PENISTONE Town Council

So that the council can function efficiently, a number of committees have been created so that various specific issues can be debated outside of the full council. Output from the various committees, who generally meet on a monthly basis, takes the form of recommendations which are brought to the next full council meeting for further discussion and eventual ratification.

This way of operating is similar to all other parish & town councils and allows for greater scrutiny of items under discussion by a smaller select committee, sometimes inviting co-opted members onto the committee – either full-time members or to give expert guidance for individual items of business.

Penistone Town Council has formed the following committees, with the listed members & responsibilities.

All members are welcome to attend all committee meetings and participate if even if they are not on that particular committee, however are not allowed to vote on any issue.

This committee has primary responsibility for discussing Financial matters such as the ‘Precept’ (see Council Structure page), staff wages and allocation of Annual Budgets to the various elements of the Council’s functions.

Chair - Town Mayor
Vice Chair - Deputy Mayor
Chairs & Vice Chairs of all committees, mayor elect and Mrs Webber

This committee oversees the operation of what are the ‘visible’ arms of the Council – ie the Penistone Paramount and the Community Centre.

Chair - Cllr Chris Pilkington
Vice Chair - Cllr J Cutts
Cllrs - J Unsworth, P Staling, R Chapman, P Hand-Davis
Co-opted members - R Blyth, R Stier & K Batley

This committee takes special responsibility for influencing the direction that Penistone itself develops in. The committee is building links with BMBC Planning & Development Officers, local businesses and is currently working on the Parish Plan. By having a strong voice we hope to be able to influence the scale & type of development that takes place in our area.

Chair - Cllr A Millner
Vice Chair - Cllr S Marsh
Cllrs - J Cutts, H Barron, A Rusby, D Green, P Starling

This committee oversees Penistone from a service point of view, discussing issues such as parking & toilet facilities. One of its highlight functions is to arrange the annual Christmas Tree illuminations.

Chair - Cllr Ann Rusby
Vice Chair - Cllr R Hinchliff
Cllrs - J Cutts, L Webber, B Hinchliff, D Green & R Chapman

All Cllrs are eligible to attend these meetings, which generally take place after each full council meeting. Currently, Cllrs Hand-Davis & Marsh, who as BMBC Councillors sit on BMBC’s Planning Regulatory Board, are unable to attend these meetings as this would conflict with their BMBC duties. The Chair is Cllr J Unsworth, the Vice-Chair is Cllr R Hinchliff.

All planning applications falling within Penistone Town Councils area are made available to the Council for comment, prior to being determined by BMBC Planning Officers. This committee has an important say in the type of development that takes place in Penistone. However, it is important to note that Penistone Town Council has no legal powers in respect of Planning Applications – the determining body is BMBC Planning & Development.

Chair - Cllr J Unsworth
Vice Chair - Cllr R Hinchliff
All councillors except S Webber, P Hand-Davis & A Rusby as they are members of Barnsley MBC Planning Regulatory Board.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (BMBC) is your major local authority, providing services for education, social services, highways, waste collection, environmental health, planning and licensing. Most of the council tax you pay to the Borough Council is used in order to pay for these services.

A small part of your council tax, known as the ‘precept’, is allocated directly to Penistone Town Council in order to fund its activities. You can see the breakdown of your council tax payment on the Annual Council Tax Statement sent out by BMBC every year.

BMBC consists of 63 Local Borough Councillors, 3 for each Borough Ward. Our area has 2 such Wards - Penistone East and Penistone West, giving us a total of 6 Borough Councillors. In respect of National Government, Barnsley is split into three areas, each of which is represented by one Member of Parliament (MP).

The Penistone East and West areas are then sub divided into various Parishes each covered by a Parish council, and Penistone Town Council, which covers the main Penistone area

Penistone Town Council is the successor body to the Penistone Urban District Council, which was abolished in the local government re-organisation of 1974. As such, the chair of Penistone Town Council keeps the title of Mayor of Penistone. In addition to chairing Town Council meetings, the Town Mayor carries out various civic duties during his/her year of office. A new Mayor is elected at the annual Town Council meeting each May. Our current Mayor is Cllr Steve Webber; the Deputy Mayor is Cllr Roger Hinchliff. A list of past Penistone Mayors is on a plaque in the Main Hall of St Johns Community Centre.

Penistone Town Council consists of 15 seats covering the greater Penistone area which, since 2007 has been split into four ‘Wards’, with specific Councillors being elected from each ward. The wards are:

• Penistone with 6 seats.
• Thurlstone (including Millhouse Green) with 3 seats.
• Hoylandswaine with 2 seats.
• Springvale and Cubley with 4 seats.

A full listing of each of your Town Councillors can be seen in the ‘Councillors’ section below.

Every four years all 15 seats on the Town Council come up for election. A new Town Council was elected in May of 2011, with five new members joining the Council. The next Town Council elections will take place in 2015.

Penistone Town Council is a minor authority, operating the Penistone Paramount, (used for cinema, theatre, and concert productions) and St John’s Community Centre, which is a vital community resource. The Town Council has an important role in commenting on all local planning applications before they go to the Planning Officers in Barnsley. Please see our ‘Council Committees’ page for how we allocate specific responsibilities to smaller committees.

I was brought up in Penistone and attended both Junior and Grammar Schools.

I worked for the family and local building firms for 11 years, followed by 27 years in the steel industry. I now work part-time for Morrisons in Barnsley. I am married with 3 children and 3 grandsons.

I am totally independent, wanting only to improve my hometown. Local services need to be improved, especially the road network and the provision of a residential, short-stay and respite facility. The Paramount Cinema and Community Centre should be improved and kept as a viable and well-used part of the community.

With the Supermarket plans passed, I believe in regeneration of the Town centre and that encouragement should be given for existing and new businesses to invest in our Town.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

I have lived and worked in the Penistone area all my life.

I am married to Brenda and have served on Penistone Town Council since 1991. I had the honour of being elected Mayor in 1996 – 1997 and am also serving as Mayor last year.

I am Vice President of the Penistone Branch of the Royal British Legion, Vice Chairman of Penistone Agricultural Society and a Governor at St John's Infant School.

Email: please use the general enquiries option of the form on the contact page.

I have lived in the Penistone area since 1986 and I have always been actively involved in the local community, in particular with Penistone Round Table, helping organise many community events such as Penistone Mayors Parade and Gala, Bonfire Night and the Santa Sleigh.

I am married to Gill and have 2 sons, James & Matthew. Since May 2006 I have been elected to serve as a BMBC Councillor for Penistone West Ward, serving on the General Licensing Regulatory Board and the Adult Services Scrutiny Commission.

On Penistone Town Council I sit on the Development & Regeneration Committee which will seek to develop Penistone and promote business regeneration and a positive change for the community. I am also keen to ensure that we produce a Parish Plan to ensure both appropriate and sustainable development takes place.

I am on the Board of Penistone District Community Partnership and also on the Board of Penistone FM 95.7, your local community radio station.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

I have been a member of Penistone Town Council for over 14 years and I had the honour of being elected Mayor in 2002 – 2003.

I serve on the Town Services and Planning Committees and am a Foundation Governor at Penistone Grammar School.

I have been a Samaritan for 10 years.

I am a farmers wife with 3 grown up children and 8 grandchildren, all of whom have been educated in the area.

I have recently retired after running a business (Bridge End Chippy) in Penistone for 37 years.

I want to see the Town regenerated without losing its incredible character, hopefully with considerbale input from younger people, for it is they who will most benefit from any improvements.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

I am pleased to be returned to Penistone Town Council.

A great deal of progress has been made in recent years but there is much more to be done to keep Penistone as a special place for all its residents.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

My wife and I have lived at the Old Flouch since 1976 and in that time I have worked hard to improve both the house and the surrounding environment.

I campaigned throughout the 1980′s against stubborn resistance from the Highways Agency to persuade them to improve the notorious Flouch Crossroads. Eventually succeeding by appealing over their heads to the Minister for Roads and Traffic, with the assistance of Allen Mackay our Member of Parliament at the time, this resulted in the Flouch Improvement Scheme.

In the early 1990′s I was a member of the Millhouse Working Party which successfully opposed the proliferation of wind turbines in our area.

More recently I served as Clerk to Langsett Parish Council from 2002 to 2007, negotiating the lease & funding for a car park and viewing / picnic area on Gilbert Hill. I was also an active member of the action Group Woodhead Against Increased Traffic which in 2006 convinced the Highways Agency that they had made major errors in their proposals for the Mottram Bypass.

I am currently a member of Penistone Town Council, representing Cubley & Springvale.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

I have lived in Penistone for over ten years. I moved here because I fell in love with the area after one visit and wanted a good place to raise my daughter.

As a full time working single parent I have not been able to involve myself in the community as I would have liked but now she is at university I will be fully involved in listening to the views of residents and acting on them for the good of Penistone.

I currently work in health but have vast experience of youth and community work so I am really interested in working with the people – young and old - of Penistone to improve the area.

When I am not at work I can be found walking around the beautiful countryside of Penistone with my rescued lurcher Misty, riding my bike or a horse.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

Details to follow.

Email: please use the general enquiries option of the form on the contact page.

Details to follow.

Email: please use the form on the contact page.

I have lived in Millhouse Green since 1989. I'm married to Janet and we have a daughter, Rebecca.

By day I am a Marketing Manager for a laboratory equipment manufacturer. Outside of work my main interests include music and computing though I also do a bit of lamenting over the dismal results of Bolton Wanderers FC and the England Cricket Team.

I was elected to Penistone Town Council in May 2007 as Ward Councillor for Millhouse Green & Thurlstone.

I am a member of the Conservative Group within the Council.

In addition to my role as a Councillor, I am currently Chairman of the Leisure & Amenities Committee and also sit on the Finance & General Purpose Committee and the Planning Committee.

Telephone: 07787 193460
Email: please use the form on the contact page.

I have lived in Cubley for over 20 years and I am married to Lynda.

I am a Ward Councillor on BMBC for the Penistone East Ward with special interests in Planning, Affordable Housing and Transport.

I see the need for stronger representation at Barnsley on rural matters and I am working hard on this issue.

I am also anxious to see Penistone develop more job opportunities and get an improved infrastructure to cope with the dramatic increase in housebuilding in recent years.

I had the honour of being elected Mayor in 2008 – 2009

Email: please use the form on the contact page.