Wakefield Council – Kirklees Council
The agenda for the Wakefield Council meeting on Wednesday 16 October at 2 pm, included a mention of Flockton Bypass.
The agenda document states:
"That a Bypass would be hugely beneficial to both neighbouring authorities."
Agenda page 135. Agenda Item 15a
The meeting was on the Wakefield Council webcam, for those wanting to watch (but the sound quality is very poor).
Also, Wakefield Council YouTube channel.
Video of the session (video will start with beginning of the Bypass at 30:50)
Review of the session
Flockton Bypass campaigners were not impressed by an unexpected and surprising u-turn on anticipated support from Wakefield Council's, Cllr. Morley, after a recent meeting between him and Flockton Parish Councillors, Kathryn Middleton and Jimmy Paxton, and a meeting Wakefield had with Kirklees, where positive discussions had taken place in favour of a Flockton Bypass. Kathryn Middleton expressed her disbelief at the outcome:
"It seems now, that Wakefield cannot support our motion as it would 'greatly increase traffic through Bretton.
"Why would there be more traffic from Wakefield Road to Bretton? It would be exactly the same as it is now. No one would travel out of their way to the bypass route to go to Bretton."
Cllr. Sanders also echoed this view, in the Council Chamber:
"I don't think West Bretton is going to be affected, any which way."
Flockton also came up at the Kirklees Council meeting on Wednesday. Webcast available but “unfortunately” vanished into the ether at the point of Cllr. McBride just coming to the end of his speech, before any questions.
Reporter Tony Earnshaw has tweeted the replies, following initial posts from Councillors, John and Richard, re PMc responses:
John Taylor:- Outrageous comment by Cllr McBride saying he is sick of talking about Flockton. I hope he offers another swift apology. @FlocktonBypass @LdrTony @richard4kirkbu1
Richard Smith:- He then made it worse by refusing to apologise and repeating the same comment.
David Rawling:- On the webcast presumably? Think more should be aware of this.
Martyn Bolt:- tried watching the webcast yesterday, it cut out before the end, strangely on Cllr McBride's bit and before the continuing debacle of the motions at the end.
Richard S:- We all saw and heard what was said. I have no issue with publicly stating this with or without any webcast evidence. Very much doubt he would be able to deny having said it- twice.
Comments from Tony Earnshaw:
The webcast is incomplete. From my audio recording, taken from the public gallery, I got the following exchange: Clr McBride: "With regard to Flockton, I have given so many answers on Flockton I think everyone is sick of it."
2/ "Yes, we have looked at the particular needs of Flockton again and again. I gave at the last council, or the council before, an example of three – four – analyses of Flockton in the last ten years."
3/ "More recently, this time last year, I went down to talk to the people of Flockton and talked about what we doing and and explained to them the limits of what we were doing, and why."
4/ "When Cooper Bridge is completed, which will be in something like seven years time, it may also have a knock-on effect backward. That will be looked at in the process."
5/ "So should it have such a changing impact in Flockton that will be taken into account with further allocations by West Yorkshire and it will be based on an assessment of 'Is this one of the most, as it were, deserving schemes by comparison with comparable schemes…"
6/ "… throughout the whole of West Yorkshire?'"
A response from John T:
Clr J Taylor: I'd like to start firstly by inviting Clr McBride to apologise to the people of Flockton for saying that he is sick of talking about Flockton. I think that was an outrageous comment to make and he should apologise immediately.
8/ I'll give him the opportunity to respond to that and then I'll ask my question if I may.
9/ Clr McBride: What I meant was about asking questions. They seem to be the same questions again and again and again. It gets very repetitive and I think people are sick of hearing the answers.
Clr Taylor: I would try looking for other solutions then.
(That concludes the exchange.)
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