Alwoodley Ward

In our February edition we let you know that Squirrel Way was to be put up for sale. As promised your local councillors have tried to ensure that what was to end up at Squirrel Way, is appropriate for the area and in-keeping with what all of us, as local residents, would want to see!

We have now learnt that our efforts have not been in vain and that it is planned to sell the site to a developer who hopes to build very high quality sheltered flats.

Developers have made it clear that they will be undertaking a full and detailed public consultation with local residents in the near future. Watch this space for updates.

Cllr Peter Harrand and Cllr Dan Cohen recently hosted a second passenger forum, giving customers of First Bus Number 7 and Number 48 services the opportunity to challenge First on the poor levels of reliability, frequency of service, driving quality and availability of evening buses.

Residents did agree that since the first meeting earlier this year there had been some improvements – but that there was still much improvement needed.

As Cllr Harrand explained to Colin Booth of First at the meeting “The people here are only a small sample of the passengers who complain to us. There are hundreds more who are quietly frustrated at the delays and the changes in timetables.”

Mr. Booth has promised that there will be definite improvements in service in the coming months and has agreed to meet again with Alwoodley Councillors and passengers to report on progress in early 2013.

Cllr Cohen said to In Touch “Any Alwoodley residents that would like to be invited to the meeting early next year should contact any of the Alwoodley Councillors – and we can add your name to the rapidly growing list”

Residents will have noticed smart new litter bins springing up across the ward. As Cllr Buckley explained “litter is such a terrible blight to any street, anything we can do to make it easier for people to dispose of rubbish has to be a benefit”.

The bins that we have struggled to fund are Grit Bins. We get many requests for these, but funding has always been a struggle (as some people seem to believe the grit in these bins is for their own personal use).

Cllr Cohen told In Touch “We have been able to put funding together to provide a small number of additional grit bins – hopefully very soon. We are not going to have enough funding to provide a grit bin for every street that needs one – but we will try and place the 4 or 5 bins we are getting in the most needed areas first – and try for more funding next year!”