Annual Town Meeting 2016
Town Mayor’s Report
It is my honour to be elected town mayor for the ensuing year and to chair the annual town meeting.
I would like to place on record my appreciation of David Mothershaw’sservice as last year’s town mayor. David has been a town councillor for almost ten years and has been a sterling mayor for the past year.
During the past year the town council’s paramount objectives have been – and continue to be – to cut costs where it is sensible to do so and to provide more services, events and initiatives. In short, to do more with less. This policy has allowed the town council to reduce the precept by 2.5%. The town council hopes that this will help residents at least a little in this time of austerity.
The biggest of the new events is the Community Festival which will be held on the weekend of 10th to 12th June. This will replace the former Civic Sunday. The town council felt that although Civic Sunday had been a great event for the parish, it was time to revamp it and hold a Community Festival. On the Friday evening there will be a brass band concert in the Grove Hall to celebrate the Queen’s official 90th birthday. On the Saturday there will be a church service and cream teas available from the church during the day. Meanwhile, over at the Recreation Ground there will be a series of events, stalls and a funfair for younger children. Then on the Sunday there will be the Party In The Park with various acts and bands performing.
Another new initiative is the holding of more events here in the Grove Hall. Earlier this year John Godber performed in his own play, Shafted. A good time was had by all who attended and the feedback we received was excellent.
The town council again jointly held a bonfire night celebration with South Kirkby Colliery Cricket Club. The fireworks were stunning and the event was extremely well attended.
The town council also held a Christmas concert which it has not done for many years. The traditional pantomime was held in January and it continues to be a great success.
The town council would welcome the views of local people as to the types of event you would like to see. If you have any comments or ideas, please write to the town clerk.
Of course, the Grove Hall continues to be used by many local groups such as Young At Heart, yoga, the over 50s, tea dances, blood donation and breast screening, as well as being used for parties and functions.
In the Grove office building we now have an IT suite which parishioners can use. And for those that are not used to using computers, we offer training courses. We also hold a job club to help those looking for work.
At Moorthorpe Railway Station we now offer various services as part of a one stop shop. The town council has arranged advice surgeries from the Citizens Advice Bureau, debt advisors, benefit advisors and NHS health trainers. The town council also provides free wi-fi at the station. The Mallard Café continues to provide an excellent service for those using the station or visiting the local MP’s office.
Many local groups continue to use Burntwood Community Centre such as SESKU Academy, St John Ambulance, the South Kirkby Renaissance Brass Band and South Kirkby Knights Football Club. Also, the multi-use games area has been completed in the past year and is available for local youths to use.
The Longhouse and Northfield Community Centre continue to be used by local fitness groups such as the Zone who encourage good behaviour and promote a healthy lifestyle for local children.
Langthwaite House is still a hub for local businesses and community groups such as Soup4em who use it as their office base, as well as the meeting room facility. Also, Langthwaite House is part of Langthwaite Industrial Estate’s Business Improvement District. The town council recently voted in favour of extending the Business Improvement District for another 5 years.
The preschool at the Millennium Hall continues to provide a sterling service for local children. The preschool’s medium term objective is to improve on its Ofsted rating of good and to achieve outstanding. The other side of the Millennium Hall is used by several local groups, such as the Brownies, an arts group, a karate group and a local brass band.
The Recreation Ground is maintained by the town council for the benefit of all. Wakefield Council has committed to providing new play equipment at the ground within the next 12 months. Also, the town council maintains several local playing fields located at Northfield, Church View, Burntwood, Clock Row, Common Road and Gallon Croft. All are used by local football clubs and sports groups.
Carr Lane Nature Reserve is maintained by the town council to help protect our local environment. Earlier this year the town council had the beck adjoining the reserve de-silted as a flood prevention measure to support the residents in the surrounding area.
The town council has further protected the local environment by restoring the former Manface Quarry refuse site to its natural state. Local school children have been involved in the restoration process.
The town council continues to provide allotments for those who enjoy gardening. And for parishioners who are over 60 or are registered disabled, the town council continues to provide the garden maintenance service.
The town council is the lead, administering authority for the Joint Burial Committee which oversees the cemeteries at Moorthorpe and Carr Lane. The Joint Burial Committee continues to provide an excellent service for local people at a considerably lower cost than the service offered by Wakefield Council.
The community bus service provides a vital transport service for local residents who are elderly or less able. They rely on it to transport them locally, such as to South Elmsall market, and further afield, such as to Doncaster or Meadowhall.The service users always give positive feedback and want the service to continue.The buses are also used by charities such as Age UK and the Stroke Society.
The town council has purchased some defibrillators for local people to use if someone is suffering from a heart attack. I hope you never have to use them, but if so, they are externally located at Moorthorpe Railway Station, Millennium Hall, Burntwood Community Centre and South Kirkby Colliery Cricket Club.
The town council provides support – both practical and financial – to a wide range of local groups.For example, in the past year the council has assisted the Old Folks Treat, 1st Moorthorpe Guides and summer sports camps for local children, to name just three. If you wish to apply for a grant, the application form can be found on our website or you can contact the office here at the Grove.
This year the town council will again hold its summer play scheme for local children. This service has run for over 40 years and it remains extremely popular. This year it will be held at South Kirkby Colliery Cricket Club due to the extensive outdoor space for the children to play in. It was last held there in 2013 so I’m sure it will be another successful summer.
The town council has set up a Community Champion award to honour local people who do a lot for our community. The awards ceremony will be held on 15th July at the cricket club. If you would like to nominate someone, please contact the office here at the Grove.
Finally, the town council is very keen to engage and communicate with the community to establish what local people would like to see the town council do or provide. Just before Christmas the town council provided its own newsletter – the Community Voice - delivered to every household in the parish. In fact, some of your councillors were the very people who did the delivering. Also, to communicate with our younger residents, the town council now has its own Facebook page, as well as the website.
If you have any comments or ideas about any aspect of the town council, please do let us know as we would welcome your views.
That’s the end of my report as town mayor. Thank you for listening.
Town Mayor’s Report 2016
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