UPDATE
Ferret has been asked to share a letter with my readers. The residents of the Woodlands estate are looking for your support.
On reading their letter and looking into their concerns, Ferret finds it astonishing that none of the Councillors from Independent Hemsworth Town Council, including the Chair – Mr Jim Kenyon (Independent) whose ward this area is in, contacted any of the residents in this area regarding this development. Neither did Mr Ian Womersley (Independent) District Councillor.
The consultation period has already ended…Is it now too late?
Ferret hopes not.
Original Post:
This is the area of land which backs onto “The Woodlands” estate in Hemsworth. This includes the streets, Springvale Rise and Woodlands Crescent.
Ferret has been made aware that Mr Ian Womersley (Independent) and Mr Jim Kenyon (Independent) have recently held a meeting with the residents of Hemsworth, who may be impacted with the potential development of land that boarders their housing estate and extends to the boundary of Vale Head Park.
The land in question is included in Wakefield Councils – Settlement Specific Policies. These documents are produced periodically and contain sites which have been identified as potentially suitable for further housing to be built in local areas.
Ferret can confirm that the process started back in 2017 and the site in question was included in the document released by Wakefield Council Initial Draft Plan released in December 2018:
Reference Number LP21
Site Name Land East of Wakefield Road, Hemsworth (New)
Proposed Use (s) Housing
In October 2019 Wakefield District Councillors and all Town Councils were invited to a meeting to discuss the next steps.
Ferret can confirm that neither Mr Ian Womersley (District Councillor) or Mr Jim Kenyon (Chair of Hemsworth Town Council) attended the meeting.
In a meeting which took place on 5 August 2021 at Hemsworth Community Centre, Councillor Ian Womersley stated that “He wasn’t elected” when discussions took place and alluded that neither himself nor Mr Kenyon “knew anything” and had been “kept in the dark by Wakefield Council”.
Mr Ian Womersley (Independent) was elected as both a Town Councillor and also a District Councillor in May 2019.
Wakefield Council published a further draft document in October 2020 – “Wakefield District Local Plan 2036” – Wakefield Council – Volume 2 Settlement Specific Policies – 6.1 Housing
This was published on 26 October 2020, with consultation running until 09 December 2020.
Ferret can confirm that neither Mr Ian Womersley – District Councillor (Independent), nor Mr Jim Kenyon – Chair Hemsworth Town Council (Independent) offered any objections or comments during this period to the proposed development of this land.
Even more interesting, is the fact that Hemsworth Town Council DID discuss elements of the Wakefield Local Plan 2036 as logged in their minutes 163a on 19/11/2020, Correspondence relating to: Gleeson Homes LP742 Land off Kirkby Road, Hemsworth.
A comment was subsequently made on LP742 by Mr Alan Draper (ID: 39892), on behalf of Hemsworth Town Council on the plan at 15:30 on 8 December 2020.
This comment is made on the EXACT document which contained all of the information related to the proposed development which Mr Ian Womersley and Mr Jim Kenyon both claim THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.
View it for yourself here: https://consult.wakefield.gov.uk/…/pd2020/vol2/vol2…
Further to this: In an article which appeared in the Pontefract and Castleford Express dated Thursday, 24th October 2019, Mr Jim Kenyon – Chair Hemsworth Town Council (Independent), when boasting about the scale of the music festival he was organising stated “We’ve even been in touch with farmers about using their land as a car park for 4,000 vehicles.” – This is the very SAME field.
Whilst Ferret accepts and understands the valid concerns of the residents;
Ferret cannot accept the lies which both Mr Ian Womersley (Independent) and Mr Jim Kenyon (Independent) have told these people.
Ferret would therefore invite them to answer these simple questions:
Are there any other areas of land which have been identified as suitable for development which you have failed to notify the precept payers about?
Why did they not attend these meetings?
Why did they not make any objections during the consultation period?
Why are they lying to the concerned residents now?
