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Welcome

 

This is the homepage for the ‘Time for a Town Council in Garforth’ campaign.

 

The following is a list of the 30 parish and town councils in Leeds district:

 

Aberford and District, Allerton Bywater, Arthington, Bardsey cum Rigton,  Barwick in Elmet and Scholes, Boston Spa, Bramham cum Oglethorpe, Bramhope and  Carlton, Clifford, Collingham with Linton, Drighlington, Gildersome, Great and  Little Preston, Harewood, Horsforth (Town Council), East Keswick,  Kippax, Ledsham, Ledston, Micklefield, Morley (Town Council),  Otley (Town Council), Pool in Wharfedale, Scarcroft, Shadwell, Swillington, Thorner, Thorp Arch, Walton, Wetherby

 

It contains some of the finest (and wealthiest) communities in  Leeds. Every parish surrounding Garforth has a parish council to protect its interests.  It is a group that Garforth needs to join.

 

Click here to see a Leeds City Council map of the parish councils around Leeds

 

Should Garforth Have a Town Council?

In a month-long poll conducted by Yorkshire Evening Post’s Garforth Today website in October 2007, sixty eight percent of voters supported the idea of a town council in Garforth.

 

 Powers of a Town Council

 Anyone wanting to read a full list of the powers available to a parish council should click here

 

What are the benefits of a Town Council in Garforth?

Unlike many of the voluntary groups that have sprung up to tackle various problems and issues in our community, a town council has several major advantages.

  • It has statutory rights to take control of a number of activities. In the absence of a town council these activities are carried out by the city council but regrettably not always to the standards we would wish eg  litter on our streets, maintenance of cemeteries, parking congestion, evaluation of planning applications
  • Accountability. The town council is elected every 4 years. If you don’t like what it does then elect someone else or even stand yourself. In between times, it holds its meetings locally in public so you can attend and raise issues very easily.
  • Independence. Generally parish/town councils comprise of independent councillors rather than politically aligned representatives. The big advantage being that problems are solved more successfully because the solution doesn’t need to meet local needs AND be consistent with party policy. Currently if local needs oppose party policy/priorities, invariably no solution is found.
  • Funding - Parish councils are funded by a precept ie an additional tax added to your annual council tax bill. Although it is an additional cost, 100% of the precept is passed on to the Parish Council to spend on the local community. Council tax is handed over to the government and a small percentage is given back to each council to run its services. The rest is doled out to major projects such as the London Olympics, widening the M25 and the 5th runway at Heathrow

 

Garforth Town Council Boundaries

 

The first step is to determine the boundaries of Garforth Town Council. Click here to look at our first attempt at setting the boundaries of the proposed town council area.

Click here to see our second attempt based on the boundaries of the encircling parishes

And here is a more detailed boundary map

  • If you are within the boundary and think you shouldn’t be
  • If you are outside the boundary and think you should be within it

then let us know.

 

Forum

Do you have a view on setting up a town council that you would like to share with everyone? If so, visit the Garforth section, ‘Time for a Town Council’ entry on the Leeds Communities online website and have your say.

 

Questions and Answers

What are town councils all about? Click here to visit the question and answer page where we will try to answer your questions on this subject.

Do you have a question? First check if it has already been asked. If it hasn’t then send it in and we will try to find the answer.

 

Recent Problems Our Town Council Would Tackle

  • Town plan - consulting residents to identify areas of the town where new houses could be built in the next 15 years rather than leaving it to the council to identify sites...they identified every field around Garforth
  • Garforth Leisure Centre - when the city council decided to close the squash club they made it available to local groups to run as a community asset. Nobody stepped forward
  • HS2 - The planned route is along the western edge of Garforth then a 90 degree turn to run along the northern edge - doubly blighted but no organised protest against the route
  • North Newhold Distribution Site Proposal - a giant distribution centre near the A642 has quietly been approved. without proper scrutiny Garforth could face dozens of lorries an hour driving through the town.
  • Station Car Parking - whilst the town council would have the same problems the city council has dealing with groups such as the rail authority, at least it would not be able to pretend the problem does not exist. 
  • Traffic Management - responsibility for traffic management ie traffic lights, roundabouts, parking congestion
  • Sports Fields - the town council has the right to acquire sports fields for the community
  • Litter on the streets - the town council could appoint its own litter warden to keep our streets clean
  • Flooding at the cemetery - the town council could take responsibility for cemeteries and land drainage
  • Input to planning applications to prevent issues such as Makins Caravans and bungalow conversions in Knightsway

 

Why Not Be a Councillor?

Have you ever thought about being a member of the proposed town council? Read what’s involved by visiting the QandA page. You don’t have to join a political party to be on the town council. Usually people stand as independant candidates.

 

Garforth Business Community

Do you own a business in Garforth? Do you think it is time of a town council in Garforth? If so, register your support here

Support the Campaign, add one of these to your website

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