Week ending Saturday 12th February 2022
It is always pleasing to see a plan coming together. Since I was first elected back in May 2016, I have consistently raised local issues with Wakefield Council & other agencies including the Police.
Highway problems are always at the forefront of residents’ minds, often road condition related.
Over the last few weeks, we have had a flurry of road maintenance tasks completed. These have included traffic calming measures on Wakefield Road towards to Benton Hill. (I still feel that the 20-mph should be extended from the town centre to the bypass junction at the bottom of Benton Hill) Resurfacing of Woodlands earlier and Parker Road during the last few days.
Industrial Street in Horbury Bridge and Westfield Court are the next two roads to be completed. There will be local disruption to residents, but the short-term inconvenience will be outweighed by the resurfacing work.
The pavement on California Drive is due to be completed next week. With Horbury High Street’s Zebra Crossings and 20 mph roundels being repainted this week.
The next road I am campaigning to be resurfaced is – Station Road, between Manor Road traffic lights towards Ossett. The ruts left by utility companies make this road problematic for cyclists.
Next week I hope to have an update on the subway removal project on the A642 and the introduction of the 20-mph zone in Horbury Junction.
On Tuesday evening I met with local residents and a Council Highways Engineer to discuss the current issues on Quarry Hill. To be specific, to discuss speeding vehicles using the slip road from the by-pass to gain access to Horbury town centre.
The engineer accepted that there is a speeding issue on this road and has agreed to create a proposal for this short stretch of road. I will provide more details over the forthcoming months. Watch this space.
As I have stated on many occasions, speed cameras are managed by the Police & not the Council.
In West Yorkshire they are controlled by the West Yorkshire Casualty Prevention Partnership. More information about their work can be found at – www.safetycameraswestyorkshire.co.uk
The newly created position of Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire, who is the new Police & Crime Commissioner, is pushing government to allow for more control of speed cameras from local authorities.
I fully support this aspiration and firmly believe that there are several locations across Horbury & South Ossett where speed cameras should be located, especially on Horbury bypass and Queen’s Drive in Ossett.
The speed on Horbury bypass is 30-mph except for the stretch around the Addingford area towards Quarry Hill, where it is 40-mph. Do you think it should be 30-mph for its whole length, form when you first enter Horbury under the M1 bridge all the way to Horbury Bridge?
Since I started to keep a record in June 2020, the number of issues raised by residents, is now approaching 900 entries.
Many of the issues raised are complex and take many, many months to resolve or may be ones which I can only offer advice. However, many I have been able to resolve and make a positive impact of the lives of residents. This is one part of being a Councillor I truly enjoy!
There has been a lot talked about the massive cuts to bus services across the whole of Wakefield District, mainly by the Arriva bus company.
Buses across the whole of West Yorkshire are planned by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) but operated by private companies e.g. Arriva and First Bus to name but a few.
There is a smaller local company called Station Coaches who have really come to the rescue of some of our communities. They have agreed to take over the Arriva 117 service. More information about the Arriva cuts and the new Station Coaches services can be found on their respective websites.
This week saw the official start of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee year. If you are planning an event, please feel free to let me know the details and I will do my best to promote your event on my Facebook page.
My trade union UNITE the Union, have provided me with some funding to buy a selection of flowering cherry trees. These will be planted across the whole ward as Jubilee Trees to help celebrate locally this amazing and potentially one-off event.
Whilst out and about on Saturday morning, apart from getting wet, I was upset to see the amount of rubbish left at the side of roads across South Ossett and Horbury. From fast food packaging to dozens of empty plastic pop-bottles. It looks to me that Friday night was party night across our ward!
In the Full Council meeting on Wednesday afternoon, I was able to make an announcement as Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property Services. I was able to confirm that the Town Hall in Ossett will see the start of the refurbishment including work on the library.
The work is scheduled to start in April this year and last until summer/autumn 2023. This will be an investment of around £1.5 million.
The second project is for the Council to pay for the removal of the asbestos in the old library building. Following this work the building will be offered for sale and it is hoped that a new business, perhaps a restaurant of something similar could be established, creating another destination for visitors to Ossett town centre.
I am sure you have seen that in Carr Lodge Park a trees sculpture has been started. The tree features the carved face of a person. It is not me; I have never had hair that long. I have asked the artist who it is and what is the story behind the face – it could be John Carr (?) As soon as I find out who it is I will let you know via my Facebook page.
I recently met with the CX of Horbury & Ossett Academies Trust. The meeting was to discuss what could be offered to their students for local work placements. I am always happy to work with our local schools, by supporting them we will create a better future for all our young people.
Since Christmas on a Saturday morning, I have not had a bacon sandwich. But I could not resist calling into one of our local cafes this morning and having a superb bacon and mushroom sarnie!
I was so hungry and excited I forgot to take a picture. But this is one I ate earlier from the same place. Who knows where next sandwich will come from?
Next Saturday I will be holding my Saturday morning advice session in Horbury Library. I will be there from 10:15am but will be leaving earlier at 11am, for this session only.
The next following session will be on Saturday 5th March and will be held in the Baptist Church on Baptist Lane in South Ossett. From 10:15 until 11:30am.
Please keep safe and take care. If you need assistance or would like me to be involved in a new local project, please feel free to drop me a line. I will see what I can do to help.
Darren
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Spent a wonderful afternoon with Horbury WI supporting their Green Heart Campaign. “Keep the 1.5°c Alive” View the full article