will have to wait another month to see if his party membership is revoked.

Lindley councillor Tony Brice is to be sentenced on January 25 after he admitted falsely claiming £2,977.32 in benefits from Kirklees.

Colne Valley Conservative Association (CVCA), which selects candidates for the council, has said it will wait until Clr Brice is sentenced before deciding whether to terminate his membership of the party.

An executive meeting to decide Clr Brice’s fate will be convened at least 14 days after sentencing, owing to CVCA’s constitution.

Clr Brice, 67, of Belmont Close, Highfields, has been an independent on Kirklees Council since he was expelled from the council’s Tory group on his conviction last month.

But he will remain a member of the Conservative Party unless he is expelled by CVCA next month.

CVCA chairman Neil Drake said: “We had an executive meeting on January 12 and the executive decided it wanted to wait until sentencing before the decision will be made.”

Big Ears - Think of a number!

2012-01-13T22:12:00.000Z

Job creation may not have been considered a special reason for building in the greenbelt at Norristhorpe but there's been something extraordinary about the number of jobs that could have been created had Howard Cook's retirement village at Ponderosa gone ahead.

Big Ears noted that when the first application looked as though it was heading for approval the number of jobs the scheme would have created steadily decreased over time - reducing expectations and what Cook would have to deliver!

But it was refused by the Heavy Woollen planning sub-committee and that came as a surprise... but not as much as a surprise as the saga that unfolded with the second, almost identical, application.

Big Ears can't help to notice that as the latest one progressed and success looked increasingly uncertain Cook's confidence diminished and the number of jobs on offer steadily and conveniently increased week after week!

That number peaked AFTER permission was refused in the Gridiron when they plucked 500 jobs out of nowhere and reported the figure as though it were fact! That's double the previous highest number that itself was plucked out of the air by supportive councillors on the sub-committee and more than ten times what Cook himself claimed would be created by his first plan before it was refused!

Big Ears noted that the application form for the second plans states there would be ZERO jobs created!

Cook plan gets a free ride before crashing out

2012-01-13T21:59:00.000Z

a SPARK exclusive

Ponderosa guru Howard Cook's plans to build a so called eco retirement village in greenbelt fell at the last Kirklees hurdle yesterday.

A lacklustre attempt to justify the unjustifiable by the Labour councillors on the Planning and Highways Committee did little to convince the massed ranks of the Lib Dems and Tories who were opposed to the plans and did not agree there were good reasons to allow development in the greenbelt.

SPARK however has learned that there's a silver lining for Cook after his futile foray into the planning process - he didn't pay a penny for it!

Normally anyone submitting a planning application has to pay what can often be a substantial fee. His first, almost identical application, cost him £13,585 to submit to Kirklees before it was refused last May.

But this time Cook got a freebie! SPARK understands 'almost identical' is the key to getting the fee waived.

Rather than lodge an appeal against the refusal of his first plan Cook submitted an almost identical plan and Kirklees waived the substantial fee - at a time when the council has been making substantial job cuts, not least in the planning department that is struggling to deal with the volume of work being put before the officers it has left.

Cook, whose supporters shouted 'stitch up' and 'shameful' as the voting unfolded, now has six months to appeal the decision. Why Cook felt Kirklees, which had already refused permission once, would be a safer bet than an appeal is unclear but he was clearly very confident at the outset. SPARK understands that planning officers believe it is unlikely he will do so or that he would win if he did!

One officer told SPARK "Mr Cook certainly got his money's worth from the first application. Officers spent the best part of two years chasing round after information. This time he had two committee meetings, a series of briefings, extensive officer time from numerous council departments and all for free."

Big Ears - Tweets, twits and twats

2012-01-12T11:40:00.000Z

David Cameron infamously said that the trouble with social networking site Twitter was that, due to the instantness of it, "too many twits might make a twat."

It also encourages tit for tat one-up-manship between rivals. Here's an example Big Ears was shown from within Kirklees Council only this week featuring Lib Dem councillor Cahal Burke reacting to a 'tweet' by Labour leader Mehboob Khan.

Who'd have thought David Cameron might have been right about something!

Big Ears - Friends with the French

2012-01-12T08:55:00.000Z

On the train to Huddersfield this morning Big Ears overheard an exchange between an ex-police officer travelling with a French business associate and a female passenger with whom the former had struck up a conversation.

After a brief debate about a newspaper headline the ex-copper asked the woman: "Have you met my garlic friend?"

"I think you mean Gallic," replied the woman deadpan.

"Do I? What did I say? Oh yes," said the ex-copper, much to the mirth of nearby passengers.

Big Ears - Cleckheaton City?

2012-01-12T08:50:00.000Z

Big Ears was listening to the radio on his way to work this morning and was stunned to hear that Cleckheaton has been nominated to receive city status!

One UK town will be bestowed with city status this year to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. Cleckheaton hasn't of course made THAT shortlist but the town has been nominated for a BBC radio version for towns with no chance of ever becoming a city!

Big Ears - Mike Wood named as Tory candidate

2012-01-11T21:06:00.000Z

Mike Wood has been selected as a candidate for the Tories!

Big Ears has unearthed the news thanks to the marvellous power of the internet.

Mike Wood, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, was unavailable for comment but for more information about this breaking news story Big Ears encourages you to click here.

[It's been a lean month here at SPARK Towers, Ed]

Something rotten in the state of Doggus - 2

2012-01-11T20:49:00.000Z

Howard Cook's plans to build a housing development in the greenbelt at Norristhorpe will again appear before a council committee tomorrow.

SPARK reported the last time it appeared before a council committee, at the supposedly non-political planning sub-committee, that the councillors had divided perfectly along party lines - Labour voting to approve, Lib Dems and Tory against. Planning committee councillors are supposed to vote based on the evidence they see and hear and not in line with their party's wishes..

The plan was approved in principle but only subject to approval and a final decision from the parent Planning and Highways committee.

The Labour leadership on Kirklees is in favour of Cook's plans and had hoped the sub-committee would approve it. They were furious when the Labour chairman Paul Kane allowed it to be sent up to the parent committee where the party is outnumbered by the other parties.

But that doesn't mean they've given up. The agenda has been published on the council's website and conspiracy theorists would have a field day with it!

Two Labour councillors on the parent committee, both vocal opponents of Cook's plans, have been mysteriously subsitituted for colleagues in favour of the plans. Ward councillors Steve Hall and Viv Kendrick have both spoken out in the past in opposition to the plans have been ditched in favour of Batley's Amanda Stubley and Dewsbury's Cathy Scott - both of whom support the plans.

Labour's Mohan Sokal, a Huddersfield councillor who has twice been drafted on to the committee, spoke passionately against the application the first time and passionately in favour the second. Both plans are virtually identical! He too has been replaced, perhaps in fear he's alternating his vote at each meeting he attends...

The meeting will be held at Dewsbury Town Hall at 9.30am tomorrow.

Click here for more on this saga

Big Ears - A tweet too far?

2012-01-04T16:40:00.001Z

Big Ears has often heard about the Lib Dems and their love of opportunism and it is something she has on occasion witnessed for herself.

This week Big Ears noticed that the Lib Dem leader and Cleckheaton Ward councillor Kath Pinnock had clearly seen an opportunity to promote her party on the back of the conviction and sentencing of two men for the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

The 'tweet' in question read:

Big Ears accepts times are hard for the Lib Dems, but are they really so hard?

The mystery of the stolen station

2012-01-04T16:37:00.000Z

The only railway station in the history of such things to have ever been stolen was one of Cleckheaton's!

Back in the days when Cleckheaton had two stations, one looked down on the town from the eastern end of Mann Dam viaduct and the other was located on basically what is now the car park for the town's Tesco store.

This second station was Cleckheaton Central railway station. It was closed as part of the government's programme of cuts to the railway infrastructure - the Beeching cuts - during the 1960s when a third of the rail network was axed.

The station closed to passengers in 1965 and to freight four years later. The other station, Cleckheaton Spen, had closed some years earlier.

On a late summer's day in 1971 Cleckheaton Central station was stolen!

The station was originally constructed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, which was absorbed by the LNWR in 1922 and subsequently the LMS in 1923. Finally it was taken on by British Rail when the railways were nationalised in the 1960s.

It served traffic from Heckmondwike, Low Moor and Mirfield. The Mirfield line opened in 1848 and was linked through to Low Moor in 1849. The last passenger train working was the service from Bradford on 12 June 1965 arriving at Cleckheaton at 11.21 pm; the station closed to freight traffic some four years later.

In 1972 a Dewsbury man appeared at Wakefield Crown Court and in the words of the prosecution counsel "what the case really comes to is that this man last August in effect stole Cleckheaton station".

British Rail had contracted out the clearing of the site in August 1971. A component part of that deal would be that the contractors could sell materials and scrap from the site and retain the proceeds.

On arrival, the contractors discovered that the station and most of the materials were already gone!

It transpired that the man later accused of stealing the station had been contracted by another firm to clear the site, had been advanced a sum for hire of plant, and had spent three weeks clearing the site.

Subsequent efforts to trace the second firm failed, and the court found the man not guilty, deciding that he had been duped and left significantly out of pocket.

The only remnants of the old station is a former entrance way within bridges over a nearby street, which runs between Crown Street and Tofts Road [pictured below]. There is also of course the Station Tavern public house adjacent to the station site.

The land is now the site of the Tesco store, with the car park accounting for most of the old station site and yards. The land that housed the old goods yard closer to Tofts Road remains unused despite plans from within the local community to create a play area.

The line itself of course has been transformed into the Spen Valley Greenway.

Lawson

2012-01-03T01:51:00.000Z

BRONTESAURUS

Clippings

2011-12-23T12:36:00.002Z

Low Moor railway station row

Councillors have hit back at criticism of the planned Low Moor railway station, while a new rail link for the Spen Valley has been branded ‘impossible’.

Last week, the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce announced it had concerns over the rail plan that has received the backing of Bradford City Council, Metro and Northern Rail.

It suggested relocating the site to the other side of Cleckheaton Road and looking at extending the rail network to reinstate the old Spen Valley line, which is now the Greenway.

However Wyke councillor David Robinson defended the plans and questioned why the chamber had not come forward sooner.

“This is something that has been going on for over 10 years and we have had residents and local industry asking why there is no station in Low Moor,” he said.

“For the chamber to come in now and say there should be a rethink is absolutely ridiculous.

“They should have lobbied for it in the Spen Valley if that’s what they wanted. A lot of hard work has gone into this plan by the Wyke councillors.”

Coun Robinson added that the chamber’s suggestion to move the site across Cleckheaton Road to the conservation area at Toad Hole Beck was not feasible.

He added: “We have worked with Bradford Council and residents to set up the Friends of Toad Hole Beck which protects the conservation area.”

Gordon North, Sustrans’s Greenway warden and vice-chairman of the Spen Valley Civic Society, said it would be ‘impossible’ to reinstate the Spen Valley rail line without it costing millions.

“The pipeline Yorkshire Water put down the length of the Greenway has made it physically impossible to reopen,” he said.

“I would estimate it could cost £15m just to relocate the pipe elsewhere.”

A campaign group was set up in the 1980s called Missing Link to lobby for a return of the Spen Valley line.

Michael Ramsden, one of its founders, added: “If they wanted to open the line it would be a big project and the Low Moor plans would have to be looked at again.”

A planning application for the railway station will be lodged with Bradford Council in the new year.

Clippings

2011-12-20T13:34:00.001Z

Christmas trees stolen

THE owner of a nursery turned super sleuth when he found himself on the trail of the lonesome pine... tracking a haul of stolen Christmas trees by following pine needles thieves had left behind.

John Dacre, of Park House Nurseries in Littletown, woke on Sunday to find burglars had lumbered off with his stock of Christmas trees, holly wreaths and festive decorations.

The thieves had even stolen two of his trolleys to cart off their haul. However little did they realise they had left behind the valuable clues.

When Mr Dacre called police, they spotted the needles and together they followed the trail for half a mile along the Spen Valley Ringway and across fields, stopping at a house in Firthcliffe where the officers found a stash of trees in the garden.

Mr Dacre said: “It happened in the early hours and I got up to find the Christmas trees had gone, along with wrought iron tree stands, holly wreaths, some little conifer trees decorated with ‘snow’, and bird tables.

“I was devastated because Sunday would have been my biggest day for selling Christmas trees.

“I called the police, they were here within minutes and we found this trail of pine needles.

“The funny thing is that they were supposed to be ‘low needle drop’ trees which don’t shed so easily, but thankfully they dropped enough for us to follow!

“All the time I was thinking the trail would end, but while the needles got less and less, it just carried on.”

Five of the trees were eventually recovered and taken back to the nurseries in Eddercliffe Crescent, where they were promptly sold.

“The police were absolutely brilliant,” said Mr Dacre.

“We walked together following this trail through the pouring rain and I joked to them that all we needed was a big magnifying glass and then we’d be real supersleuths!”

A police spokesman said: “The festive foliage led officers to a house in Firthcliffe Parade where the stolen trees were found and recovered.

“As an extra present, officers also found a cannabis farm at the address.”

A 17-year old has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and cultivating cannabis and is currently on bail pending further enquiries.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-19T11:54:00.001Z

Clippings

2011-12-19T11:54:00.000Z

‘Birkenshaw High School’ moves a step closer

Campaigners have moved closer to establishing a new secondary school in Birkenshaw.

The likelihood increased this week that a new 11-16 school can be opened in September 2013, after it was revealed that governors from Birkenshaw Middle School had lodged an application to become an academy.

The move has halted Kirklees Council’s plans to close the school and move the first school onto the site, which received strong objections from the community.

Academy status for the middle school would mean it was taken out of Kirklees Council’s control – and could not be closed.

The academy bid has been made in conjunction with the BBG Academy Trust, which has been campaigning for four years to open a high school in the village.

The trust wants to start a government-backed ‘free school’ at the middle site.

At a meeting on Wednesday, cabinet members agreed to postpone any further decision until the academy issue and funding matters were resolved.

Cabinet member for communities Coun Molly Walton said: “At the moment we feel we must await further information and officers’ recommendations.

“That includes the severely restricted capital funding for the next few years.”

If the academy bid fails, the option to create a free school could still be on the table for the trust.

Birkenshaw First School governors have already stated they would consider their own academy bid, to keep the school on its current site. That too would block the council’s reorganisation plans.

Speaking after the meeting, BBG Academy Trust member and Tory leader Coun Robert Light said: “The reason we have made the application in conjunction with the middle school is so that the result in 2013 is the same.

“The end result is that there will be a BBG Academy in 2013. The only thing to resolve is how that is to be – either as an academy or a free school."

Lawson

2011-12-16T15:29:00.000Z

Big Ears - Face to face with the Chief

2011-12-16T14:09:00.002Z

Big Ears opened a festive greeting today from his boss's boss's boss - Kirklees Council chief executive Adrian Lythgo.

The electronic greeting features a photo of the dynamic chief exec. It hasn't gone unnoticed among staff that increasingly official memos and bulletins from the top table feature such an image of the Chief.

Upon seeing yet another image of the Chief Big Ears's colleague was prompted to observe: "His face is on everything. He's just like Saddam Hussein!"

[SPARK is at pains to point out that there are no known similarities between the Chief and the former Iraqi dictator, besides getting their likeness on large volumes of correspondence, Ed]

Forget the cold turkey and help Kirklees carve

2011-12-13T10:30:00.000Z

Kirklees Council has received news of how much money it will get from the government next year.

Kirklees will receive £150million as expected which vindicates, it claims, the 'innovation and efficiency programme' [or cuts to you and I, Ed] that has been hacking away at services and staffing.

A consultation seeking people's views on what to cut and what not to cut is being run on the council's website until December 28.

So instead of finishing off the left over turkey Kirklees would rather hear your priorities. The council agreed a three year budget programme in February, and this consultation on the spending priorities within the decisions taken is on the You Choose section of the Kirklees website.

Kirklees Council leader Cllr Mehboob Khan said: “We already know that local government is the most efficient part of the public sector and has done most to improve and make savings, but by combining this settlement with the other measures announced in the autumn statement – for example pay freezes – the local government sector is again bearing the brunt of the government cuts.

“The statement makes clear that the next spending review will be as difficult as the current one, so we will continue to have pressure on our services."

Lawson

2011-12-10T16:44:00.000Z

"No, I said omnipotent"

Clippings

2011-12-10T15:00:00.000Z

Court cases dumped in Dewsbury as Huddersfield gets £560,000 make over...

HUNDREDS of cases are being moved to Dewsbury’s soon-to-be-axed magistrates’ court while Huddersfield’s ageing legal buildings get a £560,000 makeover.

The massive outlay, which is another slap in the face for Dewsbury, will see a major renovation project start on Monday to make Huddersfield suitable for the extra workload it is due to take on.

The three-month project means their magistrates’ court will eventually have the space and facilities to hear all of Dewsbury’s cases when the purpose-built court facility here shuts in late March.

The Huddersfield refurb includes three permanent secure docks, while the number of interview rooms is being doubled.

But it ironically it means hearings are being switched to Dewsbury – one of 103 courts being shut nationally to save money – in the short term.

Workloads at the court are set to soar as cases from all over Kirklees are heard in the town.

Coun Paul Kane (Lab, Dewsbury East) said: “It’s madness. I’m sure Dewsbury, which is a modern purpose-built court, wouldn’t need so much work.”

The Dewsbury Regeneration Board chairman added the closure would damage efforts to get the town back on its feet after years in the doldrums.

He said: “I’m sure the Government never took into consideration the underlaying ramifications of what they were doing.

“A lot of traders in Dewsbury, from sandwich shops to stationers, are going to be hit when the court staff transfer to Huddersfield.”

Dewsbury Law Society president Andrew Hill, of Helliwell, Pasley and Brewer, said any cash savings would be wiped out by extra costs like legal aid.

He pointed to the transport costs involved in getting to Huddersfield from areas like Birstall for those who do not have a car.

Mr Hill said: “One justification was the good train service from Dewsbury to Huddersfield, but it’s how someone gets to the train that matters.

“And anyone on legal aid would be able to claim those travelling costs back from the public purse, so it will cost taxpayers more in the long-run.”

A courts service spokesman said local issues, like the efforts to regenerate Dewsbury, were not considered when deciding which ones to close.

He added: “The utilisation at both Dewsbury and Huddersfield is significantly below the optimum of 80 per cent usage.

“Dewsbury is a modern building, but it doesn’t have the courtroom capacity of Huddersfield, so would be less able to accommodate the work of both.

“Keeping under-utilised courts open is not a good use of taxpayers’ money. Resources must be targeted in order to provide value for money.

“The closure of Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court will mean court services in the area is much more cost-effective.”

Some court staff and magistrates currently working in Dewsbury will transfer over to Huddersfield in March.

Dewsbury county court, which has been in the town since 1846, is also due to close next year as part of the Government's programme of cuts.

Clippings

2011-12-09T20:33:00.001Z

Cleckheaton shopkeepers in a flap over pigeon droppings

PIGEON poop has put Cleckheaton shopkeepers in a flap.

The rapidly rising number of birds means mess is being trailed into shops, and traders are constantly having to clean the pavements outside their premises.

Now the council has warned people that they face hefty fines if they are caught feeding pigeons.

Shops in the town centre have been blighted by pigeon droppings after a large increase in the number of birds, partly because of the unseasonably mild autumn.

Anyone caught feeding the birds is given a £75 fixed penalty notice, reduced to £50 if paid quickly, or up to £2,500 if the matter goes to court as it constitutes a littering offence.

For never was a Tory of more woe...

2011-12-09T13:09:00.000Z

Poor old benefit cheat councillor Tony Brice has had a rough old time of it lately.

After the euphoria of getting elected back onto Kirklees Council for the Lindley ward in May his world has fallen apart...

A little matter of fraudulently claiming benefits emerged in October, he was hauled into court in November and this month he's pleaded guilty AND been thrown out of the Tory group!

He will be sentenced next month and faces a Standards Board hearing to decide if he can continue to serve as a councillor and draw more than £12,000 a year from public funds... The Tories will also decide whether or not to throw him out of their party altogether.

In the meantime he's been dragged round virtually every courthouse in West Yorkshire!

His first appearance was at Huddersfield, his second at Dewsbury and his third will be at Halifax. The case was moved to Dewsbury for fear he wouldn't get a fair hearing in Huddersfield, where he's a councillor.

But Huddersfield is being upgraded in preparation for the Tory government closing Dewsbury down. In the meantime Dewsbury is handling the bulk of Kirklees cases... and the backlog means Brice will have to be sentenced in Halifax!

Tory Tony Brice. Another casualty of Tory cuts.

Thank you one and all

2011-12-09T00:02:00.000Z

More than 20,000 people have read SPARK since it started in 2009.

At the moment there are in excess of 3,000 individual visits to our website every month!

Some stories are more popular than others – particularly it seems those featuring former Tory general election candidate and now UKIP cheerleader-in-chief SmallJan!

In fat, SmallJan's almost as popular as Big Ears!

Speaking of whom... We hear regularly of speculation about “Who is Big Ears?” and of course the speculation is often right!

So far this year 41 people can legitimately lay claim to being Big Ears – that’s almost 20 more individual contributors than we had in 2010! And that doesn’t include the letters or the complaints!!

We've also seen far more of our stories nicked and regurgitated by the mainstream media.

SPARK would like to thank everyone who has read the site, contributed news and gossip and urge you to carry on doing so!

Big Ears - Planning party poopers

2011-12-08T20:00:00.000Z

Councillors from one of Kirklees's three main political groups met this week and Big Ears hears they were told by their leadership that when it comes to voting on planning applications they were to follow the lead set by official party policy!

In theory planning applications are supposed to be judged on their merits free from political interference and without party lines being adhered to. In practice however there's another story all together...

When challenged about the statement and it was pointed out that at the group's previous meeting the leadership had been at pains to stress planning was not and could not be subject to a 'whipped' vote there was an instant backtracking and nervous clarification to say that's not was meant at all!

Big Ears is reliable informed that the announcement and the nervousness speaks volumes in the context of a recent controversial decision: SPARK has previously reported on the possibility that political parties divided on clear party lines when deciding Howard Cook's Ponderosa retirement village application last week.

Tories boot benefit cheat Brice after guilty plea

2011-12-08T12:41:00.001Z

Lindley councillor Tony Brice has been expelled from the Tory group on Kirklees Council after pleading guilty to benefits fraud.

The 67-year-old pleaded guilty at Dewsbury magistrates on Friday, admitting to falsely obtaining £2,977.32 in benefits from Kirklees. He will be sentenced next month.

And although he has been expelled from the Tory group Brice [pictured with some police officers!] now plans to continue to serve on the council as an independent - drawing his £12,566 taxpayer-funded annual salary until 2015!

He will be referred to the council's Standards Committee which will rule on whether or not Brice can remain on the council.

Brice's expulsion leaves the Tories without a single seat in Huddersfield. The group's decision to expel him appears to have been a reluctant one with Tory chief whip Christine Smith paying tribute to Brice and telling t'Examiner it "was taken with a certain amount of sadness."

Brice remains a member of the Tory party but his local association will decide in January if he will be allowed to continue to do so.

Big Ears - Road to nowhere

2011-12-07T22:37:00.001Z

Big Ears couldn't help noticing that one of the arguments cited by Lib Dem leader Kath Pinnock in her justification for building in the greenbelt at Cooper Bridge was the promise of major improvement works to the A644 Wakefield Road by Calderdale Council.

The road runs along the southern edge of the site earmarked for major industrial development to junction 25 of the M62 and is badly congested at numerous times each day.

However Big Ears has learned that Calderdale Council has no plans at all to carry out major improvement works to the A644, contrary to Cllr Pinnock's statement in the Gridiron!

Big Ears - No homes in residential areas

2011-12-07T22:34:00.000Z

Overheard in a pub in Heckmondwike: "I have no idea why they would put council houses in the middle of residential areas..."

Empowering women the UKIP way...

2011-12-07T12:30:00.001Z

Is branding a woman a 'rather ugly bi-sexual' the best way to empower her?

That's the tactic of a new anti-feminist women's think tank led by none other than SPARK's old friend SmallJan [pictured].

And why, SmallJan asks, would a very successful and wealthy man trade down to this rather ugly bi-sexual?

Having stood and lost in Batley Spen for the Tories at last year's general election SmallJan, as she calls herself, joined UKIP and co-founded the 'think tank' Women On ... as previously reported by SPARK.

She also publishes a blog under the auspices of that august purveyor of moderate sense, the Daily Mail. And it was here this week that she published a vitriolic attack on Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, one of the Lib Dems at the top table in the coalition government.

In it she says: "Where does that leave Huhne? He can always hop off into the global warmed sunshine to one of his six or seven homes with Ms Trimingham, his aide/girlfriend. Although, having met Ms Trimingham on a number of occasions I do question why a very successful and wealthy man trades down to a rather ugly bi-sexual?

"I suppose he has bucked the trend of most men of his status by not going for a leggy blonde. Apparently, I am told by similar status male friends that the target age for men trading in for a newer model is half the man’s age plus seven years. They usually go for arm candy, doubling up as an interview for a nurse in their declining years."

The accompanying blurb for Women On ... reads like a lonely hearts ad by an embittered old maid who, after years of being jilted and jeered by men, is viperish about those who happen along from Mars ... but with a few platitudes to hedge her bets should an interested specimen inadvertently wander within her grasp! Eat your heart out Miss Havisham.

Ironically Women On ... talks of seeking to "challenge the left dominated Guardianista feminist view of the world of women which does not represent ordinary women. Women On … researches the issues facing women today, and promotes ideas and policies which enable all women to reach their full potential – economically, socially, culturally and politically, but not at the expense of men."

It ends by telling the world that SmallJan [or AtkinsonJan as she recently became] is "divorced with two teenage sons and is about to re-marry". It doesn't say whether or not she is within the "half your age plus seven" rule of her new husband... SPARK however suspects not!

Clippings

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000Z

Historic town centre market shuts up shop

HECKMONDWIKE’s historic outdoor market is to close after 201 years in the town centre.

The market, which received its official charter in 1810, closed on Saturday. From tomorrow, outdoor stall holders are relocating to the indoor market to join stall holders there.

A Kirklees Council spokeswoman said the decision was made to merge the markets to ‘create a more vibrant atmosphere in the main indoor market and give customers a more inviting shopping experience.’

She said the indoor market was ‘thriving’ with its butcher’s, greengrocer’s and a new cafe alongside the cooked meat and pie shop, sweet stall and clothing stalls.

When it was first set up the outdoor market was only held on a Saturday. Anyone could put up a stall for 2d. After the Fairs and Clauses Act of 1866 tolls were increased which was unpopular with traders.

It was agreed the Heckmondwike’s market place would be paved and stalls provided. The new market opened on February 29, 1868, and a big celebration was held in the town centre.

A charter in 1880 led to the introduction of the Tuesday market. The first midweek market was held on July 9 of that year, when the town was trimmed up and there was a procession through the streets.

It became a bustling attraction with several locations around the town centre and the market continued to be held on both days.

Until the 1980s waiting lists for a stall were said to be six months long and the busy market attracted shoppers from miles around.

But over the past 20 years numbers of both shoppers and stalls have dwindled and there are now only a handful of outdoor stalls on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Heckmondwike ward councillor David Sheard, Cabinet member for investment and housing, said: “The market is an important asset to the town centre.

“We have a dedicated team of stall holders in the market who are keen to make a success of the consolidated market offer.

“I encourage all local residents to support the market and all our town centre businesses.’

l On Tuesday December 20 the indoor market will host free face painting, Christmas music and entertainment.

Clippings

2011-12-04T11:55:00.001Z

Historic pub wins top beer accolade

AN historic pub has celebrated the first anniversary of its re-opening by scooping the CAMRA pub of the season award.

The towels were over at the Shears in Halifax Road, Hightown, for three years, and there were real fears that the pub, which was the meeting place for the Luddites 200 years ago, would be demolished.

However local couple Andrew and Debra Mitchell were determined Spen should not lose this unique piece of history, so they bought it, refurbished it and put in Paul and Janet Black as managers, opening just before last Christmas.

Their hard work has now paid off, as real ale experts have recognised not only the quality of the beer on tap, but the ambience of the pub.

On Tuesday Ian Mapplebeck, chairman of the Heavy Woollen branch of CAMRA, visited the Shears to present the Autumn Pub of the Season award to Paul and Janet.

Branch secretary Paul Dixey said: “With so much bad news about pub closures and difficulties in the trade, the award is designed to recognise those places where the management have made a special effort to boost the popularity of the pub, and provide a sociable place for people to meet and to enjoy a decent drink of traditional ale – particularly where the pub was previously trading poorly or closed.

“The new owners and their managers have done a great job of bringing this historic pub back to life after a period of closure, when it looked like it was going to be lost forever, despite its part in the history of the Luddites who used to meet in secret upstairs.

“Beer quality is a priority and the Tetley’s, Black Sheep, Moorhouse’s Luddites Ale and rotating guest are well enjoyed by many new-found regulars, while the log fires, stained glass and refreshed decor make for a lovely atmosphere.”

Paul said they were delighted to receive the award.

“I’m not normally stuck for words but I was when I found out about it,” he joked.

“It certainly wasn’t expected, because of the short time it’s been re-opened. It’s a tribute to the staff who are excellent ambassadors, the owners who saw its potential and, of course the customers, because without them you are nothing.

“The pub was closed for three years so it was a real challenge to get it up and running again, but people have been so kind and helpful. It’s a massive achievement and we’re really looking forward to the next 12 months, which will be even more special with the Luddites 200th anniversary celebrations.”

Big Ears - Pre-merc-ture e-jag-ulation

2011-12-04T10:01:00.000Z

Big Ears couldn't help raising an eyebrow on Thursday afternoon after leaving the Heavy Woollen planning meeting at which Howard Cook's Norristhorpe greenbelt application progressed to the next level in his battle for planning permission.

Moments after convincing planning committee councillors that they needed planning permission because they were on their arse financially and that Ponderosa was in dire straights Big Ears watched the impoverished Cook family joyously jumped into brand new top of the range luxury cars...

Further irony in that the Cooks were off to celebrate victory with a big party on Thursday night not quite realising that they hadn't actually been granted permission!

NOT Lawson

2011-12-04T10:00:00.000Z

Dear SPARK - A slow boat to Palestine

2011-12-02T13:33:00.001Z

RE Big Ears - Goodbye SmallJan

My life is in tatters! Great memories, my favourite 'tall tale' was at the hustings in 2010 at the IMWS. A question was asked about the situation in Palestine.

SmallJan replied: "Vote for me and I'll be on the first boat out to Palestine with you."

After the meeting I was chatting with a gentleman with a luxuriant red beard and he said to me: "You know what she [SmallJan] said about Palestine? I don't think I could spend a fortnight with her on a boat!"

UKIP RIP!

All the best,

MG
BATLEY

Big Ears - Goodbye SmallJan

2011-12-01T16:19:00.001Z

Big Ears has tearfully bid farewell to SmallJan, the former Tory candidate in Spen and now darling of that troubled band of anti-EU nutters UKIP.

Once was hard enough, following her flight from the area after losing the 2010 general election battle but now sadly it falls on Big Ears to report to the good people of the Spen Valley that SmallJan is no more. She's got wed!

This means SmallJan [pictured perhaps urging someone to put a ring on it] is now AtkinsonJan, which clearly has no ring to it whatsoever. SmallJan as was is now off the market and unavailable to all those hopeful bachelors out there...

Sorry boys.

Kirklees cooks up a stitch up!

2011-12-01T15:24:00.001Z

Howard Cook's controversial plan to build a retirement village in the greenbelt at Norristhorpe has been approved as councillors voted on blatantly organised party lines.

Planning committee decision are supposed to be free of party political control but at today's Heavy Woollen meeting every Labour councillor voted in favour of the Cook proposal - including those who were the most vociferous in condemning Cook's identical plan that was thrown out in May.

Even councillors who never speak at such meetings queued up to support Cook, with one appearing to read from a prepared statement!

This suspicious change of heart led to a 7-7 tie as the Tories and Liberals also voted in a convenient block but they opposed the plans.

In a further twist Paul Kane, the chairman and Dewsbury councillor who last week was the hero of the greenbelt defenders when he opposed his own party to protect greenbelt in his own ward, used his casting vote to allow the greenbelt in Norristhorpe to be built on.

The only concession was a decision that the plan be approved by the parent planning and highways committee.

Clippings

2011-11-28T11:27:00.001Z

Former Kirklees Council executive in fat cat pay row

A FORMER Kirklees Council top official is at the centre of a row – over “fat cat” pay.

John Ransford, who has just stood down as chief executive of the Local Government Association, claimed many would think his £300,000 salary was “peanuts”.

Mr Ransford, who worked for Kirklees Council for 14 years, had been receiving a total pay and pension package of £302,840.

He claimed this was ‘not particularly out of line’ with the salaries earned by other executive staff in the public sector.

He claimed it would be regarded as ‘peanuts’ by high-earners in finance and private industry. But the 63-year-old added: “I don’t regard it as peanuts, I regard it as high pay.”

Mr Ransford has come under fire from Local Government Minister Grant Shapps. He said: “He has set such a bad example to local government, advocating whopping fat cat salaries for chief executives whilst thousands of public sector workers are subject to a pay freeze or losing their jobs.

“We are calling time on the unacceptable practices of mega pay packets, boomerang bosses and double dipping to ensure the taxpayer gets value for money.”

Mr Ransford’s salary of £300,000-plus is more than double the Prime Minister’s salary and £70,000 higher than it was last year.

Mr Ransford said he was now planning to take a long break in New Zealand “as far from Westminster as it is possible to go”.

He explained: “I’ve done the heavy-lifting, I’ve given it my all. It’s for others now to perform on that stage.”

Mr Ransford’s replacement, Carolyn Down, is on a much lower salary of £169,000 a year, plus £27,000 in annual pension contributions.

Between 1974 and 1988 he held successive posts with Kirklees Council. From 1982 he was director of Social Services and in 1987 became acting chief executive.

He moved to North Yorkshire County Council in January, 1988.

Big Ears - Taking the piss

2011-11-28T09:23:00.001Z

Recession, cuts and austerity have everyone reluctant to spend a penny - but if the rumours Big Ears is hearing are true the decision to spend a penny could be out of our hands!

Big Ears is hearing that Kirklees Council is toying with the idea of closing every public toilet in the district!

Even t'Examiner has heard the rumour, suggesting it's either true or very old!

But they put it to Kirklees who would not confirm or deny the threat of closures, saying: “During these difficult times the council has to explore all opportunities to save money whilst protecting services which are vital to the community.”

Lawson

2011-11-27T00:47:00.000Z

Clippings

2011-11-24T09:15:00.000Z

Councillors reach LDF housing deal after epic meeting in Huddersfield

Click on the link above for more

NOT Lawson

2011-11-23T23:41:00.001Z

Marathon LDF session finds consensus

2011-11-23T22:54:00.001Z

After almost 13 hours of public debate Kirklees Council's party leaders retired to private negotiations to hammer out a deal on the local development framework.

A deal was finally struck behind closed doors in Huddersfield Town Hall shortly before 11pm.

Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and the council's independents reached consensus on what land should be used for new homes and employment use for the next 16 years. It was presented to councillors and in the end was accepted by 44 votes to 22!

There will be no new homes in the greenbelt in Huddersfield but there will be 2000 in Dewsbury. There will also be extensive new industrial use of greenbelt land - particularly at Cooper Bridge near Hartshead.

The Tories voted against with individual councillors from other parties under political pressure in their own wards doing the same.

Labour said this was a historic and crucial decision to secure opportunities for coming generations.

The Lib Dems said this was a tremendously difficult decision but that hundreds of millions of pounds of investment to secure regeneration, better housing and employment was a price worth paying.

They all agreed that building in the greenbelt was a last resort but necessary to overcome some of the social and health issues in Dewsbury as well as creating jobs and homes the district requires.

They also agreed that the Tories had opted out of taking a responsible approach after putting forward a fantasy proposal. The party, it was claimed, was motivated by next year's election campaigns and nothing else!

The Tories however claimed to be sticking to their principles and were against any development in the greenbelt. They vowed to keep working with the council to limit impact on communities and urged the council to engage better with communities as the process moves forward.

During the early part of the session more than 30 members of the public had attended the meeting to make representations - the majority were against development in the greenbelt.

Big Ears - Highlight of the day

2011-11-23T19:18:00.001Z

Big Ears has taken soundings and has a clear winner of the title "highlight of the day" from today's extraordinary Kirklees Council meeting on the local development framework!

And the highlight was the look on the face of Liversedge and Gomersal Tory councillor Margaret Bates the moment that a campaigner from Roberttown announced himself as the Labour councillor standing against her at next May's elections.

Priceless. And Big Ears it was even caught on camera thanks to the miracle of webcast and the Labour party's taste for self promotion!

Unless there's a streaker or one of the councillors breaks down in tears we suspect nothing better will happen!

Find out all the news unfit to tweet right here.

Put your bins out or pay the price

2011-11-23T13:06:00.001Z

Watch out, the bin police are about!

Dumping rubbish and failing to put your bins out is a sure fire way of getting a hefty fine!

Tracy Kirk, formerly of the Broomfield Hotel public house in Cleckheaton, pleaded guilty to waste related offences at Dewsbury magistrates this week.

Kirk, who now lives in, Dewsbury, was fined £415 including costs in relation to uncontained trade and domestic waste and failing to put domestic dustbins out for collection at the pub between February and April this year. This was in spite of being served notices by the council ordering her to do so.

She also pleaded guilty to fly-tipping on April 7 on Dewsbury Road, Cleckheaton. The council's team of "rubbish detectives" found correspondence linked to Kirk and the Broomfield pub.

When questioned, she could not prove how waste from the pub had been disposed of which is against the law.

Big Ears - Tweeting live

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000Z

Big Ears will be attending the special Local Development Framework debate at Kirklees Council meeting today and tweeting live via the magic of Twitter!

Users of Twitter can follow Big Ears' tweets here or follow the general debate here.

Clippings

2011-11-22T07:17:00.001Z

LDF plan is ‘size of 12 Galpharms’

GREEN belt land is set to be swallowed up by an industrial build the size of two White Rose Centres, says a campaigner.

Barbara Lumb, who is fighting against Kirklees Council’s plans to build on 42 hectares of green belt at Cooper Bridge, says people should be aware the area would be the equivalent of two White Rose centres, or 12 Huddersfield Town stadiums.

She said: “We now find ourselves in the very last phase of the period when the plans are to be considered. If accepted, this green belt land is earmarked for industrial development over 15 years.

“The rapidly declining economic outlook means that any valid information on which the decision to extract this green belt land from public benefit has to be re-assessed.

“National guidelines state that green belt land should only be utilised for industrial and housing development as a last resort.

“All concerned North Kirklees voters should ensure that their local councillors are aware of their objections to this planning proposal.”

The proposals are part of Kirklees Council’s Local Development Framework, which outlines how it would bring thousands of new jobs and homes to the district by 2028.

Growing public anger at the plans across the whole of Kirklees has persuaded three major parties to call for an urgent rethink.

This week, the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour Party set out their own, alternative plans.

The Tories said they would use no green belt land for development at all, and the number of new houses being planned for Kirklees should be reduced from 25,400 to 18,000.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats called for more land previously used for industry to be redeveloped.

And in both parties’ plans, the ‘mill mile’ between Batley and Dewsbury would be turned into a zone for new businesses.

In Labour group plans, the number of homes being planned for Kirklees has been reduced by 2,930 and the number of new jobs being planned has been cut by 1,500.

The council will agree a set of plans at its next meeting on Wednesday at Huddersfield Town Hall.

Council leader Mehboob Khan (Lab, Greenhead) said the council’s scheme had taken into account people’s views.

He said: “We have listened to views from members of the public, interest groups, employers and developers to come up with a proposal that we think reflects our future needs around jobs and homes, but which is realistic and deliverable and takes care to maintain the attractive character of Kirklees.”

Clippings

2011-11-22T07:05:00.001Z

Kirklees Council LDF meeting: Watch it, get expert updates and have your say here

IT’S a meeting which could shape Huddersfield for years to come – and you can follow every minute of it on the Examiner’s website.

On Wednesday the 69 members of Kirklees Council will vote on a controversial plan which could lead to 25,000 new homes around Huddersfield by 2028.

You can watch it from 10am on a webcast of the meeting supplied by Kirklees Council.

You can also follow the meeting with updates from our Kirklees Council reporter Barry Gibson and you can have your say on what's going on in the meeting by commenting on the liveblog.

The Local Development Framework (LDF) proposal also includes building thousands of houses on green belt land.

Kirkburton, Holmfirth, Linthwaite, Scissett and Clayton West, Denby Dale, Skelmanthorpe and Dewsbury would all increase by more than a fifth if the plan goes ahead.

The LDF has generated fierce opposition from some residents, who fear the green fields around Huddersfield could be lost forever.

At the meeting, campaigners and concerned residents will make their case first, followed by Kirklees officers.

Finally, councillors will debate and decide which blueprint will get the go-ahead.

Big Ears - Sleeping with the fishes

2011-11-21T10:32:00.000Z

You may remember the Ponderosa story Let us build in the greenbelt or the llama gets it. Well Big Ears has stumbled across another tactical gambit in Howard Cook's battle to build a retirement village in the greenbelt at Norristhorpe.

Big Ears had a look over the letter from a council legal officer to councillors on the Heavy Woollen planning committee that was leaked to SPARK. Buried away in the text was the following statement:

"Furthermore, due to land ownership and access constraints, the applicant claims that the wider regeneration benefits will not be delivered without the development of the [continuing care retirement community]."

Is Big Ears the only one who reads this as a threat?

A threat to Kirklees Council to give planning permission or this time the fish farm gets it!

Lawson

2011-11-20T11:42:00.000Z

Extent of metal wiring thefts in Spen revealed

2011-11-19T08:25:00.000Z

There have been 30 thefts of metal wiring from the electricity network in Spen Valley, SPARK can reveal.

Thieves have targeted substations and even overhead power lines and successfully stolen wiring to sell for scrap from 30 locations in the valley alone.

There were also two attempted thefts.

Such thefts, particularly from substations, have caused chaos for local residents - not only causing power cuts but also blowing many electrical devices when the supply was restored and the power surged.

Liversedge, and particularly Hightown, has been the worst affected area, closely followed by Cleckheaton and then Heckmondwike.

Legal letter sheds light on Ponderosa mystery

2011-11-18T17:30:00.000Z

Yet another SPARK exclusive

SPARK has cracked the mystery surrounding the hold up to Howard Cook's plan to build a housing estate in the greenbelt at Norristhorpe.

A letter from a council legal officer to councillors on the planning committee, leaked to SPARK following the story we ran yesterday, sheds light on what's been holding up determination of this, the second such application for a retirement village.

A briefing by Kirklees officers in September seems to have prompted complaints of "improper motives" and attempts to "exert improper influence" over councillors on the committee. Officers are now reassuring councillors that this is absolutely not the case.

Cook's first application was refused by councillors in May but instead of appealing he confidently resubmitted his plans for the retirement village with a few subtle tweaks!

Since then the there's been a series of mysterious delays, Kirklees's planning department claimed it needed extra information from third party consultees while the applicant has told people his plans were being investigated! But as reported yesterday, Kirklees's diary of meetings has been unusually and radically altered to accommodate the application across two planning committee meetings!

A letter to councillors inviting them to a special Ponderosa briefing prior to the first of the two meetings sheds some light on the mystery of what's been going on. The letter sets out a series of issues, and rebuffs them, relating to a series of concerns expressed by councillor.

At the heart of this is a briefing by council officers to councillors on September 1 2011 that "caused much unease amongst members of the sub-committee." It is stressed in the letter that there was no "improper motive" behind this and "no intention to exert any improper influence" on councillors and the decision they would eventually make!

The letter says: "The purpose of the briefing was to allow you all to be briefed on how the current Ponderosa proposal potentially links into the regeneration projects being promoted by the Council on neighbouring sites. This was intended to ensure that all members would have a fuller understanding of development proposals in the wider area (e.g. Able 2, Dewsbury Domes) when making their decision.

"There was no improper motive behind the [Local Planning Authority's] decision to provide the officer briefing and certainly no intention to exert any improper influence on you and the decision that you would eventually make."

The solution to address this "bad" briefing is to do it all again and hold another briefing! What appears to be a pro-approval meeting will be held next Thursday. Those in favour will be allowed to put their case in a bid to convince councillors to approve planning permission and although the public will be allowed to attend there's no suggestion anyone opposed to the plans will be allowed to speak.

A decision will then be taken at the following week's rescheduled committee meeting.

Something rotten in the state of Doggus*

2011-11-17T14:22:00.001Z

After weeks of inaction on Howard Cook's second attempt to build a retirement village in the greenbelt at Norristhorpe there's been a bizarre lurch forward this week.

The planning application was due to be heard in October but that appearance was mysteriously cancelled. Kirklees Council claimed it didn't have enough information but SPARK understands from numerous sources that the applicant has been telling people there were more serious concerns!

SPARK has since learned that the November meeting of the Heavy Woollen planning committee is to be split and held twice within a week especially for this planning application. Next Thursday there will be the usual site visits held during most meetings but before hand there will be a pro-approval briefing to try to convince councillors to grant permission.

Supportive officers and Cook's planning advisor will have the chance to have their case heard uncontested by those opposed.

The application has been supported by council officers and successive council leaders, with both Labour's Mehboob Khan and Tory Robert Light backing the plan to build new homes in the greenbelt.

Then on the following Thursday the committee will be reconvened for a second time in seven days in effect to continue next week's meeting. At this meeting it is expected that councillors will be asked to approve planning permission for the development.

Councillors were asked to do this in May after nearly two years of delays but they unanimously rejected the application, savaging the proposals in the process!

[*For those that don't know, Doggus was an old name for Norristhorpe! Ed]

Big Ears - Christa soaks up some Spen history

2011-11-15T12:48:00.001Z

Big Ears understands St Peter's Church at Hartshead received a special visitor recently.

BBC Look North presenter Christa Ackroyd contacted the church to see if she could visit and have a look round.

The historic church dates back to Norman times has links with Robin Hood, the Luddites and the Bronte family.

Big Ears understands that the newsreader, who is from Bradford, spent more than an hour looking round the church and chatting with the churchwarden. She was "very nice" Big Ears hears and even offered to return to give a talk to parishioners!

Dear SPARK - Burning issues

2011-11-13T00:01:00.000Z

RE: Dear SPARK - What's the connection?

In reply to M Ellis and his letter questioning the link between the Olympic Torch and the 200th anniversary of the Luddite attack at Littletown, perhaps I could helpfully point out a clear link between the two.

The Olympic torch relay will involve people with burning torches running away from Spen, not at all unlike the Luddites on that fateful night in 1812.

And in the end a great number of participants ended up with something round their necks while standing on a raised platform!

CW
CLECKHEATON

Dear SPARK - What's the connection?

2011-11-11T14:00:00.000Z

RE Spen's Olympic dream put to the torch and t'Examiner brands Kath Pinnockio

Having read your two stories about the Olympic torch route excluding Spen Valley I feel I have to pose a question. What on earth is the link between the Olympics and the Luddites attacking Rawfolds in 1812 that justifies the Olympic Torch coming here?

I'd like the route to include Spen but I don't get the link with the Luddites.

M Ellis
LIVERSEDGE

Lest we forget

2011-11-11T00:03:00.000Z

Big Ears wears his poppy with pride, lest we forget.

Big Ears - Free school wheeze to out-fox Kirklees

2011-11-10T19:34:00.000Z

Big Ears has been led to believe that the Birkenshaw Tories fighting for their own exclusive high school have happened upon a wheeze to stop Kirklees Council denying them their preferred site!

Governors at Birkenshaw Middle School have decided to apply for Academy status in partnership with the so called "BBG" Academy Trust - the Tory led group campaigning to create a 'Free School'.

The middle school is due to close under plans by the council to reoganise local schools. The Free School gang want the site for their school while Kirklees wants to use it to provide a bigger, better and more modern home for the village first school when it converts to a primary.

The Tories believe this wheeze will allow them to open their village high school as intended in 2013 by converting the proposed academy middle school at the last minute in to the free school. The free school was due to serve Birkenshaw Birstall and Gomersal but increasingly appears it will only be available to Birkenshaw children.

SPARK reported recently that the Tories behind the campaign were about to unveil some big news and Tory Mole tells Big Ears that this is it!

The only barrier to this move is the Tory Secretary of State for Education, the world's biggest fan of academies and free schools...

Dear SPARK - Cheapskates!

2011-11-10T19:19:00.001Z

RE: Big Ears - Nought crosses

They always used to look about for spare unclaimed wreaths when going to the wreathlaying ceremony at the memorial in Cleckheaton. Cheapskates!

via Facebook

Clippings

2011-11-10T09:46:00.001Z

Kirklees councillor Tony Brice in court accused of triple benefit fraud

A HUDDERSFIELD councillor has been accused of benefit fraud.

Clr Tony Brice appeared at Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning.

The 67-year-old has been charged with three counts of making dishonest representations to obtain benefits. Brice, of Belmont Close in Highfields, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

The Lindley councillor, who wore a grey suit and dark blue anorak, was not asked to enter a plea during the five-minute hearing in Court 4.

Brice’s solicitor asked magistrates to move the case to Dewsbury because his client is “known in the area” of Huddersfield.

Kirklees Council, which is prosecuting Brice, did not object to the proposal. The councillor will appear at Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court at 2pm on Friday, December 2.

Brice talked to his solicitor in Albion Street after leaving court before running off to his car, which was parked in the Civic Centre car park.

Kirklees Conservative leader Clr Robert Light announced on Wednesday that Brice had been suspended from the Tory group on October 20.

He has also been suspended from the Colne Valley Conservative Association until the outcome of the case.

Brice is no longer a member of the council’s Huddersfield Planning Sub-committee.

Brice was first elected to represent Lindley in 2004. Two years later he narrowly held his seat, beating Lib Dem Cahal Burke by 101 votes.

However, Brice lost his seat to the same candidate by 150 votes in 2010. But this year the Tory made a comeback, unseating Lib Dem Tony Woodhead with a majority of 729 votes.

Big Ears - Nought crosses

2011-11-10T06:14:00.000Z

November is the month of remembrance and an extra memorial was unveiled in Cleckheaton this week - a new garden of remembrance in front of the town hall.

Big Ears understands that dignitaries gathered on Monday for the unveiling and to take turns planting poppies attached to crosses in the new garden.

All was going smoothly until it was the turn of Cleckheaton's Lib Dems to plant their own crosses...

Big Ears hears that all of a sudden everything stopped and the sombre dignity of the moment was exchanged for awkwardness and embarrassment as it became clear that the Lib Dem delegation had arrived without their own crosses to plant!

A hurried search managed to scrape together a few spares for the town's councillors allowing the service to continue.

Lawson

2011-11-09T21:45:00.000Z

t'Examiner brands Kath Pinnockio

2011-11-09T13:49:00.001Z

Huddersfield's t'Examiner newspaper has accused Cleckheaton Lib Dem councillor Kath Pinnock of telling Olympic fibs!

The subtle accusation is made in an article in t'Examiner about the Olympic torch visiting everywhere BUT for the Spen Valley when it tours the country ahead of next year's games in London, as reported by SPARK earlier this week.

Pinnock is very cross that the torch won't come to Cleckheaton and t'Examiner reprints her Tweet about the news: "Very disappointing that the Olympic Torch isn’t coming through the Spen Valley yet Huddersfield has it 2 times. Unfair."

But t'Examiner has clearly taken umbridge at her suggestion that Huddersfield is getting two visits.

Its story reads: "And the Cleckheaton Lib Dem claimed on Twitter yesterday that the flame would pass through Huddersfield twice – even though the torch is due to visit the town only once."

According to organisers of the Torch Relay it visit Kirklees twice on two separate days but only comes to Huddersfield on one of those days.

Big Ears - Benefit cheat charge for Tory Tony

2011-11-09T09:39:00.000Z

Big Ears has heard that Kirklees Conservatives have ditched one of their councillors for getting charged with benefits fraud!

Tony Brice [pictured second from right with his hand on the shoulder of Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney] was elected in May in Lindley after taking the seat from the Lib Dems. He will appear in court later this morning over accusations of housing benefit fraud.

Big Ears understands that the 67 year old councillor has been suspended as a member of the Tory group and the Tory party until the case is concluded.

Brice will continue to serve as a councillor but will have to do so as an independent. If found guilty his suspension will be made permanent, not guilty and he will be welcomed back with open arms.

Even t'Examiner has heard about it so it may well be true!

Spen's Olympic dream put to the torch

2011-11-07T19:57:00.000Z

Organisers of the 2012 London Olympics have dashed the Spen Valley's hopes of being included in the route for the Olympic Torch's journey round the country.

Spen has been snubbed in deference to Batley, Dewsbury and Brighouse! [Yes, Brighouse, you read it right, Ed]

The Olympic Torch Relay will see the torch carried through communities all over the UK in relay by 8,000 volunteers ahead of the games next year. On June 24 it will visit Brighouse on its way between two waypoints in Huddersfield and a series destinations in Bradford. While the next day it will visit Batley and Dewsbury en route from Leeds to Wakefield.

Each time it will skirt around the Spen Valley without being seen by local people.

"Spen's been snubbed," said one SPARK reader. "Once again we're overlooked while Huddersfield and Batley and Dewsbury fill their boots. Even a dismal old backwater like Brighouse is getting a visit! It's disgusting and it's not fair."

Local campaigners had hoped to attract the torch to the valley to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Luddite uprising which will also be marked next year.

Spen Valley Civic Society is preparing a memorial 'sparrow park' opposite what was Liversedge Town Hall as well as a host of other events to mark the bicentenary of the ill fated attack on Cartwright's Mill at Rawfolds.

Members of the society had hoped and were campaigning for the route to include Spen to help mark the occasion.

Big Ears - Husband daycare

2011-11-07T19:44:00.000Z

Sign spotted outside the New Pack Horse pub at Moorside in Cleckheaton.

Clippings

2011-11-07T10:29:00.002Z

Mat ‘farce’ confusion for tenants

Kirklees has been carpeted for putting mats outside people’s flats – then ordering them to remove them because they’re a fire hazard.

Robert Leighton, of Albion Court, Heckmondwike, said Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) put down doormats in the block of flats in July.

Kirklees Council then wrote to people saying they had breached tenancy agreements by putting mats outside their doors in the communal area.

Mr Leighton contacted the council, saying KNH had put them there, and received an apology – but nobody has been to take them away, leaving tenants confused and upset.

He said: “The mats are breaking fire regulations – you are not supposed to have anything in communal areas. Kirklees said if we don’t get rid of the mats they might charge us for taking them away. But if we do get rid of them we might get in trouble for destroying council property. We don’t know what to do.”

Mr Leighton said an elderly woman who lived in the block of flats was in tears when she received the letter from Kirklees.

He said: “I am the only one who got a letter of apology. It is a lot of nonsense. It has been a farce from the word go.”

A KNH spokeswoman said; “We are very sorry if the letters about removing door mats from Albion Court have caused upset or confusion. However, we hope tenants understand that we need to do what we can to keep everyone safe.

“Blocks of flats like Albion Court are subject to fire safety regulations, and to protect the safety of all tenants, we require communal areas to be kept completely clear of anything that could pose a fire or trip hazard – including door mats outside flats.

“A safety inspection at Albion Court found several such mats, so we wrote to tenants asking them to remove them. KNH has provided fire-retardant non-slip mats at the main entrance to the block so that people can still wipe their feet, and tenants are still able to have mats inside their homes if they so wish.

“We are looking into whether the mats we provided for communal entrances have ended up outside individual flats and will be in touch with tenants to clarify the matter.”

Big Ears - McNab a book or two

2011-11-02T09:54:00.001Z

Big Ears couldn't help noticing the sudden surge in availability of Andy McNab books in local charity shops in the same week that the SAS soldier turned author gave a talk at Cleckheaton Town Hall...

Tories at odds over Mirfield Moor

2011-10-26T12:34:00.002+01:00

The Tories are at complete odds over moves to develop Mirfield Moor off the A62.

The land was earmarked for industrial use by Kirklees Council in the nineties but no one paid any notice until developers began circling. Subsequently there have been futile public campaigns to protect the site.

Now the first serious plans are at hand as David Brown, the Huddersfield-based engineering concern, wants to develop a wind farm centre of excellence on the site to produce gears for turbines.

However SPARK's analysis of the political situation is that:

While Mirfield's Tories are against it.

Liversedge and Gomersal's Tories are for it.

And the Tory government is planning to dish out a bag full of cash to the company to help bring about the development!

The Tories in Mirfield have been at the forefront of campaigns to stop Mirfield Moor from being developed but nationally their own government wants to give David Brown £2million to help develop on the site.

Meanwhile, Big Ears informs SPARK that the three Tory councillors for Liversedge and Gomersal attended a David Brown promotion event in Roberttown and all three declared support for the plans!

The boundary between the two wards runs down the A62 and there is a lot of concern in Roberttown about the potential increases in traffic.

While his colleagues next door are backing the plans Mirfield Tory councillor Martin Bolt was critical of the government and told last week's Mirfield Reporter: "I think it’s an interesting twist on the government's policy of localism and the idea that a development should have local support. The last time anyone did a meaningful consultation people came out against development on the site."

Big Ears - The time of day

2011-10-25T10:25:00.001+01:00

Kirklees Council doesn't even know what time of day it is!

Big Ears was listening to Radio 2 this morning on her way into work and couldn't help having a chuckle at news that has Kirklees Council hitting headlines yet again for its sheer ineptitude.

The council has only gone and ended British Summer Time a full week early!

Clocks across the district, including at the railway station and Lindley Clock Tower, were programmed to shift back an hour on Sunday gone - instead of next Sunday.

And this is now the second year running it has happened!

Big Ears - Window dressing

2011-10-19T15:19:00.001+01:00

Big Ears has heard a very sad little tale from that exotic little town of Batley.

The story concerns an officer of Kirklees Council who has some degree of responsibility for local shops and businesses in Batley.

Said officer innocently phoned the town's Superdrug store to ask them to take part in a special event for Halloween where shops are being encouraged to dress up their windows to mark the occasion.

The response from the store was: "Of course we censored won't, we're closing on October 29th and we'll all be out of a job!"

This is the same council officer who had responded to news that Superdrug was closing by promising to contact the company to discuss its reasons and to see if anything could be done about it...

Heavy Woollen pubs - interactive map

2011-10-19T00:30:00.000+01:00

View Heavy Woollen pubs in a larger map

Round the pubs

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000+01:00

The following is from the last round up of news about local pubs from the Heavy Woollen branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

Birkenshaw
The Golden Fleece is under new ownership and a variety of guest ales is now available alongside Black Sheep Bitter. Trade is currently building up again after an uncertain period so please call in and give Ian some encouragement. With good quality Tetley and guests at the Halfway House and theGeorge IV, the town is worth a visit for a short crawl, perhaps finishing at the New Inn at East Bierley which continues to have four good ales.

Birstall

The Scotland is nowadays a busy, community pub with a fine beer garden which was formerly a bowling green. Tetley Bitter is the big seller with increasing numbers turning to the one or two fine, well-kept guest beers, Leeds Midnight Bell being a recent popular choice despite being a dark ale. Check the branch website for news of a beer festival here. The Pheasant has added Black Sheep Bitter to its line-up alongside Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot and thankfully it once again has a proper pub sign.

Cleckheaton

The George now has three handpumps dispensing a varied range of ales, recently Golden Pippin and Moorhouse's Premier at £1.95 / pint. Monday Real Ale Club sees prices down to £1.20. Keen licensee planning to continue to boost real ale sales. Evenings generally dominated by music while daytime is quieter, as are the rooms behind the front bar.

Gomersal

The Shoulder of Mutton has Leeds Pale, Tetley's, Landlord and a rotating guest. The village is a fine place for a fine weather pub crawl, with the West End, Saw, Bull's Head and Wheatsheaf all having a choice of good ales. From the Shoulder, a five minute walk takes you to the Scotland and thence to the Black Bull and the Horse & Jockey at Birstall.

Heckmondwike

Sam Smith's Old Brewery Bitter at the unique Old Hall is just £1.58 per pint. Comrades Club has a guest beer, usually Golden Pippin or Black Sheep Bitter. The Queen has had Thwaites Nutty Black as its guest.

Hightown

The Cross Keys has Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Wells' Bombardier.

Liversedge

Four handpumps at Lillibet's dispense Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, Westons Traditional Scrumpy and two varying guests, recently Acorn Barnsley Bitter and Shepherd Neame Spitfire. The Shears have Tetley's and Black Sheep plus two guests, recently from Moorhouse's.

Oakenshaw

The Richardson's Arms has Black Sheep Bitter and up to five guests from Copper Dragon, Abbeydale, Moorhouse's and others. A refurbished function room is available upstairs.

Roberttown

With help from Brass Monkey Brewery, the Old Colonial Club, CAMRA and active local people, the Bobtown Beer Bash Festival, despite rain showers, had a second stunningly successful one-day festival opening at noon, with apologies to people who experienced long queues and to those who missed out because the six 20-litre boxes of traditional cider sold out at 3:30 and the thirty-three nine-gallon casks of real ale sold out at 6:45. Bar staff were stretched and throughout the day sold beer and cider at an average rate of 6 pints per minute, mostly in halves at first. Overspill to the New Inn created high demand there, with a 15 minute closure of the bar found necessary to allow re-stocking and glass washing. Now, who was it that said there was low demand for real ale? Up the road, the Star has Taylor's Landlord, very comfy seating and good food including a fine Sunday carvery. New licensees at the Fountainhave smartened up the interior making it more welcoming and offer three real ales from the Thwaites range, with a guest ale a possibility according to demand, so please go along and create a demand!

Dewsbury

The Old Anchor has been demolished. The West Riding had another very successful Summer beer festival. The pub now has a choice of real ciders, some dispensed from some fine, new oak casks on the bar back. Dewsbury Central Station Hotel has a varying choice of ale, Taylor's Landlord being available on our last visit. According to owners Enterprise Inns, the Whistler is about to re-open soon. The Crackenedge continues to have Tetley's and Copper Dragon Best Bitter. The Shepherd’s Boy will be having a LocAle Beer & Cider Festival the last weekend in October, commemorating CAMRA Cider Month, with 20+ beers, ciders and perries. Leggers has Everards Tiger as the regular beer with five more handpumps offering a range of guests including a dark beer and is due to hold a beer festival 24th - 26th November.

Staincliffe

The Butchers Arms now features Tetley Bitter and a rotating guest.

Big Ears - Every little helps

2011-10-18T20:44:00.001+01:00

Big Ears was stunned to learn that Cleckheaton's Wetherspoons pub, the Obediah Brooke, contributes nothing to the town's annual Folk Festival.

It is the only pub in town not to donate to the festival, Big Ears hears. Surely the cheaper ale chain sees a lift in profits during the first weekend in July each year but in spite of this there was nothing forthcoming the festival's way this year.

Tesco on the other hand donated £23...! Every little helps...

Clippings

2011-10-12T23:30:00.000+01:00

Is the biggest strike in a century on its way? Up to 14,000 Huddersfield workers balloted

THE biggest strike in almost a century could be on its way, a local union chief says.

From today, and for the next three weeks, up to 14,000 Huddersfield workers could vote on strike action in one of the biggest ever union industrial action ballots.

The strike action vote relates to changes in public sector pensions with workers facing increased contributions, waiting longer to retire and receiving worse pensions.

In Huddersfield there will be three ballots affecting council workers, health workers and civil servants.

Paul Holmes from Kirklees Unison explained: “We’ll have three ballots because of the differences in pensions.

“In one there will be council workers, schools, Kirklees College, New College, Greenhead College, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, sports centres and the university, because they’re a former polytechnic.

“Then there’ll be a ballot for civil servants and then another for health workers.

“In Unison we’ve about 8,000 council workers, and I think there will be nearer to 13,000 or 14,000 when you take the others into account.”

The National Union of Teachers (NUT), the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and the University and College Union (UCU) have already been balloted and voted in favour of strike action.

Mr Holmes added: “There was a massive turnout by the unions which have already voted and I think we’ll have a massive turnout too, maybe 80% to 90% yes votes. My advice to the government is to listen.

“I don’t think they understand the depth of the anger. People are frightened about poverty. Obviously there’s job security too but they’re worried about poverty.

“I think this will be massive, the biggest strike in Britain since the 1926 general strike.”

The ballot runs until November 3 and the first strike day is planned for November 30.

Nationally, more than a million public sector workers will vote – among them probation officers, social workers, teaching assistants, dinner ladies and hospital cleaners.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said the union was fighting for the future of public sector pensions because of “attacks” by the Government. Essential public services would be protected on strike days.

Unison say there is a rolling programme of stoppages if members vote in favour of strike action and it will affect 9,500 separate employers.

It is the first time Unison has balloted its entire membership for industrial action.

He said: “We are doing everything possible to get a high turnout and we are confident of a big ’yes’ vote.

“This is a fight not just about whether it is right to increase contributions, but it’s a fight for the survival of public service pension schemes.”

A spokesman for the Communities and Local Government Department said: “The cost of providing public service pensions is rising, and reform is essential if we are to more fairly protect taxpayers. This is a consultation and as such discussions on the proposals are ongoing. Instead of embarking on entirely unnecessary industrial action, Unison should instead be engaging in discussion and representing their members’ interests.”

There's something about Mirfield

2011-10-11T16:55:00.000+01:00

Just what is it about Mirfield?

The Boundary Commission want to name a whole new parliamentary seat after it.

It's the first choice destination for white flight from Dewsbury.

It has a railway station that actual real trains visit.

The Leader of Kirklees Council wants to be its MP, allegedly.

And former MP Shahid Malik does not want to be its MP, allegedly.

So what makes Mirfield the word on everyone's lips?

It all stems from something mind-numbingly boring: a review of parliamentary boundaries.

Under proposed boundary changes, reported previously by SPARK, half of what is now Dewsbury and half of what is now Batley and Spen will be merged together to form what the Boundary Commission wants to call Mirfield.

It will be made up of the following Kirklees Council wards: Mirfield, Liversedge and Gomersal, Heckmondwike, Dewsbury West, Batley West and, ahem, Kirkburton. Where ever that is.

As a new seat it will not have an MP seeking re-election but two existing MPs with an equal claim to be the notional sitting MP - Dewsbury's Tory MP Simon Reevell and Batley and Spen's Labour MP Mike Wood.

That hasn't stopped there being a clamber for the new seat. Or rather there seems to have been a clamber by people wanting to distance themselves from being seen as wanting the new seat!

Reports in one local free rag last week suggested Mehboob Khan, Labour leader of Kirklees Council, is interested in standing for parliament in the new Mirfield seat. Khan says not and sings the praises of Mike Wood. SPARK understands this mischievous rumour was started by Mirfield Tory councillor Martin Bolt who also rules himself out of running!

Of course the idea behind the rumour is almost as ridiculous as any local rag running with it - it is common knowledge that Khan wants Huddersfield when the sitting Labour MP, Loyal Lord Barry Sherman, retires.

There's been a lot of talk about former Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik returning to either of the seats Dewsbury is split between!

So much so that he has gone to the lengths of issuing a statement ruling himself out of both. He also sang the praises of Wood and says he won't seek to stand in Mirfield out of respect for him. He says the same of Wakefield MP Mary Creagh, whose constituency is merged with what's left of the rest of Dewsbury, while ruling himself out of standing for the new Dewsbury and Wakefield West seat.

Malik is careful not to say what he would do if either Wood or Creagh stood down - reading between the lines you could easily conclude that he does want one of the seats but can't have one while ever other Labour MPs maintain a claim to standing in them in 2015.

But what of the Tory Reevell?

According to rumours heard by Big Ears (and spread all about town), Reevell will seek election/re-election in Mirfield at the next election but only if the Tory party doesn't find him a safe seat in North Yorkshire! Time will tell whether there's anything in this suggestion.

If Mirfield as proposed [and SPARK has a quite different and predictable view of what the name of the new seat should be! Ed] is created then there is every likelihood that it will be a battle between Reevell and Wood. Unless either of them stands aside, in which case each respective party will need to find a new candidate.

SPARK's money in such circumstances would be on Martin Bolt v Shahid Malik!!

HELPFUL NOTE: This is not an advert for Eric France, the scrap metal dealer.

Clippings

2011-10-10T12:43:00.000+01:00

Shahid Malik rules himself out of Dewsbury MP role

Former Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Shahid Malik will not contest either of the Dewsbury seats proposed by the Boundary Commission.

Mr Malik said his decision was out of respect for the two sitting MPs.

Under proposals announced by the Boundary Commission for England, the current constituency of Dewsbury and Mirfield could be split into two. Mirfield would be a constituency with Dewsbury West parts of Batley and Spenborough and Dewsbury East, which includes the town centre, would be in a new constituency with parts of Wakefield.

Mr Malik said that under Labour party rules, Mary Creagh would be viewed as the sitting MP for the Dewsbury and Wakefield West seat, and that Mike Wood would be viewed as the sitting MP for the Mirfield seat.

Mr Malik said: “If I had any hope of coming back to serve the people of Dewsbury I am sad to say that under the current proposals I would not to do so out of respect for my former colleagues. Both Mary Creagh and Mike Wood are excellent MPs and it would be wrong for me to challenge either.

“Dewsbury has always been a single town with one MP and the splitting of the town is nothing short of a disgrace.

“My love for the town however will not wane and it is for this reason that I will continue to expose the hypocrisy of this Tory led coalition government.”

WARNING - SPARK will not be help responsible for any shock caused by following the above link and seeing the size of the BREAKING NEWS graphic on the Batley News website.

Clippings

2011-10-10T11:41:00.000+01:00

Kirklees Council’s parking van nears ticket target more than seven months ahead of schedule

KIRKLEES Council’s parking camera van has proved more than twice as successful as planned.

Officials had hoped the vehicle, launched in May, would snap 1,500 inconsiderate parkers in its first year, bringing in more than £100,000 in fines.

But yesterday the council revealed that the van had almost reached the target after just four-and-a-half months on the road.

The van has snapped 1,435 parking offences since it hit the streets on May 16.

Kirklees has taken in £30,000 in fines so far with much more to come as penalty charge payments go through the system.

Motorists tend to be unaware they have been caught parking illegally until the £70 fine lands on their doormats.

The van was launched in May to target motorists who park on zigzag lines outside schools or in loading bays, bus stops or double yellow lines.

Cameras fitted to the roof of the van produce high-quality images. They also have Automatic Number Plate Recognition, which police use to spot cars which are uninsured.

The van’s cameras can also take pictures on the move.

Residents, police officers, schools and councillors have all requested the vehicle visit certain streets.

The van is focused on problem areas, including around schools where parents parking on zigzag lines causes difficulties for children.

The five most frequently visited schools so far are: Colne Valley High in Linthwaite; All Saints Catholic College in Bradley; St Patrick’s Catholic Primary in Birkby; Crosland Moor Juniors and Boothroyd Juniors in Dewsbury.

A council spokesman said: “The CCTV vehicle is doing an effective job across the district and has been well-received generally.

“Schools, bus operators and local people have welcomed the initiative.

“The vehicle was introduced in May to increase the safety of pupils and parents around schools as well as local residents, pedestrians and other road-users all across Kirklees.

“Schools all over the country suffer problems with irresponsible parking by parents, and the situation is reflected here in Kirklees where a minority of drivers potentially risk serious injury – or worse – to children.”

Big Ears - Civil society

2011-10-09T11:52:00.000+01:00

Big Ears couldn't help noticing that Spen Valley Civic Society chair Max Rathmell has been honoured with a Gridiron gong for being a 'local hero'. No one more deserving, we're sure!

But Big Ears reckons if Rathmell had known he was going to be described in the write up as a shining example of CIVIL pride then he'd have handed it straight back! Big Ears has known Rathmell for more years than either of them care to remember and is pretty sure he'd rarely if ever use that word to describe himself!

Clippings

2011-10-08T21:38:00.003+01:00

Kirklees Council hopes to get back 98% of money invested in failed Icelandic bank Landsbanki

TAXPAYERS will find out this month how much of their money has been saved from the wreckage of an Icelandic bank.

Kirklees Council had £1m invested with Landsbanki when it collapsed in October 2008.

More than £1bn of taxpayers’ money held by 100 councils was put at risk when Landsbanki and another Icelandic bank, Giltnir, went bust three years ago.

A new report to Kirklees Cabinet explains that officers hope to recover £980,000 of the £1m invested.

The document says: “In April 2011 Icelandic courts confirmed local authority deposits as preferential creditors but this decision has been challenged and the appeal will be heard by the Icelandic Supreme Court on September 14/15.

“The result should be announced within four weeks of this date and, as this court is the highest in Iceland, it means there will be no further right of appeal in Iceland.”

The council’s Labour Cabinet will discuss the report at its meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall at 4pm on Tuesday.

Clippings

2011-10-08T12:27:00.000+01:00

Janice Atkinson-Small: Why I defected from Cameron, the sceptic who lost the plot

AS the Tories gather in Manchester, I wonder whether I am missing them? A friend called me yesterday who had heard that I had joined Ukip. He had been at a reception in Downing Street last week and the word was that I had defected.

A few glasses were raised, apparently. He said I was very brave and I always had the courage of my convictions and he knows many other former candidates who wish they could join me. But they want to stay on and fight the good fight within the Tory party. This is a common theme but I have been heartened by the reaction from my Conservative friends.

I don’t think I am brave, I just realised that my views on Europe were incompatible with the leaders of the Conservative party. Had I won my seat, I would have been broadly supportive in Parliament, but not on European legislation. I hear that friends of mine, who are moderate MPs in many ways, are bullied and called “swivelled eyed” by the whips when they think they will not get EU legislation through.

I supported David Cameron as leader of the party, against David Davis who shares my political views. I voted for Cameron because he was sold as being the Eurosceptic candidate.

Once selected, his narrative died. Once elected, he became a Europohile. I didn’t believe his rhetoric on “repatriating” powers from Europe. It will not happen, the Liberal Democrats will not let it happen and Cameron does not have the stomach for the fight.

Ukip is the only alternative for real Eurosceptics and real Conservatives. They do not just focus on Europe, they cannot as they are the fourth largest party in Britain. They have elected councillors and have their first elected female mayor. They believe in defending our borders – and that can only happen if we leave the EU.

They believe in a strong defence force and will spend one per cent of GDP on maintaining our forces. Pensions contributions relief will be targeted at lower and average earnings. On justice they believe that life should mean life and will block EU votes for prisoners.

While Cameron and Theresa May play with words to the appease the right-wing press about scrapping the Human Rights Act, their coalition partners will not allow them to. Again, the HRA is a condition of our membership of the EU, but Ukip will scrap it.

These policies resonate with the British public and they resonate with Conservative party members. Indeed, you put these policies to former candidates and they will agree too.

However, as candidates, we were not allowed to discuss Europe and immigration. Those words could not go into our leaflets and campaign materials. They were considered too toxic. Immigration was the biggest issue across West Yorkshire at the last General Election but candidates were not allowed to discuss it.

MPs at a private meeting in Westminster pushed me forward to plead with William Hague and the chief whip. Their eyes glazed over, they got irritated and said that having these discussions would be counter-productive.

I suggested they did not understand the plight of West Yorkshire and they ignored our views at their peril and we would not win seats like mine.

Another reason I left was because they were not standing up for the City of London. It is very on-message to bash the bankers, instead they pander to Left-wing pressure groups who want to introduce the EU Financial Transaction Tax. The City, like it or not, is the one industry that is keeping the UK afloat.

Manufacturing and other industries have been left to decline and have gone to the Far East. If we are not careful, the same things will happen in the City and this will be disasterous for our tax receipts.

The City contributes around five per cent of GDP, £52bn in tax – that’s 100,000 nurses or 10 Olympic stadiums. Britain’s export of financial services grew by 15 per cent a year for over 15 years.

The Financial Transaction Tax will affect Britain the most, these trades will cease or go off-shore, along with the jobs and this tax will raise nothing like its supporters insist. It is not good enough that George Osborne is saying that he is in favour of the tax but it must be implemented globally.

This tax doesn’t just affect the jobs of the high earners, it affects the IT workers, the secretaries, the maintenance staff and the sandwich makers. Dream on George, the Far East and New York is not going to play ball and our jobs and tax revenues will go to Asia.

Will I miss not being with them in Manchester this week? Yes, in some ways.

I won’t get to attend many of the fringe events that represent the real Conservative Party and I will miss having a drink with my friends but apart from that, no. It was much more fun in Eastbourne with Nigel Farage and co.

Big Ears - Thicker than usual

2011-10-08T07:50:00.000+01:00

Big Ears was startled to discover that this week's copy of the Weakly Intelligent Press newspaper was slightly thicker than usually!

The paper doesn't normally top 30 pages but this week it hit 40! What value at a penny a page. Upon closer inspection Big Ears discovered the extra weight had been put on of courtesy of 20 pages of stories all about... the Press newspaper!

Before you ask, of course Big Ears didn't buy the offending article - he receives his copy along with approximately 149 others each week that are considerately dumped over his garden wall!

Big Ears - Who rues good news?

2011-10-07T10:14:00.001+01:00

As the world breathes a sigh of relief that Sarah Palin will NOT be seeking to become the next President of the United States, Big Ears has heard that not everyone is glad to see the back of her...

Guess who...

UKIP has no idea what it's let itself in for!

Big Ears - Fighting in lumps

2011-10-07T10:00:00.003+01:00

Big Ears was driving up Halifax Road through Hightown on Thursday evening on the way back from work. As she passed the old Liberal club her route was blocked by two men fighting in the middle of the road!

They were both in their thirties and were really going hell for leather punching each other and rolling around on the ground.

As Big Ears approached the men got up and stood aside so she could pass. Checking her rear view mirror Big Ears noticed that the fight had instantly resumed!

A third man stood by nonchalantly texting on his phone as the two men brawled.

Clippings

2011-10-04T23:55:00.000+01:00

Controversial plans for 300 homes at Lindley Moor get the go ahead

HOUSING will be built on Lindley Moor.

A controversial plan for almost 300 homes got the go-ahead – but only after a three-hour, heated planning meeting.

And it was passed by only one vote, with an 8-7 decision in favour of the Miller Homes application.

Lindley residents were left outraged after Kirklees Council’s planning sub-committee approved plans for the 294 homes to be built.

During the meeting, residents, ward councillors and some members of the committee insisted that the new proposal would prove problematic in terms of the development’s design, highways, education and air quality.

Objectors also said that the funding options outlined by the developers are not sufficient to provide the correct infrastructure in terms of highways and education in the area.

The plan for the homes to be built on land off Cowrakes Road and Weatherhill Road originally came before the committee in August and was rejected.

But council officers voiced concern over a likely appeal and it was brought back to the committee.

Officers claimed it could leave the council facing a huge bill if it went to appeal.

Local resident Jill Sykes referred to the proposed site at Lindley Moor Road and Crosland Road as “an accident blackspot” while Andy Wood said that the allocation for highways proposed by the developer was “inaccurate”.

Resident Ellen Gunshore has concerns about schooling.

She said: “Should these plans go ahead we must be able to provide enough places for each child.

“With a further 294 homes then the only available solution seems not to build a data centre next to the houses but a school.”

Further objections came from Clr Nicola Turner, Clr Cahal Burke and members of Lindley Moor Action group.

Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney said that the committee should not consider the financial implications of rejecting the proposal but “should make the right vote”.

Clr Peter McBride spoke in favour of the application. He said the reverberations could cause Kirklees Council to be “scarred with being a maverick in dealing with planning applications”.

David Rollinson spoke on behalf of Miller Homes, the firm behind the application.

He said: “It’s a £50 million investment, with the development of homes and jobs, offset with highways benefits.”

Following the objections and speeches given by the public, Clr Ann Denham who was sitting as a substitute on the committee said: “There is one item that I feel we should take seriously and that is education.

“People wanting to live in these houses will want their children to go to local schools, the local school is Lindley.

“We are not being real, we will not be able to provide the education in the area and this is a plain reason for refusal.”

But Clr Molly Walton favoured the plans, and said the new meeting had been arranged because the previous one was at the end of the day and it wasn’t fair on the developer to force the sub-committee to reach a decision within five minutes.

Clr Ken Sims proposed a motion to refuse the plans but all Labour councillors voted for the plans with Lib Dem Clr Linda Wilkinson also on board.

Following the meeting Clr Cahal Burke said: “It’s hard to digest everything that has happened. There was a focus on money and on implications of an appeal before one had even gone ahead.

“We will have to take some time to take a practical view on all that has happened as people are very upset and take some time to consider the next stage.”

Big Ears - Bobby's latest bandwagon

2011-09-30T15:50:00.002+01:00

Looks like Birkenshaw Tory councillor Robert 'Bandwagon Bobby' Light is living up to his nickname!

Cllr Big Ears was at the recent full council meeting to see the latest example of Bandwagon Bobby, the Tory group leader, tiresomely hopping on board a bandwagon as it trundled its way through the district.

Tory party central office sent out a diktat to all its loyal worshippers that they should make war on the arrangements council make for employees who have a role as trade union representatives.

Bandwagon Bobby instantly tabled a motion condemning the arrangements in Kirklees but claimed to anyone who made the mistake of listening that the whole idea was his own. He'd thought it up and no one else.

As it happens Cllr Big Ears understands that the same motion was tabled by Tory groups the length and breadth of the country and was featured in countless newspapers from Lands End to Wallsend! The latest gambit in Tory central office's war on trade unions.

Revenge. A dish best served OLD

2011-09-30T11:38:00.001+01:00

A councillor who lost his seat in the Lib Dem meltdown at the local elections in May has quit the party and blamed it on the coalition Government.

Dewsbury West councillor Naz Hussain lost his seat to Labour by 800 votes in May. In the wake of this he openly criticised Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg but clearly he's still upset!

Nearly five months later Hussain has written to the local Lib Dem leadership to tell them exactly what he thinks of them... and he sent a copy to the local papers for good measure.

Revenge so cold it's almost out of date! In the letter Hussain threatens to stand as an independent and claims to be in the process of printing 6,000 leaflets to inform voters in Dewsbury West that he's no longer Lib Dem and to tell them why!

But Big Ears tells SPARK however that Hussain has made approaches to Labour with a view to joining the party that beat him in May. Which is exacyly what the 2010 Lib Dem general election candidate did!

The letter was partially reprinted in some papers, it says:

When I joined the Liberal Democrats it was because I felt a deep connection to the values, ethics and standards of the party and I was keen to support the progressive, inclusive and fair agenda that the party then represented...

The coalition government has, I'm afraid, gradually eroded my faith in the party to deliver on those fundamental Liberal beliefs. Liberal Democrats do not stand for the middle ground any more and they will never be forgiven for their betrayal with regards to the education policy.

Having examined my conscience deeply on this matter... I feel I can no longer allow myself to support a party which sacrifices its grassroots policies and allows itself to act as a human shield for the anti-liberal policies of the dominant coalition partner, seemingly for little value other than to bolster the ego of the party leadership.

His former colleague in Dewsbury West, Lib Dem councillor Karam Hussain said Hussain didn't attend many constituency meetings and had lost the election fair and square.

Free school silence makes the natives restless

2011-09-29T16:54:00.001+01:00

The campaign to open a so called “Free School” inBirkenshaw has hit the buffers. That’s not news! But the natives are gettingrestless over the delay...

Kirklees has nicked their site and the alternative sitethey claimed to have waiting on standby appears to have been a figment of someone’simagination.

But the bolus of Tories behind the bid to create the privategrammar school, known within their party as the Birkenshaw Mafia, are now underpressure from parents who don’t know what to do with their cherished offspringnext September.

The school would be funded by the taxpayer but run by aprivate company and would serve Birkenshaw exclusively. It was due to open inSeptember 2013.

But parents of kids presently in Birkenshaw have startedgetting letters saying their offspring have a place at Cleckheaton’s WhitcliffeMount School. Kindly old Whitcliffe has saved places for Birkenshaw kids justin case the Free School falls through, even though the clamour for a FreeSchool puts its own future in real jeopardy.

Some don’t want to opt for Whitcliffe if the fantasy freeschool is going to become a reality. This has prompted the Birkenshaw Mafia,led by Tory leader in Kirklees Cllr Robert ‘Bandwagon Bobby’ Light, to reassureinterested parties that the BBG free school is on course and that an update forprospective parents is imminent.

SPARK understands that the big announcement is dependent onwhether or not the Tory chair of governors at Birkenshaw’s first school issuccessful in his bid to turn that school into an academy! This will free thefirst school from Kirklees control and allow it to stay on their site off Station Lane.

Again, more sacrifices at the free school altar.

Kirkleesneeds to enlarge the first school to create a new primary. Their idea is movingit to the middle school site – which is bigger and more modern. It would alsocost less, or so Kirklees claims.

But the Tories want to deny the first school a bigger,more modern building on a better equipped site.... which means Johnny Taxpayerin Kirklees will be left footing an unnecessarily higher bill at the end of theday. All so the Serco free school can have the middle school site for free! Perhaps that's why it's called a free school....

And the Birkenshaw Mafia accuses Kirklees of playingpolitics with children’s futures...