A fond farewell

I would like Shape Shipley visitors to know that, unfortunately, I will no longer be able to update this site. I took a job with an education charity outside Shipley, and as it became permanent instead of temporary, I’ve realised that I won’t be able to keep an eye on this place as much as I used to.

Even though the Shape Shipley site is stopping, the local Labour Party will be continuing their hard work at http://www.shipleylabour.co.uk/. I’ll be coming back to help them whenever I can, and you may even see me on a break now and again scoffing one of Shipley’s (and the world’s) finest fish butties.

But it’s not all about the butties. I know this might sound barmy to some, but I think that Shipley is a special place with very special people.  It’s worth taking a pride in, and I really hope that you can shape Shipley for the better while I’m gone.

Thank you very much for taking an interest in this site, and best wishes for the future.

All the best.

Kevin

Have your say on the Shunnel

If you want to have your say on the Shunnel, here’s how to do it…

1. Right-click on the form on the right here, copy it, and paste it into Word (or any other word processor).  Stretch it so it fills the A4 page and print.
2. Write down your thoughts on the Shunnel plans and post the form to ‘Shipley Area Co-ordinator, Town Hall, Shipley, BD18 3EJ’.
3. Also, why not your thoughts for other people to see here on the Shape Shipley website.  Just add a comment on any of the blog submissions.  If you’re against the Shunnel, you could also send your contact details to me too, and I’ll add you to the online petition.  I’ll gladly email campaign updates to you too if you’d like.

Neighbourhood meeting sees Shunnel plans

I went to the Neighbourhood Forum at Saltaire Methodist Church last night, and there’s certainly a lot to tell.  Lots of interesting items were on the agenda, but the discussion was understandably dominated by one thing – the Shunnel.

The packed out church hall saw a presentation from Steve Barton of Bradford Council, who was in the news a few months ago when he presented the Shunnel plans to the new Action Airedale group.  There are loads of details that residents ought to know – so I’ll run through the different elements over the next few weeks.

£3,000 – deal or no deal?

Not the words of Noel Edmonds, but Shipley’s Area Development Officer instead.  Hirst Wood and Wycliffe / Saltaire each have £3,000 to spend on themselves - if residents suggest spending ideas soon.  That was one of the many interesting announcements at this evening’s local Action Group meeting.

All spending suggestions need to be received, ideally, before the next meeting on 11th July.  So, where do you think the money should go?  Contact me to let me know, or leave a comment on the website for others to see.  I’ll collect your ideas together and take them to the July meeting.  It’s not the jackpot, but hopefully the money will help a great deal in Shipley.

I’ll give you a few extra details in the next few days…

Shipley stays the same

The results are in, and Shipley has chosen to give Councillor Warnes another stint at City Hall.  Labour’s vote increased in Shipley, whilst the Conservatives, Lib Dems and BNP all lost votes compared to last year.  You can see all the figures here.

I would have loved to serve Shipley, but I’d still like to wish Kevin all the best.  Thank you to all the residents who voted for me, and thanks to the fantastic Labour Shape Shipley volunteers too.  Your time and support means a great deal.

So where do we go from here?  Well, the Shape Shipley idea is more important than ever.  Big decisions are on the horizon for Shipley, and the public mustn’t be ignored.  We achieved a lot together without being elected, and we can continue to do so.

Keep visiting this website for the latest news, debates, event info and campaigns.  Feel free to get in touch if you would like any help or advice.

Shape Shipley’s future

Thursday 3rd May is polling day - a key opportunity for you to shape Shipley’s future.

The winning candidate will be granted access to influential committees and powerful chambers.  Most importantly, they will be your representative for your ward.  Vote for the person who would deliver results for residents like you.

I started Shape Shipley, and it symbolises the kind of Councillor that I’d like to be for you -  innovative, active, honest and inclusive.  If you share my passion for a better Shipley, please vote for me – Kevin Armstrong.

- Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.
- Don’t worry if you haven’t received a polling card – you can still vote as long as you’re registered.
- If you haven’t used your postal vote yet, you can take it with you to your nearest polling station.
- If you can’t get to the polling station due to an unexpected emergency, you can arrange for a proxy vote (where someone votes on your behalf) any time until 5pm.
- If you have any queries about voting, call Bradford Council’s electoral services unit on 01274 432286.

Feel free to contact me if you would like a lift to the polling station, or if you would like to ask me any last minute questions.  Happy voting!  I’ll reveal the result on Friday.

Shipley survey shock

Here’s what you’ve all been waiting for… the Shape Shipley survey results!  Thanks to everyone who took part.  If you haven’t filled in the survey yet, don’t worry.  Simply download the survey, or contact me to request a copy.

The results so far are pretty shocking.  Out of all the online survey respondents, none thought that Shipley was tidy and environmentally friendly.  Just 17% could name Shipley’s Green Councillors, and 83% said that their interests aren’t defended by them.  It may explain why so many of you have come to me for help with vandalism, dog dirt, anti-social behaviour, recycling and more.

Of course, a survey of a different kind comes to Shipley this Thursday – the local election.  If you would like a lift to the polling station, or want a bit of voting advice, feel free to get in touch.  I’ll put some useful voting information on this website for you all tomorrow night, and then it will be the big day.  I ought to decide who to vote for.  Kevin Armstrong sounds like a nice guy!

Sir Titus saved

I am delighted to announce that the Sir Titus Salt statue in Roberts Park has now been fully restored.  Since I reported the statue graffiti to the Council, the clean-up team certainly took their time to tidy up Sir Titus, but they did a good job.  Just look at the before and after photos…
I think Sir Titus looks a lot happier now that the graffiti’s been removed!

Thanks again to the resident who reported the graffiti to me.  Thanks also to the cleaners for preserving the statue so well.

The Police will work hard to find the culprits.  In the meantime, it is vital that we continue to condemn spray painting like this, and take pride in our area.  If you see any graffiti, please contact me or report it to Bradford Council on 432000.

Read the previous Sir Titus graffiti story here.

Are you bin served?

One of Shape Shipley’s volunteers was stopped by a resident last week who needed some help.  The retired resident said that they had repeatedly asked the Council to collect their paper bin for the last three months, without any luck.

One week later,  the resident’s overflowing bin, together with 31 other retired residents’ recycling, was wheeled away and emptied by the Council.  I’ve also arranged for the bins to be collected every other week from now on.

This is what Shape Shipley is all about.  I hope that you can see from this blog that I care about transport and trade waste improvements, but I care about street lights, bins and dog dirt too!  All these things and more help to shape a better Shipley.

Thanks to everyone who’s been in touch so far.  If you would like a hand with anything, feel free to get in touch.  Alternatively, you might be able to find the information you need in the contact section, and you can take part in the community survey too.  I’ll reveal the survey results soon, so fill yours in quick!

Puzzling postal votes

The Council phoned me today to say that there’s been a printing error on the postal votes.  Some of the ‘B’ envelopes have the address for Surrey Heath Borough Council instead of Bradford Council printed on them.

Whether your postal vote has this printing error or not, you should still use it.  I have been assured that the error won’t cause any problems provided that ‘Bradford Council’ can be seen in the window of the envelope.

If you have any queries about your postal vote, please contact Bradford Council on 01274 432286.  If you vote for Kevin Armstrong (me), thanks very much!  The other candidates on the Shipley ballot paper should be Laura Beadsworth, Philip Bird, Kevin Warnes, Derek Taylor and John Hall.