As is by now widely known, Walshaw Moor Estate’s annual burning on the protected “Natura 2000” uplands creates an increased risk of flooding in Calder Valley towns.
This is responsible for around 2.5-5% of the peak flow in Hebden Bridge during floods – roughly the difference between over-topping flood barriers in shop and home doorways, and staying below that level. Continue reading
On Saturday 29th October, Calderdale Freedom from Torture and Together We Grow are hosting a Welcome Festival at the Birchcliffe Centre in Hebden Bridge, for Calder Valley to welcome refugees. The Festival is from 1.30pm to 4pm.
The organisers would be very grateful for sponsorship towards covering transport costs for asylum seekers and refugees to come to this event, and providing them with a free lunch and refreshments. Around 80 refugees and asylum seekers are expected, from Halifax, Rochdale, Leeds and Sheffield. Continue reading
Pennine Community Power’s wind turbine in Blackshaw Head has hit the 100,000kWh generation milestone. That’s enough electricity to power more than 25 homes for a year.
The community benefit society, Pennine Community Power, installed the turbine four years ago, with a grant from Village SOS, part of the Big Lottery Fund, and investment by 66 local residents in the upper valley. Continue reading
On 25 August, Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board meeting discussed 3 documents about Sustainability and Transformation Plans, in order to decide whether to accept the following recommendations that the Health and Wellbeing Board had previously made at a private, un-minuted meeting with Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group on 11th August – that the Health and Wellbeing should:
Six weeks after the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting – and only two weeks before the 21st October deadline for submitting the final version of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan to NHS England – Cllr Tim Swift sent answers to 15 of the 38 questions about these three documents, that I had emailed to the Health and Wellbeing Board just before its meeting. Continue reading
Preston New Road Action Group say they are devastated that Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities, has upheld the appeals in favour of Cuadrilla, and overruled local democracy.
Undeterred, the Group say they will fight on. There is a protest tomorrow, 8th October, at Maple Farm forecourt – Preston New Road, Lancashire (between Blackpool & Preston – alongside World of Water). People are going from Calder Valley. Continue reading
Calderdale residents may be eligible for financial support if they are struggling to keep up with payments of rent.
You can apply online for DHP at www.calderdale.gov.uk/benefits or drop in at any Customer First office for an application form.
The Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) scheme is an emergency fund which provides financial assistance whilst allowing people time to find alternative solutions. This is an additional payment on top of any housing benefit already received. Continue reading
There were 15 minutes for public questions at the 25th August Calderdale Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, which discussed recommendations about the Calderdale Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), from a private meeting on 11th August between the Health and Wellbeing Board and Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group.
That meant only a handful of questions could be asked. The rest were meant to be answered in writing. A month on, no written answers have appeared. Continue reading
The day after Hebden Bridge fossil fuel cleaners were out in St George’s Square collecting signatures for a petition to the West Yorkshire Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels, the Waltham Forest Council Pension Fund Committee committed to divest their £735 million pension fund from all fossil fuels, becoming the first in the UK to make this full commitment.
If this London borough Council can do it, so can Calderdale Council and the other West Yorkshire Councils. Continue reading
A new modelling study and investigation into how annual burning on the Walshaw Moor Estate (WME) may affect high river flows in Hebden Bridge has shown that the most effective way of managing the moors in order to reduce the peak flow at Hebden Bridge is to eliminate burning and encourage conservation and restoration of Sphagnum. Over time, this will allow sphagnum to replace some or much of the cotton and moorland grasses and heather.
Practiced over the whole Hebden Water catchment, this management for sphagnum restoration would reduce the peak flow at Hebden Bridge by between 5%-10%.
Digitech is central to NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans, says ex-Cerner Vice President turned NHS England Director.
What fresh revolving door horror is this?
Before he started his job at NHS England – pushing digitech as key to Sustainability and Transformation Plans – Matthew Swindells was Senior Vice President at the US health digitech company Cerner.