The following has been received from Roger Greenwood, Clerk to Heptonstall Parish Council…

I hope Christmas and the New Year went well for you and the weather has not interfered with your daily routine. As I write there has been no flooding or snow disruption, and I hope it continues. Calderdale Council has published its statement on the provision of winter gritting. With any luck it will prove to be adequate for our needs.

The Council has given opinion on fourteen Planning Applications during the past 3 months, a couple of which has excited many members of our community. It is probably worth reminding you that the Parish Council, whilst being a public consultee, can only make a recommendation to the planning authority – it does not have a power of veto.

On other planning matters we maintain a dialogue with the Enforcement Manager at Calderdale Council, and Councillor John Scarborough (who chairs our Planning Committee) and myself will hold what is now a regular twice a year meeting with her very shortly.

Your members have considered a wide range of topics in the past quarter. It has been good to see members of the public attending recent meetings. They tell me how surprised they have been at the detail and wide range of issues. Do remember you will always be made welcome should you choose to attend. Details are shown on the council’s notice boards about a week before each meeting.

Topics considered have included :

• Speed of traffic & consultation with Calderdale Council re 20 mph orders for residential areas
• Restricted access caused by inconsiderate parking
• Road closures
• Dumping of waste
• Public Footpaths
• Bus service : effect of proposed changes for hill top routes
• Review of the council’s Standing Orders
• Tour de France/Fell Race – public meeting to review and advertise impact in July 2014
• Dog Fouling (yet again! – it never goes away)
• 2014/15 Finance – beginning to look at a budget for the coming year

Finally……

Congratulations on the success of the community Christmas Lunch for the ‘young at heart’. All reports I have received were positive, and thanks must go to all who volunteered their time and energy in making it go so well.

On a personal note I was so pleased to see the happy faces in the Hebden Bridge Times photograph, particularly that both my aunt (Nellie Dawson) and my mother (Marian Greenwood who is the oldest person still alive who was born in the parish) were at the forefront of the picture.

The Parish Council provided a donation from its charity fund and, more importantly, also provided Father Christmas in the shape of Councillor Adrian Baldwin who tells me he dispensed with the need for padding under his outfit!

Congratulations too to the Lights & Planting Group for the constantly improving Xmas lights in Weavers Square. Their work is surely applauded by us all.

Roger M Greenwood
The Clerk
Heptonstall Parish Council