HEADINGLEY NETWORK is campaigning for a council for Headingley. Here are some of the questions that might occur to you in response to this initiative. Please sign the petition.
Questions about Headingley Council - and our answers! Why does Headingley need a Council? Anyone who has lived here for a few years or more will have witnessed the way that Headingley has suffered as a community recently. Whilst the character of the area has benefited for many years from being a mix of long-term and temporary residents, the balance recently has swung towards the transient population. The Town Council is seen as part of the route back to making Headingley a lively, thriving, but also family-friendly and stable community. With the best will in the world we cannot expect a handful of city councillors (with other, city-wide responsibilities) and an MP (also with other roles) to solve all the problems of Headingley, though they are working on it. There are already many committed people working for improvement through community associations and other organisations. Let us give them a statutory and democratic body to channel their frustrations and ideas through. It could make a difference. Will it be party-political? How will the council get elected? Many of those who stand for election will belong to one of the political parties, but it is not unusual for councillors at this level to be Independent candidates. Also, Parish and Town councils tend to operate by consensus rather than antagonism! The main purpose is to improve Headingley. Those people eligible to vote will be asked to vote twice during City Council elections. Once for the City candidates and once for Headingley candidates. This will normally happen on the same day. Won't it just be another talking shop? Well, in a sense, yes. But how many of us are already spending a lot of time talking about the problems without the power to put solutions into operation? The council will have 27 powers which include things like the right to scrutinise all planning applications in the area and the right to raise a precept on the council tax, which it can then spend on improvements in Headingley. It will also have more access to the resources and structures of Leeds City Council, enabling it to put the case for Headingley's needs more effectively. It will be up to the voters to decide whether the talking is getting anything done for Headingley, and to vote accordingly. A 'precept' on the council tax - what's that? It is a small extra charge, with all the usual exemptions and reductions, which comes directly to Headingley, to be spent on Headingley. Won't it just be wasted on bureaucracy? No. There will be a small cost for a Town Clerk, but no expenses for councillors. What does a 'small' charge mean in practice? It's a bit early to say, and it will be for the new council to decide, but it can range from £5 to £35 per year and the new Horsforth Council has set a precept of approximately £11. We think this is a small price to pay for the potential improvements that a council could bring. Please contact Lesley Jeffries (2741011
Other details are given in the following pages: