The Rothwell Labour Action Team are getting more phone calls and letters about the plans by West Yorkshire Police to axe its frontline service to the community in Rothwell. This is obviously an issue that residents feel strongly about and why shouldn’t they? We pay for our police through our council tax and we deserve the same level of service as elsewhere in the city. If residents find they are victims of crime and want to go to the police station they will have to go to Holbeck and this is not acceptable. People have commented that the police station in Rothwell needs to be open for longer hours, not closed completely! Maybe this is the reason why West Yorkshire Police are citing the station at Rothwell having fewer visitors than some of the other police stations.
Local people are furious about plans by West Yorkshire Police to axe its frontline service in Rothwell. West Yorkshire Police wants to scrap the public helpdesk which is open to any residents who are victims of crime or who need police advice. I think that it’s an outrage. Knowing that they can visit their local police station if they should need to gives people a sense of safety and reassurance. I’m determined to fight these plans and keep the level of service that Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford and Carlton residents deserve. These plans must not be allowed to go ahead and I urge local residents to campaign with me to keep the police station.
West Yorkshire Police has said that Rothwell’s public helpdesk gets less visits by residents than some other stations. But Rothwell has been singled out for these cuts, the fact is that Rothwell council tax payers pay just as much towards policing as anywhere else in West Yorkshire. We are not a soft target and will fight this all the way."
If you would like to join the campaign then leave a comment below (just click on the word comment) or email me at karen@karenbruce.co.uk or write to me at 36 Town Street, Carlton, Rothwell, WF3 3QU.
Despite the snow, many concerned residents braved the elements to attend last Friday’s public meeting about road safety. Those attending included local campaigners Gerard Khoshnaw, Trish Bromilow and Ian Summerfield, as well as other local residents. Both Colin Challen, Labour MP for Morley and Rothwell, and myself put forward practical ideas for what we could both do to help the campaign.
Many residents were angry and upset about the way they have been ignored and treated with contempt for the last two years. They were unable to express their concerns to any of the three local Liberal Democrat councillors and none of them thought that road safety was an important enough issue to warrant them attending the meeting.
However Colin and I are determined that we won’t ignore the very real dangers. We’re not willing to wait for someone to be killed and are determined to help local people get things done.
Let’s stop the lorries now before it’s too late
Tonight’s Yorkshire Evening Post covers the issue of lorries tearing through Oulton. It really is about time something was done about the
traffic problems in our community. Residents have been raising concerns about
the worst danger hot spots for the past two years, yet still not being
heard. What are the Rothwell councillors doing about it?
The petition is going really well and we already have hundreds of names, any help that can be offered by residents in getting more names for the petition will be most welcome.
Hundreds call for action to tackle danger roads in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton
We have had an amazing response since starting the road safety
petition in November. It’s obviously of great concern to residents that
the situtation with speeding cars and lorries seems to be getting worse
in our area. We’re calling for action because we don’t want to wait for
the worst to happen before anyone does anything about it.
The issue is covered in today’s Wakefield Express.
We are compiling a list of the most dangerous spots in and around
Rothwell, Oulton, Woodlesford and Carlton in a bid to get a
co-ordinated approach to tackling the problem.
We have been collecting signatures since back in November and have
received a positive response from residents who have named the danger
spots. Holding a regular Labour Party street stall in Rothwell
Commercial Street has proved a great way of listening to residents and
campaigning on the issues that are important to local people.
Some of the danger spots highlighted for action include:
A639 Leeds/Wakefield Road and A642 (Aberford/Wakefield Road) used as
a motorway rat run often by lorries from Arla foods and Royal Mail at
Stourton.
A642 from the canal up into Woodlesford, particularly hazardous near the Maltings and Woodlesford Station.
Leeds Hill past central motor auctions, BP Garage, Rothwell Sports Centre and Royds School to M62.
Oulton/Rothwell Lane past Springhead Park.
Oulton Lane, Wood Lane, Haigh Road, Leadwell/Carlton Lane
Hundreds have already signed the petition. Many local people have
already asked to help with the petition, if you’d like to help please
contact me.
Rothwell crime falls
Fantastic news – figures show that the Governement’s initiatives on crime are working locally!
Crime figures are falling by an average of 35 per cent in the Rothwell
policing area, with the amount of robberies declining 35 per cent.
Burglary has reduced by 26 per cent – 168 less victims than the
previous year. Theft of motor vehicles is down by 40 per cent,
235 less victims. Theft from motor vehicles reduced by 50 per cent.
The figures are as discussed at last week’s Rothwell community police
meeting and reported in this week’s Wakefield Express, Rothwell
edition.
Whilst these figures are excellent and certainly a step in the right
direction, Supt Nicholson advises residents not to become complacent,
escpecially as over 50 per cent of burglaries are sneak-ins. This is
people sneaking in through open doors and windows.
A lot done, a lot more to do!
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