The meeting will hear any questions from the general public.
Questions should be emailed to executive.governance@kirklees.gov.uk no later than 5:00pm Monday 25th November 2024 .
Members of the public can ask questions relating to the work of the Town Board or issues set out on this agenda.
Decision:
Public questions were received and a response provided.
Minutes:
Written questions from Councillor Paul Moore:
1) With the closure of Dewsbury Sports Centre confirmed this month, which I appreciate is not the remit of this board, my question is about the devastating impact this will have on footfall in the town centre.
With just over 20,000 visits per month now gone forever, coupled with Kirklees staff being removed from Empire House how has the Dewsbury Blueprint been amended to reflect this chronic loss of footfall and what is the town board’s strategy to try and address/replace this footfall?
Joanne Bartholomew, Director for Development, provided a response on the Dewsbury Blueprint which was developed with footfall in the town centre in mind. Projects such as the Town Park, the Market and the reopening of the Arcade were key to ensuring increased footfall in the town centre. Ms Bartholomew undertook to forward the Cabinet report associated with the Dewsbury Sports Centre to the Board Members and the questioner, as it contained information on the impact of footfall in the area.
The Chair noted that the Board recognised that the Dewsbury Sport Centre was a priority for the community, however, that funding secured by the Town Deal, and any future funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government could not be used to fund its re-opening. Funding for the Dewsbury Sports Centre was a matter for the Council to respond to. The focus of Dewsbury Town Board remained on the delivery of committed projects to support regeneration and on a programme of interventions to be brought forward through a long-term plan to support economic growth.
2) Since being elected as a Councillor in May 2023 I have seen shops and businesses shutting at an alarming rate, little if any enforcement of street drinkers and large groups of men congregating and intimidating people in the town centre, especially women. People perceive Dewsbury town centre as not being safe, which I think is a fair assessment. Can this board agree to multi agency approach to target visible enforcement on market days, which are Wednesday and Saturday, so we give the public confidence and try and protect the only two days where there is some reasonable footfall left in Dewsbury town centre?
The Chair responded to the question by advising that the Board supported multi-agency working and would be seeking revenue funding to help deal with compliance and safety and security in the next financial year.
Question from Christine Cagna:
“Since Dewsbury was, and is still, billed as a Leisure Town, what specific plans are in place to make this a reality as Dewsbury Sports Centre, which was a given in original plans, has now been closed permanently?”
The Chair responded to the question by referring to his earlier response on Dewsbury Sports Centre and advised that the Board would support leisure and health activity in the long term plan strategy.
A supplementary question was asked, which queried how long it would be until plans were put in place to provide Dewsbury residents with leisure services.
The Chair of the Board advised that the Board would not be able to answer the questions and requested that Kirklees Council provide a response. Ms Bartholomew, Service Director, Kirklees Council, advised that officers were working on a wider Dewsbury Leisure offer and undertook to liaise with colleagues tasked with the work, and to return to a future Board meeting with the information.
Question from Gill Young:
“The Board’s own Investment Plan text talks about our town’s ‘assets, opportunities and challenges’ and central Government publications emphasise the need to involve local people in local decisions so it would be interesting to hear how the Town Board reconciles these fine words while failing to respond to local people’s commitment to Dewsbury Leisure Centre, the saving of which would maintain an asset, be the main reason for local people to visit the town and offer opportunities to challenge deprivation. An explanation of the Town Board’s failure so far to commit to its continuation, despite its obvious benefits to other schemes, will be welcome.”
The Chair responded to the question by advising that when funding for the Dewsbury Town Deal was secured, Dewsbury Sports Centre was in operation. The Town Investment Plan was agreed in June 2021, with funding allocated to nine key projects. Dewsbury Town Board does not have the funds to maintain and run the Dewsbury Sports Centre, it does want leisure, entertainment and recreation to be part of a vibrant offer and will work with Kirklees Council to achieve this.
Questions from Bruce Bird:
1) “At the October meeting I asked the Chair for a progress report on his commitment in July 2023 to provide information regarding progress on all 9 TIP projects in the town centre for those members of the community who do not use the internet. Regrettably, his reply in writing contained no relevant information. It also included a statement that information is available on the hoardings around the Arcade. This is not true. I replied to him with the suggestion that he make a second attempt in order to avoid my having to raise the issue again tonight. I have received no reply. Will the Chair now tell us what he has done to fulfil his 18 month old commitment to provide information on progress on all nine TIP projects in the town centre for those who do not use the internet?”
The Chair responded to the question and advised that during Item 9 of the agenda there would be a full discussion on the matter.
A supplementary question was asked: “Will you make sure that all of your answers are available to the public?”
The Chair advised that he would endeavour to make sure that the Board was as transparent as possible in what is said, and in the answers to any questions.
2)
“There is every indication that the current definition of the
Board’s area of responsibility has led to different
interpretations. This has led to the Chair giving responses
both to Mr Mohamed at the May meeting and Ms Cagna in his last
written reply that others find difficult to understand. The
geographic area of responsibility is clearly defined by article 1.2
of the Terms of Reference while the phrase ‘significant
focus on the town centre’ is intrinsically vague. This is
presumed to reflect the minutes for 28 March that record that
‘...senior officers strongly recommended that investment was
concentrated in the town centre’. While the benefit of
focusing on existing projects is self-evident, the
‘significant focus’ by the Board is a subjective
judgement based on an assessment of whether any project is more or
less beneficial to existing efforts. To reach that conclusion the
Board must necessarily consider the issue in question before
reaching a conclusion. Similarly, one of the Board’s
responsibilities is to advise the council and it will be failing in
this responsibility if it does not have sufficient knowledge
arising from a competent assessment of issues arising in the town.
Will the Chair therefore confirm that:
- No issue within the area shown in Appendix A of the Terms is or
will be excluded for reasons of geography.
- To avoid any repetition of the current confusion any decision on
whether a matter will be taken into consideration by the Board is
properly considered by the Board before decisions are
made?”
The Chair advised that in Item 7, clarity would be provided on the geography of the boundary of the Town Board and on the process by which projects were considered by the Board in those geographical boundaries.
Questions from Jennifer Devlin:
1) “The Director of Overview and Scrutiny having apparently failed to validate the call in of the decision to permanently close Dewsbury Sports Centre without giving any reasons for that decision, will the Chair of Dewsbury Town Board now fulfil his role as set out in the Dewsbury Town Board Terms of reference (Roles and Responsibilities) to Act as a Champion for the Town by finding out the reasons for that decision on behalf of the 5,000 signatories of the petition to keep Dewsbury Sports Centre open, the residents who used to make over 20,000 visits a month to DSC, and the residents who are now denied access to sports facilities. Despite the assertions in the report to Cabinet of 5.11.24, there is a serious lack of alternative sports facilities in the town, with school children now missing teaching time travelling to alternative swimming provision, congestion at Spen Valley and Batley Sports and Tennis Centres, and the virtual impossibility of accessing these alternative centres without private transport?”
The Chair responded to the question by referring to his earlier response on Dewsbury Sports Centre and undertook to request a response in writing from Kirklees Council, as it was not within the remit of the Dewsbury Town Board.
2) “Also in his role of Champion for the Town of Dewsbury, will the Chair work with Kirklees Council to secure access for a member of the group seeking the reopening of Dewsbury Sports Centre to assess the building and the extent of the RAAC. The report on the presence of RAAC provided to KMC did not indicate the need for closure. Uncertainty about the real extent of RAAC (there is none on the dryside) and the true cost of work to mitigate the situation (which may be considerably less than stated by KMC) needs to be clarified before a building of such fundamental importance to the town is demolished. The reopening of Dewsbury Sports Centre is key to footfall in the town and therefore to the viability and sustainability of the Board's projects?”
The Chair undertook to request a response in writing from Kirklees Council.