Councillor Graham Stokes Cabinet Member for Corporate Services

SEPTEMBER 2005

Everyday I think about dying, about disease, starvation, violence, terrorism, war, the end of the world - it helps keep my mind off things. Roger McGough, 1937.

ILL-GOTTEN GAINS
A major chunk of criminal’s ill-gotten gains is being ploughed back into West Yorkshire Police’s determined drive to strip even more cash out of Crime. The Force is set to receive £345,293 to put back into future operations to seize cash and other assets from hardcore criminals such as drug dealers and organised criminal gangs - using tough new powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The money will be reinvested in extra staff and equipment to bolster the Forces continuing work to trace and seize assets from known criminals. The cash boost has been awarded under a Home Office incentive scheme that gives police forces a stake in the assets they seize using the new legislation. The figure allocated to each force is a proportion of the assets they have recovered from criminals in their area in the last year.

Last year more than £3.2 million worth of assets was recovered from West Yorkshire criminals and between April 2004 and March 2005, West Yorkshire Police saw 76 confiscation orders granted by the courts, totalling £2.2m. During the same period the Force made 51 cash seizures with an estimated value of £1,021,660. The Force is among the top eight best-performing forces in the country for asset recovery. This year the Force is aiming to strip about £5m from those in the county who make their living from crime. West Yorkshire Police has successfully seized about £1.7million so far this tax year and recovered more than £400,000 in cash.

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 led to the setting up of the national Asset Recovery Agency and five Regional Asset Recovery Teams (RART) in 2003. Under the North East RART, West Yorkshire Police co-ordinates its asset recovery work with six neighbouring forces, all working alongside HM Revenue and Customs, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the Assets Recovery Agency, the Crown Prosecution Service, Trading Standards and the Department of Work and Pensions. Operation Payback, which was officially launched across the North-East region in June, is a major drive to increase the amount of assets stripped from serious and organised criminals.

Knottingley has the highest number of Anti Social Behaviour Orders in the Wakefield District - not something I am proud of. I still get complaints, which I pass on to the police, but the fact is we now need to enforce them. We need to do much more, working with these groups through devolved youth work, to see if we can do any preventative work for the future. I would stress the vast majority of teenagers are no problem, but as usual it is a minority that causes problems for everyone else.

I along with other local councillor’s have attended a consultation meeting with the police regarding neighbourhood policing and the figures they produced looked impressive with substantial reductions in crime within the Wakefield district.

Comparison of figures between year ending March 2004 and March 2005 show burglary decreased by 40.9%, robbery by 34.1%, theft from vehicles 42.9%, theft of vehicles 33.1%, and violent crime 7.5%. It would appear that the principle of having neighbourhood action stations based within localities is paying dividends, but public perception does not yet concur with the figures. 70% of the public think that over the past two years figures have increased.

I can accept that these figures are true, based on complaints I receive and the incidences of these particular crimes seemingly becoming less frequent, but I get as many complaints now as I have ever done regarding Anti Social Behaviour of groups of people in different localities within Knottingley. Should you encounter any problems or need to contact the police, in an emergency ring 999. For non-emergencies ring 0845 6060606, or for Crimestoppers nationally ring 0800 555111. Obviously you can also still contact me or any other of your councillor’s and we will pass on messages.

PROPOSED RAIL SERVICE TO LONDON
Grand Central is proposing a new London service from Bradford to London Kings Cross, which will stop at Wakefield Kirkgate and Pontefract Monkhill stations.
Grand Central – proposed Timetable

BRADFORD – LONDON 07:15, 11:15, 15:15, 18:15
LONDON – BRADFORD 07:45, 10:45, 14:45, 18:45
Requested journey 3 hours

They will use brand new 125mph rolling stock. Trains initially formed with 5 coaches - offering around 1,400,000 seats annually: There will be 45 first class seats, 175 standard class seats, 22 Restaurant car seats, 2 x disabled toilets, space for at least 3 wheelchairs and space for cycles.

Under Grand Central Fares Policy there will be no penalty charges for ‘walk on’ passengers who purchase tickets on the train. The ‘walk on’ standard class single – the most expensive standard class ticket – will cost £27 from Wakefield or Pontefract to London – (£49 return). You will also be guaranteed seat or pay 50% of the fare. For Senior Citizens there will be a 50% discount on proof of age eligibility – no Railcard required.

An application to develop the timetable was lodged with Network Rail on 25 October 2004. A formal ‘bid’ to operate services was made at the Industry Timetable Conference on 10th February 2005. On 24th February 2005 a Section 17 application was made to the ORR for permission to enter into a Track Access Agreement (TAA) with Network Rail. The ORR will carry out consultation and should make a decision by September. Services are now due to commence in June/Dec 2006. This allows time for rolling stock procurement, recruitment and training.

TECHNOLOGY CANNOT COMPETE
During a recent warm spell I was sitting in my garden observing what appeared to be swifts (I am not very good at identifying birds, but their tails did not look as long as a swallows). There must have been about 100 of them darting in all different directions at different levels but not once did they ever come near to colliding although they passed within inches of each other. Considering the size of their brains this is a remarkable feat of flying. Aeroplanes have to keep a safe distance away from each other and even then with rooms full of computer equipment, near misses are not uncommon. They obviously have a sense that modern technology has not yet tapped into, more highly advanced than our radar systems.

GENEALOGY ONLINE
One of Wakefield Council’s Chartermark winners, Bereavement Services, is expecting a surge of interest in its web site now the original burial records for three cemeteries dating back to 1885 have been added. The introduction of the web site, featuring burial records back to 1985, had already proved one of the most popular pages for people interested in searching information about their family history. In June, the registers for Castleford, Knottingley and Ferrybridge dating back to 1885 were scanned and put on the web site and as a result the service is expecting a further increase in the number of hits. Plans are in place to put Pontefract’s records on the web site next and follow on with rest of the 19 cemeteries in the district.

Robin Leese, Wakefield Council’s Cemeteries and Crematoria Manager, said: "I know that genealogy is tremendously popular nowadays but never suspected that we would have so much success with this scheme. As a ‘Chartermark’ winner three times now, one of our priorities is to increase access at all levels to the service and relatives certainly seem to appreciate it."

Councillor Graham Isherwood, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "We are really pleased that making these records publicly accessible has been such a success, and we are hoping to roll this out across the whole district over the next few years." The service is accessible from the main council web site at www.wakefield.gov.uk.

FLOODING CONTINUES
At the end of July the culvert on the Wash Dyke at Ferrybridge was blocked following a spell of heavy rain. Houses at Fishergate and Vale Estate came within feet of being flooded. Residents at Fishergate, only recently flooded, had to sandbag their homes and move furniture upstairs. Flooding was only prevented by the quick actions of the Environment Agency in attending the culvert and rodding it clear, but it was touch and go for a few hours. This is a serious situation that we are all getting increasingly concerned about but we are finding now those events that used to occur once every 50 years are happening within the space of a few months.

I know that the Environment Agency are looking at the potential for defence works along the Wash Dyke area and are carrying out a study on the impact of flooding and drainage along with possible solutions, but they have also said any work is unlikely before 2009. This does not help in the interim period when people are living with the daily threat of flooding, people are understandably worried about their homes. I have asked the Environment Agency when will the study be complete, and what are the prospects of bringing some work forward, at least works that will protect homes in the Fishergate / Vale areas.

ESTATE WALKABOUTS
At the Wakefield District Housing, Local Management Committee, we agreed it would be a good idea if we organised estate walks for management committee members to identify, report and rectify environmental issues and problems. I attended the first one on Warwick Estate and intend to organise more for every area of Knottingley and Ferrybridge, so if you see myself or other councillor’s in your area please talk to us about any problems that exist.

A1 / M62 INTERCHANGE
The aerial photograph of the new interchange submitted by Sue Gilson in last months edition of the Digest shows how the landscape of Ferrybridge and Knottingley is changing. It is this change in landscape and our vicinity to the motorway network that will bring about development and future prosperity for our area, but we will have to keep a careful watch to ensure the development that is coming is the kind that we as a community want to see - which is why the 5 Towns Urban Renaissance process was so important for us.

Seeing the photograph reminded me of when I was a lad. I was brought up in Airedale but had a friend at Ferrybridge, from when I was about 10 years old. We met in a park at Airedale and have been friends ever since. I used to walk from Airedale to Ferrybridge through Fryston Woods and in those days through the Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station site. Later, when security was installed, I walked through the caravan site, it was a good place to walk. I have spent many happy hours as a boy in those woods and it is a shame that they are not as open to the public now as they were then.

I also remember walking down the existing A1 from Knottingley to Ferrybridge just before it was completed and before it was open to traffic. It is strange to think that this road and the two A1 bridges at Ferrybridge will soon become a part of the history of the A1, and that a road I saw before it was opened is now out of date.

I can also remember whilst the Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station was under construction they had a storage area for metal ducts, pipes and channels at the rear of the Power Station. We used to play there in the early evening after the workmen had gone home, crawling through the miles of pipes and ducts. The kids all called it ‘Dalek City’. It certainly would not be allowed today (it wasn’t officially then!), but it was a fantastic play area.

EXTENSION OF RAILWAY SERVICE WAKEFIELD TO GOOLE
I have recently been talking to Councillors in Goole and have enlisted their support for an improved Rail service from Wakefield to Goole. There is a possibility of the current service from Wakefield Kirkgate to Knottingley being extended to Goole from December 2005. Currently we have only one train at 6pm, and it is possible this could become a two-hourly service.

This will obviously help to revitalise areas like Hensall, Rawcliffe and Goole as well as giving Knottingley an improved service The proposals could of course go much further and whilst this development is good news and very welcome, we also need to press for greater improvements. Kirkgate Station in Wakefield is inadequate and in a poor state of repair and currently has no toilets. We would like to see the service extended to Wakefield Westgate, or even operate the service to Leeds. If you wish to support the improvement of our rail services would you please write to:

D. Hoggarth, Esq,, Executive Director Planning, West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Wellington House, 40 - 50 Wellington Street, Leeds. LS1 2DR, with a copy to Peter G Davies, Yorkshire Branch Chairman, 5 Dewhirst Road, Brighouse, West Yorkshire. HD6 4BA.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE
People living in North Yorkshire are now able to use the Household Waste Recycling Centre at Ferrybridge thanks to a partnership arrangement between Wakefield Council and North Yorkshire County Council. More than 2,000 households will benefit from the use of this new arrangement which came into force on 1st September.

Councillor Graham Isherwood, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "We’re delighted that this agreement has been reached. Ferrybridge Household Waste Recycling Centre is convenient for many residents living in the south western part of Selby district, so it makes sense for the two councils to work together to reduce the distances people have to travel to recycle or dispose of their waste. Under the agreement, North Yorkshire County Council will reimburse the cost of dealing with their residents waste so there is no additional cost to Wakefield Council."

The main focus of the Centre is recycling, so people using it will be required to recycle as much of their waste as possible. Surveys will be carried out to gauge the level of use by North Yorkshire residents. Permits will only be issued to residents where the Centre is the closest to their household. Selby residents using the Ferrybridge Household Waste Recycling Centre will be subject to the same conditions as Wakefield residents.

Wakefield Council took the step of restricting sites to its District residents only in 2002 to reduce their costs and the amount of waste allocated being produced by Wakefield residents. The new agreement, approved by the Audit Commission, will share out the tonnage delivered by North Yorkshire residents. More than 2,000 properties lie in the catchment area for the site. Use of the site helps NYCC to achieve its target of 97½% of residents living within 20 minutes drive of a household waste-recycling centre.

Graham Stokes
Cabinet Member for Corporate Services

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