Carol Bradbury reports from Penistone Town Council

 

Local opinions are ignored by Barnsley planners, councillors claimed, declaring that localism was dead.

The council was reviewing the latest draft Local Plan, which involves building 1400 houses in the town.

Members said a large scale plan should be available for the public to scrutinise.

They said town councillors had opposed development of 139 houses off Hartcliff Road but had little impact on the decision to go ahead. That is still subject to legal agreement.

Councillors were concerned about bad parking around the junior school in Penistone and said the Hartcliff development would have a major impact on the area. They suggested a Pelican crossing was need across from the library.

Mayor Steve Marsh asked what had happened to the remainder of money paid by developers of the Green Road site to fund a transport interchange and industrial sites near the station. Some of the £800,000 has been used for managed work spaces in Spring Vale.

 

Denby Dale Rotary Club are asking Penistone Town Council to help fund plans for life-saving defibrillators to be brought into the community. The machines, which can increase the chance of survival in cardiac arrests by 80pc, are to be sited outside doctors’ surgeries. In an emergency, trained operators can ring 999 and be given a code to release the defibrillator. Total costs are around £2,000 each and the Rotary Club are raising funds for this and asking councils for a contribution.

Councillors were told of major cuts in the Barnsley Council budget next year, including threats to the mobile library service, children’s services and leisure services. The borough is also committed to being paper-free by next year and is supplying staff and councillors with iPads.

The town centre toilets are now closed for refurbishment and everything has been taken back to brickwork. Plans are to have them back in operation within four to five weeks. Contractors are now waiting for specialist equipment to arrive. The automatic door is a high cost but the project should come within budget. A community caretaker will to be employed by Barnsley Council for the first year to deal with local issues such as toilets, dog fouling etc.

Councillors heard of plans for the celebratory evening to mark the centenary of the Paramount Cinema on October 31. Invitations have been sent to former staff, councillors and Mayors, including the Mayor of Huddersfield, as Penistone fell within the West Yorkshire boundary in 1915. Thurlstone band will play as they did for the original opening.

Barnsley and Penistone councils have both agreed to provide wreaths for the new Thurlstone War Memorial.

The Ingbirchworth Polling station has been relocated to The Fountain Inn.

Following a change in government guidance, the public are allowed to film, record and tweet from any council or committee meeting, but will not be allowed to record private consultations. But draft minutes will not be published until they have been ratified by the full council.