ADDITIONAL £2M SET TO BENEFIT SMALL TOWN & VILLAGE CENTRES AND CONSERVATION AREAS (Kirklees Liberal Democrats)

Kirklees Liberal Democrats <info@kirkleeslibdems.org.uk>

ADDITIONAL £2M SET TO BENEFIT SMALL TOWN & VILLAGE CENTRES AND CONSERVATION AREAS

September 30, 2008 10:10 PM

Cllr Andrew Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton Ward

An additional £2m is going to be spent improving small town & village centres and conservation areas across the district over the next five years.

The additional financing was secured under a Liberal Democrat proposal that was signed off by the council's Cabinet this Wednesday.

It extends investments already made by the local authority in this area over the last three years which have delivered new streetscapes for in Honley and Scholes with plans for further developments at Market Place, Birstall, Ings Grove Park, Mirfield and Townend in Golcar drawn up and readied for implementation.

Cllr Andrew Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton Ward) says:

"Investment in our town and village centres has numerous benefits for local people and the area as a whole."

"On a very obvious level, having well maintained and attractive village or town centres gives local people a sense of pride about where they come from. I know that people from across Kirklees have great attachment to their small town and village centres and if a place slips downhill it can take the community with it. So, for the benefit of the communities that live there, there really is a definite responsibility on behalf of the council to help keep everything up to scratch. "

"And then there are the financial benefits. If a place is nicer, more people come to it to shop and spend time there. It also makes them more attractive to prospective businesses which in turn bring jobs and prosperity to the local economy."

"Similarly, our numerous conservation areas also need maintaining if we're to preserve their historical aspect whilst getting the most out of them in terms of tourism and so on."

"I am very glad that the schemes we introduced whilst running the council are going to be allowed to continue to make the area a better place to live in".