At the full council meeting on 24 November, the council committed to adding to its reserve for a Changing Places facility in Bingley. This will enable the council to work towards putting in place one of two options adjacent to the new hub: either a standalone modular facility or a permanent extension to house the specialist equipment.

The council has set up a project delivery group to further develop specifications, investigate funding options, draw up a business plan, oversee the installation/build and develop plans for management and maintenance. The group will consist of three councillors and ideally three non-councillors; the latter will be residents and those with particular expertise in or lived experience of Changing Places facilities or wider access or equality issues. Non-councillors will need to meet the eligibility criteria required of all non-councillors sitting on formally convened groups of the council. If you would like to get involved, please contact the clerk at enquiries@bingleytowncouncil.gov.uk

New co-opted councillor for Bingley Central & Myrtle Park Four residents put themselves forward for consideration for the vacant position in Bingley Central & Myrtle Park and were quizzed by councillors at the Extraordinary Meeting of the full council held on 17 November. Following a vote, Michael Taylor emerged as the successful candidate and the Town Council is looking forward to working with him.  

Bingley’s last monthly market for the year will place on 5 December. Please take time to visit and stock up with the usual goodies and goods and some festive treats! This year, markets were cancelled because of the pandemic from April to August, resumed in September and October, and cancelled again in November. The council has agreed that, coronavirus-permitting, the markets will continue into their fourth year next year, running from February through to December, hopefully bringing back slots from local entertainers.    

   

An update on progress on Bingley’s Neighbourhood Plan was presented at the full council meeting on 24 November. All minutes and agendas of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, as well its terms of reference, are available in the ‘Documents’ section of this website where the evidence library is being compiled. Comments from the consultation last autumn on an initial draft plan have been incorporated and work on further chapters has continued through 2020, so the draft plan is now nearing completion.

The Working Group is now making preparations for the formal public consultation, which will be followed by an independent inspection and a consultation arranged by Bradford Council. A new councillor and a new resident were proposed and elected to the Working Group. The council wishes to thank all current and past resident members of the group for their hard work, commitment, vision and enthusiasm.

The council was pleased to learn that both its recent external and internal financial audits have again been very positive. The external auditor report and certificate for the 2019/20 financial year has confirmed that the information provided in the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) is in accordance with proper practices and that no other matters have come to the auditor’s attention giving cause for concern that relevant legislation and regulatory requirements have not been met. The council’s internal auditor, who reviews the council’s accounts and procedures twice a year, undertook a review remotely recently and reported no significant findings.

National restrictions apply until midnight on 1 December  (national restrictions).

From 2 December,  Bingley will be in Tier 3 (Very High Alert) along with the rest of West Yorkshire. In tier 3:

• you must not meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble, this includes in any private garden or at most outdoor venues
• you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 in some other outdoor public spaces, including parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, a public garden, grounds of a heritage site or castle, or a sports facility – this is called the ‘rule of 6’
• hospitality settings, such as bars (including shisha venues), pubs, cafes and restaurants are closed – they are permitted to continue sales by takeaway, click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery services.
• accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and guest houses must close. There are several exemptions, such as for those who use these venues as their main residence, and those requiring the venues where it is reasonably necessary for work or education and training
• indoor entertainment and tourist venues must close. This includes:

• • indoor play centres and areas, including trampolining parks and soft play
  • casinos
  • bingo halls
  • bowling alleys
  • skating rinks
  • amusement arcades and adult gaming centres
  • laser quests and escape rooms
  • cinemas, theatres and concert halls
  • snooker halls

• indoor attractions at mostly outdoor entertainment venues must also close (indoor shops, through-ways and public toilets at such attractions can remain open). This includes indoor attractions within:

• • zoos, safari parks, and wildlife reserves
  • aquariums, visitor attractions at farms, and other animal attractions
  • model villages
  • museums, galleries and sculpture parks
  • botanical gardens, biomes or greenhouses
  • theme parks, circuses, fairgrounds and funfairs
  • visitor attractions at film studios, heritage sites such as castles and stately homes
  • landmarks including observation decks and viewing platforms

• leisure and sports facilities may continue to stay open, but group exercise classes (including fitness and dance) should not go ahead. Saunas and steam rooms should close
• there should be no public attendance at spectator sport or indoor performances and large business events should not be taking place. Elite sport events may continue to take place without spectators
• large outdoor events (performances and shows) should not take place, with the exception of drive-in events
• places of worship remain open, but you must not attend with or socialise with  anyone outside of your household or support bubble while you are there, unless a legal exemption applies
• weddingsand funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions are not allowed, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, 15 people can attend linked commemorative events
• organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue, however higher-risk contact activity should not take place
• organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes cannot take place indoors. There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s
• you can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible
• avoid travelling to other parts of the UK, including for overnight stays other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through other areas as part of a longer journey
• for international travel see the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Officetravel advice for your destination and the travel corridors list

 

Read the government guidance on the revised local restrictions coming into force on 2 December

Christmas ‘bubble’ From 23 to 27 December, up to three households will be allowed to form a Christmas ‘bubble’. This will enable families and friends to mix at home, although there will still be Tier 3 restrictive measures in venues such as pubs and restaurants. Between 23 and 27 December:

• you can form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ composed of people from no more than three households
• you can only be in one Christmas bubble
• you cannot change your Christmas bubble
• you can travel between tiers and UK nations for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble
• you can only meet your Christmas bubble in private homes or in your garden, places of worship, or public outdoor spaces
• you can continue to meet people who are not in your Christmas bubble outside your home according to the rules in the tier where you are staying
• you cannot meet someone in a private dwelling who is not part of your household or Christmas bubble

Existing support bubbles count as one household towards the three household limit. Between 23 and 27 December, you can continue to use a childcare bubble, but only if reasonably necessary for the purposes of childcare and where there are no reasonable alternatives. You and the other household in your childcare bubble would count as two households towards the three household limit for Christmas bubbles. Full details here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-a-christmas-bubble-with-friends-and-family

The Community Partnership Group The Community Partnership Group is coordinated by Bradford Council’s Ward Officer for Bingley and formalises the group of local organisations that came together in the early stages of the pandemic to address community needs. At its meeting on 19 November, there was an update on the status of COVID-19 measures across the Bradford district and updates from Bingley Food Bank, the Community Kitchen, HALE, CABAD and Ward Councillors. Discussions included ways of supporting families over the Christmas period. A further meeting is planned in December.  The Town Council continues to support the Food Bank and to maintain contact with the Bingley and Bingley Rural Resilience Support Group.

  Bradford Council help number reminder – 01274 431000 If you need immediate help or support, for example you are having to self-isolate , please call 01274 431000 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm). Bradford Council’s team can help by:

• putting you in touch with a local food hub
• sorting out a priority supermarket delivery slot
• helping with loneliness and getting someone to give you a call
• referring you for welfare support

You can also visit: ​www.nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk

Officer hours

The Town Council’s office is closed due to the lockdown with staff working from home. Bingley Town Council can be contacted by email at enquiries@bingleytowncouncil.gov.uk or by telephone on the following numbers:

• Town Clerk – 07703 188660
• Administrative Officer – 07856 365806 (hours will vary)

Dates for your diary

Most activities, including group litter picks and markets, are currently on hold.

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The next ordinary meeting of the Town Council is at 6.30pm on:

Tuesday 15 December 2020

 

The meeting will be held on Zoom. Formally convened Town Council meetings are not password protected and agendas for meetings containing the link for the meeting can be found on the Town Council website and on our Facebook page.

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You can see all the council’s meeting dates in the calendar of the Events section of its website, and a full listing is available as a separate document, updated weekly, in the Documents section of the site.

So that we can keep as many people as possible informed, please do share this newsletter with friends and family and encourage them to subscribe too.

Bingley Town Council, Myrtle Place, Bingley BD16 2LF