Agbrigg & Belle Vue Community Association

Janet Baker

The editor interviews Javed Iqbal to learn the story behind the Community Christmas tree

Hi Javed; you are a familiar character to most people in the community – particularly those who read your column in the Wakefield Express, but could you say a but about yourself for those few who still haven't heard of you?

Some residents feel that the zebra crossing on Agbrigg Road by the old Post Office would be better placed nearer the shops and park.

In consideration of this, the Neighbourhood Management Board propose that the zebra crossing be moved from the old position between Grosvenor Street and Oakenshaw Street to a new position on the speed bump between Montague Street and Back Bowman Street, near to St. Catherine Street. This is also the where the local walking bus for Sandal Magna school cross each morning.

In an effort to consult better with young people a group of children from Sandal Magna Junior & Infant School were asked to draw pictures of what they like and what they don’t like about their streets and play areas.

As part of the “Not in My Neighbourhood week” the Anti Social Behaviour Unit joined forces with Agbrigg & Belle Vue Neighbourhood Management, Environment Services and Sandal Magna Junior and Infant School to carry out a big clean up of the school field.

by Eileen Worton, photos by Brian Holding

Our Community Party event went ahead successfully in June despite gale force winds on the day.

The weather did cause some features of the day to be cancelled and a slightly earlier close than usual but many members of the community did come out on a terrible day , as did our volunteers who organise, set up, man the stalls, and dismantle everything at the end . Our thanks go to you all.

Since April, a couple of  meetings have been held by the Community Police Team, unfortunately poor publicity has resulted in poor attendance. Julie, our PCSO is trying to resolve this by having regular meeting dates published in the Community News.

Many issues raised several come up repeatedly:

The Young at Heart Leisure Group is an over 55s group which meets on Thursday afternoons at 1.30 pm in the Agbrigg and Belle Vue Community Centre.

by nmt

It has been identified as a priority by our neighbourhood management resident board that we get the zebra crossing on Agbrigg Road re-located to a more convenient place (still on Agbrigg Road) in order to encourage people to use it more and thus make it safer to cross the road.

by Janet Baker

On the edge of our area there is a transformation taking place. It is causing chaos on the roads and sometimes it looks as if it will never be finished. But in the last few weeks those two wonderful cranes have been doing their giants’ dance to great effect. And the new art gallery – The Hepworth Wakefield – is beginning to take shape. This art gallery, the first one in Britain to be designed by world-renowned prize-winning architect David Chipperfield, will be right on our doorstep. I have been speaking to Simon Wallis, the newly appointed Director, and asking him – “What’s in it for us?”