Wrenthorpe Environmental Society

Spring 2007

Dear Members

Here once again is your Wrenthorpe Environmental Society newsletter which gives me a chance to say thank you for your continued support, and to announce details of our AGM.

The annual general meeting of WRENS will be held on Wednesday 28 th March 2007 at 7.15 pm in Wrenthorpe Village Hall. It will be followed by a talk from Simon Blakeley, a former pupil of Outwood Grange School and now a town planner, on ‘A Vision for Wrenthorpe Park'. There will be time for discussions about local issues and refreshments will be provided. Non members welcome to the talk at £2.

And now here is a summary of all the things WRENS have been doing in the last year.

•  The committee has met each month

•  We have supplied lists of work for the Neighbourhood Action Team on their 6 monthly visits

•  A committee member has regularly attended the Rights of Way Liaison Group

•  Together with the Gardening Club we have provided plants, tulips and perennials and planted these in the empty beds in Wrenthorpe Park, with the assistance of Parks Dept gardeners. (Additionally wallflowers were planted by pupils of Jerry Clay Lane School).

•  Bulb Planting – some 3000 mixed colour Crocus bulbs were planted along the grass banks opposite Sax for Hair / Wrenthorpe Post Office at the end of October 06 to complement those planted in 2005.

•  Following tree pruning by Yorkshire Electricity members witnessed the planting of new saplings in the Park.

•  Concerns have been expressed to the Planning Dept regarding proposed developments at Carr Gate (police) and Snow Hill (Yorkcourt properties Ltd)

•  Enquiries are proceeding about the possible provision and siting of recycling bins for paper and plastic in the locality.

•  We have met with the Vox Community Engagement Officer to discuss the functions of Area Community Networks and the procedure for setting one up.

•  Along with other local groups we accepted a kind invitation from Silcoates amateur short wave radio group to see and hear them contacting ‘hams' around the world.

Last year we announced that membership subscriptions would be increased this year to £2. I think you will agree that the list above shows that being a member of Wrens is good value! Someone will be contacting you shortly to collect your sub.

Rosemary Prickett, secretary

WRENCARE

Another year of collecting discarded rubbish around the centre of the village has been completed. In 2006, 130 hours were devoted to this task to ensure we can enjoy a clean and tidy environment. Our thanks go to NHS, Sax for Hair, The Pot Oil, The New Wheel, Wrenthorpe Community Association and Wrenthorpe Post Office for their continuing support and to Brian Collinson for his labour, come rain or shine.

John Coles

RECYCLING

We are close to getting our own recycling bins on the streets of Wrenthorpe. These will be primarily for metal cans and plastic bottles. We will be trialling these in yet to be agreed locations. Last year Wakefield recycled only 129 tonnes of plastic bottles out of an estimated 5000 tonnes which were thrown away, many ending up at the Welbeck landfill site near Normanton. Some people are already taking metal, plastic and glass to one of the twenty recycling facilities across the district.

WRENS aim to contribute to this and recycle some of Wrenthorpe's rubbish – the main types of plastic bottles we can recycle are:

•  PET bottles – Indicated by a number ‘1' in the moulded recycling triangle on the bottle. Typically these are clear or coloured bottles and used for fizzy drinks or water. Bizarrely, 25 two-litre bottles can be turned into a fleece jacket!

•  HDPE bottles – Indicated by a number ‘2' in the moulded recycling triangle on the bottle. Typically these are opaque or non-see through bottles and used for milk, bleach or shampoo. These can be reused to make drainpipes and plant pots.

Commercial / Business recycling is still being considered by WMDC. WRENS have been advised that the Jerry Clay Lane School is to be a pilot school for paper recycling.

If you have any surplus computer equipment then Airedale Computer Recycling, a Social Enterprise run by Chrysalis Youth and Community Project a registered charity in Castleford, recycle and refurbish computers for sale to the general public from £39.00. They also sell new computers and offer a repair and upgrade service. If you are interested, they have just opened a new store in Wakefield at Avondale Walk, off Thornes Lane, Wakefield 01924 298884 or see their website for further details www.airedale computers.com.

John Coles

COMMUNITY NETWORKS

WRENS are actively involved with WMDC and VOX in the formation of Community Networks encouraging local residents and voluntary groups to have a say in how our communities function. In 2002 Wakefield District Partnership (WDP) was created. Its purpose is to bring together all the key agencies in the District to discuss how things could change for the better by

•  building on the past

•  involving residents in deciding what sort of community they wanted to live in

•  developing responsive services by listening to the people that use them

•  encouraging community and voluntary groups to grow and for some to begin delivering services for the district

VOX (Latin for voice) is the organisation which promotes and maintains contacts between community and voluntary groups throughout Wakefield. It has already set up nine community networks in the Wakefield District so far. WRENS have already had discussions with the VOX Community Engagement Officer, about the formation of the next network for our area, Outwood, Wrenthorpe, Lofthouse and Stanley (or OWLS) including Kirkhamgate and Carr Gate, in 2007-8.

John Coles

Earthwatcher would like to be 50 years younger so that he could spend his future holidays cruising Alaska via Northern Canada, enjoying sun, sand and Sangria holidays in Western Scotland while escaping the heat in Wakefield, and savouring a nice bottle of Chateau Wrenthorpe cabernet sauvignon with his Sunday lunch. But he also worries whether any long distance travel can be justified .

WRENTHORPE PARK AND MEADOWS

WRENS members have been keeping a keen eye on what's happening in the park and meadows over the last year.

A second “sweep” of the ponds was made in the late autumn clearing out silting and overgrown vegetation. A member of Wakefield MDC Drainage Section recently stated that the Environment Agency's Strategic Flood Defence Manager for the Wakefield Phase 2 Flood Alleviation Scheme involving Wrenthorpe Park was happy to see the recent management improvements to the pond. National flood improvement funding from DEFRA to the EA is subject to serious cutbacks countrywide this year and only the worst flooding situations are being considered. The EA scheme has been put forward for approval in March 2007, so fingers crossed!

During the summer it was noted that the flowerbeds in the park entrance were sadly devoid of flowers. When approached, the council said they had no funding to provide plants but would provide the labour if we could find the plants. An appeal to members soon brought in almost 100 plants and 100s of bulbs! These have been planted out in four of the empty beds and are currently doing very well. Children from Jerry Clay Lane School filled three more empty beds with wallflowers.

Improvements have been made to the footpath leading into the meadows from the path adjacent to Silcoates School. Becks and streams have been regularly cleared, grassed areas mown and fallen branches, dead and dangerous trees have been felled and disposed of.

Kingfishers have been seen several times along the stream leading to the ponds. There are dozens of ducks on the ponds along with gulls, and herons visit regularly. Jays and woodpeckers have also been reported.

The park and meadows are a wonderful asset to our area and make it such a nice place to live. Sadly there are still people who abuse it by riding motorbikes everywhere, not only damaging the fields but ruining the peace and tranquillity of the area. And, despite the number of waste bins provided, there are still some people who do not clean up after their dog.

The Fox Lane Cycle Link has now passed the planning application stage and work is due to start shortly once the waterlogged ground conditions improve. Two routes will be created, one from Fox Lane Railway underpass and the second from the Melbourne Road / St John's Mount Railway underpass. Both are to join up with the existing cycle path where it exits the park onto Silcoates Street, Peacock.

Finally do come and listen to our speaker at the AGM who will suggest some really futuristic ideas for developments in and around the park.

Margaret Smart and John Coles

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is upon us regardless of what a few ostriches think and the consequences may be disastrous. There are some signs that governments are waking up to the danger but what is happening locally? Well the Wakefield District Partnership (WDP) has agreed that a more co-ordinated approach to climate change is needed across the district. A working group reporting to the Environmental Well-being Partnership (EWP) and WDP has been set up to decide on the most effective way of raising awareness in Wakefield and to get people to act on that awareness. WRENS have already contacted the group to be included in their communications and will keep you posted.

In the meantime you could get on with it by ditching all those old fashioned light bulbs, only throwing things away - sorry recycling things, when they are worn out, not just out of fashion, and thinking hard about the morality of long distance flights. Your grandchildren will thank you for it.

Keith Orrell

WRENTHORPE BIRDWATCH

We asked one of our members to make a list of birds that visit his garden where they are fed regularly. Here it is.

Many people will also have seen swifts, swallows, house martins and black-headed gulls. Tawny owls are also heard in the village hooting away in winter. Coots and moorhens visit the ponds in the park. Let us know what others you have seen.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS

Some major developments still remain on the horizon, Paragon Business Park at Snowhill, the police site at Carr Gate, the M1/M62 Motorway four lane/traffic control, the Environmental Agency flood defences and at Silcoates School. WRENS continue to be active where possible in monitoring these major developments and also checking all other planning applications submitted.

John Coles

Earthwatcher congratulates the Australians, not on reclaiming the Ashes but on stopping the sale of incandescent light bulbs. These use far more electricity than small fluorescent ones and can save the carbon production of several power stations. Let's have some decisive moves in this country to stop carbon dioxide emissions. Earthwatcher thinks we should ban the sale of goods with stand-by lights. What is wrong with a switch, which you can see, is on or off?

The trend towards building on large gardens presents Earthwatcher with a dilemma. Building on large gardens does take the pressure off rural areas but it also cuts down on green space in urban areas. Gardens provide a habitat for more wild life than some modern farms.

Editor: Jenny Orrell DTP: Sue Gaynor Printing: Silcoates School