Category Archives: Liberal Democrats

HS2 route through Woodlesford comes as ‘bolt out of the blue’ for residents and councillors

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks as not only have I been dealing with all of the normal duties of a councillor, but both David Nagle and me have been inundated by people contacting us about the proposal that the new HS2 high speed railway line should come through Woodlesford.

The news came as a bolt out of the blue both for residents and councillors – I found out about when I saw local people talking about it on Twitter and Facebook. Understandably some Woodlesford residents have been absolutely devastated to find out that their quiet, picturesque and peaceful  canal side community will potentially be fundamentally changed with a viaduct to carry a high speed train.

Tory transport minister shows staggering contempt for local people

The news came as a shock to us all, but I’m also angry about the way it has been handled so far. As an elected councillor I’m shocked at the incompetence of the so called consultation as there has been no attempt by the government or HS2 Ltd to contact us directly, simply leaving us to find things out for ourselves and hindering our ability to help and support local residents. Neither have local residents been contacted directly. It shows a staggering contempt for the views and needs of local people and makes me question just how genuine the consultation actually is.

I’d like to praise those residents who have already started to work together and I think that it is essential that myself and Councillor David Nagle, Rothwell’s two Labour councillors, and Liberal Democrat councillor Stewart Golton work together to support local people. All three of us attended the Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group meeting on Wednesday Tuesday which was packed with worried local people. David and me met Andrew Hall, from the Leeds City council transport department on Tuesday Monday for our first briefing on HS2 and despite the short notice I persuaded Andrew to come to the action group meeting the following evening.

So far I haven’t heard anything directly from Alec Shelbrooke our local Elmet and Rothwell Tory MP. If we are to get the best result for local people then it’s important that local politicians put aside their political differences and work together.

I am writing to HS2 Limited and Patrick McLoughlin, the Conservative secretary of state for transport, to ask that they come to Woodlesford to see and hear for themselves how local people will be effected. We’ve had far too little information about the consultation process and we especially need to know far more about proposals to provide compensation to those affected. One of my concerns is that people living just outside the 60m distance from the centre of the track will lose out.

I’m sure that everyone living locally has already seen the HS2 map, but for anyone that hasn’t you can view it on the Department for Transport website and I’ve reproduced the key section here:

HS2 route through Woodlesford and Oulton map

UPDATE: There is a Facebook group for SO WHAT (Swillington, Oulton and Woodlesford HS2 Action Group).

New Year message for 2012

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.

Council is outbid for Victoria allotments

David Nagle and Councillor Karen Bruce

Local Labour Party campaigner David Nagle and Councillor Karen Bruce inspecting the Victoria allotments site

Late yesterday afternoon I received the devastating news that Leeds City Council had been outbid in its attempt to buy the Victoria Road allotments. All that I know at the moment is that despite the council putting in a very competitive bid somebody else offered more and that the higher offer has been accepted.

Ever since I discovered the allotments were up for a sale I’ve been lobbying council officers, the leader of the council and the executive councillor in charge of leisure to ensure the council bought the allotments to protect the allotment holders.

The site has been leased by the council from the estate of Lord Mowbray since 1908 and has been used as a community allotment ever since. We still don’t know who the new owner is going to be and what it or they plan to do with the site. My priority will be to work with the local community, allotment holders and local Labour Party campaigners to ensure that the land can continue to be used as an allotments for ever.

It won’t be easy for the new owner to develop the land or change its use as that will require them to get planning permission which won’t be easy to obtain. In Leeds we have something called the ‘Unitary Development Plan’ which is basically the framework and rules that have to be followed in making planning decisions. The plan says that land that is currently used for allotments can only be changed if their is an alternative site available locally or that there is already sufficient green space. This means any initial planning application for say development of housing is likely to be be turned down/refused.

However, the danger is that the owner can appeal this decision and then the decision will be taken nationally. The Conservative/Liberal Democrat government is currently ripping up the planning law that protects our environment and the likely result could be to make it easier for developers to build new houses on previously protected land.

But the important thing is we’re not giving up. I’ve already got the support of Councillor Adam Ogilvie, the executive board member for Leisure, who said: “It is very unfortunate that the Victoria Allotments have been sold to another bidder, despite the very competitive bid which was submitted by the Council. However we are determined to do all we can to convince the new landowner that the area should remain as allotments.”

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Visit to Dolphin Manor care home, Rothwell

Dolphin Manor, Rothwell After the initial elation of becoming Rothwell’s first Labour councillor elected in the 21st century I straight away had to buckle down and get into the hard work that being a local councillor is. The first issue that I’ve had to deal with was only revealed to me on the Monday after I was elected. It was devastating news to find out that, because of the Tory Liberal Democrat government’s draconian spending cuts, Leeds City Council is having to consult about the potential closure of care homes and day care centres across Leeds – including Dolphin Manor and Rose Farm in Rothwell.

My immediate reaction was to want to rush down to Dolphin Manor and talk to the staff and residents, but then I realised it would be far better to arrange it properly and so I made an appointment to visit the home this morning. I also demanded – and got – an immediate meeting with the senior officers responsible for social care and the consultation process.

This morning it was great to spend some time with the manager and residents at Dolphin Manor. I had a really good look around and listened to what the manager, staff and the residents had to say. I received a very warm welcome both from Sonia, the manager and especially from the residents who were lovely, great characters who all have a few tales to tell having lived long lives as they are in their 80s and 90s and seen so much.

One of the chaps was telling me about his medals he earned giving service to the country. Some of the ladies told me they were going to stay and would glue themselves to the chairs so they couldn’t take them away and they were going to get their placards ready, one of the ladies was brought to tears discussing it.  It was evident that all the residents are happy and well looked after and have distinct friendship groups.  It was also obvious that many were local from Rothwell, a couple of residents I spoke to were from Carlton where I live.

This is a very worrying time for residents and staff alike, but being true carers the staff are even more concerned about the residents as it’s their home we’re talking about.  I promised residents I’d do what I can for them and I will. I didn’t make any false promises that I may not be able to keep but I will definitely do my best for them.

One thing that shocked me was the response of the local Liberal Democrat councillors. I imagined, that having been councillors for Rothwell for several years, that their first concern would be like mine and for the residents and staff. It appears that I was mistaken as they did rush down to Dolphin Manor, but only to have their photos taken outside! They didn’t take the time to go in and talk to the staff and residents to find out how they were feeling, although I have heard they have now arranged to go in later this week. I took a camera as well, but only to take some photos to show to the executive board member who’s responsible for social care so she can see the home that’s threatened.

This sort of behaviour is not only opportunistic, but it’s also irresponsible to not even bother finding out what the residents and staff really think.

So watch out for the next Liberal Democrat Focus leaflet telling you how much they care – about their own publicity and churning out propaganda.

Rothwell Labour fighting for local people

I’m very excited to have been chosen by Labour Party members in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton to be their candidate in the May elections and helping to take Rothwell Labour Party into a new era. This is a very serious job for serious times.

These are tough times and there will be tougher times to come -  at the top of my list of priorities will be fighting to protect local people against the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government’s cuts. The most vulnerable in our community must be protected from the savage cuts which will be imposed on to Leeds City Council.I will do everything I can to protect local older people, those with disabilities, our young people and our children – in fact everyone who relies on our essential public services.

I am already fighting to protect our local environment where there are threats to our local area such as the Yorkcourt Properties planning application on Newmarket Lane towards Methley and potential development on Oulton Hall Estates land. Local residents can be assured that Rothwell Labour Party will always fight to protect the greenbelt.

I know from speaking to people locally that many feel that they have been ‘sold out’ by the Liberal Democrats as when they voted for them they weren’t voting for a Conservative government, but that’s what they’ve got along with the most savage cuts ever. Rothwell Labour Party understand how people feel and we are on your side!

Photos imported 16 Nov 2010 168