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Queens Hall & Library Public Consultation
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The Parish Council is looking to organise a joint consultative exhibition with the Save Our Library Site group in early February next year. The event will be held at Queens Hall and will show the proposed drawings for the refurbishment of both builds as proposed by the Parish Council and the Save Our Library Site group.
Before that, to help inform residents on the options, the Parish Council will produce a special edition of the quarterly printed newsletter, to seek community views on the costs and benefits of the refurbishment of both buildings. Thanks to the many volunteers willing to lend their time to help distribute the newsletter, this should be out in January and will be delivered to every home and business in the village. The newsletter will contain background information about the refurbishment and running costs for both the Queens Hall and Library. It will also include several refurbishment options, and costs, to help residents make an informed decision about how best public money should be spent.
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Our Neighbourhood Plan, which will help shape development in the village until 2030, has taken a significant step forward. Neighbourhood Plans are a means to enable local people to have greater say over any form of development in their communities.
Over the past four years, Burley Parish Council has been working to produce a Neighbourhood Plan and the Parish Council has undertaken a number of evidence gathering and consultation exercises to gather the views of the village which have then been translated into a number of planning policies. The Parish Council has submitted the proposed Neighbourhood Plan to Bradford Council as the Plan we wish to see adopted.
Following a wider consultation run by Bradford Council over the summer, the Plan was submitted for examination by an independent Planning Inspector.
The inspector is a chartered town planner and former government Planning Inspector with over forty years’ experience. He made an unaccompanied site visit to Burley in October to familiarise himself with the proposed plan and to visit relevant sites and areas
The planning inspector’s examination was dealt with by written representations. He considered hearing sessions to be unnecessary as the consultation responses clearly articulated the objections to the Plan and presented arguments for and against the Plan’s suitability. The examination has now been completed and the Planning Inspector has made several recommendations to modify a number of policies and text to ensure the Plan meets the basic conditions and other legal requirements.
He has recommended that the Plan, once modified, proceeds to referendum. In his finding, he also made the comment that “it is evident that a considerable amount of time and effort has been devoted to the development and production of this Plan and I congratulate all those who have been involved. The Plan should prove to be a useful tool for future planning and change in Burley-in-Wharfedale over the coming years”
The next step is for the Parish Council to modify the Plan in line with the inspector's report and then hold a local referendum early in the New Year to allow residents to decide whether they wish to see this plan adopted. If the Plan receives a majority vote in favour it will then become part of the statutory development plan for the Bradford District.
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The Wharfedale Greenway is a proposed safe walking and cycling path that will link Burley with Otley and Ilkley with a traffic free route.
There is a walk planned to promote the Wharfedale Greenway on Saturday 27th January 2018. Meet at the Otley Roundabout on the A660 at 10am and finish at Burley Library to look at plans for the Greenway and to enjoy a well-earned hot drink and biscuits. At the library there will also be details of the proposed phases and also considerations for an Ilkley / Addingham / Bolton Abbey link.
In the meantime, Burley, Menston, Otley and Pool councils are working with Sustrans to seek funding for the proposed route. Sustrans' primary objective is to make it easier for people to ride, walk and cycle providing traffic–free routes. Sustrans are custodians of the National Cycle Network (NCN), a series of safe, traffic-free paths and quiet on-road cycling and walking routes that connect to every major town and city in the UK. Phase one of the Wharfedale Greenway project will provide a riding, walking and cycle route between Otley and Burley. Otley, Ilkley and Burley have a flourishing cycling culture and have hosted the Tour de France and Tour de Yorkshire. However, there are no facilities suitable for family cyclists, and local businesses are missing out on this strong potential market. Sustrans propose that the project will form the first phase of a major tourist route linking York to the Yorkshire Dales.
In 2016, a series of studies undertaken by Leeds City Council identified a number of potential cycle facilities but concluded that there are limited opportunities for continuous linear cycle routes due to the hilly terrain of the region. However, the disused Arthington to Burley railway (closed in 1965) links Arthington to Burley-in-Wharfedale via the Harrogate line, offering a unique opportunity to provide traffic-free cycling in the valley. Re-joining will provide: an easy link from Pool (avoiding a major road), for which Otley is the main centre of services and schools; an easy link from Burley-in-Wharfedale to Otley which offers alternative amenities to Ilkley; a link from Otley to the railway stations at Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston; and, has the potential to provide a longer greenway route from York to the Yorkshire Dales capable of generating a tangible increase in the local tourism economy.
Public consultations and requests have highlighted a desire for more family-orientated facilities that can provide leisure opportunities and links to schools that are suitable for novice and proficient cyclists alike.
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The Christmas lights switch-on takes place this year at 4:30pm on Saturday 2nd December. The lights display is provided by Burley-in-Wharfedale Community Trust with funding from the Parish Council. Refreshments will be available from 10am in the Methodist Church, with cakes and hot drinks in the Roundhouse from 1:30pm by the Scone Roses W.I. and from 2pm in Salem Church Hall.
As in previous years there will be a Craft Fair in Queens Hall from 1pm, a Christmas Market with stalls and rides, organised by BADCOT, on Main Street from 2pm and communal singing outside The Grange from 3:30pm.
Santa will also be there in his sleigh to hand out presents to the younger children.
Prior to the switch on there will be performances by the school and St Mary's choirs, 'Shine' and the Ukulele Jammers and Christmas thoughts from Rev Tim Perkins.
Following this, the Cricket Club will be hosting their Alpine event, with food, drink, and entertainment from 5pm. Please come along with your family and friends, enjoy the events and the display of lights.
Meanwhile, Father Christmas will again be touring the village in the run-up to Christmas and helping to raise money for the Scouts and Guides new Headquarters. Dates and routes are shown on the village website.
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Following the Parish Council decision in September, a youth outreach service started in October with two hour sessions planned for Mondays and Thursdays. For the first month or so the programme will consist of building a programme with young people and identifying which activities will meet the needs of young people during the winter months.
Quite separately, Bradford Council has taken the decision not to pay for the license for the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award scheme from April next year. Instead, young people will be encouraged to join through their local school or uniformed organisations such as the Scouts and Guides. Burley used to have in excess of 100 young people meeting in the Queens Hall on a Monday and Wednesday, but this number has now fallen. Although Bradford Council can staff DofE meetings probably the only way the scheme and its expeditions can be offered from the Queens Hall is for the Parish Council to become the DofE license holder and effectively underwrite the scheme. This could be funded three ways: by parents making a contribution, by Bradford Youth Service and by the Parish Council. The anticipated Parish Council contribution of around £7,000 a year will go forward for inclusion in the budget next year and The Parish Council will support the proposal to provide DofE activities in partnership with Bradford Council and other partners.
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As in previous years, a short service of remembrance was held in the village earlier this month. The Parish Council have recently had the war memorial cleaned ready for next year’s centenary.
It was good to see a strong turnout from the different scout and guide groups, and the planters maintained by the Burley Community Trust looked particularly colourful.
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Leeds Bradford Airport Consultation
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The Leeds Bradford Airport Consultation was held in the village on the 2nd November and a response on behalf of the Parish Council has been issued. The Parish Council made the point that any new procedures could be around for many years to come so every opportunity must be taken to obtain the best possible outcome for our village, and not accept a route that allows aircraft to fail to comply with the requirement of reduced noise impact.
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Well done to everyone who contributed to a successful Summer Festival this year, and congratulations to all of the 220 runners in this year's fun run. If you're interested in finding out more about the festival and getting involved, the next meeting is 8pm Wed 29th Nov at St Mary’s Parish Centre, Station Road.
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Meetings of the Full Parish Council take place on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm. Community and Environment Committee meetings take place six weekly on Monday nights at 7pm and Planning meetings 3 weekly on Monday evenings at 7.30pm or when Community and Environment Committee ends. Residents are welcome to attend any of these meetings and hear how these and other matters are being progressed. In addition, each Wednesday from 09.30-11.00am the Parish Office is open for anyone who wants to drop in and discuss a matter of concern or find out more about a point of interest.
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