Date of Assessment

Area of Assessment

Sub Area

Park needs painting and maintaining better

Too many speeding vehicles. I dont let my child go to park on evenings as received warning from school not to do so due to safety.

Park needs more maintained. Dog poo bins needed. Bins to be emptied more. Increased litter picking needed

Birkenshaw has local group friends of birkenshaw. They do alot to keep community together and make it a nice place to live. My family love the xmas decorations for example

Traffic, too many speed when travelling through the main road.

Speed cameras. I dont think reducing speed limit would help as people ignore the 30 mile one.

To get to Huddersfield on public transport takes so long it is not viable. Even a bus route to Dewsbury takes over an hour, before connection on train or bus. Similarly, connections from Bradford provide not better options. Visiting Huddersfield for social visits on public transport is really difficult and taxi costs mean social visits are limited. When my children start to think about college, I feel certain I will be frustrated again by the limited transport options.

Speeding on Bradford Road needs improvement. My child walks to school and whilst I trust her to make sensible decisions at 11 years old, some of the actions of adults driving on Bradford Road are concerning. Crossing the road at Birkenshaw Roundabout (no crossing patrol) is concerning, but unavoidable for school. 20mph speed limit past schools at school time would be welcome.

Just the usual dog dirt complaint especially around Old Lane. Empty post office on Bradford Road is unattractive. On the whole Birkenshaw buildings and streets are lovely.

EBCSA provides good sports facilities. Lighting between the church and the scout hut would provide reassurance for children or walkers, and reduce graffiti and loitering of adults.

I can never get an appointment at Birkenshaw Health Centre, I always have to go to Blackburn Road.

Additional lighting around park, church and scout hut would be welcome. I wouldn't let my 11 year old child go to the park by themselves even in the daytime, and I wouldn't even want to accompany them as a line adult after tea time. And given parks are for children, that is ridiculous.

Empty post office needs addressing.

Safety at park Road safety Empty post office Transport

No traffic free cycle paths as such, small shared paths with walkers and horses, (horses and riders also use footpaths when they shouldn’t). Some footpaths are poorly marked, overgrown and badly maintained, (flood plus deep mud in poor weather). No seats on any routes, however, they would probably be vandalised, similar to the ones in St Paul’s church yard.

Routes to Leeds, Bradford and Halifax are reasonable, but no direct route to Huddersfield, which is bizarre as it is Kirklees HQ! New fares are good, not all bus stops display details of next bus, (electronically), not all have decent weather protection.

Parking in Birkenshaw is adequate as I walk to local facilities. Too much speeding on both main roads that pass through the village. Speed safety cameras don’t appear to have much effect on speeding cars and lorries.

Birkenshaw park, has this year, been frequented by youth, dressed in hoodies and masks, riding unmarked mopeds and motorcycles around the park, down access paths and around the village. They have been abusive to residents and stop myself and others going out at night. There is also youth and others playing loud music, smashing bottles and generally making a nuisance. There has also been an increase in dog owners not cleaning up after their pets. In winter, apart from bus routes and ‘very’ near schools, the roads and paths aren’t gritted and no grit bins are in place.

There are a few small green spaces around, but at either side are main roads with pollution. There are zero seats to rest when walking, and dog mess is not cleared up. Roads around some schools need to be traffic free, (children are able to walk, not sure about the parents), I pass parents sat in cars with engines running 30 mins before school leaving times.

Apart from children splay area and enclosed bowling green, there are zero local opportunities for play and recreation. To do this involves travel to other areas!

No real facilities or amenities in Birkenshaw, used to have a mobile library, but now gone! Main shop is Coop, but expensive for main shop, needs competition or another shop. (Old post office near derelict). However, good selection of takeaways and restaurants.

Locally, small amount of work available, otherwise, you have to commute.

Good range of homes from affordable upwards.

Local spaces for meeting are adequate

Love the village and the people who live here who are doing their best to make it a better place, usually, without the help of Kirklees council!

Safe during the days, however, only see police when they are chasing cars or travelling through to a call elsewhere. Not safe in evenings or at night when youth in ‘hoodies’ are around. Did see a couple of PCSO’s in the summer, but during the weekday when locality was quiet and not weekends or in an evening. Police on the beat needed, especially with the number of actual or attempted burglary on property or buildings. Police NOT attending these crimes and just giving crime number is NOT acceptable!

There is a great council worker who tries to keep the streets clean, local school kids and hooded youth do make the job harder! Otherwise, most things are OK with the exception of Birkenshaw park which appears to have lost gardeners, flowerbed full of weeds, hedging, bushes and trees overgrown.

Greater Police presence, better transport links to other areas of Kirklees, i.e. Huddersfield More traffic calming. Council takeover of empty shops, (3).

More money for Police More money or revision of local transport. Traffic calming on main roads, traffic free area at schools.

I walk round the streets daily. Some of the pavement conditions could be improved

No regular route through the village to Cleckheaton or the wider Kirklees area.

There is a certain amount of speeding .

There can always be a need for more green useable spaces.

The playground equipment is very limited and there should be somewhere for young people to congregate

I'm not sure if there is a mobile library. GP service is poor.

It's a small village so not too many local businesses

Houses continue to be built but not sure if the infrastructure is sufficient

The local churches seem to offer more access for older people to meet

Would like to see more of a community police presence

Always room for improvement. Not sure how much input the council has. The village association does quite a bit

Apart from this questionnaire then no

Improve the park, playground and pavements

Local councillors could be more visible and active

I have lived in Birkenshaw for over 13 years and would like an input

Walking around Birkenshaw there are several routes I walk with my family and dog however these routes are sometimes hindered by hedges which should have been cut meaning need to walk in road also lots of vehicles around Kingsley park on pavement again sometimes need to walk on road There is no cycle route I am aware of this would be a great addition a safe planned route for people to use

I only have had need to use buses into leeds these have been reliable. I am unaware of other routes so unable to comment

As mentioned some people park on pavements this is due to either they have not enough parking at their home or for ease to them they park on the pavement this really needs to stop to make the streets safer especially work vans as make visibility hard when crossing . I feel around the schools there is insufficient parking and this has been ongoing problems for many years , we only have one lollipop lady at halfway house to help children cross none at the primary for several years . I feel improved monitoring of these areas need to be enhanced The roundabout is currently started to be improved we have been provided with very little info on this but I am hopeful it will be a great improvement with lights or zebra crossing it has taken along time to be done . The road markings around all of Birkenshaw need to be freshened up . A lot of people use Kingsley drive as a massive cut through to go past gomersal park to miss the roundabout and lights at gomersal we see cars speeding excessively down this road I feel Kingsley needs blocking off at tetley drive to stop this flow , or speed bumps we have excess traffic flow due to this cut through children can’t play out freely due to this .

Birkenshaw is a lovely community and there are many nice areas , with sparrow park , the church , bowling green , there could be more benches provided but some have recently been vandalised . The childs park needs an improvement with new equipment , football nets on the basket ball court would be great addition and also outdoor gym equipment . The old postoffice is an eyesore in the village several people have commented on this and would like to take it on but the owner does not engage if does not want to sell they should a least keep it updated , it is run down

Yes I feel Birkenshaw has good quality natural space , people who don’t pick up dog poo spoil some of these spaces . More signage regarding fining should be installed stickers round lampposts are ignored and not visible enough . An introduction of a pond would be a nice addition for wildlife ect , wildlife is present in my garden alone we have foxes , squirrels , frogs , birds , hedgehogs

The play parks are old and require updating with more modern interactive areas for the children . There is a village hall which offers yoga and other classes on various days . There is a bowling green. I feel an outdoor tennis court nets would be utilised by children and adults There was football nets on the Kingsley green but I have not seen them for a while , this area could also be improved with seating of some sort and play equipment

We have a wide array of facilities in our small village , missing a library this would be an improvement . There is pubs, restaurants , vets , hairdressers , shops , butchers , post office , cafes , cash machine , chemist , Drs , various takeaways We have no dentist I have to travel to morley for a dentist nearest NHS that I could get accepted in .

There are several job opportunities in the village with the fire station , pubs , factories, schools , shops , we are close to motorway network and on a bus route

Yes Birkenshaw has a great community spurt people feel happy to live here of whom I have spoke to , take pride in keeping house fronts look nice , work together to weed community areas , there is a good mix of age of people in the village , 2 homes for elderly , along with housing for them . Bungalows and houses and recently seen 2 sets of new builds brought in new people to the area

The church offers various meetings , events we have the village association which organises events such as fayres, Christmas lights . The village hall also hase various clubs on different days of the week. There is a play barn for small children . I feel some sort of youth club would be a nice addition to give the teens a place to go be occupied rather than walking the streets

Yes Birkenshaw has a positive identifying feel pride in living here good community spirt and include everyone in village events

Recently we have had teenagers riding quad bikes , trail bikes at speed through village and through the Kingsley cut through , causing noise by revving engines . The garage also seems to attract these and engines can be heard reeving daily from here too . We also seem to be hearing fireworks what seems to be nightly not sure where these are coming from but disturbs sleep and wakes up my nervous dog

Most property’s and houses are maintained well The old postoffice is on dis repair along with the shops going up to the drs on station road . The hedges have been neglected and overhang several paths . The parks have flowers and are clean . However the bins are used well for litter but the council are sometimes slow in emptying there

I have used the pot hole reports and also reported issues regarding dog poo , bins these have been responded to . However this is the first time I have felt I could share my views and ideas

Road markings need to be re done all over Birkenshaw I also feel the tatty and tired street signs are could be replaced with a more modern attractive signs . Post office addressed as let’s the village down Replace child park equipment Cut through on Kingsley drive to be looked at to make it a no through way with bollards at tetley or speed bumps to slow down speeding traffic

Council to look at these areas of improvement after consultation with the rest of the village for agreement . Input from Children to be considered too put a survey to them through the schools for their views - BBG has communities champions could they help with this

It is where I live and my child is at school in Birkenshaw

Lots of traffic and cars drive far too fast plus use Old Lane as a short cut. Old Lane is VERY dangerous and the bus struggles to pass up and down. Lots of parked cars make it difficult for people to pass on the pavement and lots have to go into the road to pass parked cars

Could do with a more regular service up and down Old Lane

Car parking up Old Lane on the bend is horrendous with people having to walk into the road. Some yellow lines on this bend would be helpful or a speed bump to stop people using this road as a short cut and driving very fast. The bus struggles to pass up and down this road

I worry about youths wrecking the place especially the graveyard. The Birkenshaw in Bloom group do a great job of keeping the roundabout area looking nice. The post office in the high street is a continued eyesore and the building up Town Street.

There are some good natural spaces and it is up to residents to look after these areas such as picking up after their dogs and not dropping litter or damaging the area.

The area hasn't really changed in 20 years, more needs doing for teenagers and young people. There was an addition to the play area around 7 years ago but the apparatus is only good if you are a gymnast

The co-op is a great asset and the bars and restaurants are good. Local shops will always struggle keeping customers. It is hard to access the GP but this is probably the same everywhere.

Birkenshaw seems to small an area to be able to meet this target. The Heathfield and the new Status company will attract people but there isn't any big business in Birkenshaw.

There are plenty of housing opportunities in Birkenshaw which causes issues for the local schools.

There are opportunities for people to meet and spaces but due to social media etc people don't really benefit from them. My daughter helps out at Brownies but I don't think this is as popular as it used to be for children.

Both local Facebook groups are excellent and meet lots of identity and belonging needs.

I feel fairly safe here most of the time.

The area is trying to help but the residents need to do their bit ref dog mess and vandalism. Recycling is great. I used to help at neighbourhood watch but am unsure if this is still happening in Birkenshaw?

I did try to contact the local councillor some years ago to no avail. No idea what they do.

Road traffic and parking needs addressing urgently. Vandalism and youth keeping the area looking nice and tidy and welcoming

speed bumps and yellow lines on part of old lane having a hub or pod for youths to hang out in encouraging people to keep the area tidy, clean and welcoming

Could do with more skate park and play area in Birkenshaw in village. Birkenshaw lane park could do with skate park, clearing up of glass and rubbish and a better play area.

Charity shop and bakery and a library would be great additions

Hedges around the local parks could be cut down so that there is more open views of these areas to deter anti social behaviour by youths

The shops that are empty i village could be tidied up

This survey is the first time I have ever took part in giving views.

Improvement of park area, tidying up of empty shops and introducing more shops to village

More skate parks and tidying up of parks, maintaining a more open area in the parks so they can be viewed openly to avoid anti social behaviour.

I love the 283 that goes down old lane but old lane needs double yellow lines on the bend

Old lane needs yellow lines, police e are called because people don't park properly especially near amblerthorne on the bend

The park in birkenshaw is lovely but sadly youths on motorbikes tend to ruin the atmosphere

Birkenshaw surgery should be the Dr's for all patients in this area I shouldn't have to travel to Blackburn road

Pubs restaurants ard good in thd village

Snickets and trees could do with a good pruning

Parking on old lane definitely and trees to be pruned in snicket as there qre lots of nettles

Hire gardners local to area to keep the snickets clear ...ask people on allotments to help ...parking get double yellows on there

Skateboard Park please!!!! There is a perfect spot just at the bottom of Birkenshaw Lane next to a children's play park. I would help design and produce 3D plans for free because my sons would love it.

Skateboard Park please!!!! There is a perfect spot just at the bottom of Birkenshaw Lane next to a children's play park. I would help design and produce 3D plans for free because my sons would love it.

Skateboard Park please!!!! There is a perfect spot just at the bottom of Birkenshaw Lane next to a children's play park. I would help design and produce 3D plans for free because my sons would love it.

1. SkatePark 2. SkatePark 3. SkatePark

Some pavement a bit uneven, no cycle routes that are clearly defined. Busy roads, A58/ A658 would be good to have these defined given high levels of family’s/ school children.

I don’t really use public transport. However bus routes into Cleckheaton aren’t all day. Plus Leeds bus don’t come close to my road. Higher level of networks and regular bus services would mean I would use this more often.

Parking in my road is poor, with traffic on both sides. Poor parking access see throughout the village.

Little for teenagers to do, alongside park with poor facilities.

Little access given issues with public transport, and any facilities and amenities appear to not be well advertised, if there are any. Would have to drive to next town for library, shops. Couple of places to eat, but sufficient for the area. Dr’s very poor, not open all the time, shared with Blackburn Road. 1 good Primaryb& high school, but concerns over the growth of new housing estate, meaning more pressure on these.

We are a small village, access to these mean needing a car, or good quality public transport

Birkenshaw is becoming more expensive to buy houses in. This means it’s a good area, but if you want to move, say from a two bedroom, to a three, or a three to a 4 you are priced out of the market. Rents are going through the roof, a house that was £500 a year ago is now £650 upwards, making it more difficult for single people to find a home here. If we wanted to move to a bigger house, the likelihood is that we would have to move out of the area, as it would cost on excess of an additional £200k to £250k on top of the mortgage we currently have.

Lots of history in Birkenshaw, we should make more of it if possible. There are old Bomb shelters hidden from view, old building with a great history but nowhere to easily find out more.

I feel safe in Birkenshaw. Yes there is crime ( I have had two cars stolen off my drive) but think we see this anywhere. Have seen community officers and police out on the beat. Not many derelict buildings, there are some, but no the community does try and find out more where possible.

More bins, Do see regular litter, dog mess on walking routes, but does not appear to remain for long periods of time. BVA are the village association and try to bring the community together.

I don’t think the common person has a voice, I think the decisions are already made.

1) More access to clubs etc for young people 2) Public Transport improvements on regular service and direct into nearest towns/city’s 3) Public Park to be improved

Some of the pathways need a little attention and the trees and nettles quite often become overgrown in tong moor making it difficult to walk children to the primary school particularly if you have more than one child or a pram

Don’t use public transport but I have checked out the access to Leeds and Bradford which would seem adequate

The only issue that I have found is outside the Manor House on station lane, this seems to be being used for commercial reasons now and cars are being parked on the bend where it is difficult manoeuvre around

Would be nice to see something made of the old post office in the village

Excellent please don’t build on any of our natural spaces

Lots on offer, Birkenshaw park and oakwell hall not far

Schools are excellent and both in walking distance which is fantastic, we owe a lot to the heads of these schools for keeping such high standards and being a big part of our community. Shops are great for a small village a great mix. Would just like to see no empty shops like the post office.

Really couldn’t be better, great access to Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and plenty of local businesses keeping people in jobs.

Fantastic, the housing market keeps moving at a steady pace. There is maybe a small gap of housing available in the £400-£500k bracket.

Lots of groups going on in the community, volunteering is strong and people have a real sense of community. Enough pubs and eateries to socialise.

Most of the time. Police are good at responding to issues such as burglary and antisocial behaviour. It’s just a shame that we have a BD post code that drives up the expense of insurance.

Yes, great that you’re asking our opinion on all of this

Some pot holes in roads that need filling. Keep businesses thriving so no empty shops. Crime rate is important, keep a police presence.

Keep buildings and outside space up to date, people will want to shop in a pretty village. Help the community to crime low with fast police response and no social housing.

We walk and cycle regularly around the village.

Old lane being on the bus route causes carnage. There is double parking and often buses get stuck and cars get scraped. Something needs doing to resolve this.

Old lane taken off the bus route. Double yellow lines on one side of the road to prevent double parking.

Pavements are littered with parked vehicles, even where parking space is marked out on the road. Drivers very frequently use pavements rather than wait for space to pass on the road, particularly Old Lane and Station Lane with the two ends of the school day being the most affected. No meaningful cycling provision exists; the small section of cycle lane on Whitehall Road towards A650 is on a stretch where a hatched centre section of road directs drivers toward the edge of the road rather than pass safely. The shared use facilities around the roundabout by Heathfield Farm pub are of no benefit to cyclists.

Bus services are not sufficiently reliable so as to be dependable, and evening services are insufficient. The recent price changes are welcomed however.

Pavements are continually blocked by parked vehicles, including where parking space is specifically allocated on the road. Many drivers seem to park on the pavement as routine and without considering ‘necessity’. Old Lane, particularly around Brookfoot Avenue can be extremely dangerous at any time of day with parked cars. The road isn’t wide enough to support bidirectional traffic (including busses) and parking. As in other locations pinch-points such as this result in drivers routinely using the pavement as additional road area.

Footpaths are often significantly overgrown making them passable only with great care, and impassible to children. Lighting is inadequate around Birkenshaw Park and some surrounding passageways (e.g. adjoining Prospect Lane at Swinroyd Close).

Access can be difficult through broken stiles and overgrown footpaths.

Birkenshaw Park offers some playground facilities although much of it is tired. There is a lack of green space for recreation. The court at Birkenshaw Park offers space for ball games, however, the hard surface (and frequently broken glass) present a risk of injury.

School provision at both primary and secondary levels is inadequate; this is further exacerbated by recent new housing developments west of the A651.

Birkenshaw lacks any focal point. Its apparent centre being a collection of shops on a busy main road makes this somewhat challenging to address.

Better lighting is required, particularly around (and ideally also through) the churchyard at St Paul’s

Dog faeces and broken glass are very commonplace. Bins are left overflowing, particularly at the end of St Paul’s churchyard at St Paul’s Road. Footpaths are often substantially overgrown. Graffiti has recently become an issue.

Road safety. Particularly preventing driving on pavements

Parking restrictions. Carriageway restrictions (e.g. one-way only traffic). Kerbside bollards/railings. Camera/police/council monitoring.

Birkenshaw is far too car centric with too few pedestrian crossings and basically no cycle paths or routes. Cars travel through the village far too fast as large sections of the main roads (A58 and A651) are designed with cars in mind rather than pedestrians and cyclists. The lack if crossing points around the large roundabout at the intersection of the A58 and the A651 illustrates this - and the crossing points being installed are far from ideal. There are NOT enough routes for cycling. Walking and cycling is NOT given priority over cars and traffic.

The buses to Leeds and Cleckheaton are fine, but the route to Bradford (the nearest city) is awful, too infrequent and unreliable. There is no direct bus route to Huddersfield which is shocking. One bus stop in the village has 'live' bus times/information displayed. NONE of the others do.

There is enough parking for the shops in the village. People do NOT seem to take priority over cars and traffic. There are little or no traffic calming measures and as such cars travel far too fast, and way above the speed limit, on the roads. The width of the roads encourages fast driving as well. The total lack of cycle lanes, routes or paths means that cycling is clearly not prioritised either. All this contributes to high levels of noise and poor air quality.

The buildings and the area around the church are attractive. The play area behind needs modernising and more regular maintenance and litter picking. The waste ground directly to the south of the Co-op is awful, and the disused post office on the opposite side of the road is an absolute eyesore.

There is attractive farmland around the village. It's not as well signposted as it could ve though, and is spoilt somewhat by the nearby M62.

There are two low quality play parks, a single tarmac football/basketball pitch and the bowling club. That's all, other than two open grassed spaces. There are therefore very limited play and recreational facilities.

There is a basic range of shops in the village and a small number of restaurants and/or bars and pubs. There is no proper library.

There are job opportunities in the local amenities and the West Yorkshire Fire HQ.

There are limited groups and spaces to meet people in the village, outside of pubs.

Play areas are badly maintained and poorly cleaned, with litter prevalent.

It feels like most decisions are made in Huddersfield, and Birkenshaw is too far away in the Borough for them to care too much.

Traffic calming measures and improved walking and cycling facilities to encourage active travel in the village.

Most controlled crossings - I.e. pelican crossings rather than simple dropped kerb crossing with central island. Cycle paths along the A58 and A651 through the village - this would also narrow the road widths to encourage slower driving Other taffic calming measures such as speed bumps, rumble strips and speed cameras.

Not enough public transport on station lane Too much of a long walk to bus stops

Parking very poor by the co op and village ctr

Around tnt and the bakery very very scruffy Around the birkenshaw pharmacy very scruffy Too many leaves left on station lane

Seams lots of business closing down

Never see police patrols etc Lots of motorbikes spending on pavements etc

No dedicated cycle paths in the village, neaby to Oakwell hall but have to travel on busy roads to get there

Regular bus to Bradford, less regular bus to Leeds that can only be boarded a long walk from centre of village. One service per hour after five. All main bus services run by Arriva meaning no transport when strikes occur.

Generally fine away from the main Bradford road which is very busy outside of rush house. Side roads ie. Town Street becomes a cut through and is standstill with traffic during rushhour. Parking on Townstreet sometimes means that buses cannot get up the street and have to re reroute

Lots of historic buildings and a nice village character. There is a high number of derelict shops. Post office on bradford road and one unit on Town Street.

Nice open walks in countryside off Bradford Road (accessed by Furnaced Lane). Village outside of rushour is pleasant to walk around

There is a large park in the centre of the village. Less opportunity for teenage groups who don't have dedicated space to go leading to anti social behaviour, hanging around Co Op in large groups getting drunk etc

Good selection of resturants, shops, cafes. Aswell as pubs and bars. Petrol station etc Birkenshaw would benefit from a more central post office

Close to Bradford and City of Leeds. I work from home.

Good variety of homes ranging from terraces to larger family houses. Lack of rental property in the area

Several pubs to socialise aswell as church and running group. Unaware of other places

People generally friendly, many people who live in area were born here and are proud of it

Generally fine, but the bus from Leeds drops you on Whitehall road which is a long dark walk back to centre of village

Bringing derelict units back into use, especially the old post office on Bradford Road (Near Co Op) which has been closed and in disrepair for the three years I have been living in Birkenshaw. Similarly, there is an empty unit on Town Street which has been derelict for a number of years, it would be good to see this brought back into use. Reducing traffic, and reducing number of cars using Birkenshaw as a 'cut through' to avoid traffic on busy Tong Street. When Tong Street is busy 4pm-6pm, hundreds of cars cut down Station Lane and Town Street from the A650 to rejoin Bradford road leading to the street and village becoming grid locked. People speeding 40mph+ down Town Street near a primary school and on Bradford road. Both streets could benefit from traffic calming. At School pick up time at Birkenshaw COE Primary School There is lots of irresponsible parking. Cars are parked along one side of the road for the full length of station lane and town street and there are no passing places meaning that you can not travel up Station lane in the direction of Tong Village between 3pm and 4pm More central bus station in heart of Village to give easier access to Leeds. Currently the bus stop is a long walk from the village centre which means accessing this bus is difficult for the elderly

Speed humps or traffic island on Town Street or Station lane to make these road less appealing to cut down or speed. Compulsary purchase of the derelict post office to bring back into use for the community Residential parking permit/parking restrictions on Town Street and Station lane to reduce double parking and discourage the number of cars coming onto the street to pick up children from primary school. Discuss with Arriva the possibility of a bus linking Bradford and Leeds running through the centre of Birkenshaw (Co-Op area, Bradford Road). There already a bus (No. 283) Bradford to Dewsbury that runs down bradford road, through town street and down Old lane. A similar connection would make sense between West Yorkshires biggest cities

75 and over

Most places are fairly accessible - Pavements are really bumpy - Scooters hit stones and flip over, Some pavement in disrepair without having a pace to cross over.

Really good bus stops. Bus stop information can be difficult to figure out (which bus when). There are QR codes but not everyone has the app. Bike Racks outside shops or parks etc.

Good Parking in busy places but not in the house roads (small roads) Not many bike racks. The bend near tutti fruitti is full of cars that park on the road and it makes the road really thin so only one car can go past. So if one person is coming one way and another the other way one of them has to stop and reverse backwards, which can be dangerous.

Roundabout up from BBG and along the street has good flower beds, if it went along the main road and busy areas that would look cool. Can't see the footpath signs, Fences falling over or collapsing. easy and direct routs and a public garden would look nice.

Park opposite Tutti Fruiti and the dog groomers is overgrown and has all sorts of needles and stuff burnt. Generally more flowers (birkenshaw in Bloom), more bins and greenery. Don't cut the trees down, just clean it up and make a nice place for people to sit in the wooded area.

The parks have the basics (swings) Some parks have a ball court. . Would like bigger parks, with more thnigs to do. Toilets, Better cleaner seats, cleaner in general.

The shops are really good because there's lots of them and there's all the small ones that you can go to do just get your bread and milk in 5 mins. There aren't libraries that are close. The nearest one is Birstall so if you live of the far edge of Birky it a long way to travel. You also have to go to Birstall for Doctor/Dentist.

There isn't many places to work (especially if young) aside from local shops and there isn't a guaranteed to be job openings in all the places you need. People usually get the bus or drive to Jobs or college because there's not really much close.

The people really depend on the street you live on. In some street the people will be really good or really bad.

Most places like mace or birky park is mainly the meeting places. Not many places to go, mostly go to someone's house.

Roundabout near firestation looks nice. generally other places are not clean, have broken fences and there are vapes every where.

Some of the side roads and areas feel unsafe (especially in the dark) Streetlight don't do much.

The co-op road all the way down to the roundabout looks really nice during the holidays.

Outside of the school community champions we don't make decision.

People going around on Quads racing on ball courts

Lots of parties + drugs and alcohol. The house needs work in need of a new front door, but the council won't even fit one even though we have asked for ages.

The park near Albert Crescent, a lot of broken things lost of graffiti.

Get rid of schools. School should be open on school holidays.

Lots of things to do. Put a gym play thing in Birkenshaw bottoms park

Local shops are good. More work opportunities.

Different house types, families, older people community events hang out spaces. friendly.

I think its good for young people like us to be walking round and cycling to get fit or just for pleasure. Maybe more electric cars or walk more it's better for everyone.

I think people should use more electric cars, then petrol or diesel cars. Walk more often.

I think people are kind letting people in/out when there is a lot of traffic. Maybe put more traffic light around Birkenshaw

I think the good things about Birkenshaw is. No graffiti on the walls. Floor building and property care for everything that we have. Maybe don't let people sell paint for graffiti, people should take care of things, you have because other people don't have these opportunities.

I think the good things about Birkenshaw is people look after nature and take care of the areas around Birkenshaw. Maybe put rubbish in the bi, not chucking it on the ground. Care for your community and people

I think the good things about Birkenshaw is. There are lots of areas to play and hang out. Maybe more facilities like more swings and slides. Maybe we could have a personnel area for girls and boys

I think you have to feel safe in your area or no point staying there, People are hear to help you like councillor and teachers and parents carer's.

I think the area is okay. it needs to be worked on for a while. Maybe need to get it spotless and cleaned up and get all the rubbish sorted out and bins emptied.

I htink it's really good thing to be listened to so you can show everyone you know more or better, Maybe let young people shine for once in a life time.

Sometimes I don't feel safe, especially at night. I live near the main road and it's often loud and very busy.

Walking around Birkenshaw is fine. A cycle root would be nice, especially for families to ride around together.

Particularly around rush hour the bottom of Birkenshaw between the roundabout and Whitehall Road becomes extremely busy, which unfortunately means people use the surrounding streets as a cut through and at speed. We have had a few near misses on our street from this.

The Village is lovely apart from the Old almost derelict Post Office which really spoils it.

There are a lot of public footpaths around Birkenshaw I do however feel that the Parks in Birkenshaw can be greatly improved. We often go out of area to be able to enjoy a nice park with the children.

The GP surgery is hard to get appointments at and we are often shipped off to the GP surgery on Birstall. It would be nice to have some more family friendly pubs/restaurants close by.

Improvements to the Parks. Traffic coming particularly at the bottom of Birkenshaw. The streets are also often crowded with parked cars and vans, maybe a communal car park in certain areas where their is only off street parking available.

Terrible parking problems, everyone parks on the pavement, traffic is much too busy in the village and there are constant roadworks.

I dont use public transport so I cannot really comment other than to say it would be great to have some direct buses to Leeds rather than ones that stop everywhere. I often drive to Elland Road and get the park and ride but would be great to do it straight from Birkenshaw.

Traffic is way too busy for a small village. People often park on the pavements rather than using their drives. There is very little car parking to use to access the village shops. Traffic on Kingsley Drive is way too fast and the road is used as a cut through and Ive noticed recently lots of heavy goods vehicles often use it too. I would not let my two young children play out on the street as it is way too busy. Also the traffic from BBG constantly clogs up the road. The works on the roundabout by the fire station (still not finished) have completely clogged up the area. It has now become a one lane roundabout so it is so much slower than it ever was. The lollypop lady who is outside the Halfway House needs replacing with a crossing. If the 100+ houses are going to be built on Whitehall Road as planned, this roundabout will be a death trap and congestion nightmare.

The old post office in the village has been unused for many years now and could be a prime place for a shop - something should be done about this. More should be made of the park next to the church and the graveyard, as these seem to attract teenagers and I feel unsafe going there.

I hear that there are lots of walking paths and public right of ways throughout Birkenshaw but they are not signposted or made clear so I have never been able to try them. I tend to travel out of the area to enjoy nature,

There are only two public parks that I know of in Birkenshaw - one by the church and one at the bottom of Birkenshaw Lane/Moor Lane. The latter I have only been to twice and it seemed the equipment was older than me and was covered in glass. The onw near the church is similarly as bad and constansly has teenagers haging around on the basketball court so I tend to keep my kids away and go out of the area.

Not really much choice. The shops that are there are nice but you only go if you need something. I would never go for a stroll round the shops as there are only a handful.

Very expensive but dont want anymore house built as thet will spoil the place and new house are even more expensive.

Would love a community hub for the older residents to access. The village hall seems to have been sold off now to become a childrens play area so it seems unlikely that there will be anything like this now.

As safe as you can be these days when there is zero money for the police.

Traffic Control Sort out the parks Place for community to gather

Traffic calming/ block off Kingsley Drive/Make the roundabout 2 lanes again/more crossings Revamp the parks - make them more open and visible Make the village hall accessible to all

I think there is some room for improvement for keeping walkways tidier or more attractive. In general they seem okay. I do not have an opinion on cycle routes.

Birkenshaw is good for public transport to either get into leeds or bradford city centres, however I marked a 6 because I do not use the services regulary as I drive.

I have been a resident of birkenshaw on and off for 20 years and in this time it has become busier, for example the coop car park is often busy and difficult to navigate at peak times. Allencroft does not provide much parking however I have not found there is an issue and it hasnt changed much over the years. Old lane is difficult to drive on and would benefit from better parking arrangements as the road is busier and has a bus route.

I beleive there is room for improvement in specific places that surround the village. The old post office is an eye sore and is generally seen as an issue amongst the community. I have personally been investigating the reasons why it has been sat empty for so many years and I have the name of the owner and understand that the council rates have not been covered since 2017, this information was given to me by Pat Coffey who worked as a bussiness support officer for Kirklees. I, personally would like to make an application for the building to qualify as an asset of community value. It is a wonderfully present building which is going into ruin, on the high street. Allen croft has a park which I think is unfortunatly become subject too alot of littering. It would benefit from another bin and a dog poop bin. The fences around the swings need staining to protext the wood as it is looking shabby. Allen croft has also had some graffiti lately, the trees have been sprayed which would be appreciated if this could be delt with professionally? The new benches down the side of st pauls church look great but I beleive it wont be long before they are also graffed on. I think another traffic light crossing between the village and the entrance to bank view would be good for residents. This would also stop people speeding on bradford road, egar to get from the roundabout to Tong!

I really like living in this area, I enjoy walking the dag around st pauls and driving down to oakwell hall. I would love to be able to have better access to the feilds between the village and Hunsworth. I know there is some public footpaths, having better mapped information or signage ould be excellent, even a park area near there?

I beleive there is room for improvement. I am personally interested in starting a social enterprize in Birkenshaw which centers around ceramics and offers a space for children to be creative. I beleive the park area on Allen croft could be improved with some simple maintence. There is a large climber apparatus which could be improved. The tarmac has been burnt in a recent incident with a wheelie bin, I would benefit from being repaired.

Having recently moved back to Allen Croft I have just joined the local doctors practice. It has been explained that I will most likely be having doctors aapointments at the joint practice, blackburn road, in Birstall. This is a real inconvience and has been expressed by my neighbour also. She is incapcitated and is not able to leave her house much. I am also managing fatigue and a closer doctors would help. I have tried , and will try again to get into the practice at Driglington which has great reveiws and a good standard of care. I think more doctors based at the sugery in Birkenshaw would solve this problem. It is well known to be an issue. I would personally benefit from a Yoga class at the newly refurbished community hall. I know a women called Sharon Casey has been trying to put on classes there but her prices at £9.50 do not match her compitition of insideout Yoga, who charges £5. I am wondering if there is a large fee to book the hall? Another cafe and grocers in the village would be great. With more outdoor social space.

I personally would benefit from support to grow a ceramics bussiness in the village. I have reached out to the kirklees bussiness support officers.

My sister has been a resident of Birkenshaw for over 20 years. She has four children, two at school locally, one works at the local childcare , Helen Howes and she has a son with disabilities who goes to college in Dewsbury. She has currently been priced out of the area now she is looking for another four bedroomed house with more space, as her children are growing up. To buy a four bedroomed house in this area with good sized rooms she is priced out by around £100,000, to the value of her current property. She is currently on Bank View. It is also known that a park which once was on the end of bank view was sold to a private buyer. We have never understood why or how this came to be. The children in this area have to cross the main bradford road to come all the way down to Allen Croft to play.

More outdoor socail areas would be beneficial. I do not know of any clubs/socials locally for peoplein my age 35. I think another cafe or large social area would be great.

Idont beleive there is information about the history of birkenshaw to access locally. It has alot of connections to rail and mining .

I feel safe living here as a single female. My sister has expressed concerns in the past for my youngest neice of 12 walking home in winter from Birkenshaw middle school to Bankveiw. I think some areas would benefit from extra lighting. Funding for xmas lights.

I have already refered to this question, with points about the park on Allen Croft. It is run down and has suffered vanadalism. Having returned to Allen Croft after a few years away I found the difference noticably shocking. I followed it up with the local police who explained they had had trouble with youths coming from Bradford district maininly Holme Wood estate. They explained it had improved but they were burning bins and are responsible for damaging the tarmac on the football/basketball pitch. This area need a couple more bins and specifically dog poop ones. There is alot of litter and something organised around this would be good. I always pick up what I can but theres always more. ...

I dont know who my local councillor is. I dont know of any open sugeries to discuss anything in the area. More information , organisations input would be good.

The park in Allen Croft needs some tlc and more bins please. I would like the council to continue to help me set up a ceramics social enterprise bussiness in the old post office. I beleive I could add to the the cultural, social and economic landscape of Birkenshaw. Making the high street look better in the process. Help for longterm residence to stay in the area and not be priced out by people moving into the area.

Funding towards our park and recreation. Scheme for longterm resisdent to afford housing.

The buses are generally okay, but there service is rubbish

Oakwell hall is good, the parks are okay. Need to add more benches for people to sit down and have a break (good for elderly people too)

Oakwell hall is okay. They should put the tyre swing back!

Add more libraries and reduce shop prices

Love the pork pie shop. Adding more work space. People travel as far as Leeds. Most people have to travel a long time to get to work.

Generally good. More space for housing

People wreaking the parks and being scared to go there.

There are only 5 bins, you should add more bins to reduce litter.

There are lots of walkways. There could be more bike paths.

More parking space, so cars don't park on the edge of roads. More CCTV on roads.

East Bierley Park has a good park and football pitch. There is broken equipment at the park and it would be good to have netting on the football goals.

Would like to see the school facilities open during the holiday. Have a leisure centre

More CCTV because there is lots of quads driving with people with balaclavas on.

A lot of people cycle to school. More Cycle paths would be good.

The buses service to Birkenshaw is okay, but more transport would be good.

Quite often traffic jams. More parking spaces.

Birkenshaw Park is good. They could get bigger proper netting.

Building are well constructed and fit for purpose. Consumer friendly shops aimed at older ages. Good Business to those who are working in these buildings. Run down buildings have little security and dangerous things left inside. House prices are exceedingly high and there are low space gardens that are overtaken for dumping without ???£?£?£?

Free plays pace and football pitches. Perks are user friendly besides the drug dealing. Dangerous trees fall near school / residential areas. Youth employment could give job experience.

Walking is difficult in many areas due to parking on pavements

Very fortunate to live close to two main bus routes

Parking on Old Lane and Station Lane is appalling due to school drop offs and business being conducted from the Manor House

Generally good, hopefully the roundabout improvements will help as too will improve mental to play area. Some action if possible needs to be taken on the old Post Office which is becoming increasingly derelict.

Better maintenance of moor on Station Lane and the reserve would help

Infrastructure is not in place for future housing development

More speed restrictions need to be in place. Crime rate does seem to have decreased but not sure if that is due to house owners having more sophisticated equipment to prevent crime

Safety in walking in the areas and traffic problems

Restrict parking and speed restrictions

I feel that it's not the easier place to move around on a bike. There's no cycle lanes, which would make it safer for people especially children at BBG. The pavements are wide enough for pedestrians.

There's no way of getting to Heckmondwike from Birkenshaw which is not great to say we aren't that far away. Buses to Leeds and Bradford are regular as long as you can walk to a main road. Bus stops don't seem to have details of bus times anymore though.

There isn't any actual car parks apart from at the side of the road. The main roads are fine but some of the smaller roads have parking issues and then this has a knock on to public transport being able to get through. Parking at school drop off/ collection times are big problems.

I would say overall yes apart from the old post office that looks scruffy and run down.

Overall yes. Most shops have what is needed but a better doctors surgery would be really appreciated.

Not really....I don't think there are many job opportunities in Birkenshaw.

Safer roads for cyclists. More crossing areas for children, and higher railings over the motorway bridge.

Roads are dangerous and the new roundabout has made it lethal

The work on the roundabout by the fire station is an absolute disaster. By moving double lanes into singles it's caused a huge bottle neck and backs the traffic up even more than before. I live behind Heathfield fa pub and have absolutely no other way to get in or out of the estate without getting caught in the traffic. M62 makes things even worse as people jump off at jcn 26 up Whitehall road to avoid the roadworks. Absolutely horrendous planning and execution

Park could be improved, often found broken glass which makes me reluctant to take my child

TOO MANY BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS BEING APPROVED!!!!!! The infrastructure just can not support more people living here adding to the already horrendous traffic on the roads

Revert roundabout to 2 lanes and remove the bottle neck that's been created Stop any further property development

Buses rarely run routes which are useful for me

Recent changes to road layout in Birkenshaw have made traffic horrific and dangerous

No library, sports centre or any other facilities. GP surgery is terrible - never open and cannot get an appointment

Too many new houses being built when there already aren’t enough amenities for the local community

Not aware of clubs etc to meet others

Some buildings are but pride in the area seems to have decreased

No consultation on changes to road layout which has made traffic unbearable and worse than I can I ever remember

Fix the roundabout at the halfway house pub. The changes have made traffic worse and crossing the road more dangerous

No cycle lanes, poor pedestrian crossing access. Children can walk quieter streets to school but now the new roundabout has caused more problems with people in cars finding alternate side street routes making it more dangerous for pedestrians throughout Birkenshaw. Lady was knocked over on Old Lane this week. If the aim of the new roundabout design was to reduce traffic by discouraging people due to the now very long queues, it hasn't worked. Why not put quality cycle lanes in so people feel safer to use their bikes instead of cars! No controlled crossing still at the roundabout despite all the roadworks. Still a very dangerous place to cross and I'm an adult so not practical fir children going to and from BBG and Birkenshaw Primary. I live very close to the roundabout so have seen the full impact. Traffic lights or controlled crossing would have been better for road safety. Vrry disappointed to see all the work in progress to only realise there are no sage crossing points so near schools.

No issue with the bus when I've used it, bus stops easy to access...However, the queues as a result of the bodged roundabout are causing buses on Bradford Road to be late. A few more sheltered bus stops would be good. With living roof to do more for the environment.

See earlier comments about traffic. Also, lots of cars speeding up and down Bradford Road and especially at night when it is quiet.

All ok apart from the local park next to the church but understand plans in place to improve this - although at last look there wasn't any fencing tk keep little ones in which is very poor. The old post office building needs something doing. It is derelict and an eyesore.

Not many in Birkenshaw but lots around. When my children get older I wouldn't feel safe letting them go to the 'green' areas alone.

Very happy with the primary school - it is fantastic, but we had to move house to ensure younger sibling would get in same school which is absurd. Cafes are good. No library GP is a joke. I have one in next Town as so many people have negative experiences with Birkenshaw GP.

Lovley community that supports local business. Birkenshaw is not ideal for providing opportunities for work, but it is a village so wouldn't expect to come here for employment.

A good range of housing available but please, no more!!! The schools are over subscribed, high traffic volume already, no decent doctors, etc (but then those housing targets have to be hit so the council doesn't care about the infrastructure).

Yes thanks to people in the community setting things up. Could be more from council side, eg a library/community hub area - perhaps in the manky old Post office building on Bradford Road.

It is a know place with a local Facebook Group that keeps people informed. A village association and primary school that do lots for the community.

I feel safe where I live but hear of lots of burglaries in certain areas. Again, wouldn't be happy with my children at the park on their own.

Recycle bins full quite often. See before re. Park.

We are informed of things like this survey and of plans via primary school.

The roundabout fiasco. Pedestrian crossings on/near roundabout. Cycle lanes.

Erm, install some crossings while renovating the roundabout! Add cycle lanes. Assess the validity of narrowing two lanes to one on the roundabout without giving alternate solution - ie, cycle lanes to encourage people to not use their cars.

Community problems with Highways and housing developments

Cars parked on footpaths, speeding motorists make it difficult to walk from A to B.

Rarely use public transport but roadworks in the area delay the buses, this makes it difficult for my children to get to college on time.

Issues on the motorway, housing developments and roadworks are making Birkenshaw residents unable to drive from/to home due to excessive volumes. Recent accident at M606 roundabout caused a gridlock in the village which resulted in further accidents. Roadworks on the motorway is causing drivers to use the village as an avoidance of the motorway.

Run down, Empty buildings are not being challenged. Appearance of many require improvement Public spaces eg parks require a clean up and regular checks

The parks aren’t fit for young children due to damage caused and litter

Far too much housing development happened over the last 16 years. Schools are full. GP practice is impossible to get an appointment No libraries, communal groups.

No, shops, pubs, restaurants aren’t a sustainable and well paid economy. Increased housing lost the old community feeling

Insufficient affordable housing being built. Apartments are out of peoples reach due to the price of them

There is no where to meet. Communal groups stopped during Covid and finances no longer available. Not all residents are into sport.

Policing improvements required. Speeding cars and invasion from groups from other areas has stopped a feeling of safety

The ward councilors aren’t interested in Birkenshaw/East Bierley residents thoughts and ideas

Increased housing development impact, lack of councilor interest, highways.

The council and councillor to listen and take action

Routing the 283 bus from old lane and instead making it travel along Whitehall road then up from the fire station would help with access to transport to Bradford AND it would resolve the traffic and parking issues on old lane. The bus sometimes can’t get through due to parked cars

The Birkenshaw bottoms houses were not built for families with 2+ cars so it’s very congested down there but more of a private matter

A better more interesting and engaging park area would be great

Stop building in green belt in Birkenshaw!!

More activity’s for the older community are desperately needed

Something needs to be done about the congestion at Birkenshaw roundabout . The ‘improvements’ and prioritisation of pedestrians have made things worse. Especially for those living on connected streets. It sometimes takes 10 mins to pull out of my street onto The main road due to congestion. Additionally, the fumes from the wiring cars is a public health concern. I can’t open my windows some days as the fumes from the traffic enter my home. Out of everything you will be reviewing please review traffic and congestion in Birkenshaw. And traffic controls and red lights is not the solution, the roundabout used to be free flowing now it is a congested mess. Do better.

Roads are really busy not sure if I want to cycle round here

Don’t use public transport - very expensive and not reliable

Traffic is really bad. Council continuously giving permission for new developments which means way too many cars on the roads - roads are congested and really bad for air quality

Not a lot of room - tight streets and roads. Birkenshaw is supposed to be a village - doesn’t look like a village, isn’t attractive and not easy to get around because of right streets and excess cars

Nope. To experience good quality natural space I have to travel out of Birkenshaw. All space has been taken up by new & unnecessary housing developments

There is one play area near me and it’s ugly and in between houses - should be an open space with greenery - however, all looks very urban

Not enough GPs, I have had to sign up with a GP in bfd which makes things difficult for me cos I live in kirklees and should access healthcare in kirklees not bfd

Council is giving permission to way too many developments - creating havoc on roads / gp services / schools / air quality with too many cars

Not sure what identity Birkenshaw has. Not very diverse and doesn’t feel very welcoming. There are lots of nice people In Birkenshaw but generally speaking comes across not diverse

Too many kids from nearby estates causing problems - police nowhere to be seen

I am filling this in to see what influence my opinions have. Kirklees council are destroying Birkenshaw by letting too many developments be built on green land

Stop new housing developments Improve road congestion More GPs stop feral youths from local estates making Birkenshaw a scary place

Council stopping developers building new houses Open up more gp practices More policing to protect against feral kids

The roundabout adjustments are ridiculous it has added upto 30 mins some days onto my journey to work and all the smaller roads are just piled up with people trying to miss it, it’s now an accident waiting to happen. I have been driving that way for 35 and never had an issue until now!!!

No need to change the roads they were fine as they were now just causing major issues

Don’t try fix things that don’t need to be fixed

Because Birkenshaw needs more and saw this saying you could have your say

I don’t cycle and there are plenty of great walking routes

Only use his occasionally to go to Leeds and suits my needs which are that they travel often and direct

Absolutely not. Parking on paths is becoming a nightmare just about everywhere. The new roundabout design at Birkenshaw near Halfway House is a total disaster. Never seen queues of traffic like it. Why it changed to single lane I have no idea. Makes it much harder to actually travel but the crossing are dangerous

Yes mostly but I constantly read about the old post office in Birkenshaw. It’s an eye saw yet no one seems to be able to find out who owns it to try and have something done with it

As I said earlier I walk a lot and there are lots of nice routes around taking in green spaces

Oakwell is only play park near us would be good to have something else

No. Trying to get doctors appointment nightmare. More and more houses go up yet no more schools, no more doctors/dentists. Would suggest no more resource added to emergency services either. Cannot have more and more people and same amenities

Don’t know don’t work or found myself needing work in the area. Work for a North West company

I think so although constantly see a need from people looking for rented accommodation. Does that mean not enough affordable housing ? But you can’t keep building and not support the amenities as well

I do sport out of the area. Pubs and restaurants need protection. They are an important part of the community and we are lucky to have so many nice places to go in Birkenshaw and surrounding areas

Yes due to the various groups/committee members that organise various things, communicate etc

The criminal activity is on the rise. The amount of moped idiots driving round with scarves on is not on. I never see police anywhere.

No one asked residents about the roundabout at Halfway. Should have as we all would have told you total disaster causing more issues than it solved

More visable policing to deter criminals and reverse the rise in crime. A reverse of the roundabout plan cause it’s a disaster. Somewhere to allow empty run down properties to be identified and hopefully be wanted by someone else to make good. More house building gas to equal more public amenities.

It's easy to get around, there is some litter on the streets and problem with cars double parking making it hard to get about.

Bus are well equippped (usb charging etc), however they can be dirty. some routes are okay. However some places are hard to get to with you needing to do multiple changes.

Parking is poor, with lots of parking on pavements. Double parking (cars on both sides of the road). Get rid of some of the yellow lines, needs more traffic lights. Some people struggle to park outside there own homes.

There are plenty of snickets, some roads are not too busy. There is litter, dog mess. School traffic is really bad.

There are lots of footpaths, it would be nice to have some more trees, and access to more open space.

Birky park, the equipment is tired, there's graffiti, litter Oakwell hall park is good.

Phone connectivitiy is good, could do with more wifi hotspots, a piercing shop. Some more 'local' shops.

Quite a lot of part time jobs on offer. However people have to travel to 'career' jobs etc.

People get along. There are organised community activities. Its easy to connect with friends. There is a lack of starter homes or affordable hoes, lots of big expensive houses.

Easy to meet up with friends, and there are groups to go to dancing groups etc. Hang out in the park. There are activities further away, Driglington etc.

Loads of nice local people. School is good. People identify to places like Bradford etc.

Feel safe at home and out and about with friends. Wouldn't like to be out on a night on there own. Places to 'hang out' don;t always feel safe (birky park). Streetlight are dark. Will travel out of the area when older, as there's not much to do. Teens on Motorbikes is a problem.

Flowers and flower beds make the area look nice. Lots of greenery. Grass get cut quite often. Litter and Grafiti is a problem. When it snows, the roads don't get gritted or cleared.

People are listened to in school. Parents feel listened to (sort of). Face book groups offer opportunity to voice things. Social media also is useful.

Don't use it personally but no access to trains and very few buses from the area into Leeds

They weren't too bad until the council decided to 'improve' the roundabout on Whitehall Road. It was busy but free flowing, now after months/years with cones everywhere they appear to have made it single lane in the approach and the roundabout itself and caused lengthy tailbacks as a result.

Could always do with more greenery but it's not too bad in Birkenshaw as a whole. Need to stop building more houses though, Plenty of brown field sites without cramming houses into a village.

Again, can always do with more. We certainly need to protect what space we have.

Not much in the area, but not something that bothers me personally as I'm incredibly lazy

We've a few bars/pubs in Birkenshaw and a Restaurant. Enough shops, but other independents would be good. GP surgery is little used now and largely abandoned in favour of Birstall. GP service in general is poor and gets very bad reviews.

Not really, but it's a village so you wouldn't expect us to all work here (though with the rise in working from home we sort of do)

Wide range of houses in different sizes. Think we've reached the limit to what the village can sustain though.

It's a village, but grown a lot over the years and lost some of its identity as a result. It's a popular place to live, but you can't all live here, so bugger off.

Although it's a relatively quiet place and safe, where there's people there's crime. The proximity to Holmewood and other areas means the police helicopter is a frequent visitor.

The guy who does the street cleaning does a good job. Could do with some more bins. The roads themselves are a bit shabby and the work being done at the main roundabout looks quite poor (and causing congestion)

Tried raising issues with the local MP a few times but she's utterly useless. The work being undertaken at the roundabout has taken years and now looks to be going backwards. Labour Councils are all a bit amateurish.

Sort out the Roundabout on Whitehall Road. Bit more greenery wouldn't go amiss.

Undo what work has been done on the roundabout. Fix the shoddy workmanship. Sack the person who's stupid idea it was. Use the money to put some trees about the place.

I walk the dog and find it difficult to cross the road.

Obviously a large car park would be great, but that’s not happening.

I’ve lived here a long time so know my way around. I don’t know if it’s difficult for new incomers to find their way around.

We do not have a decent sized park. There is a public footpath across fields.

There is a small park for young children and a place for football for older children. Nothing for adults.

We don’t have a library. There is one expensive restaurant, a few take aways. Pubs are good.

I’m not sure about the opportunities for work. Local people work in the shops.

There’s always room for improvement. Affordable housing is needed for first time buyers and struggling families.

I know there are various groups, sporting, walking and social. Always room for more.

I think people who have lived here 30 plus years are proud of our village.

I would never go out in the dark. In summer I would not go out after 7. Antisocial behaviour has been getting worse over the years.

The local Kirklees rubbish picker does his best but it’s an uphill struggle against whoever regularly breaks bottles in and around the park. People throw their rubbish on the ground instead of walking to a bin. The church organise regular tidying of the church grounds and they are much improved. Volunteers plant and keep tidy the green spaces around the roundabout.

We need traffic lights or a roundabout at the East Bierley junction, South View Road. It’s extremely dangerous. Antisocial behaviour… I cannot get to sleep until all the people have left the farmer’s field behind Boscos around midnight during June/July. There can be hundreds gathering there from 7 until 12. Too much traffic going far too fast through the village. The camera van needs to be there on a night time.

A roundabout at the East Bierley junction. More police patrols. Speed cameras in centre of village near shops and church.

The dog mess on the footpaths is so bad. Especially around Birkenshaw Primary school. Just this week my 5 year old spent a day upset at school after finding she’d trodden it on the way into school. This isn’t on. Every time we go for a walk I’m constantly telling my children to watch where they’re walking because there’s dog mess.

I don’t often use public transport but know that buses are easy enough to use

Traffic has been pretty bad with the roadworks at the roundabout. I’m not really affected by any traffic issues, we have a driveway and sufficient on street parking

Birkenshaw park is in great need of improvement. It’s very dated, equipment is limited and it’s such a waste of space, children in the area would definitely benefit from a nice area, instead people drive further out to access nice play areas

Again the dog mess issues and the unimaginative play areas make me put this low score

See previous answers about dog mess and play areas

The GP surgery is always nearly empty, and having to go to Birstall Blackburn Road is a bit of a pain when we have a lovely doctors surgery building a few minutes walk away

I’m 37 and lived here all my life, it’s good to see so many people I went to school with, staying in the area who like me, have started their families here.

I’ve walked back from the local pubs on my own and not felt unsafe. I have occasionally left my door unlocked, I’ve had parcels left on my doorstep and still being there when I’ve arrived home. Maybe we are very lucky.

Please sort the dog poo situation, our village has many dog walkers but they must start to pick up after their dogs. The parks need a good overhaul which would benefit wellbeing of our children

Some of the pavements require attention, the roads have potholes. Some of the ginnels and cut throughs get overgrown, especially from the Golden Fleece to Prospect Lane which make it impossible to walk through.

Public Transport is limited, unreliable and requires more thought. To get into any town centre - Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield etc, you either need to change buses or sit through 25 stops. It’s completely unreliable as a means of getting anywhere on time or in a reasonable time so back into the car we go as we can’t afford to spend 1hour and 45 mins, involving a change of transport to get to Huddersfield or 25 stops into Leeds. How are you supposed to get to work/college on time, especially with the terrible traffic in the area and travelling into these places - Bradford being the absolute worst down Tong Street. Also, the buses coming down Old Lane is simply impractical at this point due to the size of the road and inconsiderate residents double parking.

No. Plenty of examples of double parking - Old Lane, Mill Lane, the Norwood and Oakway area. An emergency vehicle would literally not get through. Lack of parking in the village. The roundabout…. Absolute chaos at the moment. Appreciate this is hopefully temporary but 20 mins to do a 2 min drive is absolutely shocking. If you can’t work during the week, work at night and weekends - not 4 hours on a Saturday. No idea what the point of this change is, doesn’t seem to be giving us any advantage - money could’ve been spent on so much better projects than this. If this is about the school kids crossing - just put that crossing in and some signage and stop messing about with everything else.

There is plenty of reasonable space which is upkept. Birkenshaw Park and birkenshaw Lane park both need serious attention but there are plans to do this - I hope this is followed through as they are grubby, messy, boring for kids and attract gangs of teenagers with nothing better to do. Would like to see better attention paid to the trees on the approach to the Kingsley Recreation Ground - absolutely huge things which shed bags and bags of leaves - I know this as I have to pick them all up and then pay for the privilege of disposing of them when they are not my trees.

See above comment. Some lovely areas. More dog mess bins would be great - but the guy who comes to empty the 1 bin on the Kingsley Rec needs a payrise.

As per my above note. Play areas need urgent attention. They are not fit for purpose anymore. To access the Birkenshaw Lane park from Oakway direction is like going on a rainforest expedition at times.

Schools are fantastic - I have children at both of them. They are however stretched to capacity and I fear with all the new housing this will only get worse. Doctors is appalling - I travel elsewhere. We have a good selection of shops but not enough parking in the village. Cars end up all over the place and people who live there are taking up space for it’s intended use of shoppers. The biggest problem is the post office - what an absolute eyesore. It needs to be handed over to someone urgently to make use of the unit.

We are uniquely positioned to work in a number of major cities. Transport links are reasonable in a car but obviously can be challenging in commuter traffic. No public transport to support reliable mode to get into work anywhere.

There is a good mix of homes. However, there is no enough of them. Please stop building more - the village doesn’t have the infrastructure to cope.

There are limited facilities for this - all privately run classes that you need to pay for.

There is a strong community in Birkenshaw. This is driven largely by the brilliant work of the BVA and the volunteers. Thank you to them.

Has a safe feel, I’m happy to walk around but wouldn’t use cut throughs at night. Kids congregate on parks and rec grounds smoking and drinking. This can make us feel uneasy.

Reasonably, with some exceptions such as the old post office. Regular mowing seems to happen.

Traffic and parking Parks The old Post Office

Parking restrictions/residents permits Approve planning for driveways/dropped curbs Sort the roundabout Do something about the post office Follow through with plans for the parks, quickly Offer something community based for kids and teenagers

Answering questions as to what life in Birkenshaw is like

There is one bus which goes through Birkenshaw and that’s it

No, the roundabout at Birkenshaw which was supposed to be finished by now it’s causing chaos daily. It was supposed to be for a period of time. There is hardly anyone working on it and it’s made it 10 times worse, really disappointing and infuriating daily. This needs looking into as a matter of urgency

At the moment no with works going on - it looks unfinished

There is a small nature reserve and that’s it

I don’t know of any in Birkenshaw for children

Yes and no reason to add anymore houses near Heathfield as it’s already busy enough and with the chaos of the unfinished roundabout it would be ridiculous

The roundabout in Birkenshaw near the fire station something needs to be urgently done and stop lazy workmen choosing to work when they want and causing traffic jams. Also the road surfaces after bbg near the motorway bridge are terrible and need redoing

The council to be involved and ensure work is completed to deadlines. We all have to pay council tax - we don’t get an option of not paying or delaying payment so work which has gone on long enough shouldn’t be delayed either causing daily inconvenience for everyone in this part of the area

There are no cycle routes however my main concern is there is no pedestrian crossing on. Station Lane for children. The 9 plus children can start to walk to school and back but have no safe place to cross on this road. Same by halfway house roundabout. No pelican crossing.

Public transport service is reasonable. Bus service to Morley and white rose would be beneficial to residents, and children as not all children can qualify for BBG high school and are often having to travel to a school. Out of the area.

Mostly OK. Some.improvement to offer more parking around the village centre would be beneficial, all cars are struggling to get into spaces near the pelican crossing.

Both parks need modernising. They are both unsightly and equipment is old and tired.

Already mentioned both parks could do with significant improvement and could make use of the green space more.

Not sure If goalposts in Kingsley fields will be replaced. These were removed last year Recently a football pitch has been marked. On the grass.

The primary and high school are full. And have waiting lists. People in the catchment area cannot always get a child in these schools. The village has grown in size but still has the same school offerings. I do. Not currently use the doctors but hear there are waiting issues. The closure of Tramp2 lean nearby is a loss for children. A bakery in the village would be highly beneficial to many residents.

Unsure, well Placed to access employment in larger towns and cities.

Demand for Housing in Birkenshaw is high. Prices have gone through the roof like. Many areas but likely more so here meaning increased demand for. More housing, school Places and Doctors.

Village Hall, cafe, restaurant, pubs, country park. So plenty of choice.

BVA have created a sense of community, organising many events to bring people Together.

I do but regularly hear of antisocial. Behaviour near the church and scout hut.

Other than the parks, village is a tidy, attractive space.

Don't know where I can voice my opinions.

Revamp the park Spaces by the church and Birkenshaw bottoms. Improve road safety around station lane to enable safe crossing.

New Park equipment, improved green space, planting to create.more attractive area that will also attract wildlife.. Pelican crossing on station lane.

There are some footpaths around Birkenshaw that are helpful for connecting local points (eg Coop, playground, church etc) but I don’t feel safe using the, at night as they aren’t well lit. They also tend to have litter, weeds and dog poo.

The bus link to Leeds is helpful. Other than that, I find public transport options very limited. I work in Ilkley which has good train connections but getting anywhere by train from Birkenshaw is tricky. Low Moor is the closest station but it’s a pain to drive to a rush hour and there aren’t many trains. We often go to Birstall shopping park and would always drive because there is lots of free parking and I don’t think there is a bus from Birkenshaw.

There are two wide, main roads that go through Birkenshaw and speeding can be a problem. When there is traffic queuing on the main roads then cars cut through minor roads (eg Old Lane) and go up onto the pavement so that they can squeeze past each other which is unsafe for pedestrians. This is exacerbated by cars parked at the roadside. I would like to see more safe points for crossing the road, especially for children attending Birkenshaw Primary School. There used to be a lollipop man outside Manor House Spa at the top of Old Lane - a zebra crossing or something would be helpful here.

There are a few local landmarks like the church and the playground, and there are some fields with footpaths. I think the area is lacking historic buildings, public spaces etc which contributes to lacking a sense of community. The playground is unkempt and there is often litter, broken glass and graffiti. There are some derelict buildings (eg the old post office) which could be put to better use. In summer, there’s nowhere to go in Birkenshaw for a green outdoor space so we would go in the car to somewhere like Oakwell Park.

There is very little natural space available to the public in Birkenshaw. For natural space locally we either walk on footpaths through fields behind the Coop, or walk up to East Bierley pond and village green. It would be lovely if Birkenshaw had something similar to East Bierley. For natural space we would usually get in the car and head away from Birkenshaw.

There is a playground and ball court which the children enjoy visiting but there is often litter, broken glass, graffiti, dog poo etc. I’m not aware of any other recreational facilities in Birkenshaw. We go to surrounding areas (eg Drighlington) for the children to attend football club and cricket club. For the children to ride their bikes somewhere, we would need to get in the car and drive to somewhere like Peel Park in Bradford or the Spen Valley Greenway.

Birkenshaw itself doesn’t have many of the facilities listed which is a shame because we then need to get in the car and drive to somewhere that has these facilities. There are good nurseries and schools serving Birkenshaw. There are a few local small specialist shops, some takeaways and a couple of pubs. Although there is a GP surgery in Birkenshaw, they always send us to the Birstall branch for appointments. There is no dentist, library, gym.

I don’t think there are many job opportunities in Birkenshaw but there are plenty of opportunities in surrounding towns eg Leeds and Bradford. Public transport links are therefore very important.

There is a real mix of housing in Birkenshaw which caters for a range of needs. There has been a lot of new build development, without a corresponding increase in local facilities.

I can’t think of any opportunities to meet people across the community. There are some pubs and cafes to visit with friends but they don’t provide an opportunity to meet people. There is a village hall but I’m not aware of it offering this sort of thing.

There seems to be a lot of petty crime in Birkenshaw eg car theft, attempted break ins, anti social behaviour like driving quad bikes around etc. I wonder if it’s because Birkenshaw is close to areas like Holme Wood.

There is litter, dog poo, graffiti, broken glass, weeds etc on most pavements and footpaths throughout Birkenshaw.

Until this survey then I don’t feel like I’ve been offered the chance to express a view.

Redevelop the playground and churchyard to offer better natural space with benches, plants etc Tackle crime proactively eg PCSOs Mobilise community groups to tidy up paths etc, with the council to provide good bins, spray for weeds etc. Do something like “keep Birkenshaw tidy” campaign.

As a pedestrian it’s not always easy to cross main roads. More crossing points needed. Too much emphasis put on cycle lanes-they are hardly used!

Arriva buses are terrible! Poor, unreliable services that don’t get you easily where you want to go. Try getting to a hospital from Birkenshaw on a bus and see how long it takes you! Getting to Pinderfields from here is so difficult.

Cars travelling too fast on Bradford Road, why no speed cameras? Congestion awful at peak times. I live on Town Street and there is no off street parking, it’s a bus route and a school route. Used by vans and lorries, we’ve seen buses and other vehicles literally get stuck. Work on the roundabout is causing severe problems now.

Empty post office building on Bradford Road is an eyesore. Overgrown weeds and vegetation on Mill Lane cuts down the safe space for pedestrians. Weeds outside Birkenshaw Health Centre look awful. Why can’t businesses be asked to keep their exterior areas clean and tidy?

Hardly any green spaces in Birkenshaw and the ones we have are having houses built on them!

There is the park. I only ever see teenagers in it.

The range of shops in Birkenshaw has improved and the Coop is such an asset. No library but the one at Cleckheaton is great. As for GPs, the health centre in Birkenshaw is virtually nonexistent! You can get a blood test but I’ve never been able to book an appointment there. Too busy running the dermatology clinic I guess.

Not much employability in the village itself but probably the surrounding area is pretty good.

Need more bungalows for older people to downsize, not endless developments of large, detached houses. We need the infrastructure to support all the houses being built-extra school places, better bus services, a working health centre.

Probably better for older people with the bowling green and church socials. There are cafes and pubs to meet up with people. It could be difficult if you are elderly with mobility or health issues.

On the whole Birkenshaw is a fairly nice place to live. People are friendly, we have good schools and the gardening volunteers do a great job.

I generally feel safe apart from poor street lighting-the new lights aren’t great. For example Station Lane is very dark at night now. Can’t remember the last time I saw a police officer on patrol? I was nearly knocked down on the crossing by a car that went through a red light after overtaking the stationary traffic. I was very shaken as it was a miracle the car missed me.

See earlier comments regarding empty post office building and dreadful appearance of the “health centre”. Weeds and uncut shrubs on Mill Lane. Litter generally.

I feel I can express my views however I don’t feel confident that anyone takes any notice. Public consultation feels like a box ticking exercise so the council can say they asked for feedback. If Kirklees was interested in talking notice of the public, they wouldn’t be considering an Amazon warehouse at Chain Bar. I don’t feel the local councillors are visible enough, we never hear from them until there’s an election. They need to be more active on social media.

Improve road safety in Birkenshaw. Do something about overgrown shrubs, weeds, nettles etc. Get the homeowners or businesses to take responsibility. Improve public transport- better bus services would help more people than pointless cycle lanes.

Get rid of Arriva! Put in speed cameras on Bradford Road and more crossing points. Force business to maintain their property. Encourage people to volunteer to weed, litter pick etc. and provide equipment or funds to help.

No doctors. Might be a building but no doctors or nurses are in it. Only once a month. Blackburn rd is hard to get to. A village without doctors is disappointing

There are several places where I cannot remain on the pavement with a pushchair. Opposite the 6 acres pub, on the way to Lane end farm shop for example, I have to take the pushchair onto the road, just after the turning which is very dangerous, as there is a lamp post in the middle of the path. Therefore I don't go there anymore.

The new roundabout on Whitehall Road has reduced traffic to 1 Lane and is causing tailbacks, as well as people using other smaller streets as rat runs. This is dangerous for pedestrians. Many cars speed and race each other down Bradford road, sometimes as children are walking home from school.

It is often difficult to get a GP appointment, or get them to answer the phone without getting cut off. There isn't a local dentist with spaces. I am concerned about school spaces, particularly high school, with all of the new houses being built or under proposal. The range of shops, bars etc are good. However not all are accessible to wheelchair users or people with pushchairs.

There are several places where overgrown bushes and weeds make it difficult to pass

High school spaces, adequate healthcare for the community, reduction in traffic and the speed of traffic, safe pavements

The changes to Birkenshaw roundabout near the fire station making the approach to one Lane from two lanes has caused a back up of traffic through Birkenshaw for months. This is making people take short cuts around our village making it unsafe especially for children. The backup of traffic also can’t be good for the air quality in our village.

Routes are available when I need them.

As already stated, I’m unhappy with the amount of traffic that is being backed up through Birkenshaw due to the changes of the roundabout. The move form two lanes to one lane on entrance has caused a significant increase in traffic

Disappointed in the lack of appointments at Birkenshaw GP surgery. This is impacting our elderly community who may not be able to travel to Blackburn Road in Birstall

Significant increase in crimes in Birkenshaw village, especially car and van thefts which is impacting people’s livelihoods

1) rethink Birkenshaw roundabout to reduce traffic backup in the village 2) increase use of Birkenshaw GP surgery, making appointments more easily available to all 3) more focus on reducing crime in the area

I don’t cycle but Birkenshaw is compact and feels safe to walk around. Parking on roads such as Old Lane can cause a problem for passing traffic, buses etc

I have a car so don’t feel able to comment but I do know that the limited number of buses and routes are not enough to tempt me to leave my car at home

Parking is absolutely an issue on roads such as Old Lane, Station Lane (in school time), Bradford Rd near BBG. However, this appears to be dwarfed by the problems being caused by the new roundabout enlargement in Birkenshaw. What is going on with that?? Saturday morning and the queues are horrendous?!

I love the walks behind the shops in Birkenshaw, the small moor off Station Lane leading to the bigger moor up towards East Bierley

There is a need for improvement of the park in Birkenshaw…this could be a lovely play space for kids

I love living in Birkenshaw. It is a pleasant place to be. However, the availability of Doctors appointments is a real and ongoing problem. House building with no improvement to the infrastructure (schools, doctors, on-street parking) will make this problem worse

Please fight for an infrastructure to support further house building. Keep as much green space as you can and think about schools, doctors and parking

I feel safe walking around and love the friendliness of the place.

I know there is more I can do if I really want to be a part of change. I also know that being a keyboard warrior on social media isn’t the only way

Improvement to infrastructure such as doctors, school places and poor parking. Even as I say this I am aware that as local councillors, it is difficult for you to have a huge influence on this. Maybe more honest conversation on social media would keep people up to date, allow them to moan but also keep them involved. Highlighting good things is important too, for instance, the great work that BVA (Birkenshaw Village Association) does. Whoever runs that would be a great person to have on side!

Constant road works on the round about and traffic.

We live almost right on the roundabout and getting in and out of our driveway has always been an issue due to people parking over hanging it. Since the roadworks have been there I am finding myself having to park on the main road as pulling in and out of my drive is dangerous or impossible. The length of the roadworks is ridiculous and the work that has been done is shoddy and scruffy.

Sometimes the village looks tired and seems to have a litter problem.

The round about in the park has been broken since my eldest child who is now 13 was using the park!

The roadworks and distribution to people who live here.

I see no point in the changes to the roundabout. All it seems to have done is cause more traffic issues.

Parking on station lane between 7:30-8.30 am is a danger to other road users and children. School parking zone times should be extended. Parking on the blind bend of station lane by users of the Manor House spa pool should be stopped. Single file traffic approaching Birkenshaw roundabout will lead to tailbacks all the way to wyke and around the chainbar. I drive this route daily. Double parking on town street and old lane is commonplace.

Bins on the moor are much appreciated (station lane/moorlands road).

Walk daily on the moor (to tong moor)

Not many amenities. No 6th form provision or youth groups

Completed similar surveys before and nothing changes

Safe roads. Keeping traffic moving. Youth and 6th form provision

Advertise 6th form provision in kirklees to all 15 year olds or all families. Mail drop. Enforce parking laws.

Because drivers and cyclists alike only have 1 lane to use on all exits

1. Cars speed through the Village & its unsafe to cross especially for the Elderly. 2. Old Lane parking is dreadful with cars parked on pavements making it impossible sometimes for adults with young children coming from the Primary School on Station to walk on the pavement, especially by Amblerthorne. The clear answer to this is Double Yellow lines on the Amblerthorne side, from just below Amblerthorne up to and above Brookfoot Avenue.

The public park behind Birkenshaw Bowling Green is often littered with pizza boxes and more importantly broken glass. Its a Childrens Playground fgs but yobs from Holmewood & Bierley or up from Birstall come up or down and spoil it for everyone that lives here decently.

We have The Bank down the back if the Village and Oakwell Hall that is always well kept. The paths around the Village are all over growing at the edges with nettles and weeds. Plus many of the paths could do with retarmacing.

I understand the Childrens park in Birkenshaw is to be rebuilt. We saw plans anyway of such a plan a few months ago.

Our doctors has improved recently obv post pandemic but I wish it was my decision to decide wether I need to actually see a Doctor or not and not a Receptionist.

I put 4 because Im an OAP so am not looking for work.

There us a good mixture of families in the area.

I dont know & havent even investigated

Both myself and my husband & our son all grew up here.

Only people from other areas in tge vacinity come here to cause trouble when it happens. That Holmewood or Birstall.

The Council worker that pushes his cart around Birkenshaw works very hard but ONE MAN can only do so much!!

When I complained to my Counsellor Liz Smaje I didnt even get a response.

More manpower to keep the Village as it should be kept. Keep the paths so they dont over grow with weeds for example, it only takes a man with an Animal friendly weed killer. Carry out Roadworks in a more efficent manner, the work at Birkenshaw Halfway House has taken months and months to even start after they put cones out. Then takes months and months again to do.

The village parking is good. The issue is speeding vehicles through the village and gangs of balaclava wearing moped and motorbikes that make it dangerous

The village park is neglected. The flower beds need care and attention, the benches are rotting and the signage is dirty and unkempt. The areas looked after by birkenshaw in bloom are wonderful, the council needs to improve the areas they are responsible for. The streets and pavements need to be weeded and better upkeeping. There is an eyesore of an abandoned ex-post office in the village which is a terrible eyesore.

The village park needs a lot of care. Kirklees do not look after this in a way which makes it a nice space for residents. Years of neglect need to be undone

I wouldn't take my child to the local park as it is unkempt and can be full of teenagers, who the play area is not for

We have a good selection of local shops. However, the abandoned old post office is a wasted space and eyesore. It has been like this for so long. It needs to be a used and redeveloped space.

I do not feel safe. I am scared for my home due to the level of burglary here. There is too much speeding and gangs of mopeds and bikes with balaclavas on. The same ones all of the time. Much more needs to be done to protect residents

The pavements, roads, and council parks are a disgrace. Unkempt and neglected. Kirklees need to do much more.

Birkenshaw certainly feels on the periphery of kirklees and neglected and ignored. We are as far away from Huddersfield as we can be in thr region and it certainly feels like it. We need much more care and attention. I wish we were part of leeds city Council instead.

Crime and safety. Upkeep of the village and its spaces. Redevelopment of the abandoned ex post office.

Higher police presence. Cctv in public spaces. Speed cameras and speed bumps Better upkeep of the pavements by regular weeding and sweeping. Better maintenance of birkenshaw park. Paint the woodwork and metal work. Weeding and planting of the flower beds. More bins all over the village. Redevelopment of the abandoned ex post office

Would be a 7 apart from the bushes and brambles allowed to grow over the pavements , making pedestrians have to step onto the road

Lots of bus stops but the bud service is bad , cancelled or late buses

Cars parked on both sides of the roads make it difficult for two way traffic and even for crossing the roads

Road safety and maintenance of walkways

On narrow roads only allow parking on one side , and maintenance for pavements that have overgrown shrubbery

75 and over

The works at the roundabout are taking far too long and causing chaos. Even at weekends when the work is supposed to happen workmen are rarely there for long

Too many cars are blocking pavements making pedestrians walk on the road

KAL premises are good but recently schools session have meant there is limited provision for length swimming at Spen leisure centre

We have a surgery at Birkenshaw but have to travel to Blackburn Rd most of the time for appointments

Lots of the paths are over grown or have trees, bushes or weeds growing. Footpaths in many instances are poorly maintained There are no cycling lanes but that is a good thing

Buses are good, would be great to have a local or at least reasonably close train station

Could do with a pedestrian crossing nearly the half way house

Old post office on high st needs updating as it’s been empty for a long time and should be used for more local amenities. Birkenshaw park should be tidied up and more amenities added for older kids. Some comfortable robust seating and tables, some gym exercise equipment and a better Playing surface for the sports area and the play areas

Birky bottoms footy pitches need updating birky Park needs updating BBG should have a Astro pitch

Doctors no longer based in Birkenshaw No Dentist School not big enough

Walking is generally fine, hard around the schools due to parents parking on corners / pavements

Parking around schools, especially drop off periods is a nightmare, with people double parking, parking on corners etc. Also, the corner outside Manor House is a pain with parents parking for swimming lessons / school obstructing line of sight for oncoming traffic. The works at the fire station roundabout have significantly increase traffic queues through the village and surrounding area during rush hour periods. There is concern the new pedestrian crossings on Whitehall Road and Whitehall Road east will act as bottlenecks, which combined with the new housing at Blue Hills Farm will lead to long queues once the roadworks are finished. Lastly, I'm not sure how the access for the sainsbury at Hill top managed to make it though planning, it's a pain, effectively one way only, and with a poor visibility splay to the right when exiting.

A number of the smaller roads are riddled with pot holes etc.

Oakwell is lovely, but it's feels after the covid break, they could do with a couple more rangers on staff and more funding to get back on top of things (and try get rid of the himalayan balsam)

The muga and play area by the scout hut are fine, though I can't think of any other play areas in the area.

Blackburn Road/ birkenshaw surgeries have become a bit of a joke, with all appointments going within 15-20 minutes on a morning. A lot of the doctors appear to be juniors or locum, so have to go to their consultant for approval for prescriptions. It also feels like birkenshaw surgery is being wound down / used for clinics, I don't know if this is down to staffing, building costs or something else.

There is no significant employer I can think of in the birkenshaw area, most are small shops or small warehouses. I travel to brighouse for work at the moment.

It's a highly desirable area, which is constantly pushing the price of housing stock up and a lot of young local people can't afford to live here.

There's a couple of coffee shops, a handful of pubs and a park in birkenshaw. It's not terrible, but it could be better. I can't think of any opportunities to meet people locally unless you join a sports team or volunteer with the scouts.

People that grew up in the area want to stay in the area.

Relatively. By the coop and George on an evening can offer a variety of sights, as can passing through the playground by the scout hut on an evening.

The buildings are generally well maintained, bar the old post office in birkenshaw village. The roads do need some tlc.

Not really, of the 3 consultations being held as part of this review, people who work a 9-5 style job maybe able to attend the latter half of one session. Some of the information on the FB page for the local ward is relevant, but notice of proposed roadworks, planning applications in the area, etc would be useful to out on there

I'd hope my points above are succinct enough for you to be able to do this.

I offer suggestions in the relevant sections, in a nutshell: - review areas for additional no parking zones. - sort out Blackburn Road medical centre. - bringing more play areas and activity options to the village, plus funding for oakwell would be a plus.

I live here and have comments to share,

The state of the road surface. Drains that are blocked which means the road flood as soon as it rains see chain bar near the hotel. The crossing points make the roads narrow so cars bunch up behind you. Those in high powered Volkswagen group cars who mount the pavement to get passed others so they can maintain an average speed of 100mph. The quad and motorbikes / scooters with no helmets, insurance or number plates - the police who always just miss them. The flyer tippers see hunsworth. Those who don’t trim their hedges, bushes and trees.

Buses to Leeds 4 per hour and then 1 after 7pm - joke. Leeds council removing access for cars but purposefully creating bottlenecks. Buses to Huddersfield rubbish. There’s nowt in Dewsbury, Bradford and soon nothing in Leeds too but students. Focusing on air pollution with no mass transport solution is stupid, removing access for cars in cities to force people to drive to batley, Dewsbury to then catch trains. No buses due to strikes for months, Public transport is run for banks and councils willing handover money to them not for the people

Public transport is pretty much nonexistent doesn’t run or go where I want it at the times I’d use it. Banning the car when there is no alternative is crazy. It rains, we have hills and the road surfaces are third world

Towns are dying and the shift online is being accelerated because of the stance to make life difficult in terms of access. No public transport makes life annoying, this is then compounded by the restrictions placed on cars so why bother just go online. This in turn means towns die, banks pulling out speeds this up business die as a combination. Buildings become vape shops and the spiral continues. There’s nice buildings round and about but they’re a shadow of their former selves no use means boarded up

Plenty of green spaces but people are tramps. Flytipping and littering is partial due to Kirklees council and what they do and don’t accept at tips - less questions on mastermind. More rules than anything - no tiles, no soil pay to remove this and that etc etc Plenty of people get takeaways and food and then open the door and drop the plastic bags and waste - walk round hunsworth

Less money - closing playgrounds. Teenagers hanging out getting drunk / high - nice and safe for kids in those that remain, Dog walkers allowing their animals to defecat nice,

Lack of nhs dentists. The ban on repeat prescriptions from Kirklees council and self righteous gp surgeries with nosey Barbara on reception. More houses - no new facilities apart from takeaways

Amazon warehouse - no thanks better off stacking shelves in Morrisons. Lots of low paid jobs. Britain is getting poorer a trip to Dublin can tell you that

It’s okay if you have money and pay to live in the nice areas. Kirklees council to move the fire station hq to build more houses in Birkenshaw is my example. More houses, no more amenities / schools. Birkenshaw roundabout is chaos and has overshot - making traffic queue at peak times creates gridlock - trebles all round for stupidity

The pub will they survive the pending recession? When it rains, no unless you drive to Starbucks or costa,

People are proud of Yorkshire. Kirklees probably not.

Most of the time yes. But I’m male and lucky. People are generally decent but there’s a minority who spoil it see previous comments - never any police around to see or stop them. Just needs the police to sit in cars for a bit off Bradford road and they’d have a field day but they drive round or sit in a speed van focusing on those who are generally law abiding to get cash out their wallet.

Nope - some areas are most aren’t. Sorting out the drains would be a start ensuring the roads don’t flood when it rains would be a start.

Community is a word used only when something has gone wrong and is then pushed by only one group of residents. Cultural change not hiding behind religion needs to happen / most want their family to live in peace with access to amenities and have a stress free life. Everyone is equal but some communities have yet to come to terms with that - men/ boys aren’t special or different

Stop doing the things that have been done because they always have been. Look at the issues and try and prioritise those - the council can’t do everything so focus on some key topics. Litter - look at what the council can do, why do people flytip and litter. Amenities - Huddersfield has two leisure centres in the tow centre but getting to them without a car if you don’t live their is a pain. Birkenshaw/ Cleckheaton means you can get to Dewsbury easily but not Huddersfield. Roads - make sure the drains aren’t blocked / footpaths are accessible

See previous responses. Local buses for the users Let residents be able to get rid of all forms of waste at tips Don’t deny the car without a viable solution first

Traffic at Birkenshaw roundabout is horrendous. The roadworks that should have taken 40 days are still ongoing nearly three months later. The disruption from the works has caused issues as we cannot avoid it due to where the entrance to our estate is. Also the new system operating during the week means there is more traffic queuing again making access to our estate difficult and access to the village difficult with traffic queuing up to the George pub and down to chain bar roundabout, cars turning round to avoid the traffic often mount pavements making it dangerous for pedestrians and on coming traffic. Speeding through the village is an issue but often the speed cans are only there weekend morning or late afternoons when the issues often arise during the evening.

Persistent damage to the park, with swings being burnt, glass bottles smashed and litter left everywhere.

Childrens play park often has smashed glass on the floor, this is also on the courts space. Equipment damaged and has been burnt on two occasions I have been. Litter is also a problem in these areas.

Crime rates are high, there is a lot of car thefts. We have had our catalytic converter stolen from beneath our car whilst parked outside our home. Lots of reports of burglary in the local area.

Traffic issues the new roundabout system has caused. Large groups of young people gathering in the village park on evenings and weekends, being abusive and causing damage to public property.

Reassess the works in the roundabout. Regular community police presence in the park on evenings or a local space of young people to access.

Limited services, poor first bus time., poor last time bus, high cost and limited shelter available.

Poor road layouts ( barriers were in place with no work for years). New layout (ongoing now) reduces the flow of traffic causing bigger queues and more congestion than there was before. This means vehicle travelling and queueing more increasing the pollution. Road surfaces are extremely bad with cheap but useless repairs done, that need work again in months. Road upgrades that should have taken 40 days to complete now over 3 months and still not done. No work being done during the week but only at weekends where out of 6 workers, three stand and talk for over 40 mins, two are on the phone for the same time and one working. Areas coned off for no reason restricting the traffic flow, increasing congestion and pollution due to having to drive slow and stop all the time.

Streets are dirty and moss covered, paths need weeding and surface repairs for paths needs work. An example would be the footpath between Norwood Crescent and Norwood Ave, which has overgrown hedge on one side and overgrown plants ( with thorns) on the other, then the wire fence is pushing right into footpath from the end house making it really hard for less mobile people being able to use it, forcing them to do a 400 yard round trip.

If the footpaths were better and peoples hedges were forced to be cut back it would be better.

Play areas are very limited in some areas due to the land that was used as play areas is now housing.

With the latest housing planned on Whitehall road opposite the Heathfied farm restaurant, along with the large completed development next to the same restaurant the pressure on local services will be extreme, Doctors and Schools are already swamped and the continued development will only bring further chaos to the roads, especially given the restrictive work being put in place. Need more options for meeting and having a meet that don’t serve alcohol. Limited activity places and with the demolition of some local meeting places to make way for housing it is becoming an area where you need a car to get to activities or several buses ( really hard to access on a Saturday and Sunday.)

Very few work opportunities for even part time work. The loss of church based community centres demolished for housing means there are very limited community based meeting places.

There has been far to much development already and with more planned in locations that will need private car transport then even if they are social housing the local services will not be able to cope. Eg. Local school takes 200 new children a year but get 900 requests, more new housing will make this worse.

Apart from public houses there are almost none. Community centre in village is used for a nursery and there are very few other places to meet or run activities outside these.

The community spirit is failing due to most people having to drive to take part in activities especially after 5pm. This with a lack of community based buildings means that it is becoming a drive through village.

The lack of commits based events and building means there is no feeling of community and the lack of activities in the areas means that the playgrounds and spaces get taken over by gangs of youths who can create intimidating areas where people will not go after a certain time. The time for police services to arrive once a complaint has been made is so long that the youths ignore the possibility and people have stopped calling them as by the time they turn up the people have long since gone. If there were areas for the youth to go, it may reduce the incidences of vandalism and intimidation.

There is feeling of neglect an decay in the village, The streets are untidy and there is a need to de weed and sort the streets. There are very few public buildings left and the empty old post office needs looking at.

Consultation with Kirklees is pathetic, especially with road repair and housing planning. This is partly due to people having to use private transport and not getting to read the notices fixed to the lampposts. It is as if Kirklees are just throwing things into the area without really thinking about the future services and needs. (Eg restricting and slowing the traffic flows around the roundabout and building way more houses than the local services will ever be able to support, forcing people to travel using private cars etc to get to essential services such as schools, medical services, dental services that are none existent in the village. People protest but it makes no difference. Eg the planned Whitehall Road housing project, where all these issues were brought up and over ruled.. The decision to locate the replacement post office at the outermost edge of Birkenshaw, 10 / 15 mins walk uphill from the village itself. Now a bus or car journey for the less able.

The improvement of traffic flow through the roundabout area to reduce traffic queues and congestion at peak times, rather than the idiotic plan to reduce the flow round the roundabout and have huge queues in 4 directions at peak times. Improve the roads surfaces that have been neglected for years. Force homeowners to keep their trees bushes and fences from blocking footpaths. Improve local community spaces to bring back places the community can use and meet. Create spaces for activities so that the local young people have somewhere to go and have something to do. STOP any further housing development in area that cannot support it.

Spend some money to develop the local communities rather than spending hundreds of millions on Kirklees HQ area in Huddersfield. Huddersfield seems to get everything and a disproportionate amount of money spent on it compared to these local areas. Just because you have planned to build x amount of houses, don’t just say put them there. Actually put the houses in a place that has the infrastructure to support them and not just because the area has some space. Communicate better with the community to better plan and develop the local area rather than just override every objection that is brought up.

Birkenshaw suffers from the worst of two worlds being on the border with Bradford and Kirklees. There are many housing developments in the area both ongoing and planned yet local resources are stretched to the limit healthcare and education being the worst at the moment. We have access problems at both ends, the roadworks on the roundabout are not surprisingly taking longer than expected and reducing the road surface area will only make matters worse. At the top towards Bradford we have ridiculous queues because the lights are not synchronised with the many lights on Tong street. Consequently one can sit and watch the lights change several times before moving a cars length as a wagon or bus or other vehicles straddle the box junction. For a shift worker this is exceptionally frustrating. On the few times the lights have been out of order the traffic has flowed much easier as the majority of road users apply a little common sense and courtesy, I appreciate however that there are exceptions to the rule. I have lived in Birkenshaw for more than 35 years but am seriously considering a move from the area.

The roads around the locality are not wide enough to support cycle lanes. Especially with the number of cars parked on the roadside which has risen exponentially over the years.

Too sporadic. Could not effectively plan a journey using public transport.

Too many cars parked on the roadway effectively turning roads into one way chicanes.

Many of the open spaces currently available to walk are under threat from developers.

Air quality is chiefly determined by greenery but again trees and fields are under threat. Destroying these to build more houses to increase local population and vehicle usage means we are creating problems for future generations.

Judging by the crime and disturbances in the area there is not enough to keep people occupied.

Health facilities in the area are vastly oversubscribed getting an appointment at the doctors is now extremely difficult.

Planning permission has been granted on land that a few years ago was denied due due to access, that says it all!!!

Currently I am proud to live where I do, however this is becoming less so as years progress.

I used to feel safe here now I do not venture out after dark.

I have made my views known on planning in the area but it is a complete waste of time.

Planning, air quality, healthcare, education,

Apply some logical thinking ie common sense. Listen to local people and act on their views

Resident in Birkenshaw I would like to express my views

I regularly cycle and walk and believe there is plenty of cycle ways and walk ways. (Although on bin days you have to walk about dodging bins

There are plenty of bus stops the only issue is when there striking. It would be perfect if Birkenshaw had a train station but Low Moor isn’t far away which is a great stop

Parking isn’t really a problem except that horrendous RV parked on the pavement at the bottom of Old Lane which has been there now for a few years. When will that get moved? Traffic at chain bar round about is dreadful and getting out of station lane on to Bradford road between 4-6pm can get pretty hectic.

Birkenshaw is blessed with lots of greenery the few empty commercial properties let it down and now need taking over and cleaning it

Plenty of places to walk and take exercise and enjoy in the area

Birkenshaw has a great selection of shops and pubs, chemist, vets and doctors surgery although I’m lucky I don’t need the doctors I do believe that it’s impossible to get appointment / through on the telephone

There are lots going on via Facebook promoting local groups / plenty of pubs to meet in great area for socialising

Don’t know anything about Birkenshaw history

It has started to go downhill this last 2 years with balaclava clad youths riding on motorbikes in the area. This needs stopping before it gets even worse and becomes the norm

Most buildings look and appear clean and maintained just the odd few let the town down. Main one being the post office

I would love the RV at the bottom of Old Lane removing as it spoils the appearance of the area, makes it unsafe waking around it. The post office needs taking over. The balaclava clad youths need stopping before they take over the area and stop people going out.

Issuing a notice on the RV motor home to move then clamping it and taking it away to be scrapped. Owners of post office issues with a summons to make the building good or force a sale Police / community officers to arrest take out the balaclava clad youths

No cycle routes to Leeds, Bradford or Huddersfield.

Nearest bus stop to Leeds is 1.5 miles away and rarely arrives. The 255 and 254 routinely miss 0855 and 0907 times. Nearest train station is 3 miles. Public transport around here sucks and makes getting around without a car torture.

Traffic is often atrocious being on a main route between 3 major cities with driver quality being well below the national par. Estates keep getting built without upgrading the existing infrastructure compounding traffic issues with each house that is built due to the poor public transport links. Couple this with schools runs on major routes and traffic can build up.

Birkenshaw itself is easy to get around. Needs more green spaces and protection of existing ones by way of enforcement. Something the council seems hell bent on not actioning.

Green spaces are often taken up by horse riders who do not stick to bridleways and leave piles of manure on footpaths and destroy protected greenspaces.

There are playparks for kids. Not much for the adults.

No, most opportunities exist in Leeds.

Local council enforcement is shockingly bad.

Better public transport Protection and enforcement of green spaces Traffic

Have more public Transport. Use existing protections and laws to enforce laws on green spaces rather than just ignoring them. Stop planning houses on already strained infrastructure.

Sometimes buses aren’t always reliable due to cancellations but they are frequent enough

Lots of people park on junctions on busy roads making it very risky when trying to see other cars.

Birkenshaw in bloom really make the place look great

Parks are run down and not that much to do

There are a few business but I’m not sure it offered a lot of jobs

There are so many different housing areas it have plenty of variety

I’m not completely sure what is available but I feel there are a lot of community event and play groups etc

I don’t know about the history of birkenshaw but I do feel like I belong

There seems to be a lot of crime reported on social media but I feel safe in the day time but not at night

There are a couple of empty shops..the old post office for example which lets down the area

Yes there seems to be an opportunity to do this

Roads and parking as it is quite dangerous where cars are parked on junctions. Pathways are quite uneven and the parks could do with looking after

Parking restriction near junctions, parks updates, re surfacing paths that are really bad

Bus routes are very limited for Birhenshaw, you often have to go into bigger cities then travel out again to get to other towns 10 minutes or so from Birkenshaw.

The main A58 often gets snarled up with traffic avoiding the motorway. This will be even worse now with the new system at Halfway roundabout, going from 2 lane feed to single lane feed.

Birkenshaw park is quickly becoming a no go area, especially at night with large groups of youths in hostile gangs.

The housing is very expensive compared with other local towns meaning that young people cannot afford to stay in the area.

Most snickers are over grown. no cycle paths. Pot holes on most side roads

Bus service seems good. No train station though. Should re open the old railway like low moor have

Parking is limited in the village. The on road parking near the co-op is dangerous limits the view of traffic coming up Bradford road

Not really the park is full of wasted space that isn’t used. There are no green spaces for dog walking so people use the graveyard as a dog park

No green places other than park and graveyard.

Park is too small. Wasted grass verges which only get used for dog. A school in cleckheaton has apparently designed a new park. Why local school children didn’t do this I don’t know

Not enough school places at NEW academy. Doctors services are stretched to breaking point. The places to go eat are expensive high end restaurant and one coffee shop

Youths tearing round on motorbikes poorly lit overgrown snickets. No lighting around the park.

Looks generally scruffy litter on streets, weeds growing everywhere not seen a road sweeper in years

No people from outside the area generally make the decisions

Better green spaces. Upgrade of park to make better use of the space. More for young people (youth club is similar) there is very little for young kids to do except hang around the park.

Put some money into upgrading the area

To help develop the village in to a happy place to live

There are plenty of walking routes in and around Birkenshaw, however, I would say to cycle its a little less easy. We do live on the main road which doesn't help. We feel safe walking most routes, sometimes it can be intimidating walking past the bowling green which isn't very well lit and a big hang out spot for kids.

We don't really use public transport, however, to go to Leeds I have to walk down 15mins to the nearest bus stop and also if I need to get to work in Wakefield again its probable 20mins nothing runs on the main road through Birkenshaw to either city.

Traffic is horrendous morning and night in Birkenshaw. Traffic up to Tong and Bradford is always bad on a morning and most recently the route down towards the roundabout heading to Gomersal has been bad due to traffic works on the roundabout.

I think the area around the bowling green could be improved, with better lighting, more open fewer shrubs and bushes. The post office needs something done to it, it's just going to ruin! Something could be done with the nature area at the top of Birkenshaw and also the land to the side of TNT

I think natural spaces are there but need improving

We have the use of the church hall that's about it for facilities. i don't think these are promoted enough.

I think the housing within the community is fine

its very limited but yet not used enough by groups or groups wanting to set up

i think Birkenshaw has a positive feeling yes and I feel I below here. The Birkenshaw village association does help to promote the are, I feel there lack of social media knowledge doesn't promote the area quite as well as it used to.

Yes apart from the area arond the bowling green

Yes now the Chinese has had a face lift the centre looks good apart from the old post office

Not really we need more from the Birkenshaw village associate or council .

Better lighting by the bowling green, remove, reduce the shrubs to open it up and do something with the post office.

better lighting, remove shrubs by the bowling green. Im not too sure what can be done with the post office, maybe find the owners and demand money is spent on it or sell it

Birkenshaw is extremely accessible with plenty of routes. There are roads which require re-tarmacking and there are multiple walking routes where there are bushes, trees and thorns which are overgrown which have not been maintained by the council.

I don't use public transport as I am fortunate enough to have my own vehicle but I have used buses when going to Leeds which always run regularly. Perhaps there could be a direct bus to the nearest train station which would make accessing trains easier.

There has been road works in Birkenshaw for months and months which has caused a huge amount of disruption and it has been continuous. These has caused issues in terms of drivers driving on pavements which affected pedestrians due to impatience and subsequently this has caused traffic backlogs. At the bottom of Threelands in Birkenshaw vehicles regularly park on the corners and pavements which makes it extremely difficult to drive left or turn right on to the main road and is often dangerous. There is insufficient parking.

Birkenshaw is beautiful, but just requires maintenance of public footpaths to make it more attractive and graffiti removing at the back of the old co-op.

There are numerous walks in Birkenshaw which are stunning and are beautiful to walk. However most of the public footpaths have routes with overgrown bushes with thorns which is difficult to walk through especially with dogs. The council absolutely need to maintain these footpaths.

There is one park in Birkenshaw which has sufficient play and recreation facilities but the area has had recent cause for concern with gangs and vandalism occurring.

Birkenshaw is a thriving village which is hugely supported by it's community and continues to do so. The only building which is a concern is the old post office which is left derelict and if you walk past the building, you can see it has attempted to be broken in to. The concern is squatters moving there. There have been businesses for sale and have been sold in relatively short timescales so why can't the old post office be sold and turned into a thriving business for the community?

Birkenshaw has excellent housing and is completely inclusive and representative of all people.

There are lots of opportunities for people to meet together, however it would be wonderful if Birkenshaw had another coffee shop open on the weekends so people could congregate when not working.

Birkenshaw is a fantastic community and I feel fortunate to live here.

I feel completely safe in Birkenshaw and walk round the village at all times of the days. There have been occasional gangs in the evening but no community could ever claim that it was perfect.

There are thriving businesses who take care of their premises and buildings but the footpaths are scruffy and overgrown and need maintaining to a much higher standard by Kirklees council. There is also graffiti on the back of the old co-op building which has never been removed.

Locala authorities don't seem to get involved with the community and if they do, feedback is never shared. Effective communication is key when informing about concerns, traffic/congestion, policing, education, health etc.

Maintenance of public walkways and footpaths Care and maintenance of buildings i.e. removal of graffiti. Better communication with local agencies regarding Birkenshaw community as a whole Allowing old derelict buildings (the post office) to be bought and turned into a positive business for the community.

Meetings with the Kirklees council and the community to allow opinions of residents to be voiced and for the council to take a proactive approach.

The paths around station lane need maintenance, alot of tree roots have damaged the path. With the school traffic alot of pedestrians use the paths so they are utilised alot. Generally the routes feel safe across the village. We dont have many cyclists in the area so that isnt a problem.

Lots of access to bus stops throughout the village. The bus stop/shelters are abit tatty and probably need replacing on bradford road by the old lane shop. Alot of people in the village commute into Leeds therefore you always see alot of people waiting at the bus stop.

The new roundabout is under construction and its causing alot of issues at the moment as the number of lanes have been reduced so its causing tailbacks throughout the village. Parking in the village is adequate. I think we need speed cameras on Bradford Road from Drighlington Roundabout towards the half way house, its a 30mph road but the standard speed tends to be above 40mph which proves difficult. Also we get alot of car racing/speeding between tong and heckmondwike. Permanent speed cameras would deter the speeding on this routes. The top of Ghyllroyd Drive is very tight turn, cars have to mount the pavement if a car is turning at the top of the road. Birkenshaw is used as a through route when the M62 is busy during peak hours. This is impactful for the village.

The local flower society look after the area outside the firestation and the small park area across the road from the fire station, this always looks nice. The local Birkenshaw Village Association do alot for the local community to make it a nice place to live. The main park next to the church is due for a refit however communcation has gone quiet on when that will happen. In the village a have a derelict post office, this has been left for over 10 years. A number of local business owners have tried to contact the owner however the owner just leaves the building in disrepair and shows no interest in the building. The derelict post office is in a prime location and should be used for the community not left to rot.

The play area is terrible, its needs replacing for all ages of children not just for toddlers. The new plans for the area dont meet the standards of what is required

GP surgery in Birkenshaw is terrible, they dont have enough resource to support the village. More houses have been added and the council havent provided enough facilities to support the additional housing. School is good and so are the local nurseries but again they have massive waiting lists. Birkenshaw Primary needs the buildings investing in. Year 5 and 6 are in portacabins, the building need extending to support the number of children and increase the facilities for the children.

Lots of work opportunities in the local area and close to city centres

Houses are being crammed into the village into all spaces so we are running out of green spaces and its more urbanised. The types of houses vary, mix of owned and private. We also have alot of sheltered housing for the retired.

No spaces for the teenagers in the area, they tend to hand around the park causing antisocial behaviour.

Birkenshaw is a nice place to live, the BVA do alot to support the people who live in Birkenshaw. The firestation is at the hub of the village so this plays a big part in community events.

Neighbours look out for each other however we do get alot of issues from Holwood area/Top of tong. Kids on quads/bikes wearing face coverings which causes us to feel unsafe. Also alot of theft from gardens/out buildings etc..

Lots of dog poo from dog walkers. Park area is a mess, lots of litter and broken glass.

BVA however this is funded privately. Not really sure how we can contribute to decision making, everything seems to fall on deaf ears with our local planning department and councillors

Traffic issues in the village- need for speed cameras The derelict post office Lack of infrastucture in the village to support the growing population- e.g investment in the school buildings and the doctors surgery

More funding to the local school to extend the building More doctor surgeries Seize the derelict post office building from the existing owner so it cant fall into further disrepair and be sold and used for the local community whether its another shop etc so its invested in

We live on Mill Lane which without pavements/speed limit signs or any deterrent to speeding motorist, its an accident waiting to happen. Especially at school time as the path up to the school is just off Mill Lane so used by lots of children. Not safe at all. Park is lovely and as a family we have used it several times.

No. Referring back to Mill Lane. There is no pathway for pedestrians and motorists use it as a cut through from Town Street to Bradford Road. They speed along Mill Lane (one way), the house who's garden backs onto Mill Lane from Threeways have put up a huge fence which blocks the view around the corner for both motorists and pedestrians. The wall which was originally put there was lowered for this purpose, but now they have put a fence blocking any visibility at all.

As a family we are happy with everything we have to hand

The speeding issues on Mill Lane. I have been in contact with Kim Leadbetter about this. We live in the corner and have seen first hand the speed at which the road is used. We would like speed humps along the road and are prepared to contribute towards the cost of installing them. The road is unsafe for us trying to get out of our drive (I've lost count the number of times we've nearly had our front ends wiped out because of the speed of some of the drivers) and of course, for pedestrians. I've asked people to slow down and am met with a load of verbal abuse. Its not acceptable, its dangerous and there will be a nasty accident if the issue is not addressed.

Ideally, us and the residents further along would like to see the road made a dead end just where the little path is up to the school. Failing that, we would like speed humps (full ones, not the pointless squares people drive over) along Mill Lane

Too many vehicles use Whitehall road when there is trouble with the m62 (which is all the time)

Too many houses have been built, and they are still passing plans for more

Too many trees have been removed to build houses.

The main childrens play area is used by youths taking drugs.

We only have a small doctors and most appointments are for Birstall as Birkenshaw doesn’t have any. Schools are going to struggle with all the proposed housing. The old post office is an eyesore and would be better used as a shop again.

We have some good local businesses but not enough

The roundabout is going to be worse when it’s finished causing more stationary traffic. It’s not a positive view of the area

Problem with youths on bikes, and traffic speeding. Weekends there’s lots of youths hanging around in the park. It doesn’t feel safe being out on the streets.

Need traffic to flow better ( not single lanes on the roundabout) better facilities and stop future housing plans being passed

No decent cycle routes and a lot or traffic around the middle of Birkenshaw. A58 is very dangerous due to vehicle speed and the new round about doesn’t look to have a good cycle route

Average public transport but for the price it costs I haven’t used in over 6 months

Very little car parking other than road side and traffic in most places pass very fast. Not enough parking for the shops

The outside space for children is very poor and unkept, no football goals on the Kingsley pitch for kids to use

Oakwell hall is a great place and great asset to the area but needs some investment

What’s spaced??? The one we have are a joke.

Investment in the area would bring retail investment both are needed we don’t use the local gp as can’t get in. But we do have some good places to eat and drink

Yes lots of homes for the community but loosing the feel of a village atmosphere due to the over expansion of houses

Other than pubs i don’t know of anything in the local area

The identity could be more possessive but with the effort of the locals it’s getting better. The setback is the people moving through and up to know good

During the day yes but a lack of local police driving through mainly due to the location in Kirklees. Ready need our own PCSO on an evening

Very poor looking after in communal areas. Kids areas need investment. Shame the old post office is left in such a condition

What platforms can be used to help with decisions? Little to no feedback received on planning issues

Traffic in the area. Crime coming into the area from outside. Kids spaces

Understand the local residence needs

Too many cars parked on pavements

Friendly people, if you bother to chat!

1. There didn’t appear to be much consultation about the changes to the roundabout. 2. The letter from Kirklees telling us about this survey was received on 29th September. Too late for the meeting on 23rd and 28th September. We are unable to attend the one in October.

Involve local residents in the decision making process for changes to the village.

the mini roundabout by fire service, cones have been displayed for at least a year without any work taken place, it's an eye sore!!!!! now the work has started it's taking a while on and off, why does is it taking so long?

The only complaint is when the motorways M62/M606 are servicing and maintaining, the traffic through the night is re-directed through Birkenshaw, I live on A58, I'm unable to leave a window open due to the heavy traffic noise!!

I'm unaware of any groups in the area! it would be helpful to get a schedule of groups and dates they are on.

Prices are quite expensive, difficult for the young to stay in this area.

I only know of pubs and restaurants, not sure of any groups that meet.

I feel part of the place, however i'm unsure of any local groups that meet regularly.

Not sure who the local resident's group is and not sure when they meet to enable me to get involved.

Not sure who or when local groups meet.

Knowing how we can get involved in local social events. who are the local groups to enable involvement.

Send out a list of groups in our area and the dates they meet.

No cycle paths and footpath especially on Birkenshaw bottoms are all damaged from previous works and have been filled in badly

Buses to Leeds on a regular basis but only use once or twice a year

No homes have too many cars and no parking for them which causes no end of issue, double parking etc

Yes oakwell on door step and park up in the village

Not enough doctors or schools in the area. Building more houses without investing in the area. No improvements made to roads especially resurfacing moor lane/Birkenshaw bottoms. Needs properly resurfacing not stone chipping as this covers the potholes but doesn’t fix the issues.

Try to use local handymen but the area is better for not having big businesses and people travelling for work due to the motorway links.

No more homes needed until facilities for doctors etc are created.

Don’t feel that Birkenshaw has an identity. It’s the back end of everywhere and feels like we don’t want to be part of Bradford and Kirklees council keep trying to get rid or forget about us.

Yes the street cleaner does a fantastic job just a shame that people can’t clean up after themselves

Roads and doctors need investment and no more planning permission for new housing until that is done

Council issuing clauses for planning and checking that they are met

unable to attend community consultation. Advised of the first two dates after the event!

Bradford Road and Whitehall Road are rat runs. We have cars coming down the road at high speed. I would not want my child on a bike on this road. That is why children cycle on the pavements. The revisions to the roundabout will make it safer for pedestrians, especially children to cross the road safer. However if the roundabout is now a single lane this will continue to cause congestion and add polution to an area which is already high polluted.

We are part of the Kirklees borough but if we want to get a bus to huddersfield we have to get a bus into either Batley, Cleckheaton or Leeds and then another bus or train to huddersfield. The links are very poor. This limits options for college and leeds to Children in our area going outside of the borough for their further education. Great bus service to Leeds, Bradford and Dewsbury!

For reasons already said, Birkenshaw is cross sectioned by two very busy roads carrying traffic from chain bar to bradford, leeds or dewsbury. There need to be more speed camera's to reduce the joy riders.

very little public space. The playground in Birkenshaw is woeful but i understand there are well over due plans for it to be renovated. The roundabout leading to Birkenshaw is just concrete. Birkenshaw has some lovely old buildings on the main street and some great little cafe's and shops but parking is limited. The derelict post office massively lets the area down. It is hard to enjoy the place in rush hour or in wet / windy weather where the noice of the motorway can be heard in birkenshaw, gomersal and parts of Birstall. Noise reduction around the motorway would make a significant difference to this area and pollution reduction initiatives would improve the health of the residents. Old trees and green spaces being cut down by property developers. New houses coming up everywhere taking away the countryside and space for children to play.

Impact of the motorway - visibility , noise and pollution. Green areas being taken up by housing estates. Some space around the church but limited. Children play in the fields behind the co op which is less than ideal and not always safe.

Absolutely nothing or nowhere to go for teenagers.

Nice pubs, shops, Cafe etc in the village

we have good access to opportunities in say Leeds

I suspect there are not enough family homes (3 to 4 bedroom houses) but we do not have the space for them!

yes, good community spirit in pubs and shops. The BVA do a lot of good work to bring the community together

in the whole people like living in and being part of birkenshaw. The BVA does a lot of good work here too.

I think we need more cameras on the main street and speed control to make it feel safer.

The community does what it can. The park spaces need to be much much better and for all ages of children.

This is the first time i have ever been asked and i heard about the first consultation online when the community were commenting about the fact that they didnt know what this was about! I do get involved in the BVA sometimes

Less housing development. The GP's cannot cope with the demand of the community as it is! Traffic, Pollution, noise, removal of green spaces

Initiatives around the motorway low noise surfacing on the road noise barriers and fencing More trees! Speed cameras Areas for children to meet and socialise in safely

Most of the walking and cycling are on the pavements/roads - there are some public pathways and bridleways but no real 'greenways'

The public transport serves a number of areas and run early enough on a morning to be able to reach Leeds.

Trying to park on a side road outside where I live can be a problem when there are events at the local church or at the fire and rescue head quarters aa there is lot more traffic than usual. Also at school time the road past the primary school is very congested.

Personally I think Birkenshaw has a really nice look and feel to it - especially along the A651 up from the fire and rescue HQ up through the village. The only eyesore at present is the ongoing roadworks that are well beyond the 40day expected timeframe.

Quite a green area in terms of trees etc - especially along the main roads. The play area in the park could use a little TLC, the roundabout especially as it could probably use a bit of oil on its bearings.

As stated previously the play are could use a bit of TLC, the roundabout is quite stiff and could use a drop of oil on its bearings. It would also benefit from another piece of playground equipment as there is unused space (following the removal of some items).

Quite a well stocked area - however we do not have a library.

I commute into Leeds for work, however having had a look at the local job market I cant say it has a lot of offer me personally.

There is to my knowledge no local social or housing association houses within Birkenshaw, I rent privately however over the last couple of years the rents have started to go up and up. I may end up been forced out of the area do to the cost of rent. I would love to see more affordable homes to rent for local people.

I don't go out socialising but from what I can see we have plenty of cafes and pubs and restaurants in the local area.

I think the BVA (BIrkenshaw Village Association) does a fantastic job of trying to bring the community together and give us something to enjoy. Christmas lights, Christmas fayre and other events through out the year.

Apart from a couple of rowdy neighbours its a very peaceful quiet area, I have never personally been a victim of crime here and have always felt safe.

overall I would say yes however there are the some areas that could use a bit of tlc - the old (now empty) post office for one.

1 - Affordable housing for local people. 2 - Bit of TLC to the park area. 3 - Maybe run some social clubs for adults / kids from the church hall area on an evening.

Affordable Housing, if there is a an area or areas where a housing association could be used to build and or supply homes for rent with initial priority to local people.

Walking is good as there exists a network of footpaths. Cycling would be better if cycle lanes were adopted on our busiest roads.

more regular services would always help,

Children's play areas could be expanded or enhanced.

Building has prioritised high cost housing over recent years. Would like to see more affordable homes or a greater emphasis on green builds or refurbishment.

Increase in rented properties over the last few years has led to some poor management of building stock.

I think there is a need to prioritise a green future for Birkenshaw. We need better green housing, better and safer cycling and better public transport,

Grants for home improvement. Cycle lanes. Increased frequency ofn bus routes.

75 and over

There is a lot of parking on the pavement down Old Lane, such that pushchairs and the like often are forced into the road.

The facilities at the health centre are not always as available as they used to be. Sometimes I have had to go to Blackburn Road

Stop people parking on the pavement

I live in Birkenshaw and you put a letter through our door.

very few bus stops, very few bus routes pass through Birkenshaw and very infrequent. Train station a long way away.

only on street parking in main shopping street. Problem for both shoppers and shop owners. Two main routes cross here.

Just a handy drive to the main centres of Bradford, Leeds, Halifax etc.

Don't think Birkenshaw has anything to idetify with !

Would think twice about going on foot from one end of Birkensaw to the other at night unless using the main roads.

Motorway noise intrusive. Too much traffic, no bypass for traffic to/from Huddersfield/Leeds/Halifax/Bradford/Wakefield/ The M62 ! Too much new building without considderation of upgrading infrastructure just a political pawn in Kirklees politics.

Sound baffles in areas arround the M62. Put lower weight limit on A62 through Birkenshaw. Dedicated cycle ways. Shoppers car park. Park land with childrens play area not football pitch (that is only used on odd occasions and causes irrasponsible car parking)

ParentMail from birkenshaw first school

I can but I think my son who is 13 can get tarnished my the teenage brush for dressing a certain way therefore chooses to go to gonersal a lot more. Birkenshaw park esp teatime he has told me people smoking weed and camping so unfortunately he doesn’t go very much anymore. He used to enjoy playing football there, would be good for there to be a football pitch for them to play on with nets etc

Like I said previously I think the younger generation don’t have many places to go to esp where there isn’t people up to naughty things etc like vaping/smoking weed

More police walking the streets. These boys on motorbikes with balarclarvas on put the fear of god in me that one day theyl be a big accident. Down Bradford road from tong into the village/station lane often drivers that are driving too fast or on the wrong side of the road, but the police are never there and they don’t get caught

People on motorbikes and cars driving far too fast. People smoking weed in birkenshaw park therefore my son doesn’t go to the park like he used to to play football

More community police officers walking round and actually having a word with these people/ police cars getting these people driving too fast and not just the people who are doing a few miles over the speed limit

Received letter through post asking to take part in survey. Resident of Birkenshaw.

There are some public footpaths, for example behind Bosco's down to the fields but they are really overgrown with brambles.

I don't use public transport often, if I do it's usually to go into Leeds very occasionally. The past couple of times I have needed I've found them unreliable, missing completely or late. The bus stops themselves seem in an ok location. I don't use them enough to comment.

Parking is ok, though sometimes it can be hazardous pulling out of the co-op or Allen Croft where I live as difficult to see if vans parked. I don't mind that through I would prefer that we keep the parking available.

I live next to the park by St Pauls and it is kept clean by Kirklees I think on a daily basis which is needed after the groups of youths that hang around. The old Post Office next to Hopkins Butchers is an eyesore which I understand there are reasons behind why nothing can be done with it.

There are the fields around though as mentioned below some of the access routes are overgrown. I've lived here 7 years, there are possibly spaces I'm not aware of. I do take my dog into the open space just off Station Lane past the primary school which is a good space.

There is the park but due to anti social behaviour it is not always a nice place to be. This seems to get better for a short time and then the motorbikes return. In the main it is a nice space that kids can play and use the basketball / football court.

The high school is very convenient for us, Birkenshaw has a good range of bars and eating out places (The pubs, Boscos, Readmans, Heathfield). The co-op is very handy and the butchers is good quality. I am happy to live here. I do go to Cleckheaton for the doctors as I was never happy with Birkenshaw / Birstall surgery when trying to get appointments.

I wouldn't know the answer to this as I am employed myself but I would imagine there would be services to help if needed

I think the amount of new homes may become a problem. I understand that 600 people applied for 200 spaces at BBG last year?

I do see groups etc on Facebook, whether it be a walking group, rugby group, craft group.. There is the local church. I think if I needed to meet people I would be able to. I know there is also the Birkenshaw Village Association and if I wanted to get involved I could contact them (I have other things I am involved in so not looking to be at the moment)

I am very happy living in Birkenshaw and would not want to move. The only thing that spoils it for me is when we have anti social behaviour in the park.

In many ways I feel very safe in Birkenshaw, it's a nice place to live. The only thing that spoils it is when we have anti-social behaviour in the park, whether it be the motorbikes, horses, kids letting off fireworks etc.. It gets better for a time and then can happen again. Apart from this I feel safe here and have no fear taking my dog for a walk on a night for example.

I recently contacted the councilor regarding ASB in the park, I do believe that I was listened to and it is something they are trying to address. I also have had visits from Safer at Kirklees.

I have not mentioned this so far, however the changes to the roundabout that have been made seem to have made the roads far far worse. The traffic is constantly backed up and I personally avoid it going round the houses to get to where I need to be. I know this appers to be the biggest issue on social media for the village.

The roundabout needs putting back to two lanes and a crossing a little further away from the roundabout for the students at BBG.

75 and over

Parking at school times in Hazel Close is dreadful, you can’t park outside your home at certain times and as all the residents are elderly it can be awkward at times.

Birkenshaw is such a lovely, quiet place to live, especially as we moved here from Staincliffe which is an awful place.

Don’t really look for open spaces in the area

There are no run down neglected, run down properties as there are in so many areas in Kirklees

No issues or changes, it’s just a pity that other local areas In Kirklees are not as nice as Birkenshaw, maybe if we had more good councillors and an MP who did actually care about ALL the people of Batley and Spen things may be better.

I am not aware of any cycle routes in the area except for a couple of cross country ones, these don’t really take you anywhere. If you want to cycle you have to take your life in your hands on the busy roads. There are a few footpaths which take you into fields. During lockdown these became quite busy and this resulted in a litter problem. There is the debacle with the roundabout “improvements”. I think this was meant to make road crossings easier for pedestrians. It does nothing for cyclists. Apparently work is delayed because it isn’t safe for the workers. Whoever organised this should be ashamed.

Public transport is decent though I expect most people would want more buses. Real shame there isn’t a train station anywhere near by!

I live on the Southcroft estate and it is a nightmare between 8-30 and 9 and then 3 to 3-30. The way people park is a disgrace. Because there is only one way onto/out of the estate it means it is a no go area at these times. Many people speed up and down the main road even though we have quite frequent speed cameras. We seem to have a lot of house building going on and this results in temporary traffic lights which seem to remain in place for long periods.

Not sure we have anything like landmarks and interesting buildings?

There are the 2 commons plus footpaths through the fields. Not great for people with mobility issues.

Not sure we have much opportunities for play and recreation?

Coop is a good amenity. Shame that the Health Centre is only a satellite facility for the GPs. Seem to have plenty of cafes/pubs etc. The old post office needs sorting out so that someone can make use of the building.

It is a sought after village. Not much affordable housing and new builds all tend to be on the large and detached side of the spectrum. Kirklees have their targets but it doesn’t look like school places/GPs etc are thought about when granting permission.

Apart from cafes/pubs the only option is around the church. If various groups use these facilities I don’t know who they so can’t get involved.

There is a Facebook page that tries to increase the community spirit. But not everyone has access to Facebook

I feel safe except when there are large groups of youths congregating. Not sure how safe younger females feel.

Apart from a couple of derelict shops (eg old post office) most buildings are reasonably cared for. There was a problem with dog mess a few years ago but the primary school had a bit of a campaign to improve things which it did. Hope things don’t drift back to how they were.

Kirklees and the GPs don’t ask my opinions or ask me to get involved.

1) Sort the roundabout out. 2) Impossible but sort out parking and access to Southcroft estate at dropping off/pick up times. 3) If even more houses are going to be built then ensure that the infrastructure is there before any houses are built.

Cycling would be incredibly unsafe due to heavy traffic, poorly maintained roads and no cycle routes.

There are now even less buses to Leeds and Bradford, and none to Wakefield or Huddersfield. There are also no train links. I rely on my car for work in Wakefield; it would take me 2.5 hours to get there otherwise.

The village is attractive but the streets are densely packed with traffic. The roadworks on the roundabout have been going on for literally years, and the roads are so poorly maintained that people regularly get damage to their cars.

There is Oakwell Hall, but again it is densely populated.

Plenty of classes but I don't have children.

The bare basics are there but you couldn't spend a day out in Birkenshaw.

There's an active economy for buying the basics, but any work is minimum wage and therefore not liveable without help after 10 years of Tory austerity.

Family homes are incredibly expensive to buy.

I don't go to any but I'm aware that they exist.

Fairly positive but not many things you can do without kids.

Buildings are well maintained but the roads are abysmal.

Better maintained roads and public transport that actually exists.

Spending some of the extra council tax money (it goes up every year) on fixing the roads and improving public transport.

Over grown bushes hanging over paths so have to walk on roads

No Birkenshaw Lane is terrible for cars parking

Not a shop below Whitehall Road anymore

Kirklees Council need to do more cause Birkenshaw are always forgotten about

Not leave Birkenshaw till last or never at all

I think the village walking routes are good, well placed, and meet the requirements of most of the village's inhabitants. The quality of the surface of the walking routes is a different matter. Most of the routes are very poorly surfaced, with many of them being very uneven. I don't consider that cyclists and walkers should always have priority over motorists. They should all be equal and should all consider other users. Most of the paths in the village are well lit.

I rarely use public transport so don't feel qualified to comment.

We live very near to the school so we are very aware of the problems caused by traffic and congestion in our part of the village. At peak times Station Lane and Mill Lane are dangerously congested with cars parked on both sides of Station Lane, obstructing footpaths and polluting the air by having their engines running for long periods of time. As far as I know, there are no car parks in the village, except for at the Co-op and limited street parking. Traffic calming measures in the village are very few and should be increased. i.e. by imposing 20mph speed limits on the main road through the village and on Station Lane.

As far as I know, there are no public spaces in the village apart from the play ground at the back of the bowling green.

I don't think that there are any natural spaces in the village. The Moor off Station Lane could be a very useful space. There should also be more seats in the village, to add to the ones around the bowling green and at the roundabout.

I think the services referred to in this section are woefully inadequate, if not non-existent!

I think this is an area where our village actually shines! The school, shops, eateries, and health provisions are very good. I do believe that the Health Centre should be open more than it is, and could be used a lot more than it is. For example, it could be used for monthly hearing clinics, eye clinics, mental health clinics, chiropody clinics. It's a great building, lets use it! The village is fairly compact and the facilities can be reached by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.

As a retired person, I cannot comment on the work/employment side of village life, although there does appear to be lots of employment opportunities in the village and the immediate surrounding area. I do believe that the former Post Office, having been empty for a considerable amount of time, is a great business opportunity that is currently being wasted. It is in a prime location and would be an asset to the village whatever it was used for.

As I have lived in the same house for more than 40 years, I am not really in a position to have too much knowledge on this subject, although my opinion is that housing in the village does seem to meet the requirements of the people who want to live here. I am very concerned about the possibility of large developments being allowed, without any apparent thought being given to how existing infrastructure could cope. For example, roads, schools, medical facilities, even drains!

I don't believe our village does well in this respect! Apart from the really good eating places and a couple of mediocre pubs, I can't bring to mind anywhere that people can socialise! The Community Hall is a great building that is not being used at all as far as I can see. What a disgraceful waste of money and space!

This whole area, and the village in particular, is rich in history. Information boards detailing this history would be educational, as well as interesting. Many of the buildings in the village have historical significance that should be widely made known. I believe that many do regard the village positively, and go out of their way to try and engender community spirit. I am very encouraged by the fact that most of these people are parents of younger children.

As with many towns and villages, I am fairly sure that our village becomes a different place after dark! During daylight hours, our village is a very safe environment, but as I rarely go into the village at night I cannot comment with accuracy.

As there are no Parks or Public Spaces in the village, the question of maintenance does not really apply. Glass recycling facilities are good, although there is always a huge amount of broken glass on the floor round the containers that never seems to be swept up! Kirklees council does not appear to be able to handle as much recycling of general waste as other neighbouring councils do, and having to pay to have garden waste removed is disgraceful! As far as I know, there is no Residents Association.

I am not sure that ordinary members of the public have enough specific knowledge to be able to have too much of a say in decision making! Surely that is why we elect councillors! We should have the opportunities to make our thoughts and opinions known through surveys such as this, and our Councillors should interpret them, and use them when making their decisions.

Public spaces, more efficient use of existing buildings,, and natural spaces.

Sorry, but I don't know the answers. If I did, then I would be a politician!

no where to park anywhere and traffic everywhere

i have no friends so i do not feel required to answer this question

yes the traffic lady helps me cross the road

make food cheap i want meal deals for £3 again

More money spent in Birkenshaw village, rather than just Huddersfield & other parts of Kirklees. More police patrols through the village.

Birkenshaw & the surrounding villages could be grouped together as part of a smaller local authority, rather than being a small part of Kirklees. This would allow local tax money to be spent on local matters, & local priorities could be better understood.

To make help make Birkenshaw better

* Too many new builds within the community. These are straining the infrastructure as there are no more child places at the local schools, no dentist places and the doctors surgery is beyond capacity to take on and maintain a high and safe standard for those requiring medical needs. * Parking outside residential properties becoming dangerous as too many cars on the side streets. More double yellow lines required to ensure safe roads. * Dog fowling by a minority of dog owners becoming an issue. There are no council law enforcers within the area to ensure that the fining system is a deterrent. * Certain side roads in the Birkenshaw area are becoming Rat Runs to try bypass Birkenshaw roundabout especially on Kingsley Drive behind the school. * Far too many horses on the main roads creating road issues which have led to far too many near accidents. More grass areas should be found for them to ride as in this day and age they no longer working animals but large pets and this attitude of their owners believing they take priority will one day lead to an accident in the village area.

* Better planning. * More yellow lines, speed bumps and restrictions on residential roads. * Council and police playing a more proactive part within the community to ensure people abide by the rules.