PaulRogan

I will be holding my last planned surgery in the morning of 11th December at Rastrick Youth Forum, Field Lane Area.

I would welcome any views on the various surgeries and their different locations held during 2006 which will help me plan for 2007.

I have notified a question at the next Council meeting (13 Dec) about the flood risk to the Town should the Council's scheme get the go-ahead. In short, will the new scheme buildings flood themselves, will the proposed new pool flood, will these structures add to the flood risk for the whole Town - will we all be swimming down Commercial St?

Will happily send a copy of the question in full to anyone interested and also a copy of the reply after the 13th.

I expect that Calderdale's Cabinet will approve the Waste Management Policy and Strategy on 4th Dec as recommended. There will no doubt be some outcries as time goes by and when aspects, of what will then be approved Policy are implemented. We all know about the outcry last year when the former Tory Porfolio holder proposed a charge for bin bags. Will the newly appointed Tory accountable for the present proposals get a less hostile reception for what is basically the same proposals as before, albeit better hidden and recycled in a different way? There are two immediate concerns in the present Policy proposals.

The voluntary & community sector, well established, with good performance and many added advantages has been excluded from a direct arrangement with the Council.

Do the people, and I mean Rastrick here, understand and really want a 2 weekly wheelie bin service? Do they want to see their street scenes littered with sentinals in black and green along every pavement? Do they have places to store wheelies when not out for collection? Will people really wheel them back after they have been emptied or will they leave them at their gates 24/7, notwitstanding that thy will blow or be pushed over, set fire to and generally otherwise abused?

At one of my meetings yesterday, it was suggested that a new pool and community complex could be considered at the recreation fields at Carr Green. i would welcome any views from Rastrick ward residents on this idea.

A previous thought to look at an out of town site on Brookfoot for a water fun park, which i thought had a lot going for it, did not seem to switch local people on much.

Brighouse Forward is having an open public forum on 13th Feb and will hear 5 views or visions for the Town's future. This is intended to stimulate public debate. Will post more about this later.

I have a number of meetings today with various groups concerning this issue.

Here are some of my thoughts and views on the subject:-

The Tory Cabinet was foolish to close the existing pool earlier this year. Labour controlled Scrutiny was unwise to have supported this decision. The decision to close was made for the wrong reasons. It was in part, because they said they were building a new one back in 2004. In reality there was no approved planning to build a new pool then and there is none now. A fact confirmed to me by the planning inspector during the still running public enquiry.

The people of Brighouse have clearly demonstated the closure was wrong. There have been marches, public demonstrations, covered by local and national press and tv. A petition to fixit was raised with over 6,000 signatures. Local ward councillors say it was wrong to close it and our MP has written in support of the fixit campaign.

The so called slight damage to the roof, which lead to the earlier temporary closure, has never been adequately demonstrated or properly reported upon. I was unable to find it or have it pointed out to me during an internal inspection when i was accompanied by another local councillor after the pool had been emptied.

I fail to understand how Government and Council targets to increase public participation in healthy and sporting activities can be acheived by closing exisiting facilities used by a population area of 36,000. Surely to increase participation by 1% per year, much needed and more facilities are required. In the meantime, local schools can no longer teach pupils to swim locally, essential as the town straddles a river and canal and, is surrounded by mill ponds and lakes. The local swimming club's future is in jepody and the possibilities to swim at pools in other areas, already over-stretched, are over breaking point trying to accomodate the influx of Brighouse needs.