TONY WALLIS

  COUNCILLOR TONY WALLIS - DECEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER Here's an update on what’s been happening in our ward and across the council recently. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to share your comments or ideas.   Boundary Changes Just announced. The final report on boundary changes has been published, and Castleford Central and Glasshoughton will now expand to include Half Acres. This aligns with the proposal that my colleagues and I submitted. It’s great to see our efforts come to fruition, and we look forward to welcoming Half Acres into our ward. The changes start in 2026. Festive Family Fun Christmas is in full swing, and there are plenty of activities to enjoy with the family. The council’s ice-skating rink at the market, the Light Up Castleford event, and the Continental Street Market have all been a big hit. For the little ones, Elf School is underway. These fun and creative sessions are running at Castleford Market on December 7th and 21st, and a...

Friends of Castleford Library (FOCAL) are showing a set of photographs of prominent buildings in the town centre. What makes the pictures interesting is not only were they not taken with a digital camera or even one with a lens. They were taken by amateur photographers on pinhole cameras made from baby milk cans. The FOCAL project began with volunteers sealing the cans so the only light entering was from a pinhole made at a strategic point in the can. After photographic paper was inserted, each camera was taken outside and pointed at a building. Makeshift shutter open and after a predetermined duration was closed. The timing is crucial. Too short and not enough light to make an image, too long and it picks up changes such as people passing by. The results were mostly splendid and the developed photographs are on display.  At the launch people were fascinated and Intrigued. Building like the Mechanics Institute, Queen’s Mill and even the library itself are clearly identified. So thr...

  COUNCILLOR WALLIS REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 2024 First, sadly, Councillor Graham Isherwood has passed away. He was a charismatic character who worked hard for his beliefs and was vocal in his support not just for the people of Featherstone but for the district as a whole. His presence, in memory, will still be there with us. One of his campaigns was to get the train companies to allow mobility scooters on board. These are classed as motorised vehicles not mobility aids, but to accomplish this will improve the lives of several passengers with poor mobility. As reported, my colleagues and I have decided to freeze our allowance this year to show our recognition of the hardship many of our residents are facing after years of Tory austerity. The Labour government cannot turn this around quickly and the council faces very tough spending decisions. This decision will not prevent us from championing decent pay rises for workers, honouring any independent recommendation for them and cam...

  COUNCILLOR TONY WALLIS OCTOBER 2024 NEWSLETTER ______________________________________________________________________ This month - some interesting planning applications, two successful community projects, an addition to the library and the last on the proposed new health centre near the train station. Talking of train stations, this month I visited, with colleagues on the WYCA transport committee, the upgrade work at Huddersfield Station. There is no a regular train service to Huddersfield ad on to Manchester from Castleford. I covered the visit in a previous blog, please take a look if you haven’t already done so. The Planning Applications The Crimea Tavern at the end of Saville Road was an iconic building. Back in the seventies it was the meeting point for those doing a Friday night drinking tour of the town centre pubs. However, times change. Derelict and a shadow of its former self, the council has purchased it for demolition as part of the riverside park scheme. ...