The Garforth Gazette

7.34pm- I’m at the discussion at Garforth Welfare Hall about the possibility of a Parish Council. I will include small notes as we go through.

Brian from the Steering Group of the Planning Forum is speaking about background. GNPF was formed a long time ago, he said, when a Neighbourhood Forum was formed under the Localism Act because there was a lack of a Parish Council. It was designated in December 2014. This is covered a little in my previous article. For the last ten years he says that the group were writing the local Neighbourhood Plan, which you can find on their website.

This was made using surveys and studies conducted by asking local members of the population about Garforth. The plan is now considered a statutory document. Policies include protecting green spaces and public services to improve the town for everyone who lives and works here.

The Forum believes that a Parish Council would be a good idea because of projects for the future that a council would work on. They felt that a democratically elected body would be the best way that these projects would be bought to fruition. A precept would be used to fund projects in the community. The precept is decided by Leeds City Council. You would not pay precept if you didn’t pay council tax.

The process has already started. I have detailed a bit of this process in my previous article. The consultation will end in two weeks’ time. After the current consultation, Leeds City Council will begin a process of evaluation.

If the Parish Council goes ahead, the Forum hopes that many candidates would come forward to be members of the council.

7.44pm-

Martin is Kippax Parish Council Chair, and he is a volunteer. He is unpaid, and a government official. There are 31 Parish Councils in Leeds, he says. He clarifies that Parish is nothing to do with the Church. The precept is set by the Parish Councils once they are up and running.

Kippax Parish Council work with other organisations such as the ward councillors. They have meetings with them. The council set a budget to work to, with a reserve available- there is always an emergency fund. £6000 goes to Kippax in Bloom, £7000 to Kippax Band. They help schools, too. They help football clubs. They give out ‘loads of grants’, Martin says.

They are made up of 16 Parish Councillors. They have eight committees. 9 councillors stand on those committees. Martin says that on Facebook he promotes what his Parish Council does. He says that the council helped Kippax to repaint the tennis courts. Two years ago there was a new playground, he says, and they are currently working on paths at Kippax Common.

He lists a few other things that Kippax Parish Council have done: tennis lessons for children included, table tennis at the Methodist Church. £38,000 of the £200,000 goes on Christmas Lights events.

Precepts can only be spent on the local area of the Parish Council.

Clerks are paid members and Kippax’s works 90 hours a month. Meeting frequency usually varies.

7.59pm- All councillors are DBS checked, know how to do first aid and have done safeguarding training. They have uniforms. A new website is being built for the Parish Council in Kippax. They publish agendas on Facebook.

People applaud.

8.01pm- Question time!

A citizen asks how a Parish Council would handle housing.

Martin says that in Kippax, the Council opposes some housing developments. He says that any information goes out on Facebook.

Brian says that he cannot speak for what a future Council would do as he wouldn’t stand. The Forum are against overdevelopment, however, but they have no control. He detailed it in the plan but he has no idea what a future Council would do.

A citizen thanks the local councillors and Neighbourhood Forum. He asks Martin how the interface between ward and parish councillors works.

Martin says that ward councillors carry on what they were doing. He says that the Parish council are simply looking after the Kippax area instead of the whole ward.

But if there is a difference in opinion, who has precedence?

Martin says that parish councillors decide on what they want to do. The MP can also make a decision in this process. Sometimes there are clashes, he says.

A citizen asks Martin about the precept. In the last 10 years how much has it increased?

Martin states a figure, but says don’t quote me… so I won’t!

…It is a small figure in my estimation.

She asks what provision there is for older members of the community to improve things for them?

Martin says the council has other projects that can suit people. The consultation attracts all folks.

A citizen asks what a Parish Council is going to do which is better than what we already have in Garforth (in terms of groups and organisations)?

Martin says he can’t talk about Garforth. He says that the Kippax Parish Council give money to organisations all around the town to make things better. He says that they work with football clubs, Kippax in Bloom and Andy’s Man Club.

A citizen asks when is the decision going to be made for who will stand for the council (with quite an impassioned speech besides)?

There is a bit of discord in the hall.

Someone else asks why there are some parish councillors in Kippax are not showing up?

Martin says that nine are in the committees. Some do not turn up, but most do.

The citizen is insinuating that some members of the Parish Council making the precept not worth the value.

A citizen asks how the decision is going to be made?

Brian refers people to the Leeds City Council website. I will add the link here after I stop live coverage.

A citizen asks about whether the Forum has considered the change in housing prices?

Martin says that the precept will remain Band D.

A citizen asks who would stand for Parish Councillors?

Someone else thanks the group.

A citizen asks how the Parish council can act in the best interests of the citizens?

There is a bit more back and forth about the consultation and how citizens can have a say here. Martin says that the residents must be consulted.

A citizen asks how there can be assurance that there is a representative sample in the consultation?

Donagh says that it’s a matter of democracy.

8.40pm- The questions seem to have become an open dialogue. People are making points now.

A citizen asks whether Leeds City Council can introduce a Parish Council even if people say no.

Donagh says that she has no idea.

A citizen speaks and makes a point about the next consultation- that there might be something more similar to a referendum there.

8.48pm-

A citizen speaks about how citizens who live out in the Aberford boundaries are effect.

Brian says that the boundaries can be reviewed and changed.

A citizen asks if a parish can bargain with another parish for their land?

Donagh says maybe that’s for something down the line.

8.53pm- Closing comments…

Brian says that there will be sheets available for citizens with important information on them. He thanks everyone for coming out to this event.