A blog by Green Party Councillor Andrew Cooper about Green Politics, action on Climate Change, Kirklees Council and our activity to improve the local and global environment (and also anything that I fancy talking about)
Promoted and published by A Cooper, 76 Brockholes Lane, Holmfirth HD9 7EB
Kirklees Council has announced it will be giving a 3 month rent hoilday to its commercial tenants.
Councillor Andrew Cooper said
"I welcome the rent deferral for Kirklees business tenants for 3 months. I originally proposed it to ensure small Independent businesses like retailers, pubs, cafe's and restaurants survive this crisis intact. We will need them to bring life back to our town centres and I am urging other Councils around the country to follow Kirklees lead".
"There is now a challenge to commercial landlords of our Huddersfield town centre businesses. If Councils can do what is right to protect the long term interests of our local economy so should you. A 3 month rent holiday for your tenants now could well ensure they are your tenants in the future."
Kirklees has provided £30k for each of the Council's 23 Wards to help communities deal with issues related to the current Corona Virus Crisis. Kirklees Councillors were informed by email on Tuesday that the funding would be added to the Ward Budgets that they control for activity in the wards they represent. Kirklees Green Party Leader and Newsome Ward Councillor Andrew Cooper said, "This funding provided by the Council at this most difficult of time is very welcome. What Newsome Councillors want to do is get people to give us their ideas. The sort of ideas we are looking for are things that help morale in the community, provide support to vulnerable people in the community and ensure that we come out of the crisis with local businesses intact. The funding is not limitless but I'm keen to harness the power of the community to help us through this public health emergency. I and my Newsome Ward colleagues have been impressed by the willingness of people to help their neighbours in this most unprecedented of circumstances. These are the people who can see the needs that may not be being met and the things that may make life a little better. "
Where to begin. We are in uncharted territory. A country effectively in lockdown, no pubs, bars, cafes or restaurants open, the state supporting millions who were only a few days ago were in employment now out of work due to Covid 19, the Corona Virus. People living in fear of their lives, social contact prohibited and the deepest religious and social rituals no longer happening until who knows when. Some people are scared and understandably.
The territory is uncharted but not unimagined. Films and TV programmes have placed the social fabric under stress in any number of dystopian and post apocalyptic dramas. The BBC's Survivors about a pandemic in the 70s with devastating effects killing millions and spread by global air travel springs to mind. Whether its zombies, triffids or a pandemic the story is all about how society and individuals respond when placed under strain. Already we have seen the best and worst of human nature. People volunteering to help the vulnerable in their droves, council services reshaping themselves to deal with the current crisis and Government giving unprecedented support to seek to ensure we return to some sort of normality. We have to hope they succeed. And then there's the panic buying. I guess a lot of us wish we had shares in toilet roll manufacturers as toilet rolls appear to be like gold dust at present. The panic buying is because there is panic. Many people have not adjusted to the new 'normal'. because it isn't normal and we're only at the beginning.
What is the role of local politicians in these times? More than ever we have to be visible, available and reassuring. Life goes on. There are potholes to fix, drains to be unblocked, traffic calming to be installed. As Newsome Ward Councillors we will be doing a street by street survey over the next few weeks. Most of the Council and community meetings we were scheduled to attend have been cancelled. We are not banned from walking the streets so why not. So if you're a Newsome Ward resident and you see one of us then please say "hello" (from 2 metres apart) and let us know your story. We'll get through this.
Rather than the chilling opening sequence from 1975 BBC's Survivors here's Curtis Mayfield's 'Move on up' It's a shot of optimism that's helped lift me when I needed it so maybe it will help you too. Enjoy
