Dear Resident
Analysis of September’s Community Consultations has now been completed and there is a brief rundown of the outcomes below, with further details being available on our website shortly. We will be bearing your wishes in mind as we set the budget for the coming year and make decisions as to how best to use our staffing and financial resources.
We’re very grateful to everyone who took the time to contribute their views in this important exercise. It was heartening to see that the Council’s priorities closely reflected those of residents.
We’re now in the run-up to Christmas, with the popular Christmas Fayre and Lights Switch-On taking place on 30 November. Along with this comes a new Christmas light featured designed by a young person from a local primary school – look out for an announcement very soon!
Looking forward, and still thinking of our young people, it’s good to be able to report that the Council has agreed in principle to a further series of Play in the Park events in the school summer holidays next summer. These are children’s play sessions that the Town Council commissions from Bradford Council and makes available free of charge – they’ve been very successful and it’s good to be able to provide an opportunity for families to enjoy our parks.
The Town Council has now started recruitment for its new part-time Environmental Warden post. Details are on the website at the following link: https://bingleytowncouncil.gov.uk/job-vacancy-for-environmental-warden/ and the closing date for applications is 25 November.
Finally, I am delighted to be able to take over from Ros Dawson as Chair of the Town Council. I would like to thank Ros for her immense dedication, drive and ambition for Bingley in the past few years. She will be a very hard act to follow. Thank you too, to Councillor Richard Holmes for agreeing to take up the role of Vice Chair.
Kind regards,
Helen Owen
Chair, Bingley Town Council
PS: Don’t miss the final monthly market of the year on Saturday 7 December, featuring a live performance by the Bradford and Airedale Youth Choir.
Community Consultation results
The Council would like to thank all those living and working in Bingley who took part in the community consultation in September. Results will be posted shortly on the Council’s website, and all responses will be taken into account in future work. Responses relating to the draft Neighbourhood Plan have already been considered by the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group, and full council approved the Group’s recommendation that it should reach out to local groups who can deliver on the priorities identified in the consultation such as parks, playgrounds and green spaces and Bingley Pool with a view to these groups leading on their projects.
Current projects that residents wished to see prioritised (first ten responses) were:
| Supporting efforts to keep Bingley Pool open | 150 | 56.23% |
| Climate change emergency initiatives and environmental improvements including reduction of plastic use, improving air quality and litter picks. | 98 | 38.08% |
| Working with police to reduce crime and traffic offences. | 96 | 37.01% |
| Bingley Monthly Market: Continuing to run and develop the monthly fresh food and local products market | 81 | 32.38% |
| Grit bins and gritting routes: maintaining existing bins, adding new bins and routes. | 57 | 21% |
| Creating a youth Town Council to engage younger people in civic activities. | 50 | 19.57% |
|
Grant scheme to support local groups.
|
48 | 18.86% |
| Lobbying Bradford Council to improve car parking (provision and cost). | 47 |
18.15%
|
| Floral displays and bulb planting throughout the parish, providing horticultural groups with free seasonal plants. | 41 |
15.30%
|
| Christmas: lights – upgrading and adding to the seasonal display, school competition, providing a Christmas tree. | 28 |
9.96%
|
In addition, the top answers to the question of what the Community Infrastructure Levy monies should be spent on were:
- Parks and playgrounds (particularly Myrtle Park and Crossflatts Rec)
- Bingley Pool
- Green spaces
- Youth provision
- Police and crime
- Sports facilities
Christmas Tree and Christmas lights competition
The Council was delighted to receive many entries for its second Christmas light competition from local schools and a winner will be announced shortly. The winning design will be specially made and installed on a post on Main Street in the town centre. The student with the winning design will be invited to attend the Christmas Lights Switch-On on Saturday 30 November.
As in 2018, Bradford Council is unable to supply Bingley with a free Christmas tree. The Town Council has again agreed to pay for this year’s Market Square tree at a cost of £2,190 to include installation, lights, safety railings and a promotional banner.
Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs)
At the full council meeting on 29 October, the Council agreed in principle to purchase four SIDs in response to residents’ concerns about speeding in various locations in the parish.
SIDs are temporary sign installations which will display the driver’s speed, together with a red frowning face, or a green smiling face, depending on whether they are travelling above or below the given speed limit.
Purchase of the SIDs is subject to obtaining further details of the cost of purchase, installation and maintenance from Bradford Council.
New Chair and Vice Chair for the Council
Councillor Ros Dawson stepped down as Chair of Bingley Town Council last week after leading the Council for three years and as Vice Chair prior to that. Ros also instigated and led the Bingley Community Council Group that successfully campaigned to get the council in place. She was thanked for her huge contribution to the life of the town over the last 6 years.
Councillor Helen Owen, who had been serving as Vice Chair, was elected as the new Chair of the Council, and Councillor Richard Holmes was elected as the new Vice Chair.
Bingley’s Remembrance Parade
A reminder that the annual Remembrance Parade takes place this Sunday, 10 November, this year organised by Bingley Remembrance Group. The event starts at 10.30 am.
Anyone who would like to help with the pre-Parade litter pick is asked to meet outside the Arts Centre on Jubilee Gardens at 8 am.
Fair Tax Declaration
At its meeting on 29 October, the Council agreed to sign the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration, which means that it will look at engaging with potential contractors by asking supplementary questions both at the tender and awarding contracts stage.
Further information is available at the following links:
https://fairtaxmark.net/supporters/councils-for-fair-tax/.
Office/toilets conversion project
A minor re-design of the interior of the toilet block in Jubilee Gardens, involving an alternative configuration of the entry lobby and boiler and storage space, has been approved by the Town Council. Interested contractors are now to be asked to resubmit their proposals on the basis of this revision. It is hoped to be able to commission and start the building conversion work early in the new year.
A specification and quotation has been obtained for the electrical work needed to convert an accessible changing room in Bingley Pool into a Changing Places toilet facility for people with complex care needs. These are alternatives to those provided by Bradford Council itself and the Town Council has submitted this new documentation to Bradford Council for approval.
Bingley Canal Festival 2020
The Town Council is pleased to be supporting Bradford Council and the Canal & River Trust in the organisation of the third Bingley Canal Festival, which it is hoped will take place on 13 June 2020. Plans are afoot to include the usual combination of activities, entertainment and stalls both on the towpath and in the town centre. Local community groups are being contacted so that they can get involved in the planning.
The next steering group meeting is at 6 pm on Tuesday 12 November at Bingley Youth Café, adjacent to the car park at Bingley Pool. All welcome!
Climate Emergency Working Group
The Council’s Climate Emergency Working Group is looking for two non-councillor members to join the four Councillors and two non-councillors on this group. Two meetings have been held so far, and the next is on Wednesday 20 November. If you are interested in getting involved, or know someone who might appreciate the opportunity, please contact our Clerk at enquiries@bingleytowncouncil.gov.uk or by telephoning 07703 188660.
The immediate focus of work is on reducing energy consumption in buildings and transport emissions, and making proposals to the Council’s Emergency Planning sub-committee and Neighbourhood Plan Working Group.
Dates for your diary
Sunday 10 November – Community Litter Pick, 8 am to 10 am, prior to the Remembrance Parade – meet at the Arts Centre on Jubilee Gardens
Saturday 30 November – Christmas Fair and Christmas Lights Switch-On, 10 am to 4.30 pm, Market Square and Jubilee Gardens
Saturday 7 December – Monthly market, 9 am to 1 pm, Bingley Market Square
Saturday 7 December – Community Litter Pick, details to be advisedSaturday 18 January 2020 – Green and Clean Forum, 10 am to 12 pm, Cardigan House, Ferncliffe Road, Bingley
Saturday 18 January 2020 – Green and Clean Forum, 10 am to 12 pm, Cardigan House, Ferncliffe Road, Bingley
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The next ordinary meeting of the Town Council is at 6.30pm on:
Tuesday 26 November 2019, Eldwick Church, Otley Road, Eldwick, BD16 3EQ
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You can see all our meeting dates in the calendar of the Events section of our website, and a full listing is available as a separate document, updated weekly, in the Documents section of the site.
Finally….if you’ve made it this far, please do share this newsletter with friends and family and encourage them to subscribe too.
I used to be able to print your newsletter but it seems to have altered so I cant. Please tell me how to print it out. Alternatively please include an icon so that we can all print it out saving you money.
Hello Lynn,
Thank you for your comments. If you right click on the article on the website you should be offered the option to print it. From time to time Bingley Town council reviews the website and your comment about including an icon will be considered, however this may not be for some time.
Bingley Town Council is keen to communicate with residents about council activities. It does this in a number of ways including printed newsletters left in prominent places in the parish, a printed ‘Annual Report’ newsletter which is delivered to all homes in the parish and monthly e-mailings, such as this one, which are emailed to everyone who has subscribed to the website mailing list. The council also has a Facebook Page and a Twitter account and updates the Bingley Town Council website frequently.
I hope this helps but if you require any further information please do let us know at enquiries@bingleytowncouncil.gov.uk.
Best wishes,
Laura (Administrative Officer to Bingley Town Council)