Barwick Area News
Post Office Closure Threat?: Fears that post offices in Barwick and Scholes are among those threatened with closure by Royal Mail – removing vital services valued by local people - were expressed by members of the parish council at their meeting in Scholes on Monday. Coun George Hall said he understood that both postmasters had been asked by Royal Mail to sign "a confidentiality agreement." He was aware that they had been called to meetings with Royal Mail, who plan to close around 2,500
A petition enabling residents to protest at the proposed closure may then be started.
Scholes Sewage Incident: An indignant resident of Main Street, Scholes, attended the parish forum which preceded Monday’s parish council meeting to complain about Yorkshire Water’s response to a leakage of raw sewage in the village last Friday. Torrential rain forced the sewage through a manhole cover in the drive and on to her garden, while more foul sewage escaped through a manhole in Main Street. The resident told the parish council that when she first called Yorkshire Water they insisted that the problem was her responsibility as the manhole was in her drive. Only when a drainage engineer, called in at the resident’s expense, told Yorkshire Water that it most definitely was their responsibility did they send an emergency repair team. “They removed more than a ton of debris from the sewer,” the resident told councillors. She added: “My concern is that every time it rains this will happen again. We cannot go on like this; it’s ridiculous. The sewers in Scholes date back to 1935 and are just not big enough.” Councillors agreed to take up the issue with Yorkshire Water as a matter of urgency.
Phone Mast Protests: More than 350 Barwick residents have put in objections to the Planning Inspectorate, urging that an appeal by mobile phone company O2 should not be upheld. Leeds City Council rejected the company’s planning application to replace an existing phone mast at the Transco depot on Highfield Lane with a much more powerful and unsightly version but O2 appealed against that decision. Objections had to be at the Inspectorate’s office in Bristol no later than Monday this week, giving rise to concern that the Christmas and New Year holiday would lead to some villagers missing the deadline. To assist local people the Clerk to Barwick and Scholes Parish Council, Chris Hassell, circulated information about the issue and co-ordinated the submission of objections with resident Martin Fox. Some Barwick residents are convinced there is a link between phone masts and ‘clusters’ of people, particularly those living on the southern side of the village, suffering from three different types of cancer. The mobile phone operating companies deny any linkage between phone masts and health. O2 have made it clear that even if their appeal is turned down they will continue to look for a location in the village for a phone mast more powerful than the one now in use. Local objectors question the need for a more powerful mast to serve mobile phone users on the O2 network, especially as the installation of a powerful phone mast in Lotherton Way, Garforth, has been approved. In a letter to Colin Burgon MP and to Coun Ann Castle, who represents Barwick residents on Leeds City Council, Mr Fox commented that the number of objections demonstrated the strength of local feeling on the issue. “It sends a clear message that any proposal to locate a mobile phone mast in or near the village is totally unacceptable,” he declared.
Crime Increase in Scholes: Eight burglaries of homes in Scholes were reported to West Yorkshire Police in the run up to Christmas, PC Andy Katowski told the Parish Council. Flat screen TV sets were taken from several victims’ houses.
However, the officer reported that four people had been arrested, one of whom had been charged.
A man has also been charged after he was found in Scholes carrying equipment used to break open PVC doors.
He urged local residents to lock their doors even when they are at home, to guard against opportunist thieves who will sneak in to take whatever they can quickly find and carry away.
They will also take car keys left in hallways or pockets then steal the car from outside the victim’s home. Free home security checks carried out by the police are available to residents in both Barwick and Scholes.
Most Pews to Stay: A proposal to replace with chairs all the pews in Barwick’s 800-year-old parish church of All Saints may have been only one aspect of plans to reburbish the church interior but it was probably the most controversial. So the decision of the Parochial Church Council to retain most of the pews, those to each side of the centre aisle, while removing those at the sides of the church is a compromise which most ‘save the pews’ supporters will welcome.
And it demonstrates that PCC members were willing not only to consult parishioners about the far-reaching proposals but also to take opposing views into consideration.
Also dropped from the original plan is the proposal to create a ‘mezzanine level’ meeting room within the bell tower, linked to the ground floor by a spiral staircase. Instead, the old organ pipes will be removed and glazing installed. Other proposed improvements will see the Norman church open to parishioners and visitors for two hours every morning and the creation of a small caf.
Scholes Bus Services: Attempts to give Scholes residents better bus services, including a link with Barwick, will be renewed this month by Scholes Community Forum, in association with the parish council, Leeds City Council and Metro. Coun George Hall, Lead Member of the Forum, has been battling for three years to improve bus services linking the village to Leeds city centre and other points, including the bus station and shopping centre at Seacroft Green.
At public meetings held in both Scholes and Barwick last summer, villagers voted in favour of asking bus operator First to change the route and timetable of bus service 64 to provide a link between the villagers and to Seacroft Green.
However, in December the operator said they had looked at this proposal and concluded it could only be achieved if the service was reduced from half hourly to hourly.
This is considered unacceptable by Scholes residents, especially those using the service to commute to and from work, school or further education. Also, of course, it would certainly be opposed by Barwick and Aberford residents, many of whom depend on having a half hourly bus service to and from Leeds.
It’s Maypole year!: The triennial lowering and raising of Barwick’s ancient Maypole will again be carried out this year, thanks to volunteer members of the Barwick Maypole Trust. At 96 feet high, Barwick’s Maypole is the tallest in Britain to be lowered and raised at regular intervals. Now we are in a Maypole year members of the Trust will intensify their fundraising efforts to pay for the celebrations on Spring Bank Holiday Monday. More than 5,000 residents and visitors enjoyed the Maypole raising in 2005, held in glorious weather. The Trust has already booked a sun-filled day for this year’s event!
Scholes Playground Criticised: A Scholes mother complained to the parish council about the state of the children’s playground. “The thought of taking my son there for the next seven years fills me with dread,” she declared, adding: “For a village of this size it is not good enough.” The playground was covered in grafitti and was a meeting place for local young people. “I have spoken to the young people – they are not bad kids,” she added. Councillors sympathised, saying they would like to enlarge and improve the playground but faced objections from its owners, the village primary school and the local education authority.
In praise of the potato!: Barwick in Elmet Horticultural Society will meet on Monday, January 14, when Penny Meadmore will speak on the theme of ‘Potatoes for Everyone.’ The meeting, at the village hall, will begin at 7.45pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Opera at All Saints: Singers from West Riding Opera will give a concert at All Saints’ Church, Barwick, on Sunday, January 20, beginning at 7.30pm.
Tickets costing 5 will include a coffee or a glass of wine.
All proceeds will be shared between the church and the opera company. Call Sue Cole on 0113 2812255 for tickets or further information.
Bloomin’ Lovely: The first coffee morning of 2008 to be hosted by Barwick in Bloom volunteers will be on Saturday, January 29, from 10am in the village hall.
Admission costing just 1 will include a cup of tea or coffee. A ‘good as new’ stall and delicious cakes will be among the attractions.
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Weather for Harrogate
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
