Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from those Members who are unable to attend the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor David Longstaff and Kevin Evans (Co-Optee).

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on  the 26^th November 2025.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 26^th November 2025 be approved as a correct record.

Members will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have any disclosable pecuniary interests or any other interests, which may prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items.

No interests were declared.

Most agenda items take place in public. This only changes where there is a need to consider exempt information, as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. You will be informed at this point which items are to be recommended for exclusion and to be resolved by the Panel.

All agenda items were considered in public session.

The Panel will receive any petitions and/or deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also submit a petition at the meeting relating to a matter on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Members of the Public must submit a deputation in writing, at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting and shall subsequently be notified if the deputation shall be heard. A maximum of four deputations shall be heard at any one meeting.

No deputations or petitions were received.       

To receive any public questions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, the period for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Any questions must be submitted in writing at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

No public questions were received.

The Panel will consider the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund for Public Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Kirklees Update.

Contact:

Jason Smith, Electric Vehicle Project Manager

The Panel considered an update on Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund for Public Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Kirklees which was introduced by Councillor Moses Crook – Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transport and Housing.

Jason Smith, Electric Vehicle Project Manager gave a presentation, and the Panel were advised that;

• The Electric Vehicle (EV) project included rapid charger installations funded by the market and Kirklees capital investment, the LEVI fund for localised EV hubs, CRSTS funding for EV trials, salary sacrifice car schemes, and an EV strategy to inform future planning.
• Transport for the North data projected Kirklees would require 926 public/residential charging points by 2025 and approximately 2,199 by 2030.
• Kirklees had the lowest number of charging points per 100k population in West Yorkshire.
• The Department for Transport provided £343 million capital and £37.8 million resource funding through the LEVI scheme over two financial years. Kirklees received £282,000 for Phase 1 and £2,212,389 for Phase 2, with additional capability funding for project staff.
• The LEVI fund aimed to deliver neighbourhood hubs and on-street charging, predominantly 7kW–22kW chargers, with some rapid chargers if market conditions allowed.
• WYCA led procurement and created a West Yorkshire EV Charging framework in summer 2024.
• Six providers were appointed to the framework: Zest, Ubitricity (Shell), Amey, Char.gy, Urban Fox (Balfour Beatty), and Blink. Phase 1 ITT completed in January 2025, securing an additional 58% private sector contribution, increasing the fund value from £1.41m to £2.23m.
• Phase 1 was expected to deliver 148 charging points across 25 locations in Kirklees. The contract was signed in July 2025, starting an 18-month delivery window. Ward engagement was scheduled for January 2026.
• A customer pricing strategy was agreed to maintain reasonable public charging costs. Phase 2a/b would focus on on-street charging infrastructure, as directed by Government.
• Phase 2a site selection targeted densely terraced areas using GIS data provided by the Energy Saving Trust. Green areas were identified as focus zones, excluding Phase 1 polygons.
• Capability funding for Kirklees totalled £257,000, with £87,000 expected for 2026/27. It funded the EV Project Manager (0.5 FTE) and Assistant PM (1.0 FTE), with additional revenue for Highways and Legal/Procurement roles. Funding was confirmed until April 2027, with potential extension.

The Panel noted the presentation and during the subsequent discussion, raised the following questions and points:

• In response to questions from the Panel in relation to the rationale for the locations decided for Phase 1, it was advised that Phase 1 was a pilot and funding requirements necessitated a focus on urban areas. Locations were data-driven, based on officer recommendations and an audit of car parks ranked by capacity, occupancy, safety, and other factors. It was also noted that the use of funds was considered more beneficial in densely populated areas, and that this work would be complimented by improvements in public transport in rural communities. It was confirmed that Phase 2b would aim to address gaps and utilise available capital funding to support other areas. The Panel noted the response, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

The Panel will consider the Playable Spaces presentation.

Contact:

Catherine Little, Programme Manager  

Will Acornley, Head of Operational Services  

The Panel considered a presentation in respect of Playable Spaces which was presented byWill Acornely, Head of Operational Services.

The Panel were advised that:

• The original Playable Spaces strategy was approved by Cabinet in 2019 to improve play quality across Kirklees, provide a financially sustainable network, and deliver benefits such as health, wellbeing, and community cohesion.
• Version 1 (March 2019) proposed converting local play areas to open greenspace with investment focused on Community and Destination sites; Version 2 (October 2019) allowed traditional equipment at all sites if requested by local communities.
• The programme launched in 2020 with £3.9m capital invested and £5.6m committed or allocated. Five years into delivery, expectations remained high, but resources were restrictive.
• Kirklees managed 314 play areas, significantly more than other local authorities, with 252 sites over 15 years old included in the original programme.
• Benchmarking was undertaken against other West Yorkshire authorities, and the Play Maintenance Team consisted of four inspectors, supported by a small construction team. Maintenance budgets were limited to £16,000 plus income generation.
• Achievements included 41% programme completion, with 59 sites completed and 43 in progress. Play value increased by 141% on average at completed sites, and £782k additional funding was secured.
• Challenges included:
  • Increased material and staffing costs, reducing value for money.
  • Higher expectations as traditional equipment was retained without additional funding.
  • Restricted variety of facilities due to budget constraints.
  • Reduced workforce and maintenance budgets impacting timelines and upkeep.
• Cost comparisons showed significant price increases for equipment and surfacing since 2020, with community play area costs rising by 41%.
• Next steps included gathering feedback from the Scrutiny Panel, reviewing options for remaining sites using an asset-led approach, and considering strategy modifications for Cabinet in late summer 2026.

The Panel noted the presentation and, during the subsequent discussion, raised the following questions and points.

• In response to questions from the Panel in relation to the budget and potential scope to work with Public Health to increase flexibility, it was advised that the programme had been entirely council and community- led. As a result, this was how areas had been chosen for uplift. It was noted that there was now an opportunity for flexibility and to identify whether the project could be needs-led.
• In response to questions from the Panel in relation to the role of planning, it was explained that the reshaping the strategy had to be done in partnership with the Planning Department and was being developed alongside the Local Plan. The strategy had supported the Council to prevent developers from placing play equipment within estates and to secure Section 106 funding for more appropriate locations.
• In response to questions from the Panel in relation to Section 106 funding, it was noted that discussions had begun to improve agreements and ensure wording around children’s play was appropriate to achieve better outcomes within legal agreements. The Panel noted the response, and it was agreed that work continue to explore how use of the correct wording in supplementary planning documents could support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

The Panel will consider its Work Programme for 2025/26

Contact:

Jodie Harris, Principal Governance and Democratic Engagement Officer

                        The Panel reviewed its Work Programme for 2025/26 and the following items were put forward for inclusion.

RESOLVED: It was agreed that an update on progress towards net 0 targets (to include an update in relation to the Carbon Disclosure Score as well as an update on the broader strategy in the new municipal year) be presented to the Panel