WOOLLEY PARISH
A blend of the historic and the modern, Woolley Parish lies on the southern edge of both West Yorkshire and the Wakefield Metropolitan District, of which it forms a part. Covering the three communities of Woolley Village, Woolley Grange and Haigh, as well as more isolated farms and homes, this largely rural parish sits perfectly in its spot between larger towns and cities. On its eastern boundary, the A61 joins Wakefield and Barnsley, each about 5 miles away. On the western boundary the M1, with J38 in the parish (and the famous Woolley Edge Services nearby), give quick connections to Leeds and the north in one direction, Sheffield and cities south in the other.
Down the centre of the Parish lies Woolley Edge, a ridge of high ground forming the highest ground east of the Pennines; Woolley village sheltering on the eastern side looks out across the low rolling countryside with the towers of Ferrybridge, Eggborough and Drax power stations in the distance; to the west, with the M1 in the valley, the villages of Haigh and Woolley Grange face the beautiful Pennine hills, renowned Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Bretton estate in the foreground, and the Emley Moor mast clear on the horizon.
Although many residents commute, the villages have active communities; both Woolley Village and Woolley Grange have Resident’s Associations, St. Peters Church has an active congregation, and the Woolley Village Hall next to the village green and the recreation ground provides a fine location for many private and community organised events. The Village Hall is run by a trust with members from the Resident’s Association, the Church and the Parish Council. The Resident’s Associations host the biennial Woolley Feast for children, and many entertainment and charity events, including open air theatre on the recreation ground and ‘street parties’ on special occasions, and the Village Hall is frequently opened for ‘bar night’. The Woolley horse show every other year is hosted by a local farmer, and Woolley Park Golf Club has 18 and 9 hole courses and a busy licensed clubhouse serving food and liquid refreshment.
The historic and attractive village of Woolley, characterised by its traditional stone houses and trees in and around it, is now recognised by its designation as a Conservation Area. The countryside around the villages is crisscrossed by footpaths, and surrounding the parish is yet more Yorkshire scenery – woodland at Seckar Wood and elsewhere, lakes at Newmillerdam and Wintersett, country parks at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Anglers and Pugneys.
The Parish is within the Rural District of Wakefield Metropolitan Council, and the Parish Council oversees the administration of the Parish budget and other local affairs on behalf of the communities.
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QUEEN'S JUBILEE TREES
Prior to the sad passing of Her Majesty The Queen the Parish Council had ordered commemorative blossom trees to be planted in Woolley Grange and on The Green at Woolley. These were planted in the autumn of 2022 and we look forward to seeing their blossom for many years to come. A commemorative bench was ordered for Haigh Playground.
2024/25 PARISH PRECEPT
The precept for the next financial year will be £31,000.
2023/24 PARISH PRECEPT
Due to the cost of living crisis the Parish Council have REDUCED the precept for the next financial year from £33,350 to £30,000
PENSION CREDIT
Could you or someone you know be missing out on Pension Credit?
It's worth, on average, £3,900 per year. Plus, you could get Winter Fuel Payment. You can check eligibility at gov.uk/pension-credit
or by calling 0800 99 1234
NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
The Council recently discussed whether a Neighbourhood Plan would be beneficial for the Parish. This is a community-led initiative giving local communities power to prepare a planning document that will be part of the statutory development plan for the Wakefield District. It can be used in the determination of planning applications for a local area.
The Council wishes to establish a steering group to discuss the merits or otherwise of developing a Neighbourhood Plan as this will entail a lot of work and is not without cost. Councillors Robson and Dyke are leading on this matter and will be in contact with the Residents Associations and other interested parties to organise a meeting in the near future.
PROPOSED SOLAR FARM
After a lengthy discussion at its meeting on 13th February the Parish Council resolved to object to the planning application for the proposed solar farm and have conveyed their objections to WMDC.
COUNCIL CO-OPTIONS
The Council has now co-opted two people to fill the vacancies on the Parish Council. Tom Moore and Phil Dyke. We are pleased to welcome them to the Council and they are both keen to make a contribution to the Parish.
DEFIBRILLATORS
The Parish Council has provided public use defibrillators in Woolley Village and at Woolley Grange. These are registered with the Ambulance Service and anyone needing to use one should first call 999 and they will be directed by the operator on the location of the defibrillator and the code to open the box.
No one should attend the defibrillator before ringing 999. It is not always appropriate to use a defibrillator and the 999 operator will decide whether to send a caller to the site. The defibrillator itself is fully automated and should someone need to use it then it will give clear instructions to them.
PLAYGROUNDS
The Parish Council has been undertaking a programme of refurbishment of the playgrounds in Haigh and Woolley over the past couple of years with the provision of new equipment, picnic benches and associated ground works. The playgrounds are regularly inspected and any issues raised by the inspections are speedily rectified.