Chair’s Welcome:
Welcome to the February Monthly Mailing of Bingley Town Council. There are signs of spring throughout our lovely town and the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Bingley is continuing apace. I would like to acknowledge and thank our local Health Centres, surgeries and all the staff and volunteers who are working so hard to administer the vaccines and to inform and educate the public. It is a magnificent effort.
As life slowly begins to return to some kind of normality, I’d like to remind community and voluntary groups that the Town Council’s Grant Scheme is available for projects and the next round of grants will be awarded in June.
The Town Council’s project to install a Changing Places facility in Bingley, next to the Council Hub and public toilets is underway. The Changing Places sub-committee have developed a project plan which was tabled at the meeting of the Full Council and are hard at work to bring the project to fruition.
Town Council meetings continue to be held remotely via Zoom and we await Government advice on returning to in-person meetings. All meetings are held in public and residents are welcome to attend. Details are always published on the website and Facebook page. Bingley Town Councillors and staff continue to work hard for residents in these difficult times.
In the meantime, let’s get out and about as we are allowed and enjoy our beautiful town and green spaces. Let’s stay safe and observe the rules for everyone’s benefit.
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Bradford Local Plan
The Bradford Local Plan is published for consultation and the closing date for responses is 24th March.
The documents relating to Bingley and Cottingley can be found at the link Bradford Planning; In all, 10 potential housing sites have been identified in Bingley and Cottingley, some of them in the Green Belt.
Bingley Town Council will formulate its response based on its own Neighbourhood Plan and will lobby BMDC to extend the consultation dates, given that in the current circumstances it is very difficult for residents to meet and to discuss the implications of the plan.
The census is a unique survey that happens every 10 years. Â Â This data collected informs the Government and helps to plan policies for the future for all aspects of our daily lives, from education, health and housing to highways and transport.
Census Day is Sunday 21 March 2021.   It is important that you fill in your census questionnaire when it arrives. This year it is mainly an online exercise which you can complete as soon as you get your access code in the post.
For more information about the census read our website news post at The census is coming. – Bingley Town Council
If you need help, you can visit www.census.gov.uk where there’s a wide range of support services available.
UK Disability Survey
To help understand the issues that disabled people face and work towards developing a national strategy for disabled people, the UK Government has commissioned a disability survey. The survey seeks to understand the life experiences of disabled people, a carer or parent or as someone with an interest in disability issues.  If you would like to take part in this survey please use the following link disabilityunit.citizenspace.com/cabinet-office
Grants
Grants awarded:
Friends of Myrtle Park. A grant of £9429.75 was awarded to the group for improvements to the park.  The improvements will involve internal improvements to the Bowling Hut and external wall mounted interpretation boards on local history, nature and conservation. The refurbished park hut will improve park facilities and enhance the experience of visitors to the park.
Aire Valley Against Incineration group was awarded £5000 towards legal costs for a Pre-Action Protocol letter.
Grants received:
Cottingley area have received a grant of £200 from the Cleaner Streets, Parks and Open Spaces Fund via Bingley Town Council, which will be used to support and develop ongoing ‘green’ projects in the village.
Right to Regenerate
Bingley Town Council will respond to a Government Consultation on the Right to Regenerate, which concerns the use of neglected or under-utilised public land.
Street Furniture
Bradford Metropolitan District Council have formally announced an area wide plan to improve street lighting. This involves replacing lamp heads with eco-friendly bulbs and replacing columns which are degraded.
Any lamppost columns which need to be replaced in heritage areas will be on a ‘like for like’ basis.
Events
Monthly Markets. Bingley Saturday Monthy Market will return on Saturday April 3rd. 10.00 – 2.00 p.m for food only.
A 10k Run for Bingley is proposed by Bingley Harriers. This will take place on Sunday September 19th if all conditions and permissions are granted.
Appointments
Appointment of non-councillors to sub committees and working groups:
Fiona Dunne was appointed to the Changing Places sub-committee and Simon Kerr as the Town Council representative to the Plastic Free Bingley group.
There are opportunities for non-councillors to become involved in the work of the council. Please contact the Town Clerk for details.
Internal Appointments:
Bingley Town Council will be recruiting for the post of Deputy Clerk in March, please check the website for details.
 COVID 19 Guidance
The Government coronavirus advice website advises that:
England is still in a national lockdown. As such you must stay at home, leaving only where permitted by law
From 8 March, some of the rules on what you can and cannot do will be changing:
- You will be allowed to spend time in outdoor public spaces for recreation on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. This means you can sit down for a drink or picnic. You must continue to maintain social distance from those outside your household. This is in addition to outdoor exercise, which is already permitted
- Pupils and students in all schools and Further Education settings will be able to return to face-to face education
- Wraparound childcare can reopen and other children’s activities can restart for all children where it is needed to enable parents to work, attend education, seek medical care or attend a support group. Vulnerable children can attend childcare and other children’s activities in all circumstances
- Students on practical Higher Education courses at English universities who have not already returned and would be unable to complete their courses if they did not return to take part in practical teaching, access specialist facilities or complete assessments will be able to return
- There will continue to be restrictions on international travel. Holidays will not be a permitted reason to travel
- Those seeking to leave the UK must complete an outbound declaration of travel form ahead of departure
- The rules on visiting care homes will change to allow regular indoor visits for a single named visitor
No further significant changes will be made on 8 March and restrictions requiring you to stay at home will remain in place.
The Clinically Extremely Vulnerable are advised not to attend work, school or education until 31 March.
Further details can be found at National lockdown: Stay at Home – GOV.UK (www.gov.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.go.uk  or by phone on the following numbers:
Town Clerk:Â 07703 188660
Administrative Officer:
Monday and Thursday – 07529 222679
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday – 077835 19439
Dates for your diary
Most activities, including litter picks and markets are currently on hold.
The next ordinary meeting of the Town Council is at 6.30pm on: Tuesday 30 March 2021.Â
The meeting will be held on Zoom. Formally convened Town Council meetings are not password protected. The agenda for meetings which contain the meeting link can be found on the Town Council website and on its Facebook page.
You can see all the council’s meeting dates in the Events section calendar on the website. A full listing is also available as a separate document, updated weekly, in the Documents section of the site.
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The election of two councillors for Priestthorpe Ward should take place on May 6th
The May election is subject to government guidance and restrictions.
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Newsletter distribution
So that the council 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
When you respond to BMDC regarding the 10 proposed housing sites, please stress that ALL brown field sites and vacant residential properties MUST be utilised before any Green Belt fields are built on, we must protect our countryside. I imagine that the houses due to be built will not include many in the social housing sector.
We must protect Bingley and the local infrastructure which would struggle to withstand any more pressure.
Dear Jenny,
A reply has been sent to your personal e-mail address.
Best wishes.
Ruth Batterley