Kath Pinnock

The planning application by Tesco for a new large store in Cleckheaton is being decided by the Heavy Woollen Planning Committee on Thursday. For 6 years Cleckheaton has been locked in a supermarket war, with both Tesco and Asda wanting to build huge new stores in our town. Asda have now pulled out and Tesco’s application is to re-build on the site of their existing store which is 30 years old.

The vast majority of people in Cleckheaton want a new store and want it in the centre of the town. I agree with this but I also want to protect the viability and vitality of our town. So, with my fellow ward councillors, we have asked that, if permission is granted, that there are enforceable restrictions to prevent Tesco from having a pharmacy, Post Office, travel agents, shoe repairers etc.

We also want a new store to fit in with the existing townscape. So we expect Tesco to abandon some elements of their “corporate” style. So for example, we do not want to see a prominent Tesco name on top of the building. The store has also to be partly built of natural stone like the rest of the town.

The dilemma of planning applications from supermarkets is that the majority of people want to shop in them (and do) but most people also want to safeguard the town from over mighty retailers and excessive traffic.

The 2008 Lib Dem calendar features our 100+ year old viaduct. It was built for pedestrians to get from the centre of Cleckheaton to the railway station on the other side of the valley. It is owned by the Council and is a listed structure but sadly neglected. There can’t be many such grand viaducts built, not for rail, but for pedestrians and, presumably, horse drawn vehicles. It would be good to know if there are any others in the country.

Cleckheaton’s councillors have got together with the Council’s Public Rights of Way team and identified footpaths that need improvements. One of those is Wellands Lane. This joins Scholes with Moorbottom. The section nearest Scholes was frequently flooded because of collapsed land drains. Work to improve the drainage and surface of the footpath is now complete. I enjoyed the walk to Scholes via Wellands Lane on Boxing Day. Next we need to update the signs for our many footpaths. A useful sign will say where the path goes and how far it is!

The brand new “Hopper” bus service starts tomorrow. This fully accessible 15 seater bus will reach parts of hilly Cleckheaton that other bus services can’t or won’t. One of the areas that will benefit is the Turnsteads estate where the bus service was withdrawn over 2 years ago. It is home for many older and disabled people. Residents who relied on the buses found they had to walk up very steep hills to get a bus, get a taxi, or stay at home. Local people are delighted with the prospect of being able to get out and about again. Cllr Andrew Pinnock worked very hard with Metro, the Council and the Spen Valley Area Committee to get the idea launched and funded.

Great crested newts have made their home in an old mill pond in Scholes. Their pond is now threatened by developers who want to demolish the mill and fill in the pond. The developers have a very clean and clinical view of what a great crested newt would call a “des res”. I am urging the planners to turn down the plans for the new pond and to consult with wildlife experts about the habitat that best suits the newts. The great crested newt is a protected species under the Wildlife Act and it’s good news that there is a small colony in Scholes where there are plenty of people who care for the countryside.

Kath Pinnock and your Lib Dem team are determined that the Council provides a Young People’s Centre for the Spen Valley. The best available site is St John’s Church Hall at the back of the Town Hall in Cleckheaton. It is in the heart of the town centre and young people relying on buses can easily get there from across the valley.

“We made sure that the Council set aside funding for this great scheme. Sadly, it has taken ages for the Council to look at any other potential sites and to agree with what we suggested nearly 3 years ago!

We will not give up until the young people of the Spen Valley have a Young People’s Centre like every other area in Kirklees.

Watch this space!!