Kirklees Budget 2019 - Green Party Budget Amendment

The aim of our budget amendment is to address just some of the social, environmental & financial issues that affect the Council. What this amendment cannot do is solve all the problems faced by the Council and the people who live within its boundaries

We have proposals here that will enable Kirklees to make a meaningful start on action to address carbon emissions following the Declaration of a Climate Emergency.

Kirklees Forest Project

A large scale project to increase the tree cover across Kirklees with an initial target of planting 150,000 trees across Kirklees in 5 years. We regard this project as a precursor and pathfinder for a much larger project over the next 25 years

We will seek a mix of urban, suburban and rural locations for tree planting to help improve the attractiveness of built up areas.

 Where appropriate we will provide fruit trees to help with provision of local healthy food and to support the local bee populations helping the pollination of local crops.

There are many other benefits to this project including:-

Flood resilience through strategic planting

Habitats for wildlife

Reducing air pollution

Tackling Climate change by capturing carbon emissions

Reducing noise levels in built up areas

Creating access to natural space

The project will have a strong focus on citizen engagement with a particular emphasis on:-

•          Schoolchildren – the opportunity for every school age child to be able to plant at least one tree during their school years

•          Kirklees employees – in their two days of volunteer time each year Kirklees employees will have the option of engaging in tree planting activities

•          Communities – provision of tree whips will be made available for community groups and  Parish Councils

We will seek partnerships with other organisations and landowners to identify land and provide partnership funding and support.

A detailed note comes as an appendix to this amendment showing how the project would work in practice

Restoring Play Areas removed for Health and Safety reasons

Play areas have recently been removed from Manor Estate in the Newsome Ward and Rufford Road in the Golcar Ward. These were removed for Health and Safety reasons but no provision was made by the Administration for their replacement. This amendment addresses that deficiency.

Huddersfield Town Centre is not a family friendly area and our proposal to provide a play area on Macauley Street outside the Bus Station would go some way towards addressing this.

Mount Pleasant Primary School - Roof to Multi Use Games Area

Mount Pleasant Primary School in the Crosland Moor Ward has just had a new school building built to Government specifications. As a result it has lost the large covered Sports Hall that enabled children and local people outside school hours to play sport in all weathers. Installing a roof on the soon to be installed Multi Use Games Area would restore the flexibility the school had previously with all the benefits for health, school effectiveness and wider community engagement.

Traffic Calming measures

The provision of resources for traffic calming are insufficient. This amendment will not resolve that but will provide more flexibility to address the many calls on the Highways Service for traffic calming across Kirklees.

Provision of Electric Vehicle fleet

The first Kirklees Council Electric Vehicle was provided over 10 years ago as a result of a Green Party Budget amendment. Electric vehicles since then have come on leaps and bounds and have low servicing costs, lower costs per mile and the range of electric vehicles is well within the Councils operational requirements. The benefit to the Council is not just lower running costs but also demonstrates that we are playing our part in reducing vehicle emissions at a time when we have growing concerns about air quality in Kirklees. As the carbon intensity of UK electricity begins to fall electric vehicles will play an important role in storing renewable energy generated overnight. This will help us play our part in reducing carbon emissions in line with the COP21 Paris Climate Goals.

Public Rapid Charging of Electric Vehicles

With a growing number of people buying and using electric vehicles the Council needs to play its part in providing the infrastructure we need to allow this cleaner more efficient form of transport to grow.  Match funding is being provided for charging points so this proposal can be used as leverage.

Addressing the growing number of rough sleepers in Kirklees

There are a growing number of rough sleepers in Kirklees as the result of benefit changes, mental health issues and the lack of sufficient social rented housing. This proposal seeks to provide more support and assistance to rough sleepers to help them get back control of their lives.

Kirklees Recycling Initiative

Kirklees needs as a matter of urgency to address our poor recycling rates. This budget amendment will seek to improve community recycling facilities, glass collections and pilot food waste collections for possible anaerobic digestion linking with our climate change objectives.

Furniture & Appliance Scheme (KNH)

To re-establish a furniture/appliances service for new tenants on low incomes. The Food banks seek to help around 500 clients a year moving into new homes with nothing. Getting loans or low cost options from ‘Pass it on’ takes considerable time often meaning that tenants fail to move into their homes and end up back sofa surfing and can end up losing their tenancies. KNH could be source furniture and appliances from their own voids and donations.

To re-establish a furniture/appliances service for new tenants on low incomes.

One used to run through Fusion housing but this was discontinued. As a consequence the food banks seek to help around 500 clients a year moving into new homes with nothing. Getting loans or low cost options from ‘Pass it on’ takes considerable time often meaning that tenants fail to move into their homes and end up back sofa surfing and cab end up losing their tenancies. A service like this might best sit with KNH. They could be sourcing furniture and appliances from their own voids and donations. They could more easily organise gas and electrical checks on donated appliances. It would be expected that they would help both council and private sector tenants and coordinate with support staff at the Food banks.