Mixenden Ward Forum For more information, go to www.halifaxnorthandeast.com; email team@halifaxnorthandeast.com; or ring 01422 255402 M e e t i n g N o t e Date: Wednesday 2 September 2015 Venue: Holy Nativity Church, Mixenden Present: Cllr Daniel Sutherland (Chair); Cllr. Barry Collins; PC Ian Harris and PC Jonny Ramsden (West Yorkshire Police); Andrea Wardell and Debs Sunderland (Pennine Housing); Hayley Conlon (Neighbourhood Schemes) and Heather Stout (Ovenden and Mixenden Initiative) 13 Residents Apologies: Vicky McGhee and Mark Brazil 1. Welcome and introductions 1.1. opened the meeting by introducing himself and the other service providers present. 2. Updates from the last meeting 2.1. Tie wraps left on lampposts said this is generally developers and they have been asked to remove the tie wraps when removing the notices 2.2. Approach Yorkshire Tiger about possible Mixenden route Councillor Collins will keep raising the issue. He reminded residents that bus travel has dropped by 30% in the last 5 years 2.3. The Addy boundary fencing Councillor Collins confirmed there will be a fence erected within the terms of the agreement. Councillor Collins will check when it will be going up 2.4. Sale of land next to the Addy confirmed that as far as he knows there is no plans to sell the land but he will check with the Planning Department 2.5. Loss of speed van on Crag Lane PC Harris confirmed that the vans are calibrated to 30mph and the speed limit is 20mph. Hopefully when they are recalibrated the van will be back 2.6. No street lighting on Straight Lane residents reported they are still out but work is ongoing 1 P a g e
2.7. Lock missing from the bowling green gates. Mark Brazil had confirmed this has been replaced but residents reported it has gone again 3. Police Update PC Ian Harris 3.1. Ian began by introducing PC Jonny Ramsden who will be replacing him as Ward Officer for Mixenden for the time being. Ian explained that he had been on restricted duties for a while and the Inspector felt this was best for the Mixenden area. 3.2. Latest crime figures June to September 2015: Burglary Dwelling total 6. (4 on empty properties) Burglary Other total 7 Theft from Motor Vehicles total 5 Theft of Motor Vehicles total 3 ASB total 21 3.3. Ian said that these figures are low compared to Illingworth, Warley and Ovenden areas. 3.4. Residents informed Ian about 1400 worth of damage to the road work equipment on Straight Lane. Ian said this would be included in criminal damage figures which are not included in these statistics. Ian advised residents to report all incidents to the police 3.5. Nuisance quads are the main problem in Mixenden at the moment. Ian added that the courts are on the side of the police over this issue and the police are working with CMBC Rights of Way to look at ways of blocking access to land at the top of Mixenden. Residents were requested to speak to Ian at the end of the meeting if they have any addresses of where they are being stored. One resident reported that not all the quads are being stored in Mixenden 3.6. Ian reminded residents that he was looking at borrowing bikes from Bradford Police but due to austerity cuts, their bike numbers have been reduced from 8 to 2, and so are unwilling to lend to Calderdale. suggested using the Calderdale Council bikes, in particular the ones stored at Mixenden Activity Centre. Ian said this was a good idea and he will look into it 4. Budget Consultation 4.1. Residents were each given a written copy of the Council Budget Consultation pack. It was explained why the consultation needed to take place and how the council is hoping to achieve 10,000 responses to have a fair representation of the population 4.2. Residents were given the option of completing the form at the meeting or taking home. They were also advised that the consultation can also be completed online and a Budget Simulator demonstrates the effects of cutting or increasing funds to specific services 4.3. Heather informed residents that they can come and see her in the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays if they need help completing the form, or to hand in completed forms 2 P a g e
4.4. Residents raised concerns about the effect of littering and fly tipping on the area and the impression people got as they came in Calderdale. The resident added that a lot of it is from people throwing rubbish out of cars. Councillors admitted this was a problem they did not know how to solve. Some residents added that a lot of litter is left after waste is collected by SITA. Councillor Collins said that the waste collection contract was up for renewal and the new contract would save the council 1million and include new more secure vehicles, thereby reducing the amount of litter left behind. Heather informed the meeting about the recent clean ups in the area that Pennine Housing had carried out, which resulted in 56 tonnes of rubbish being collected since May in Mixenden alone. Councillor Collins added that Mixenden was a lot tidier now but still had a long way to go and still has issues, but had overall improved. 4.5. Councillor Collins said that the council had its priorities but by completing the survey, residents had a say on their priorities too 4.6. Councillor Collins reminded residents that only 34% of the council tax covers funding for council services. 4.7. A resident reported that the grassed areas behind Woodrook and the Addy was waist high and needed cutting. Action - Heather to put in a request for cutting to Mark Brazil at CMBC Neighbourhood SCG Team 4.8. Residents requested a litter and dog poo bin by the gates by the Addy. Action Heather to put in a request to Mark Brazil 4.9. Residents asked who owned the football pitch on Woodbrook Action Councillor Collins to find out 4.10. Residents mentioned the problems with taking garden rubbish to the tip and how the new system isn t working and causing tailbacks. Councillor Collins said that Sowerby Bridge tip is closed at the moment and this is causing an increase in traffic. He also informed the residents that the council planned a garden waste collection service from next year 4.11. Councillor Collins informed residents that the SCG Team had been trained to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for dog fouling 5. Demolition and Development 5.1. Mixenden Hub Councillor Collins informed the meeting that outline drawings and associated costs were now known. The council were still negotiating with NHS England regarding moving the doctor s surgery to the new hub. The council has spent a lot of money buying up properties on the site to demolish in order for the new hub to go ahead. The council now needs to assemble a funding package. One train of thought is to apply for funding as part of a set of projects and apply for collective funding. No timings for the start of the project have been set and the project is not even at the planning stage yet. Hopefully there will not be any objections that will cause delays when the application is put in 5.2. Councillor Collins confirmed that the Stanningley Road shops are owned by Pennine Housing 3 P a g e
6. MixMatch and Summer Activities Heather Stout 6.1. Heather informed the meeting that as a result of the Weekly MixMatch sessions that took place at the Activity Centre between 30 April and 23 May, and the annual school challenge between 64 pupils from Park Lane Learning Trust and Trinity Academy, which was won this year by Park Lane, deliberate fires in Mixenden had dropped to 4 in the past 4 months period. In the same period only 21 incidents of youth ASB had been reported to the police. 6.2. Heather also informed the meeting that over 100 youngsters had taken part in summer activities at the Mixenden Activity Centre during the summer holidays. 7. Anything else? 7.1. A resident reported that 30% of street lights were currently out in Mixenden. Action will report to the council 7.2. A resident asked why there was no disabled access drop in the kerb near the library leading to the doctor s surgery. He also asked why no laybys had been installed in Mixenden Road when the road was narrowed. Action Councillor Sutherland will look into 7.3. A resident asked why the council no longer issued newsletters to inform residents what was going on. said this was due to funding cuts. Heather Stout informed the resident about the Halifax North and East Friday Flyer and the Your Community flyers in the library. She added that residents can speak to her in the library if they want more information 7.4. A resident voiced concerns that Mixenden would be cut off if road works continued. Councillor Collins explained that private companies carry out this work and they were under no obligation to converse with each other over ongoing work. Action will find out when the road works will finish. 7.5. Councillor Collins informed residents that the educational adjudicator has looked at the situation at Trinity Academy re the new intake from next year but as yet no result has come back. He also informed them that as a result of Trinity Academy s GCSE results, the school is expected to come third in Calderdale after both the grammar schools. The school also produced good 6 th form results. He added that 87% of pupils at Ash Green Community Primary School had achieved Level 4 in maths, English, spelling, punctuation and grammar. He added that residents should be very proud of local children 7.6. Finally, Councillor Collins said that Mixenden United had been promoted to the Premiership for the first time in 20 years 8. Next meeting 8.1. Next Mixenden Ward Forum - Wednesday 9 December at Holy Nativity Church, Mixenden. 6.30pm for a cuppa and Meet the Services followed by the Ward Forum at 7pm. 4 P a g e
Actions for next meeting Responsible 2.2 Addy boundary fence. Check finish date Councillor Collins 2.3 Sale of the land by the Addy. Check with Planning Department 2.7 Another new lock to be put on the bowling green gates Mark Brazil 3.6 The police to borrow Calderdale Council motorbikes PC Harris 4.7 A resident reported the grass behind Woodbrook and the Addy was waist high and needed cutting 4.8 Residents requested a litter and dog poo bin by the gates by the Addy Mark Brazil Mark Brazil 4.9 Residents asked who owned the football pitch on Woodbrook Councillor Collins 7.1 A resident reported that 30% of street lights were currently out in Mixenden 7.2 A resident asked why there was no disabled access drop in the kerb near the library leading to the doctor s surgery. He also asked why no laybys had been installed in Mixenden Road when the road was narrowed 7.4 A resident voiced concerns that Mixenden would be cut off if road works continued Follow us on Twitter @hxnorthandeast Find us on Facebook! hxnorthandeast 5 P a g e