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Friday October 31, 2014
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DIVIDE AND CONQUER Kirklees budget plans under attack with Mirfield, Batley and Spen ‘left out in cold’ By David Miller SMALLER towns in our district will suffer at the expense of Huddersfield and Dewsbury, if Labour’s proposed Kirklees Council budget is backed, Tory chief Robert Light has warned. Coun Light (Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw) claimed that services stand to be focused on Huddersfield and Dewsbury – at the cost of places like Batley, Mirfield, Birstall, Heckmondwike and Cleckheaton. He said: “The formula is two-thirds Huddersfield to one-third Dewsbury and the
rest can get stuffed.” Coun Light said that his own ward pays more in Council Tax and rates to Kirklees than anywhere except Huddersfield town centre. This is partly due to the contribution of Birstall Retail Park, yet the town’s library and market are under threat. Coun Light said other towns, including Mirfield and Cleckheaton, face a similar situation. He said: “Birstall and Birkenshaw makes the second highest contribution to Kirklees but would get nothing in return.”
And Coun Light added that the ‘30 pieces of silver’ offered to Dewsbury would not be the regeneration which is needed. He claimed it would be scattered services to ‘appease’ certain councillors and added: “What Dewsbury needs is a completely new approach. “One of the problems is it’s too spread out. There needs to be a focal point but the council seem out of ideas.” Coun Light slammed the pitting of communities against each other, which he dubbed a “constitutional crisis”. He believes many services
across towns could be saved by opening them up to competition, including outsourcing if necessary. Coun Light said: “The council hasn’t taken steps to bring about the major structural changes that are needed. “All they’ve done is take the low hanging fruit in terms of ‘back office’ efficiency savings. “Now they find themselves at the cliff edge. Everything needs to be looked at. This whole process should’ve started years ago.” Meanwhile the council has responded to accusations by Dewsbury town centre
Coun Robert Light traders last week that it was leaving the town to fall into a state of ruin. Shop owner Mark Rourke said Kirklees should be sued for neglecting the area. Even Northgate, which has won regeneration funding, is in a bad way and the Kingsway Arcade roof is leaking badly. A council spokesperson said: “The council has inspected the arcade ceilings and has liaised with the owners to address concerns. This continuing work is part of the council’s wider objective
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to pro-actively revitalise and regenerate Dewsbury town centre. “The architectural quality in Dewsbury town centre is identified in the Dewsbury Design Guide and the council aims to improve the town’s buildings, including the arcades, by implementing the objectives of the guide through the co-operation of landowners.”
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