Karen Bruce: Labour Party councillor for Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton on Leeds City Council

Help to save Rothwell’s Victoria and Reservoir allotments

Environment, Family, Health, Leeds City Council, Rothwell No Responses »

Feb 132012

The fight to save the Victoria and Reservoir allotments rages on despite their sale by the private landowner to two new landowners. The new owner has already served the council with a year’s notice on the Reservoir site. I’m meeting regularly with the council leader to explore every option for saving the allotments, including a compulsory purchase order. The two allotment sites in Rothwell have been used as allotments for decades .

Please sign the online petition here to help to save Victoria Pitts and Reservoir allotment sites!

The purpose of this petition is to prevent the new owners from changing the use of the land and evicting the allotment holders. Given the current financial climate and the government’s encouragement for people to grow their own produce we need to keep this valuable resource in the community.

The allotment holders are holding another public meeting this evening at 7pm at Haigh Road Community Centre, David Nagle and I will be attending in support of the allotment holders.

Village of Carlton thriving

Carlton, Environment, Family, Leeds City Council Comments Off

Jan 092012

It’s great to see the village of Carlton looking great thanks to the efforts of the newly formed in 2011 Carlton in Bloom and the on-going good work of Carlton Village Residents Association. It’s evident for all of us who live in or visit Carlton the amount of hard work and time that local people have invested in the village and I was pleased to be able to help and support Carlton In Bloom to put in a successful bid to get a grant for £500 last year from Aire Valley Homes Outer South Area Panel to help them to get off to a cracking start.

I have been impressed with the events which CVRA has organised for the village last year including the successful gala in the summer and ‘Carols around the tree’ on 16 December which many villagers turned out for. It was a cold crisp evening full of community spirit as the sound of Garforth Brass Band rang out through Carlton together with the festive singing of carols and warmed by mulled wine and minced pies. As if that wasn’t enough, everyone then went onto Carlton Social Club for the rest of the carols and to warm up. There was a children’s entertainer and a special visit from Santa, which my daughter loved.

I’m looking forward to the next meeting of Carlton Village Residents Association (AGM) which is to be held on Wednesday, January 25 at Carlton Social Club at 8.30pm and I know that new people wanting to get involved will be very much welcomed.

Finally, to give people plenty of notice the Carlton Gala is a week or two earlier this year and will take place on June 30. Make sure you put it in your diary now as it’s sure to be another great day.

I’m sure that everyone in Carlton will want to join me in congratulating Nora Walton, the village postmistress, on reaching the Yorkshire Regional Finals of the Countryside Alliance Village Awards. Nora was nominated by a resident for services to the community and I know many locals voted for her. Good luck Nora, you’ve already done well to get this far!

New Year message for 2012

Carlton, Labour Party, Leeds City Council, Liberal Democrats, Older People, Oulton, Rothwell, Woodlesford Comments Off

Jan 052012

Councillor Karen Bruce and Rothwell Labour campaigner David Nagle I’d like to start by wishing everyone in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton a very happy New Year!

So 2011 was a fantastic year for the local Rothwell Labour Party team. On Thursday, May 5 I was proud to help to make history for the local party by becoming the first Labour councillor to be elected in Rothwell in the 21st century, defeating Steve Smith, the sitting Liberal Democrat who had represented Rothwell for the last eight years. The results were Labour Party 2889, Liberal Democrats 2365 and Conservatives 1018.

People of Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton put their faith in me and I pledged to do my best for local people. It’s been hard, being the only Labour councillor when there are two opposition councillors, but local people tell me they think I’ve got off to a great start working hard on their behalf. Some of the biggest issues have been successfully lobbying the council and working with the Labour team to save Dolphin Manor and fighting to keep the Victoria and Reservoir allotments in Rothwell.

I’ve been contacted by many individuals and community groups and have been able to take up local issues on their behalf, as well as holding my popular advice sessions in Morrisons (at 10:30 every third Saturday in the month) and attend many residents and community meetings throughout the ward. The first six months provided me with the opportunity to forge even stronger local links between the Labour Party and the community.

It has been great to be involved in so many great community initiatives such as launching the Woodlesford Park Fun Day organised by the Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group, working the local Rothwell neighbourhood police team, taking part in the Rothwell bible readathon, lighting the Rothwell bonfire, attending the Remembrance Sunday service, helping to save the Rothwell Christmas lights . And it is a good job I had an early summer holiday as August was also busy.

I’m also busy with lots of official council meetings and committees such representing Rothwell on the Leeds City Council outer south area committee.

It was also a big year personally with my little girl starting at Carlton school. I was a very proud mum taking her to school on her first day – she’s loving it and it’s great to see her coming on wonderfully with her reading, writing and sums already. My husband Stuart has changed direction with a more independent career concentrating on some really interesting projects which means he is spending more time at home with our daughter. It has been an excellent Christmas with a little help from Santa of course and the school who helped to make it special for the children.

Pam Clarkson and her wonderful team of helpers once again put on a wonderful Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day at Blackburn Hall to make sure no local person missed out on Christmas day celebrations and I was pleased to give a MICE contribution towards the event. I was delighted that Pam was honoured on ITV’s Text Santa at Blackburn Hall and that ITV helped make the occasion even more special. I really enjoyed going on Christmas Day with my husband and daughter to chat with everyone who came for their Christmas dinner, which looked great, along with carols from Rothwell Temperance Band.

I look forward to working even more closely with local community campaigner David Nagle as he fights to win a second seat for the local Labour Party this May in the local elections. David is a hard worker and has already been busy taking up issues on behalf of local people.

If you’d like to help me, David and the local Labour team work for our local area then please get in touch.

Rothwell gets a visit from Santa Clause

Carlton, Oulton, Rothwell, Woodlesford, Young People Comments Off

Dec 032011

Rothwell will be getting a very special visit from Santa Claus soon when he flies into Rothwell Park on his annual visit. I’ve been told by the elves that he’ll be arriving by helicopter as his reindeer are resting before all of their exertions delivering presents to the boys and girls on Christmas night.

Santa’s helicopter will be landing at 10:30 on Sunday, December 18 in Rothwell Park. Santa Claus will then have a walk about amongst the crowds to talk to the children and collect their letters. Santa will then fly away from Rothwell back to Lapland so he can read the letters and tell the elves what presents they need to get ready. Santa will then be back on Christmas night to deliver the presents to all the boys and girls in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton.

Rothwell Ladies Circle will be providing the refreshments.

Rothwell bonfire and fireworks a great success (karenbruce.co.uk)
Councillors save Rothwell Christmas lights (karenbruce.co.uk)

Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group

Environment, Family, Leeds City Council, Oulton, Woodlesford Comments Off

Dec 012011

For any residents of Woodlesford and Oulton who have not yet heard of Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group, this is to let you know about this fantastic local group that only started last year and has already achieved a lot. It has a great new website to give you the latest news from Woodlesford and Oulton and what the group is involved with.

If you would like to get involved or to see what is happening to improve your area WOAG would like to see you at its next meeting which is on Tuesday 6 December at 7pm at Midland House, Midland Street, Woodlesford.

Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group were responsible for organising the first ever Woodlesford Park fun day which I was delighted to open in September – it was a great success and we’re all looking forward to an even bigger and better event next year!

As a Rothwell councillor (representing Woodlesford, Oulton, Carlton and Rothwell) I sit on the Outer South area committee of Leeds City Council and at our last meeting we granted £8,000 to be spent on improving Woodlesford Park. The local area committee is made up of all the local councillors in outer south Leeds – that’s five Labour councillors, five Morley Borough Independents and two Liberal Democrats.

Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group, together with the local residents, identified improvements they would like to see as their top priority and the area committee funding will go towards these improvements. The improvements will include fencing to form a seven-a-side court, goal end, surface, sports markings, seats and bins, improved access by the bowling green, entrance sign and bulbs. Rothwell councillors supported the application which then went on to be approved by the full area committee last month.

I fully support the Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group and have been impressed with the work I’ve seen them do since being elected in May and am delighted to have helped with providing funding to make sure the required improvements go ahead, I’m really looking forward to seeing the work completed and working on many future projects with the group for Woodlesford and Oulton.

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Update on Dolphin Manor care home, Rothwell

Family, Health, Housing, Labour Party, Leeds, Older People, Rothwell Comments Off

Nov 302011

Dolphin Manor Rothwell The news that we had saved Dolphin Manor from imminent closure was reported in last month’s edition of Rothwell Record. As a result of local people’s hard work a new proposal was developed to create a new social enterprise company that could become responsible for running Dolphin Manor in the future. This was as a result of me lobbying both the leader of Leeds City Council Cllr Keith Wakefield and Cllr Lucinda Yeadon, Executive Board Member responsible for adult social care to persuade them to back the social enterprise plan and we have gained the support of the council in our bid to be allowed to put together a plan to run the care home locally.

Making sure the momentum is kept up at Leeds City Council level myself and James Normington, the local Labour Party member who is taking a lead the social enterprise plan, went again this month to see Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, the executive member for adult social care, to explain how the plan will now develop. It was agreed that enough time should be allowed to enable a full plan to be developed and that this will be more than a year until the practical proposals would be ready to be put into place. A local steering group has now been set up to put the plan together for the council to approve and it is hoped to have it in a position to run in April 2013.

I’m delighted that local people are being given the chance to save Dolphin Manor by setting up the social enterprise. I have every faith that the commitment and hard work of local people can make this plan work. The hard work has already started to create a practical social enterprise that will keep Dolphin Manor open for residents and for future generations in Rothwell.

Councillors save Rothwell Christmas lights

Carlton, Environment, Family, Leeds City Council, Rothwell, Woodlesford Comments Off

Nov 172011

As the massive cuts imposed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government begin to bite one of the things that had to be cut was the central funding that Leeds City Council used to give to provide local communities right around Leeds with money for Christmas trees and lights.

The good news is that in Rothwell we have managed to save the Christmas trees and lights by using some of the money from the local area committee budget. The local area committee is made up of all the local councillors in outer south Leeds – that’s five Labour councillors, five Morley Borough Independents and a couple of Liberal Democrats. The councillors are funding all the Christmas lights and trees across the council wards of Rothwell, Ardsley and Robin Hood, Morley South and Morley North.

“I’m delighted that we are investing almost £4,500 to pay for Christmas trees and lights for the Rothwell ward. We made sure that we will have our Christmas lights on Commercial Street and local Christmas trees and ensured that there would still be “Carols Round the Tree” in Woodlesford, Carlton and outside Rothwell One Stop Shop to bring the traditional Christmas cheer and encourage people to use our excellent local shops and businesses leading up to Christmas.

It’s been a hard year for many and Christmas is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate.

Remembrance Sunday in Rothwell

Rothwell Comments Off

Nov 092011

Starting at Holy Trinity Church at 9.30am with a service by the Reverend Andrew Pearson, The Branch Chaplain of the British Legion. The congregation will then proceed via Gillett Lane to the cenotaph led by our own Rothwell Temperance Band. The service will start at 11am and after the Act of Remembrance, refreshments will be served in Blackburn Hall with everyone welcome to come along.

Philip Gould tribute

Campaigning, Labour Party Comments Off

Nov 072011

My thoughts go out this morning Philip Gould’s wife, Gail Rebuck and daughters, Georgia and Grace. Philip Gould, who was a key strategist and adviser to the Labour Party and former prime minister Tony Blair, has died from cancer. at the age of 61 yesterday.

Blair paid tribute to Lord Gould:

an "indispensable" member of the political team that secured three election victories.

He was Labour to his core, and today, as the Labour party, we mourn for one of our own.

He was rightly known as a path breaking political strategist. His friends will also remember an extraordinary human being: warm, funny, engaging, deeply emotional and loving to all those he knew.

Nowhere was he more extraordinary than in the final years of his life: battling his cancer like a political campaign that could be mastered and won, then accepting death with courage and bravery.

His contribution to Labour politics was enormous. His work and commitment helped change the lives of millions of his fellow citizens for the better.

Rothwell bonfire and fireworks a great success

Carlton, Oulton, Rothwell, Woodlesford Comments Off

Nov 052011

The Rothwell bonfire and fireworks last night was a huge success – despite the torrential rain, which didn’t appear to put a downer on people’s fun! I haven’t had any official estimates yet, but to me it looked like at least half of Rothwell was out to enjoy the display. There were crowds of people thronging the streets walking to Springhead Park from right across Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton.

I’d just like to repeat the thanks I said last night when I lit the bonfire and did the count down for the fireworks. The Rothwell bonfire and fireworks were only possible because of the fantastic work of the Leeds City Council staff, the usual dedication and commitment of Rothwell and District Lions and last – but definitely not least Al-Murad Tiles without whose generous sponsorship we might not have had a display this year.

And finally, another thanks – to you, the people of Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton who young and old turned out once again in a massive show of community spirit.

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