Council to decide on budget, housing project & Cultural Heart updates. Facing opposition, they address deficit & community concerns.
The council will agree on the budget this Wednesday. Labour’s plan is facing opposition. Other groups have suggested changes, it seems.
The council must also decide on new homes in Gomersal. This plan has caused many objections. Some big projects are also moving forward.
The upcoming budget matters a lot. Councilors will decide on it this Wednesday. They will vote on a possible Council Tax increase. It could rise by about five percent. The council needs to address a £29.3 million deficit.
Getting the budget approved might be tricky. Labour does not have a clear majority. They need most of the 69 councilors to agree. Labour’s initial budget faced criticism. They removed some unpopular ideas. Thankfully, bin size changes are no longer planned.
Opposition groups proposed budget changes. They shared their ideas on spending. Some common themes run through these plans. Groups are concerned about Huddersfield’s investment. They want a fairer distribution of money. All three want to cancel one project phase.
That phase involves a venue and a parking garage. They’d use the saved money elsewhere, I heard. The Lib Dems worry about the George Hotel. Alliance says the hotel deal may fall through. This could leave the council with a problem.
The groups prefer a leisure center for Dewsbury instead. Lib Dems think it is necessary for such a big town. Others suggest investments into Batley and Dewsbury.
Quarters Gomersal Ltd wants to build 97 homes. The council officers are recommending approval. The homes would be built near Cliffe Lane. The homes will have one to four bedrooms. Sixteen of them will be affordable, they say.
An existing house must be torn down first. This would make way for access, I think. The housing plans proved controversial. Many people objected to the project.
This is why the committee will make the final decision. People worry about Gomersal losing its rural character. Locals say green spaces are disappearing fast. People are concerned about road safety too. They fear cars will block Cliffe Lane. This could become dangerous, they mentioned.
The council will decide on Thursday. The Cultural Heart project is progressing. It will open in Autumn 2026, they estimate. The first phase involves a food hall and library. A new public square is planned there too.
The Rail Minister visited Ravensthorpe. It was for the Transpennine Route Upgrade site, I believe. They buried a time capsule during the visit. They celebrated the project milestones and railway history.