MP moves to focus on Dewsbury regeneration
New partnership to co-ordinate development

Local MP Shahid Malik has said that he along with local stakeholders were setting up a new strategic partnership, known as 'Dewsbury Forward' which would work alongside the council and the regional development agency to help attract investment and coordinate development.

Although the move arises just weeks after the MP accused the Council of 'unforgivable neglect' , Mr Malik has said that he had been having meetings about the proposed new partnership for almost a year.

Mr Malik said: "Dewsbury Forward has been in the planning for some time and there have been numerous discussions with local businesses and developers as well as the public sector and the voluntary and community sector. I've also spoken with councillors Robert Light and Ken Simms, the council's chief executive Rob Vincent and regeneration director Ken Gillespie."

"There is a real need for such a body which will have representatives from the business sector and the voluntary and community sector as well as the council, Police and education to help develop partnership working. Importantly, it will ensure that local stakeholders steer and drive regeneration efforts in partnership with the council and developers."

"The revival of the town centre and the renewal of the town as a whole are too important to be left to others, it's up to local people to lead and take responsibility."

The name 'Dewsbury Forward' was agreed at a meeting with leading figures from the local business community last Friday following months of discussion and meetings. Mr Malik said that the partnership was essential to deal the dire need for serious inward investment and a growing frustration with the lack of direction. This collectively he said had caused much confusion and the job of 'Dewsbury Forward' would be to inform local people as much as anything else about plans and possibilities for the future as well as act as the vehicle to consult with them.

Dewsbury Forward, which will be officially launched in the Autumn, will act as a strategic partnership involving the council, regional development agencies, local traders and retailers, the voluntary sector and the wider Dewsbury public.

Mr Malik described the partnership as having an inclusive and holistic ethos with representation of the public, private and voluntary sectors on its board. Mr Malik said that he hoped his many years of regeneration experience at local and national level would prove useful and stressed the importance of listening to and prioritising local people.

"In the next few weeks I'll be writing to every trader and retailer in the town centre asking them what they feel Dewsbury needs to drive the town centre forward and spearhead the wider revival of the area."

He said that a far-reaching consultation with local people would help inform the direction and future of the town, and that the development of Dewsbury would be much enhanced with local people being at the centre of it.
"Dewsbury Forward will work with other to help attract both public and private investment in the town. It will knit together a wide range of talents and skills from the local community and be truly representative of the town as a whole."

Since last Friday the Dewsbury and Mirfield MP has met and spoken with key business leaders, Market traders, Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, Kirklees Council's Chief Executive Rob Vincent, Kirklees Council's Regeneration Director Ken Gillespie, local chief inspector Jon Carter, community representatives as well as the Dewsbury Housing Market Renewal Team to discuss his ideas for Dewsbury Forward and local regeneration.

Chair of Dewsbury Market Traders Association, Trish Makepeace was at the meeting and welcomed the formation of Dewsbury Forward : "Decisions taken about the future of the town cannot exclude local people who care passionately about Dewsbury. It'll take more than a lick of paint and a few shiny signs to put things right, it goes much deeper. I'm just glad that someone is listening to us. Shahid is shouting out what we all think and is addressing the serious imbalance that exists within Kirklees and the formation of the group is a major step in the right direction."

Mr Malik ended by saying he was positive about the future and would work in partnership with the Council and others but that it had to be based on honesty with local people: "People will forgive you almost anything but not dishonesty and my constituents deserve the truth. I have no doubt that the Council is learning the lessons of the last few weeks and coming to understand that Dewsbury folk will tolerate only so much neglect and indifference. I don't apologise for speaking up for local people in fact I vow to continue to do that until Dewsbury is prioritised and gets the attention it deserves. I don't begrudge the people of Huddersfield any development in their town but if it's at the expense of Dewsbury then they have a real fight on their hands."

Responding to Council leader Robert Light who rubbished Mr Malik's claim that Dewsbury had been neglected, the local MP said: "The poll in last week's Reporter stated 95% of readers agreed with criticism that Dewsbury has been unforgivably neglected. If Councillor Light is right and our town has not been neglected then they are guilty of the worst communication exercise in history. But for now I want to try and put this behind us and look forward to helping improve the quality if life for all those living and working in Dewsbury."