Huddersfield Civic Society Executive Committee Meeting, January 20, 2025

The meeting was held at Westins, St Andrews Road, Huddersfield, 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), John Eastwood (JE) Patricia Fuller (PF), Robert Taylor (RT).

Apologies: Sylvia Johnson (SJ)

Minutes of the Previous Meeting (11.11.2024): Approved as version 1.0

Additional item: All present gave thanks to John, Laura and Howard for the excellent HCS Social event at Westins on Wednesday 15 January, 2025.

Membership (HS)

Renewals underway but considerable number have paid incorrect amount.
50 individual, 8 joint and 11 corporate not paid.
Action (HS/LW): Reminders to be sent end Jan, then final reminder, then removal from memb list.
Action (AB/HS):Review existing HCS publicity leaflet with a view to drafting more up to date leaflet
Action (HS): organise HCS stall at 12 Feb Huddersfield Unlimited event
Action (All): liaise with HS re stalls at future events, eg Tolson 2025 Christmas fair (was Dec 1 in 2024) and Family History Fair on 25 Oct 2025: https://hdfhs.org.uk/the-family-history-fair/ .

Interim Treasurer’s Report (GR)

Bank balance continues to be healthy. £446 interest received for savings account.
Action (GR): produce draft 2024 accounts and circulate prior to 3 Mar HCS committee meeting
Action (HS): complete accounts for 15 Jan 2025 social event
Action carried forward (GR): draft rough 2025 budget and circulate prior to next meeting

Proposal re payments to Graham Wrathmell and Andy Hirst (GH)

Meeting agreed £150 annual payment to GW to cover bug fixing, applying software upgrades and any agreed minor functional updates (eg new menu items or changes to payments). Action (DW+GR)
Meeting agreed increase from £70 to £80pcm webmaster payment from Feb to Andy Hirst. Action (DW+GR)

Next Steps following recent HCS / Kirklees Council meetings:

July and Sept 2024 High Street Task force mtgs (David Wildman of KC) and subsequent ‘Place’ subgroup.
Update: this does not appear to be happening yet. Action (DW to contact)
3 Dec mtg with David Shepherd
An encouraging meeting but not all items learned appear in actions since across the relevant subject areas
9 Dec mtg on draft Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal with Helen Bower (DW, RT, GH attended)
HCS response since submitted but, with two KC conservation officers (Sue Brooks, Sebastian Pickles) now left, low expectation of progress. Action (GH): to raise subject with Helen Bower in a few months
14 Jan mtg on Heritage Strategy with Deborah Marsland (AB, MW, GH attended)
Local ‘Cultural Delivery Plans’ for each town/area look to be the Service’s main priority, with work now underway. Comments made at the HCS 20 Jan meeting suggested this work may not proceed as planned.
Existing Heritage Strategy ‘approved by Council’ is effectively not happening. Council cabinet now being asked to approve funding bid, effectively to restart this by 1Q2026 with a recruit to major on then producing an online ‘heritage hub’. HCS will be invited onto relevant heritage strategy panel when it starts in ?2026.
15 Jan mtg on new Local Plan with Johanna Scrutton (RT,HS,MW,AD,GH,GR attended).
Public consultation is underway until 28 February with an ‘Early Engagement Local Plan Survey’, in which the team effectively gathers input for its work https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-policy/local-plan.aspx
Council work on housing needs survey, call for development land and other inputs to Local Plan stated to be well underway. However, much info still awaited from govt on amended planning rules and practical detail of how multiple issues now need to be addressed through this local plan development process, eg to match ‘net zero’, sustainability, housing needs, open space, biodiversity, transport and other land allocation reqts against each other and against publicised targets, such as new housing.
The team looks to be heading to begin the main consultation on its draft new local plan + policies beginning in late 2025. Assume about 2 further years to full plan adoption but all details currently uncertain.

Planning Report: (RT)

RT summarised recent planning updates, there having been 15 submissions in 2023 and 13 in 2024.
RT has submitted request for (legally reqd) consultation on new Castle Hill submission 2024/93494, which had NOT been on any recent council ‘weekly list’ of new applications.
N.B. GR later forwarded details (received 21 Jan), announcing a major re-submission of the previous main Castle Hill development 2018/93591, “which currently benefits from planning permission but which expires 10-Feb-2025”. Action (RT): Coordinate HCS response to all live Castle Hill applications
HCS has submitted response to ‘Open Markets’ proposals

Action (GH): contact Greig & Stephenson (architects) to request HCS mtg re Open Markets plans.

Planning and Enforcement services known to be short of staff, with recent leavers not yet replaced.

Publications (RT):

68 books sold since spring 2024, with GR reporting linked income of £679.
Action (RT/GR/HS): Mtg agreed uniform ‘wholesale’ discount 30%, except Waterstones stays 50%
Action: (DW): inform David Griffiths mtg agreed devt of ‘Arts and Crafts’ book to proposed outline and same format as ‘Highfields’ book. Also letter to contributors offering 1-year HCS membership.

Action: (AD/DW): continue to progress Tolson museum book

Linked Initiatives:

HSBC statues now being looked after at Westins

Action (GH): ensure library service aware of statue availability for new Huddersfield library

GR reported on proposed ‘200 years of University Education’ activities after University mtg

Action (GR): progress possible HCS involvement, suggestions including a Tolson event, Peter Stead award, Heritage Open Days event and annual joint HCS Uni lecture.

GH reported on opportunities/challenges in potentially bringing ‘Mills Transformed’ exhibition to Huddersfield, both re display location and need to pay to add material on Huddersfield
Action (GH): contact Grant Scanlon (KC Museums service) to progress
DW reported that c20 Society actively pursuing listing of Huddersfield stadium.

HCS and Blue Plaques – should HCS become more proactive – Deferred to next meeting

Action: (AD/RT) to lead discussion at next meeting

AGM, Wed 26 March at Brian Jackson house:

– Mtg is in large basement area which has large screen

– DW announced standing down as Chair and reminded attendees that his activities may be split

– Post-AGM meeting speaker is Charles Smith, Policy Director at Historic England, who will talk about HE’s role and local activities, including involvement in the Huddersfield Heritage Action Zone

Action (ALL): volunteers for 2025/6 Committee Roles please!

Action (DW): publicise event in next HCS members’ newsletter

Action (GH): raise Eventbrite entry. N.B. Attendance is ‘no charge’ as linked to AGM

12) Future Events:

Visit to Sunnybank Mills, Farsley near Pudsey – (DW/GR)
Historic England talk – Charles Smith (Historic England): confirmed following AGM on 26 Mar HE (SJ)
Penistone town centre walk reschedule – evening late April/May (SJ)
Organise 2 small group visit(s) to new Daphne Steele building, teatime on a Wed or Thu in May (BA)
Invite Neil Horsley to give ‘Mills Transformed’ talk for HCS/HLHS event in HoDs w/c 15 Sept (GH)
Invite Rowan Moore, architecture critic of The Observer, to give talkon modern architecture – (DW)
Suggestions for more talks and possible summer walks/visits please! (All)

13) AOB

– Action (RT/HS): Start distributing large stock of Folly Hall CDs, eg with HCS book sales, at events

14) Future 2025 HCS Committee meeting dates

– Mon 3 Mar (19.00 at Westin House)

– to include review of documents for AGM and plan for elections etc

– Wed 26 Mar (AGM), (Brian Jackson House)

– possible format: Refreshments 18.15, AGM start 18.30, talk at 19.00

– Mon 12 May (19.00 at Westin House),

– Format for rest of year to be decided

Geoff Hughes, February 5, 2025