ON THE subject of the planned demolition of the Cliffe recreation ground shelter, Holmfirth, we seem here to have yet another example of the absence of either clear or logical thinking by our councillors.
There were reports of youthful drinking sessions (and possibly drugs too) in the shelter at Victoria Park, Holmfirth.
So the council pulled it down – and the unique doorway, rescued years ago from the demolition of Yateholme, should have been back in Holme by now but appears to have been abandoned in a council dump somewhere in Batley.
Now we have reports of youthful drinking sessions (and possibly drugs too) in the shelter at Cliffe recreation ground.
So the councillors plan to pull it down. Clr Firth says that they can go to the nice new shelter at Sands – and if they do, then I suppose that will be pulled down too.
I should like to point out that the problem is not the fault of these buildings, it is the teenage gangs which need to be dealt with.
A regular patrol by a constable would be a good start.
However before going ahead with the latest proposed demolition I think the council really ought to enquire into the relatively recent (post-1906) dedication of this substantial piece of land (which offers the very best views over the Holme Valley and has been enjoyed by generations of previous young people of the valley) and including who built this substantial building and who is responsible for its maintenance?
I know that councils always think that they are all-powerful and can override earlier legal agreements, but there are circumstances under which precipitate action could be embarrassing and costly.
PS: Congratulations to the Holmfirth Arts Festival for the best outdoor art exhibition I have ever seen – in the woods around Holme Styes reservoir.
Get there quickly, before the teenage gangs smash it all.
Arthur Quarmby
Holme
Tourist centre talks
MAY I inform your readers of the latest position with regard to the Huddersfield Tourist Information Centre?
Our pressure or campaign group, whichever you wish to call it, is meeting for a third time with council leader Mehboob Khan, Clr Christine Stanfield and officials with MP Barry Sheerman in the chair next Friday, July 3.
Hopefully we will discuss the public’s responses to the council’s proposal to relocate the centre in the library foyer, to which we strongly object, and our counter-proposal which basically is to leave the centre where it is or consider a number of town centre locations we have identified.
We will be attending a meeting of the council’s Cabinet on July 7 when hopefully we will be able to persuade it that a move to the library will not be in the public’s or the town’s interest.
Our group includes the mid-Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and the Huddersfield Town Centre Partnership who are officially against the move.
I think it would be helpful if anyone who wishes to make any suggestions or comments should send them to Clr Khan or myself before the July 3 meeting.You can write to Clr Khan at the Town Hall, Huddersfield or email him at mehboob.khan@kirklees.gov.uk or email me at stansolomons@ntlworld.com
Despite our differences may I thank Clr Khan for the courteous way he has dealt with us.
Stan Solomons
Cowcliffe
Kirklees ‘worst roads’
HAVING spent the best part of 30 years travelling the length and breadth of this country, I can say without fear of contradiction that Kirklees has the worst road surfaces in the country, especially up the Colne Valley.
I was pleased therefore to see signs recently of resurfacing work about to commence in the Golcar area. It did not take long for hope to turn to anger.
The uneven surfaces, potholes and grass and weeds at the pavement edge were left untouched before the pathetic work began.
A thin coating of tar, followed by chippings thrown haphazardly from a wagon and then hastily and badly spread, followed by nothing, no steamroller or any attempt to do a half decent job.
Believe it or not they also worked around parked vehicles in some places, leaving pieces of road untouched.
I would speak to my local councillors, but it won’t be anything to do with them if history is any judge.
Mr Very Angry
Golcar (name and address supplied)
In a roundabout way
WHO in Kirklees Highways Department had the dim idea of placing advertisements on roundabouts?
Approaching a roundabout drivers need a clear view of traffic approaching from other directions; but at the traffic island at the junction of New Hey Road and Acre Street, Oakes, the view is obstructed by no less than four sizeable advertisements for the Kirklees Warm Homes scheme.
Stephen Magill
Marsh
Big is not better
I AM appalled at the plans to close Castle Hall and expand the Mirfield Free Grammar.
My son is a student at Castle Hall and my two daughters are students at MFG. We used to have parental choice and my children were able to go to the schools which best met their individual and educational needs.
The current Better Schools for the Future plans will have a detrimental effect on my children’s education and the education of all Mirfield children, now and in the future.
It is unfair on staff and pupils at Castle Hall who have been left feeling demoralised and insecure; staff in their current posts will be looking to find secure jobs elsewhere.
This will have a damaging effect on the present pupils’ future GCSE grades.
Kirklees can not justify closing the top performing non selective secondary school in North Kirklees.
Mirfield Free Grammar is an outstanding school, and it is also one of the top performing secondary schools in North Kirklees. To expand it will destroy its ethos of ‘every child matters’.
Big does not mean better. I do not want my daughters to be taught in the middle of a building site; this will disrupt their education.
The head teacher has said the site is unsuitable for expansion. The extra congestion on the roads from traffic can not be accommodated. MFG is not future proof. Evidence shows that smaller schools achieve better results than larger schools.
I urge every Mirfield resident to write to Alison O’Sullivan at Oldgate House in protest and support REACH in their fight to stop Kirklees from destroying the education of our children.
Jackie Neville
Mirfield
‘Dinosaurs’ threat
WITH regard to the strike at Colne Valley High School, I have to say that I’m not sure what planet the NUT are living on.
I don’t know if Hazel Danson or her members read the papers or watch the news, but there are thousands of people losing their jobs on a weekly basis and many more than that worrying about how long it will be before they join them.
So in these troubled times they find it necessary to walk out over a handful of people who will be getting paid for the next three years for responsibility they no longer have!
I’m sure that all those people sending off a dozen applications a day who only want to be paid for the work they do will be full of sympathy for those unfortunate people who are now getting paid extra for doing nothing!
I think the school is correct to stand up to these dinosaurs, especially as the NUT have already used the threat of industrial action to ensure their members don’t face any external competition when applying for the new jobs created within the new structure.
AC
Huddersfield
Chamber outburst
I WRITE with disgust at the outburst by Clr Smithson at Wednesday’s council meeting.
I was in the council chamber as part of a deputation which was being delivered to the council, and more specifically to Clrs Smith and Smithson against the closure of Castle Hall school in Mirfield, and on the unsuitability of the Mirfield Free Grammar site for expansion.
Our speaker was a senior planning officer, who was explaining why the site was not fit for purpose.
I was appalled when the deputation was interrupted by Clr Smithson rustling a bag of food, and having to be challenged by the mayor to stop eating in the chamber.
However, it was his response to the Mayor that was truly unbelievable. He said “If that’s what you want, I’ll b****r off then”, and got up and stormed out of the council chamber!
I find this behaviour totally unacceptable. Clr Smith jumped to the defence of his Better Schools for the Future buddy, stating that he was seriously ill, and may be in pain.
Whilst I have every sympathy for Clr Smithson for his illness, if he were not fit to be there, he should not have been there.
Clr Smithson should publicly apologise for this outburst.
Alan Wilkinson
Member of REACH and Mirfield Resident
Amazing bees
I READ with amazement the article in the June 23 edition of your newspaper with regard to the “livestock” ie honey bees at the allotment in Oakes.
Mr John Fletcher of Kirklees Culture and Leisure Services Department says it is right for bees to be classed as livestock, as the definition of livestock is any animal and the definition of insect is an animal.
I don't know which dictionary Mr Fletcher uses, but in my dictionary an insect is defined as “any of a class of small air-breathing arthropod with a body divided into head, thorax and abdomen, three pairs of legs and (in most cases) two pairs of wings”. Does this sound like any animal anyone know? A cow, sheep, goat perhaps?
Paula Marsh
Netherthong
