Even though we only formed in May 2005 we've already had significant media coverage, including the articles below:
As part of a number of Christmas Tree celebrations, the Hanging Heaton Christmas Tree was included.
The protest held outside the school on the 2nd of December 2005 was printed on page 12, with the community group joining parents in protesting over road safety.
The protest held outside the school on the 2nd of December 2005 was printed on page 7, with the community group joining parents in protesting over road safety.
The protest held outside the school on the 2nd of December 2005 was printed on the front page, with the community group joining parents in protesting over road safety.
The protest held outside the school on the 2nd of December 2005 was printed on page 3, with the community group joining parents in protesting over road safety.
This featured Sue Glover, Headteacher at Hanging Heaton CofE J&I School, Tessa Lowe, Chair of the Friends of Hanging Heaton School (PTA) and Secretary of Hanging Heaton Community Group, and others as part of a media campaign to improve road safety on High Street, Hanging Heaton.
This featured Paul Kane, one of our three local councillors, highlighting the issues of hazardous parking on Leeds Road, Dewsbury and included David Lane, vice-chair of Hanging Heaton Community Group in the photograph.
This week's edition highlighted Hanging Heaton as a community and residential area. Extracts from the text include:
"Hanging Heaton is a neighbourly 'des res' village with a strong sense of community that continues to grow as its residents champion its qualities. The recently-formed community group are fighting for funds for new recreational facilities, with many residents taking a keen interest in the cause."
This weeks' edition featured an interview with Tessa Lowe, the Secretary of Hanging Heaton Community Group. Text to follow.
Hanging Heaton Gala has been hailed a "fantastic success". Organisers Hanging Heaton Cricket Club and the Hanging Heaton Community Group said everyone involved worked really hard and they now want the event to be held annually. Grants of £500 were given by both Kirklees Council and Yorkshire Building Society. More than £1,000 was raised for the Community Group and it is hope it will be the first of many joint ventures between the group and the cricket club.
There was a tombola, face painting, bouncy castles, food stalls, children's races, St John's Ambulance and American cars and the vent was rounded off with a spectacular firework display.
The grand raffle was held in the evening and there were several unclaimed tickets: 95861, 49144, 49194, 49677, 45736, 49581, 95683, 95788, 95786, 49033, 95485, 95305, 49810, 49043, 49117, 95851. To claim a prize phone Mel Dearden on 01924-462125 before September 18.
A report of the Kirklees decision to grant a late licence to the Fox & Hounds public house in Hanging Heaton, despite considerable objection from local residents.
A Grand Gala is being held which will celebrate the pride and sense of community spirit being shown in Hanging Heaton. The gala is being organised by the newly formed Hanging Heaton Community Group which had its inaugural meeting in May this year. The group, which aims to raise the profile of Hanging Heaton locally, regionally and nationally, has had three meetings so far and has already set in motion plans to create a new play are for young children.
The event will be held at Hanging Heaton Cricket Club and group members are appealing for help with any ideas for stalls and people to act as marshals. Donations for the tombola and raffle can be given to Hanging Heaton Cricket Club. The gala will run from noon to late on Sunday August 28. For further information email the gala committee.
Residents emerged triumphant from a heated public meeting that forced Kirklees Council to look again at plans for the sale of land where a community centre stands.
The meeting was called by Kirklees to pass a resolution to sell the land off Mill Lane held under the Hanging Heaton Community Association's Charitable Trust. The land includes the site of the old community centre which has been out of use for years. The building is a target for vandals and suffers from structural problems. The council is the sole trustee of the land and also owns the land in front.
At the meeting James Stuart, the council's property management surveyor, outlined plans to sell both parts together to get the best sale price – about £50,000. Proceeds of the sale would result in just over 71% going to the council and the rest going to community groups. But murmurs around the room became louder when everyone wanted to know if the 29 per cent would only be used for the benefit of Hanging Heaton residents.
Jack Bunn – who was the president of the former association – told the council representatives: "Our village is a forgotten village. If you persist in selling this the proceeds should go to the Hanging Heaton community. The rest of the residents joined him in demanding that all the proceeds go towards a new community centre building. One woman said: "The building is part of the community – it's meant to benefit the people of Hanging Heaton."
Andrew Hoyle, senior legal officer for the council, reminded the meeting that the council was the trustee and would make the final decision. But he tried to reassure residents that Hanging Heaton would benefit from the sale but stressed that legally other charitable purposes had to be considered too.
Tessa Lowe, secretary of the new Hanging Heaton Community Group, asked: "Who has interests like the residents who actually live in the Hanging Heaton community?" She successfully proposed that residents agree to the sale on the basis that all proceeds should go to the community group - on condition it becomes a registered charity within six months and that it has similar objectives as the old association.
But Mr Hoyle again reminded everyone that the council cabinet does not have to accept the amendment.
After the meeting, resident of 16 years John Bloom said: "The residents have had new life instilled in them. Like the phoenix out of the ashes, a new Hanging Heaton community group is born out of the old centre."
Secretary Mrs Lowe said: "We are very positive about the shape of things to come."
Residents in Hanging Heaton want Kirklees Council to put the full proceeds of the sale of the vandal-hit former village community centre back into local facilities. Council chiefs plan to sell the Hanging Heaton Community Centre site in Mill Lane which has become a haven for drug addicts and vandals.
Speaking at a public meeting, James Stuart, the council's property management surveyor, said the best sale price for the land was about £50,000. Of this, the council would receive 71% of the proceeds as sole trustee of the land, with 29% to go to local community associations.
But local residents and members of the newly-formed Hanging Heaton Community Group are pressing the council to use the full proceeds of any sale to be used to benefit the village. Jack Bunn, president of the Hanging Heaton Community Group, asked for the money to go towards building a new community centre in the village, which was supported by many residents.
Tessa Lowe, the community group's secretary, proposed that all proceeds from the sale should be given to the group, on condition that it becomes a registered charity within six months and has similar objectives to the former Hanging Heaton Community Association. This was comfortably voted through, with four abstentions and one vote against.
But a senior legal officer for the council warned that this amendment to the sale plans could be rejected by the council cabinet.
People power came to the fore at a heated public meeting into council plans to sell off land in Hanging Heaton.
The meeting was called by Kirklees Council to pass a resolution to sell the
land off Mill Lane previously owned by the Hanging Heaton Community Association.
The 145 square yards of land is part of the site where the old,
unused, community centre stands. The building is a target for vandals and has
structural problems.
The council is the sole trustee of the land and also owns the land in front. At
the meeting James Stuart, the council's property management surveyor, outlined
plans to sell both parts together to get the best sale price – about £50,000.
As the council owns most of the area, just over 71 per cent of the sale's proceeds would go to the council and nearly 29 per cent would go to community associations. But murmurs around the room became louder when people wanted to know if the 29 per cent would only be used for the benefit of Hanging Heaton residents.
Jack Bunn – who was the president of the former association – told the council representatives: "Our village is a forgotten village. If you persist in selling this the proceeds should go to the Hanging Heaton community.
"We have been frozen out for long enough. The community centre was unusable and nobody would do anything about it. It was your fault if it's in disrepair." Residents joined him in demanding that all the proceeds go towards a new community centre building.
One woman said: "The building is part of the community – it's meant to benefit the people of Hanging Heaton."
Another asked: "Why has the council not made it fit for us?"
Andrew Hoyle, senior legal officer for the council, reminded the meeting that the council was the trustee and would make the final decision. And he tried to reassure residents that Hanging Heaton would benefit from the sale.
Mr Stuart added: "The whole idea of this is to move forward in a positive way. What we will try and do is make sure everyone is dealt with fairly." But Mr Hoyle said that legally other charitable applications had to be considered too. "All we're doing is complying with the document. We can only follow what it says."
Tessa Lowe, secretary of the new Hanging Heaton Community Group, asked: "Who has interests like the residents who actually live in the Hanging Heaton community?" She led calls for an amendment to the resolution which met with a round of applause. She proposed residents' agreement to the sale and that all proceeds should go to the community group alone on condition it becomes a registered charity within six months and that it has similar objectives as the old association.
Without hesitation it was voted through with four abstentions and one vote against. But Mr Hoyle again reminded everyone that the council cabinet does not have to accept the amendment.
After the meeting, resident John Bloom said: "The residents have had new life instilled in them. Like the phoenix out of the ashes, a new Hanging Heaton community group is born out of the old centre."
Secretary Mrs Lowe said: "We are very positive about the shape of things to come."
This article is referring to the derelict Hanging Heaton Community Centre and the efforts of Hanging Heaton Community Group to help change the area.
"A new community group has been set up to raise the profile of Hanging Heaton and improve facilities for everyone in the village. It was established with the assistance of councillors and, at a well-attended inaugural meeting this week, officers were elected and the constitution was agreed. The group aims to encourage community spirit and raise funds for improvements in the area.
Tessa Lowe was one of those who decided to do something to keep facilities in
Hanging Heaton after she realised the community centre had been sold and the
money raised could be lost to the community. Originally she wanted to buy the
centre but when it became unfeasible, Tessa got together with some other parents
at Hanging Heaton Junior and Infant School and they decided to do something
about it. She said: “Hanging Heaton is a beautiful village and we are
forgotten. We have no facilities for children or elderly people. They don’t
even cut the grass here anymore and the park bench on the hill has been taken
away. “Hanging Heaton is quite close as a community and we don’t have a
meeting place. The whole point of the group is to get the community back
together.”
By establishing a community group and applying for charitable status the
group hopes to apply for funding to create a play facility and recreational area
for the community to use.
Coun Paul Kane (Lab, Dews East) who was also present at the meeting, said it
was a vital move towards getting funding and making things happen. He said:
“You would be surprised at the amount of groups there are in Hanging Heaton
and this is about getting them together. We all need to be working together
because we are all coming here with fresh ideas.” He said there were many pots
of money for an established community group to tap into and he wished the new
officers luck for the future and acknowledged all the hard work that had gone
into setting up the group."
The article starts: "A new community group is being launched in Hanging Heaton to help restore community spirit in the once-proud village ..."
"Hanging Heaton is to gain a new community group to raise the profile and image of the village. The group was formed with the assistance of local councillors and aims to improve the facilities, services and recreational aspects for all age groups within the community. The inaugural meeting will be on Tuesday at 7pm in St Paul’s and all residents and users of the facilities in Hanging Heaton are welcome to come along."
"Hanging Heaton is to gain a new community group, which has the intention of raising the profile, community spirit and image of the village. Formed with the assistance of Kirklees Council and local councillors, the inaugural meeting is set for Tuesday 10th May at 7.00 pm in St. Paul’s Church Hall, Hanging Heaton. All residents of Hanging Heaton and users of facilities in Hanging Heaton are welcome to attend.
Hanging
Heaton currently has no play or recreational facilities for its 6,000 residents,
with anyone looking for green space being forced to travel to Shaw Cross,
Earlsheaton or further afield. Despite being part of the Kirklees Way, Hanging
Heaton has no more than a park bench for public use. The Hanging Heaton
Community Group aims to change this, alongside helping improve the perception of
Hanging Heaton with residents locally and further afield.
The Community Group is aiming to improve the facilities, services and recreational aspects for all age groups within the community. Specifically it intends to create children’s play facilities and other facilities for the residents and users of Hanging Heaton. In addition, the Community Group intends to seek registered charity status from the Charities Commission."