Northowram & Shelf Ward Forum 12th Dec 2012
Summary Action Points (detailed minutes below)
Action/Output
Responsible

Speed checks to be carried out on
Bradford road from Shelf roundabout to
Bottomley Arms public house.
PC Gardener West Yorks Police

Consider top ten problem areas in N&S
relating to dog fouling, and situation of
bins
Cllr Caffrey/ SCG Manager Tony Price

Complaint of vehicles being driven on to
the car park on the Hough in an evening,
items seen being passed between
vehicles. (Alleged drugs?) Request for
Police to check it out.
Update on Calderdale Local Plan and how many
Northowram and Shelf people have used the
council’s planning portal.
Items for the September Ward Forum meeting:

Police Update and priorities
Forthcoming meetings:
PACT Tuesday 22nd January 2013 at 6.30pm in
the Northowram Children’s Centre Hub,
Northowram Library
Ward Forum & PACT Wednesday 27th February
2013 at 5.30pm for 6pm start, venue TBC.
PC Gardener West Yorks Police.
OMI.
Northowram & Shelf Ward Forum
Notes of meeting held on 12th December 2012 at the St Michael & All Angels Junior School,
Shelf. Halifax
Present: Cllr S Baines; Cllr. R Taylor; Cllr. Caffrey; Sgt. Hodgson & PC Gardener West Yorks Police;
Cliff Organ (Chair); Tony Price CMBC; Liz Broadley & Tony King; (Ward Forum Team - Ovenden and
Mixenden Initiative). 8 Residents.
1
Welcome and introductions
1.1
2
Cliff Organ welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Action Updates from last meeting
2.1
Speed Indicator Device tests: Police informed residents that more officers in the
North & East Halifax team are to be trained in the use of speed test devices. Recently
an officer from another division has been carrying out tests in the Northowram area.
As a result several tickets had been issued to motorists for speeding, and a number
of motorists stopped and warned and a vehicle seized.
Residents requested further speed checks in the Northowram and Shelf area.
2.2
Dog Fouling – and Bins: Cllr Caffrey has a map showing placement of dog bins in the
Northowram and Shelf area and wants to work with residents to see whether things
might be improved by siting them differently. Residents complained that it doesn’t
matter how many bins you put in the area irresponsible dog owners will still allow
their pets to foul on the path. A resident said there were specific problem areas
around the Bridle Stile next to the park, the pathway between Bradford road and
Shelf Hall road, the arboretum in Northowram. He was disappointed that in 6
months there have been only 6 prosecutions for dog fouling. Liz Broadley explained
that there are now 80 council front line staff trained to issue fixed penalty tickets re
dog fouling when they see this happening during their working day. There is just one
dog warden employed in Calderdale Council, and that person’s work is not mainly
focused on fog fouling. The resident pointed out that people are out late at night
with their dogs allowing them to foul wherever and that he felt more council staff
need to be working evenings to catch them.
2.3
Halifax Central Library: at the meeting of the full Council on 28 November approval
was given to “the relocation of the Central Library and Archive from its current
Northgate site to the site at Square Spire, and to the capital costs by way of
prudential borrowing required to implement that relocation as detailed under Option
A in the joint report of the Director for Communities and Director, Economy and
Environment”
2.4
No Ball games sign request: Shelf Hall Lane is a private road and as such the council
cannot erect a sign.
2.5
Parked Cars causing an obstruction on Bridle stile and Joseph Avenue: there was no
update. PC Gardener to investigate and feedback at next meeting.
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2.6
3
4
5
Calderdale Local plan. Residents were informed that no one came to the
consultation event at Shelf Library but 5 residents came to Northowram library, and
around 18 to the special meeting with planners at the Northowram Sport and
Activity Club. . A resident asked how many people from the Northowram/Shelf area
used the planning portal on the council’s website, this will be reported back at the
next forum meeting if it is possible to get figures from the site. Residents were
informed that there will be more consultation about the plan in the future.
Local Community group Updates.
3.1
Beavers: the new beavers group at St Michael and All Angels school is well attended
and very popular.
3.2
Shelf gala should be on the 1st Saturday in July 2013 (6th July)
Councillors and Community Updates.
4.1
BDUK : Calderdale Council is currently part of a government backed process (BDUK)
aimed at delivering superfast broadband (at least 24 Mb) to 90% of the country by
2015, and 2Mb to the other (hard to reach) 10%.
BT’s current plans can be
seen at http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when
4.2
There had been parking problems outside Salterlee school during a Christmas event
recently which caused problems to vehicles going up and down Kells Lane.
4.3
Toilets: A resident raised a query about use of toilets in the Northowram Library .
Although the library toilets are not public toilets, library staff would allow people to
use the toilets if desperate.
4.4
Christmas Waste Collections: Residents were given a flyer explaining waste and
recycling collections over the festive period . More information available on
www.recycleforcalderdale.org
4.5
Consultation: Residents were given a consultation form on household waste and
recycling and asked to complete and return by 31st December 2012 alternatively they
were told they could do this by visiting
http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/council/consultations/wastecollection/consultation.htm
4.6
Children’s Centre Commissioning; The council has decided to invite independent
organisations to bid to provide children centre services across Calderdale, to ensure
high quality services and value for money.
The contracting timetable is that tenders will be invited in the new year decisions
taken in April, with contracts starting on 1st October 2013. (contracts will run for 3
years)
Police Update
5.1
Introduction: PC Scott Gardener introduced himself as the new PC for Northowram
and Shelf.
5.2
Crime: Residents were informed that crime was down 11% on last year.
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6
7
5.3
ASB: Residents were informed that over the last 6 weeks there had been only 3 ASB
calls to the Police.
5.4
Theft from motor vehicles: Residents were informed that this offence was slightly on
the increase, but this was due to people leaving items on show in their vehicles.
5.5
Operation Hazelpond: This operation was in place to detect and deter criminal
activity on the border with Bradford especially stopping vehicles in the early hours.
Open Forum – what matters to you?
6.1
Leo Group: A representative from the Shibden Valley Society asked why a large
waste transfer shed had been built on the Swales Moor site when the planning
application had been objected to by society members and local residents. Cllr Baines
explained that all objections had been seriously considered but planning permission
was granted due to the fact that there was no change of use as it was still for
industrial use, and that a large shed allowed for heavy vehicles to be kept inside
overnight reducing vile smells. Also taken into consideration for the granting of
planning permission was the local economy, the Leo waste company employ up to
170 local people.
6.2
The Hough Car Park: residents had seen vehicles on the car park late at night and
items exchanged between vehicles. Police would visit the area in an evening and
investigate.
6.3
Dust from Bridle Stile: a resident reported that during summer, dust from the
private road is a big problem for properties along the main road opposite: will the
Council resurface the road? Cllr Baines explained that the current surface was an
attempt to address problems with the road surface given that there was no
possibility of the council resurfacing this unadopted road.
Items for the next meeting
7.1
8
Police updates.
Dates of next meetings
8.1
PACT Meeting Tuesday 22nd January 2013 at 6.30pm at Northowram Childrens
Centre.
8.2
Ward Forum meeting Wednesday 27th February 2013 5.30pm for a 6pm start
Northowram Methodist Church
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