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The Council's Environment and Waste Management Committee launched its report on the Council's carbon management at City Hall on Tuesday 8th December. The 25,000 word report, researched and written by Cllr Kevin Warnes in his capacity as the committee's link member for carbon management, contains 29 recommendations on how the Council can reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide. It received unanimous, all-party support when it was adopted by the Committee on 24th November.

Cllr Warnes says that he hopes that the report "will encourage and help the Council improve its record on cutting carbon. There is no public policy issue that is more important for the future of this city".

The report has been welcomed by senior Council officers and will be considered in January 2010 by the Executive. It will also help guide the work of the new Environment and Climate Change Unit that is being set up, as well as the Council's Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (due for completion by June 2010).

Greens welcome launch of Saltaire Roundabout consultation process

Shipley's Green councillors have welcomed the launch of an extensive consultation process about the future of Saltaire roundabout (pictured right). Council highways officers will meet with community representatives this week at Victoria Hall to discuss the options for the junction and talk through a wide range of local issues and concerns.

Cllr Kevin Warnes, who is part of this panel, says that this consultation process "is unprecedented and reflects the importance of this decision for the people of Saltaire and Shipley. We hope that these meetings will help the council to reach the best possible decision about the future of this dangerous junction and reassure residents that their concerns and ideas have been properly considered."

Council officers expect to hold at least six meetings with the panel, and will also publicise the developing plans at neighbourhood forums throughout the autumn and winter months.

Cllr Warnes launches Carbon Management report

Cllr Kevin Warnes has started meeting with council officers and representatives from partner organisations in preparation for submitting a report about the council's carbon management arrangements to the Environment and Waste Management Improvement Committee in November (he is a member of this committee).

The report will focus on the ways that the council has made progress to date in managing its carbon footprint and has begun to plan ahead for future reductions in carbon emissions. According to Cllr Warnes, "the council is setting up an Environment and Climate Change Unit that has the potential to make a huge difference in the way that it manages its carbon emissions. I hope that this report will help us all the understand how we can maximise our efforts to deal with the challenges of climate change."

Greens condemn decision to demolish the Odeon

Shipley Greens condemn the decision of the council's Regulatory and Appeals committee to allow the demolition of the Odeon building in Bradford to go ahead.

The decision will allow this historic building to be demolished and replaced with a mixed developement of residential and retail units. It means that the alternative plans for the building proposed by the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group (pictured right) will probably have to be abandoned.

Cllr Hawarun Hussain acknowledges that the committee were in a difficult position, but says that "this decision is wrong for Bradford. This is an historic building and its removal will demolish another part of the heritage of our city. The blame for its loss rests squarely on the shoulders of the leadership of Bradford Council stretching back over the past decade, years in which the council should have transformed this building for the benefit for everyone living in Bradford."

Shipley's Green councillors will support a motion at the next full council on 13 October condemning the decision.

Green Councillors keep the peace in Saltaire

Shipley's Green councillors have stepped in to persuade the council not to extend the entertainment license for Victoria Hall. The hall, located in the midst of Saltaire's close-knit residential streets, was seeking permission to host licensed events until 2am on some Friday and Saturday evenings. However, all three local Green councillors objected on the grounds that an extended license would create unacceptable noise nuisance for nearby homes, and liaised with residents. The council has now agreed to abide by the existing restriction of midnight for such events.

Cllr Kevin Warnes welcomed the decision as "the right way forward for the council and the community in Saltaire." He also paid tribute to the "very positive way" that the manager of Victoria Hall, Stacey Clarkin, had listened to residents' concerns and responded in such a "highly professional and considerate manner". Cllr Hawarun Hussain agreed that a "very good balance has been achieved between residents' needs and the public use of the hall."

The councillors view, in the longer term, is that the use of the hall will have to be regularly re-assessed in future to ensure that nearby residents get the peace and quiet that they are entitled to.

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Last updated 28 July 2009

Green Councillors welcome extended help desk hours at Shipley Police Station

Shipley's councillors have welcomed the news that opening hours are being extended at Shipley police station. Instead of opening from 2pm to 6pm Monday to Friday, the help desk will now be staffed from 10am to 6pm from Tuesday to Saturday (although the desk will close for a lunch break from 1.30-2.30pm).

Cllr Hawarun Hussain welcomed the news, saying that this was "something that we have wanted for years and that many residents have asked us about." Cllr Martin Love agreed, saying that the Saturday hours were "particularly good news for residents who might not be able to pop in during the week." Cllr Kevin Warnes added that "we have enjoyed very good working relations with the local policing team for years, they are excellent officers, and we welcome this extra help for local people."

The councillors encourage all Shipley residents to inform the local policing team (pictured right) about any concerns, either via the councillor team or directly via the local police contact number (537454).

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Last updated 26 July 2009

Fresh funding for community projects in Shipley

Cllr Martin Love recently approved a range of community funding proposals at the July meeting of the local Grants Advisory Group (GAG). The GAG projects in Shipley ward that will be funded include:

• £2,000 for the Bradford Dragons Basketball Team to fund six outdoor coaching sessions at the new Hirst Wood MACA and several other coaching events (pictured right);
• £2,000 for Salts Tennis Club to run free tennis courses at Northcliffe Park and elsewhere, and a free tennis weekend in September and Tennis Leaders Course at Titus Salt School;
• £370 for the 4th Shipley Baptist Scouts to cover the road tax on their two minibuses.

Cllr Hawarun Hussain, who has also served on the GAG for several years, welcomed the decision as "fantastic investment that will make a very positive difference to community life in Shipley."

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Last updated 25 July 2009

New Neighbourhood Wardens scheme for Shipley

Cllr Martin Love, the Green member on the Shipley Area Committee, has approved the proposed new Neighbourhood Wardens scheme for Shipley that came before the committee in July. The Shipley scheme is part of a District-wide Neighbourhood Warden service that will build to a total of thirty wardens across Bradford by 2011 - this is an extension of the Streets Ahead warden scheme that is already running with such success in parts of Shipley. Two of these additional wardens will be working in the Shipley ward by 2010.

The current wardens (pictured right) provide a highly visible street presence and help their local communities in a wide range of ways. They work closely with residents, local businesses, council officers, housing agencies and the local policing team to provide advice on services, deal with environmental problems, and respond to neighbourhood problems including anti-social behaviour, nuisance and harassment.

Cllr Love welcomed the scheme as "a huge help to Shipley residents who want more help to deal with the kind of everyday problems that we all face. The wardens won't solve every community problem, but they are there to help local people make their lives better and we welcome this scheme."

The council is going to move ahead with work to adopt the unadopted stretch of New Close Road in Nab Wood in late September. Cllr Kevin Warnes has been liaising with local residents and council officers for the past three years to help secure an agreement on adoption.

Shipley councillors support Wycliffe residents

Cllrs Martin Love and Kevin Warnes (pictured right) attended a packed meeting of Wycliffe residents in mid-July to discuss their concerns for the future of their community. The residents were worried about the future development of a derelict site near their homes and were also seeking help in their dealings with the Incommunities housing trust which manages many of their properties.

Martin updated everyone about the ownership of the vacant land and answered their questions about the planning process. Kevin promised to take up all the casework issues raised: these included poor guttering, delays in installing proper heating in several flats, the inadequate play provision for young people on the estate and understandable worries about the fire safety of one of the blocks. The councillors also encouraged the residents to rejuvinate their Residents' Committee and promised to give them all the support they need in the months and years ahead.

Greens tackle speeding traffic in Nab Wood

Cllr Kevin Warnes and caseworker Arthur Arnold have recently spent many hours knocking on doors in Nab Wood. Residents raised a number of issues with them, including concerns about speeding traffic and rat-running along Nab Wood Grove and Nab Wood Drive.

Kevin has raised these worries with council transport officers and the local policing team. Council officers have assured him that they will have look at measures to help ease this problem once the work on the Saltaire roundabout junction has been completed in 2010. In the meantime, the police have agreed to carry out speed checks in the area in an attempt to encourage drivers to drive safely. Kevin says that "many of the drivers who break the speed limit have children or younger siblings themselves and should remember that speed kills."

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Last updated 16 July 2009

Greens press for more support for cyclists

Shipley's Green councillors have been pressing for council action to support cyclists in Shipley and beyond. Half of all car journeys in Bradford are less than two miles and could easily be cycled in under fifteen minutes. So getting more Bradford folk on their bikes has a lot of potential for easing traffic congestion, cutting carbon emissions and helping people lead healthier lives in their local communities.

Cllr Martin Love has worked with council officers and Northern Rail to get cycle storage lockers for Saltaire station, and it looks as though these will be installed later this year. Cllr Kevin Warnes has pressed the council to provide cycle staples on Gordon Terrace; he has been told that these will be provided by the end of 2009. He has also encouraged Saltaire Primary School to install cycle parking for children and parents, and is very pleased that the school has agreed to install several cycle staples over the summer. One of Cllr Hawarun Hussain's first civic duties as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2008 was to take part in a joint bike ride from Shipley to Bradford involving the public and council officers, organised by the Cyclists' Touring Club, to promote cycling across the district and encourage the council to do more to support cycling. As she says, "cycling has too many upsides to ignore, it ticks all sorts of boxes, and needs to be at the heart of sustainable travel in Shipley."

The councillors want Bradford Council to do a lot more, therefore, in terms of providing safe cycle routes, safe cycle storage and showering and changing facilities for council staff who want to travel to and from work by bike. They will be watching the development of the council's new Travel Plan throughout this year to see if it delivers real progress in this area of council policy (see below).

All three councillors also recently decided to invest £10,000 of their ward investment funds in a Cycle Champions community cycle pod and training circuit on Salts Sports Association land near Saltaire. The pod will provide a resource that community groups can use to help people develop the skills and confidence to cycle on a regular basis.

The councillors have also been strong supporters of the Aire Valley Bike Bus (pictured right). This is a group of cyclists who commute between Keighley and Bradford, or Bradford and Leeds, at set times along a set route. This initiatives has made it possible to cycle in numbers, in safety, at regular times, and the Shipley councillors have publicised its efforts in their ward newsletter in the past.

Green Councillors win scrutiny of Council Travel Plan

Cllr Kevin Warnes has persuaded the Environment and Waste Management Improvement Committee, on which he sits as a Green member, to carry out a scrutiny of the Travel Plan that is currently being developed by council officers. Travel planning is a strategy designed to enable and encourage staff working for large organisations like Bradford Council to leave their cars at home and travel to and from work by bus, train, bike or foot. A Travel Plan can deliver huge health and environmental benefits if it is well-designed in consultation with staff, and well-funded.

In fact, Kevin originally proposed that the council develop a Travel Plan back in 2004, but his motion was defeated in full council at that time even though the council was already encouraging other organisations to develop their own travel plans! Five years on, though, Kevin says that he is "very pleased to see that the council now accepts the urgent need for sustainable travel planning in the district, and it is vital that the environment committee has some input into this promising strategy."

Greens consult with residents about proposals for Saltaire Car Club

Shipley's Green councillors have contacted Saltaire Village Society and other residents seeking their views on a possible Car Club in the village. This project would allow Saltaire residents to book a shared car in advance for a little as an hour; they would then drive it away and return it to a specific parking bay somewhere in the village. Schemes like this allow people to have access to a car for particular types of journey without having to own and maintain the vehicle themselves, saving them money and reducing pressure on parking.

Bradford Council is working with Whizzgo to set up this scheme and have the full support of the Shipley Ward councillors. According to Cllr Hawarun Hussain, "a car club in Saltaire is a vital part of tackling local parking congestion and we will do everything we can to make this happen."

Greens get council assurances on Fairtrade

Cllr Kevin Warnes has written to Bradford Council chief exec Tony Reeves seeking his assurance that Fairtrade products will be a central feature of council procurement thinking in future. He says that "local fairtrade activists are concerned that not enough fairtrade products are being sold in council buildings, despite our influential Green Group motion in 2007 that aimed to boost awareness about Fairtrade among council officers."

Kevin has now been reassured that council officers must bear ethical procurement considerations in mind when they set up contracts with outside providers, and will continue to work with Fairtrade Shipley to make sure that this happens in practice.

Greens launch consultion about a Bradford Food Plan

Shipley's Green Councillors are consulting residents and council officers about a future Food Stategy for Bradford. Cllr Kevin Warnes says that "the council has a key role to play in encouraging more residents to grow more of their own food, whether on allotments, or in their gardens, or with their neighbours. We need to think more about local food as a means of living healthier lives and cutting our 'food miles' and carbon footprints."

Kevin has begun consulting about a range of ideas to make the council's allotments service much more effective in delivering a high quality public service and becoming a 'community food hub' that has the capacity to link residents with land with other residents who want to cultivate land. Channel Four already has its 'Landshare' project and the 'Incredible Edible Todmorden' campaign shows what can be done if local people work together to produce more of their own food (picture right shows the Todmorden Harvest Festival). Shipley's Green councillors are convinced that there is scope here for Bradford to become a pioneering centre for sustainable food in the UK.

Greens seek solution to Saltaire roundabout traffic nightmare

Saltaire roundabout is a nightmare for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and Shipley's Green councillors have been pressing the council for a safer junction here for years.

A solution is in sight now that Bradford Council has secured enough funding from the Regional Transport Board to sort out the junction. Pressure from Shipley's Green councillors earlier this year secured a commitment from the council that officers will consult closely with residents about possible options via Neighbourhood Forums and a focus group involving local residents and business people (Cllr Kevin Warnes is a member of this group).

The Conservative Executive will then finalise the proposed plan for the roundabout and send it out to tender in December 2009. The final proposals will then be widely publicised before work begins on the junction in late 2010.

According to Cllr Kevin Warnes, "we have won reassurances that council officers will listen to all local voices and consider all points of view throughout 2009 as they seek a safer solution to Saltaire's traffic problems, and the Shipley councillors will play a full part in this consultation. We urge as many residents as possible in Saltaire, Nab Wood and Moorhead to have their say. We want to ensure that the new junction design is robust, is safe for everyone and does not lead to even more traffic and local pollution."

Green Councillors approve action on fuel poverty

Shipley's Green councillors backed the all-party motion tackling fuel poverty across Bradford in the July 2009 full council. The composite motion acknowledged that almost 35,000 households across the district are experiencing fuel poverty and that households using pre-paid meters are charged up to a quarter more than other domestic users.

The motion agreed a range of council measures, including accelerating the Community Warmth Project, publicising the benefits of renewable energy technologies, to further support energy efficiency measures in the next council budget, and to seek additional government support for delivering energy savings to the most deprived areas of the district. Green Group Leader Cllr Martin Love, who spoke during the debate, welcomed the motion as "important progress in tackling fuel poverty, cutting carbon and delivering social justice across Bradford."

Greens win key council vote on climate change

Shipley's Green councillors persuaded the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups to support their amendment to the resolution adopting the draft Corporate Plan for 2009-2012 in the July 2009 full council. The Green Group had been concerned about the limited weight that the draft plan gave to tackling climate change, so asked for it to be reinforced with an officer report that will specify precisely how the approved plan will address the challenges of climate change. The report will have to be approved by the Environment and Waste Management Improvement Committee and by the Executive.

Cllr Kevin Warnes, who spoke for the Green Group during the debate, argues that the Green Group's proposal was "vital given that the Corporate Plan has not earmarked the need to deal with climate change as one of the council's three so-called transformational priorities", and welcomes the result as a "green win for Bradford."

Carbon Report on the way

Cllr Kevin Warnes has been appointed as the Link Member for carbon management for the Environment and Waste Management Improvement Committee. He has agreed to produce a report analysing the council's response to climate change by the end of 2009. This will ensure that the publication of the report will coincide with the crucial climate change summit in Copenhagen in December.

According to Kevin, "this report will, hopefully, be an opportunity for the council to reflect on the progress it has made to date in dealing with the huge challenges of climate change, and to step up a couple of gears as we look ahead to 2010 and beyond. I also hope that it will influence the annual council budget discussions that will get underway in early 2010. There is simply no time to lose."

Green councillor helps residents bring more trees to Hirst Wood

Councillor Kevin Warnes has worked closely with Hirst Wood residents this year to get more trees planted in their neighbourhood - he argues that more trees are "vital for improving the local amenity, encouraging biodiversity and soaking up carbon."

Kevin liaised with the Hirst Wood Regen residents group and the Forest of Bradford team in early 2009 to plant a line of trees along Hirst Lane using funding approved by the Shipley Area Committee (whose members include Cllr Martin Love).

Kevin has now secured agreement from the Incommunities housing trust to allow a small orchard to be planted in the semi-circle of open land located between Hirst Wood Road and Hirst Wood Crescent. Forest of Bradford will again carry out the planting, and the residents' group hope that the orchard will provide a focal point for closer community relations among the nearby homes.

Shipley Councillors oppose Asda Expansion Plan

Shipley's Green councillors are opposing Asda's planning application to expand the size of its Shipley store by 43%. Asda's expansion will make it much harder for independent local shops to survive and will mean more delivery lorries and traffic congestion in Shipley. The plan will mean more air pollution, more neighbourhood noise and more carbon emissions.

Cllr Kevin Warnes (pictured right) argues that "Asda's own travel assessment indicates that the new sales space could attract over 10% more cars to the store - this adds up to around 150,000 more cars coming into Shipley town centre each year, adding to the traffic congestion and pollution already endured by many residents living near the store. And the impact of Asda's extra turnover of around £300,000 a week on local shops could be enormous as well, which is why the local chamber of commerce have backed our Stop Asda Expansion campaign."

The Shipley councillors have all objected to the application, written to hundreds of local residents and organised a local petition.

At present, the application rests with officers, who could turn it down. However, if officers are minded to recommend approval, the Shipley councillors have requested that the application goes before councillors on the Shipley Planning Panel for their consideration.

Cllr Kevin Warnes meets Bradford students to talk about the BNP

Cllr Kevin Warnes spent a morning in Carlton Bolling College in Bradford in mid-June to meet students and discuss their concerns about the BNP's shock win in the European Parliamentary elections (the BNP won one of the Yorkshire & Humber region's six seats). Kevin met two classes of younger and older children, all of whom had questions and comments about the BNP and how Bradford people can do best to ensure that this does not happen again in 2014, the year of the next European elections.

Kevin said that "the morning was terrific, the students were fantastic, and the debates that we had reassure me that democracy in our city is alive and well. If only more grown-ups were as well-informed about politics as our young people!"

Shipley Greens condemn the decision to expand Leeds-Bradford Airport

Shipley's Green councillors supported the campaigners in Bradford and Leeds who opposed the expansion of Leeds-Bradford Airport (LBA). LBA submitted a planning application to Leeds Council in December 2008 seeking to increase the number of passengers from three to five million in the next four years. The extra flights would, of course, massively ramp up the greenhouse gas emissions of the airport and undermine efforts to deal with climate change - the planning application coincided, ironically, with the passage of the new Climate Change Act. The extra road traffic generated by these flights would also increase carbon pollution and road congestion in the area.

Initially, the application was deferred for further consideration by Leeds Council in April 2009. The unanimous decision reflected councillors concerns about the sustainability of the airport's proposals.

Unfortunately, the Leeds councillors narrowly approved the expansion plan in late July. On the plus side, though, the campaigners persuaded the panel to insist that the developers come back to seek fresh permission if they want to grow the airport beyond 4.5 million passengers per year.

Greens get new crossings for Titus Salt School

Shipley's Green councillors have welcomed the new pedestrian crossings that have been incorporared into the new Titus Salt School. According to Cllr Kevin Warnes, "the new crossings will make it much safer for local parents and children to walk to and from the school and encourage more local families to leave their cars at home."

Amazingly, these crossings were not part of the original plans - indeed, the idea of putting in the crossings was initially dismissed by planners as too expensive. However, pressure from the Green councillors in 2006 forced a re-think, and the two crossings were accepted as necessary for community safety reasons and to support sustainable travel.

Shipley Greens hail success of Bradford's Free City Bus

Shipley's Green councillors are celebrating the success of the Free City Bus service in Bradford city centre. This service was launched in September 2008 for a six month trial period and carries three times more passengers than its original target. In fact, it has been so successful that it will now be funded until at least 2013.

The Green Group on Bradford Council pressed strongly for this service three years ago - a Green motion calling on the Executive to investigate the feasibility of such a scheme was passed by full council in September 2006. Cllr Kevin Warnes, who spoke during the debate, argued that the free bus would "boost regeneration, encourage more people to leave their cars at home and use public transport instead, and thereby cut carbon. Bradford needs radical transport solutions for the 21st Century."

The locations visited by the bus include Bradford Interchange, Forster Square Rail Station, Forster Square Shopping Park, Kirkgate Shopping Centre, the Oastler Centre, the National Media Museum and Library, and the University of Bradford and College. The buses run every ten minutes from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 5.30pm on Saturdays. And, of course, it is completely free!

Green councillors welcome repairs to Shipley clock

The Shipley councillors have welcomed the repairs to the main clock in Shipley town centre. The hands are moving again after five years of wrangling between the council, which owns the clock, and the private company who own the clock tower. The council was unable to repair the clock until recently because the tower had become too unsafe to access.

All three Shipley ward councillors have pressed for a solution, insisted on regular updates from officers, and praised their efforts to get the clock sorted out. They were helped by a residents' petition and critical press coverage. According to Martin Love, "this was a very difficult process, but the officers involved did a fantastic job and we are sure that Shipley will make up for lost time in the years ahead!"

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Last updated 5 April 2009

Green councillors save Saltaire trees

Shipley's Green councillors took a leading role in early 2009 in forcing Bradford Council to re-think its plans to cut down four trees at the junction of Saltaire Road and Victoria Road in Saltaire. The trees were threatened on the grounds that their canopies created an 'avenue effect' that increased the risk of an accident at the junction. However, many local residents argued that there were many other causes of the accidents that have taken place at this junction and that cutting the trees down would do little to make the junction safer.

When the Shipley Area Committee decided to cut the trees down, despite objections from committee members Cllr Martin Love and Cllr Hawarun Hussain, the decision was 'called in' by the Environment and Waste Management scrutiny committee at the request of Cllr Kevin Warnes. The scrutiny commitee recommended that the trees be retained and that other safety measures be considered instead, and the Shipley Area Committee subsequently accepted these recommendations.

The trees are now safe for at least six months while a trial traffic management scheme is implemented at the junction. Cllr Hawarun Hussain says that "the outcome is very welcome. Councillors have listened to local residents, the junction will be made safer, and the environmental value of these trees will benefit everyone." Cllr Kevin Warnes says that "although it was unusual for a scrutiny committee to call in a decision by an area committee, it was vital that we acted to protect these valuable trees from being destroyed. The whole process shows why it is so important to have Green voices around the table when decisions like this are made."

A Green budget win for Bradford

Shipley's Green councillors have secured a multi-million pound Green budget for Bradford. The new budget includes £500,000 for capital investment in carbon reduction in 2009-2010, with the possibility of £2.1 million more investment in 2010-2011. The council will also set up a new Environment and Climate Change Unit to manage this investment with an ongoing staffing budget of £300,000 a year. The Green Group hopes that the new unit will perform as successfully as a similar unit in Kirklees Council, where huge investments are now being made in home energy efficiency and renewable power. Finally, the council's allotments office will be expanded and the officers given £200,000 for much-needed capital investment in 2009-2010 alone.

Cllr Martin Love, who took the lead role for the Green Group in the cross-party discussions that finalised the budget, welcomed the agreement as "a green budget that will enable Bradford Council to start to respond seriously to the challenges of climate change. The new environment unit and the huge increase in investment finance available to the allotments service are vital first steps on the road to a more sustainable district."

Cllr Hawarun Hussain opens new Hirst Wood play area

Deputy Lord Mayor, and Shipley Green councillor, Hawarun Hussain opened the new Multi-Activity Community Area (MACA) in Hirst Wood in November 2008. Dozens of local residents braved blustery autumn weather to join her and fellow ward councillors, Martin Love and Kevin Warnes, for the opening ceremony and an impromptu game of basketball.

The MACA is multi-use, allowing local people to play football, basketball and cricket. The design was finalised in consultation with the Hirst Wood Regeneration Group of residents. It is close to the existing children's play area (pictured right), so families of mixed age groups can now play near to each other on the field. The funding for the MACA came from the Ward Investment fund managed by the local councillors, and reflects their determination to channel much-needed investment into better recreational facilities for residents of all ages across Shipley.

Cllr Hawarun Hussain said she was "overjoyed to see the new play space and looking forward to seeing young people using it every time I walk past. This is money well spent, focused on the needs of local families and their children, and I hope that everyone enjoys it for years to come!"