Huddersfield Civic Society Executive Committee Meeting October 14, 2024

Minutes of Meeting held at Westins, St Andrews Rd at 7pm.

Attendees: David Wyles (DW), Gideon Richards (GR), Geoff Hughes (GH), Ann Denham (AD), Howard Smith (HS), Amanda Boothroyd (AB), Bernard Ainsworth (BA), Michael Woodward (MW), Laura West (LW). Sylvia Johnson (SJ), John Eastwood (JE) Patricia Fuller (PF).

Apologies: Robert Taylor (RT).

Minutes of the Previous Meeting (09.09.2024): Approved.

Membership (HS)

  • DW proposed that Michael Woodward be elected onto the committee. All present supported this proposal.
  • 1 new individual member making totals of 103 individual, 14 joint and 20 corporate members of whom 23 individual, 4 joint and 6 corporate members have not paid.
  • Action HS/LW: present Nov mtg with membership/letter proposal around £15 individual, £35 corp, £7.50 Student. Plan to issue 2025 subs renewal reminders Nov to include GR referencing protocol.
  • Action HS: Aim to get HCS stand at the next HU business event

HCS Data Protection and HCS Constitution (GH)

  • All present confirmed having read and understood existing (May 2022) HCS data protection policy
  • Action: GH to request confirmation of above from RT on his return
  • HCS Constitution (https://huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk/constitution/): meeting decided not to instigate any changes, eg re the ‘Area of Benefit’ being only former county borough of Huddersfield.

Interim Treasurer’s Report (GR)

  • £3557.55 in current account from which to deduct further total of £140 to pay NNRBC and speaker
  • Action GR: draft rough 2025 budget to check proposed 2025 subs levels are adequate and circulate prior to next meeting

Ongoing Initiatives & Submissions:

Joint Transport Subgroup Report – (GH).

  • Forecast of cut to TRU project funding in current financial year in New Civil Engineer magazine.
  • Transpennine rail line closed through Dewsbury for TRU work weekdays 21 Oct to 22 Nov
  • GH attended 25 Sept WYCA meeting on ‘Local Travel Plan 4 – learned that a strategic travel plan for West Yorks intended for consultation in spring. Travel scheme proposals likely much further away.
  • CycleKirklees organising demonstration Sat 19 Oct against lack of KC progress on cycle schemes
  • HCS invited to Teams meeting with Arup who are working on business case for Station Gateway. Action GH: arrange DW, MW, GH meeting late Oct with Arup

Town Centre Repurposing Subgroup Report:

  • St Peter’s Gardens ‘Events space’ now operational. Successful launch event closed 11pm. Concern voiced over poor maintenance of rest of St Peter’s Gardens (KMC responsible for this area).
  • No news on anticipated ‘Place’ sub-group after 18 July and 12 Sept High Street Task Force events

(Subsequent to mtg, DW + GH on 7 Nov town centre walk with KC Joanne Tansley + David Wildman)

  • No news following HCS responses on town and planning initiatives including:
    • Museum and Art Gallery, following HCS submission on listed building application. (Still no news on proposed contents of either museum or art gallery components).
    • Non-response to 9 Sept email to Helen Bower on long-running Enforcement cases.
    • Shopfronts along JW street – is HAZ grant offer being implemented given long period of time since it was awarded and HAZ programme now ended?
    • Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal

Action DW: request HCS meeting with David Shepherd to review lack of progress re HCS comments

Planning Report: (GH)

  • GH summarised Civic Voice work and consultation response. Govt next steps due by year end.
  • HCS has serious concerns about proposal for catering van in St Peter’s Square to support events.

Action DW/GH to draft response to church request for support

  • Castle Hill summit building: Huddersfield Hub has reported that Thandi brothers have requested Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent from Historic England (with current planning permission expiring in February 2025.
  • Tree planting near Castle Hill: HCS generally supportive if mixed woodland but no plans yet seen.

KC Local Plan: Early Engagement Consult Aug-Oct 2024, Draft Plan Consult Sept-Nov 2025

(Source: section 4 of www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-policy/pdf/local-development-scheme-timetable.pdf)

  • Attendees considered publicising list of known brownfield sites, most with existing housing consent but no devt: Trinity West, Black Cat, Chapel Hill, Post Office site, KC owned town centre buildings etc. In absence of any news on the local plan from KC, subject deferred to a subsequent mtg.

N.B. GR confirmed law requires this to be a full Local Plan review, not just a housing land review.  

Media & Website Report:

  • Meeting decided to merge current ‘News’ and ‘Members News’. Also to start posting HCS meeting minutes on website, the latter so that all, and especially members, could see work undertaken.        

Action RT:Check how HCS postings appear on Facebook/Instagram after AB LW comments.

Action DW/GH: Ask Andy Hirst to merge News’ and ‘Members News’

Action: GH: consider how best to post HCS meeting minutes, esp re any data confidentiality concerns

Action: HS: consider possibility of corporate members being able to post appropriate stories on site

HCS Event Reports:

  • 22 Sept Penistone walk (postponed to 2025) – low attendee numbers

Greasepaint and Limelight talk – low no. attendees but positive reaction by those attending.

HCS Confirmed Future Events

  • Wed 6 Nov 19.15 at Brian Jackson House: Deborah Marsland, KC Museums and Galleries Manager
  • Action GH to publicise more widely, incl to local societies beyond HLHS.

Possible future HCS Events

  • Members Social Event: Wed 15 January c18.30 at Westins agreed

Action: (LW) Investigate preferred option, pricing etc and bring to next meeting.

  • Sunnybank Mills, Farsley near Pudsey (GR)
  • Joint with University re how to build modern accessible buildings (GR)
  • Conservation Event – Charles Smith, Historic England carried forward (SJ)
  • White Rose Forest (AB)

Future 2024 HCS Committee meeting dates (all 19.00 at Westin House):

  • Mon 11 Nov
  • 2025 meeting schedule: various preferences discussed around length of summer break and desired interval between regular meetings, eg 1-month, 6-weeks, 2-months.

Action DW/GH to bring a proposed schedule to next meeting

AOB

  • Action DW: nominate HCS Discover Huddersfield work for YHACS award – submission by 18 Nov.

Geoff Hughes 5 November 2024