Agenda item

To receive written questions to the Leader, Cabinet Members, Chairs of Committees and Nominated Spokespersons in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12.

 

The schedule of written questions will be tabled at the meeting.

(1)       Question by Councillor Armer to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment – Councillor Walker

 

          “The Huddersfield Daily Examiner online website of 9th October, under the headline ‘Council deny new playground plan is a u-turn on controversial scheme’, cites Cllr Walker as stating that ‘I am against the closure of any parks. These changes will only be introduced where residents want them’.

 

          Will Cllr Walker confirm to Council that these remarks apply to all Kirklees play areas within the Borough and mean that, in the absence of calls for change from local communities, the default Council position is “No Change” to current provisions?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(2)       Question by Councillor Armer to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment – Councillor Walker

 

          "In the context of Play Areas, it is the case that the Council is seeking to establish various Friends of… groups. Given that such groups are often small in number, what weight will be given to their views on the future of local Play Areas?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(3)       Question by Councillor Munro to The Cabinet Member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities – Councillor Pattison

 

          "Please can you confirm the Council will fund free transport for all displaced pupils at ACS secondary who are forced to travel further afield to other schools outside Almondbury Ward until they leave secondary school at the end of year 11?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(4)       Question by Councillor Watson to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment – Councillor Walker

 

          "Residents of High Flatts and surrounding areas have raised concerns with me about visitors to the Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream Parlour and restaurant taking wrong turns and ending up down private roads and generally becoming lost around the village.  This seems to be a particular problem for visitors coming from the North because the restaurant for them is actually past the village.  Would it be possible to place a brown tourist information sign on one of the lamp posts on the approach to the village advising that there is still a mile (or thereabouts) to go to the restaurant?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(5)       Question by Councillor Watson to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment – Councillor Walker

 

          "What process or procedures are in place to ensure the maintenance of road signs and road markings?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(6)       Question by Councillor Watson to The Cabinet Member for Greener Kirklees – Councillor Mather

 

          "In April of this year I came across a pile of fly tipped rubbish on Broadstone Road at Birdsedge just before the junction with Birdsedge Lane. I took the time to have a good rummage through it and in amongst the rubbish were mortgage statements giving the name of an individual and a property address in Leeds. There were also credit card payment receipts from a supermarket in the same area of Leeds which showed part of the credit card number used for the purchases. Copies of the documents were passed on to the council.

 

          Could the Cabinet Member please let me know what explanation was given by the individual named on the mortgage statements as to how their personal documents came to be dumped amongst a pile of detritus in the lanes in rural Kirklees?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(7)       Question by Councillor Watson to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment – Councillor Walker

 

          "Last year I received a particularly damning email from a resident in Denby Dale Ward about the length of time between black bin collections over the Christmas break.  Please could the Cabinet Member advise when the last black bin collection will be before Christmas for; Birdsedge, Upper Cumberworth, Lower Cumberworth, Denby Dale, Skelmanthorpe, Clayton West, Scisset, Upper Denby and Emley.

 

          Please also advise when the first black bin collections will be after Christmas for each of those villages.”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(8)       Question by Councillor Cooper to The Deputy Leader of the Council – Councillor McBride

         

          "Will you be calling for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to withdraw the £100million of support it is providing for the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport in light of the Climate Emergency that we and they have declared?”

 

          The Deputy Leader responded thereto.

 

(9)       Question by Councillor Cooper to The Deputy Leader of the Council – Councillor McBride

 

          "Have you considered using the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self Government, that the UK as a signatory of, to get a better financial settlement from the UK Government for Kirklees Council?”

 

          The Deputy Leader responded thereto.

 

(10)    Question by Councillor Cooper to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment – Councillor Walker

 

          "Can you confirm that the play area on Hall Cross Road will no longer have its swings, slides and roundabouts replaced with ‘logs and rocks’?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(11)    Question by Councillor Lukic to The Cabinet Member for Greener Kirklees – Councillor Mather

 

          “What plans does the Cabinet have to renovate and extend the CCTV system in Dewsbury Town Centre?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(12)    Question by Councillor Lukic to The Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy – Councillor Scott

 

          “We are agreed that changing to all-out local elections would probably release over £100,000 each year. Considering the expense, I do not believe there is a strong case to continue with electing by thirds. Will Cabinet support the change to all-out elections so that we can redirect these funds into vital services?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(13)    Question by Councillor McGuin to The Cabinet Member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities – Councillor Pattison

 

          “Has the Council identified where every child currently at Almondbury Community School will be placed when secondary provision ends at the school in 2020?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(14)    Question by Councillor McGuin to The Cabinet Member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities – Councillor Pattison

 

          “What cost benefit analysis had been done to justify ending secondary provision at Almondbury Community School?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(15)    Question by Councillor Iredale to The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services – Councillor Turner

 

          “Are there any plans to update the Council’s automated switchboard service?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(16)    Question by Councillor P A Davies to The Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment  – Councillor Walker

 

          “Do you agree that the decision to confiscate green bins was excessively punitive?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(17)    Question by Councillor A Smith to The Deputy Leader of the Council – Councillor McBride

 

          “Could you provide an update on what is happening with the George Hotel?”

 

          The Deputy Leader responded thereto.

 

(18)    Question by Councillor A Smith to The Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy – Councillor Scott

 

          “Could the Council confirm how many KNH multi-storey residential buildings do not have accessible entrances for disabled people?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(19)    Question by Councillor Lawson to The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services – Councillor Kendrick

 

          “How many looked-after children are currently being taken through the EU Settlement Programme?”

         

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(20)    Question by Councillor Marchington to The Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care – Councillor Khan

 

          “In light of the Chief Medical Officer’s warning  recently that lives may be lost due to a shortage of medicines if the UK crashes out of the European Union without an agreement, is the Council confident that it can ensure the safety of patients across Kirklees?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(21)    Question by Councillor Burke to The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services – Councillor Turner

 

          “Does the Council have a programme for maintaining and refurbishing its libraries and, if so, how much does it allocate for its library maintenance programme each year?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.

 

(22)    Question by Councillor Burke to The Cabinet Member for Housing and Democracy – Councillor Scott

 

          “Ward councillors receive information and advice from officers to enable them to carry out their duties, including their casework. Do you believe that the current councillor casework arrangements and the existing system for sharing information for casework is working effectively?”

 

          The Cabinet Member responded thereto.