The Mixenden Ward Forum met to discuss local issues, receive updates from councillors and the police, and plan upcoming community events. Residents raised concerns about anti-social behaviour, the maintenance of parks and green spaces, and the availability of local services. Councillors agreed to follow up on several issues raised by residents, including problems with a Together Housing Group (TGH) tenant and drainage issues at the Hub.

Neighbourhood Issues

Residents raised a number of concerns regarding neighbourhood issues in Mixenden:

• Youth Anti-Social Behaviour: Issues included youths throwing stones at cars and riding bikes on grassed areas.
• Grass Cutting: Councillor Shane Taylor agreed to check on the grass cutting schedule.
• Clough Lane Park: Residents reported that the zip wire and seats on the swings had been stolen from Clough Lane Park. Councillor Daniel Sutherland agreed to follow up on this issue.
• Ash Tree Park: Vandalism had been repaired at Ash Tree Park, but one piece of equipment was beyond repair.
• Off-Road Bikes: Residents reported issues with off-road bikes and riders wearing balaclavas.
• Littering: Residents noted that there had been less littering since children had been involved in clearing it up.
• Balsam Removal: The Countryside Team had removed balsam along Clough Lane. Yorkshire Water were scheduled to do the same in the forest near the reservoir.
• Anti-Social Behaviour: A resident reported ongoing issues with a neighbour, including drug use, alcohol abuse, a dirty garden, and anti-social behaviour. The resident had been reporting these issues to TGH. Councillor Shane Taylor agreed to investigate.
• Jumples Site Hub: Residents reported that vehicles on site were causing a health and safety breach, blocking the path and forcing pedestrians to walk in the road. Drains were also blocked, causing the main sewer to leak. Yorkshire Water were already dealing with the matter, and Councillor Shane Taylor agreed to ask them for a status update.

Police Update

The police were not in attendance at the meeting. Councillor Daniel Sutherland had contacted the chief inspector to arrange a meeting to discuss the issues raised at the Illingworth Ward Forum, including the lack of action over important issues and the feeling that the use of police vans was more about raising money than ensuring safety. Residents felt that Mixenden was being overlooked by the police, despite ongoing issues with off-road bikes and anti-social behaviour. They felt that sending Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) rather than police officers was not effective in stopping these problems. There was also a discussion about the process for dealing with vehicles seized by the police.

Community Events

The Dodgeholme Easter Event had raised £345 for the group and was considered a success. A cinema night had been attended by 45 people and had received positive feedback from children. The residents' association thanked JD Anderson-Martin and the North Halifax Partnership (NHP) for their help. A resident offered assistance with sound equipment. Councillor Daniel Sutherland was thanked for his help with litter removal for the event. A resident mentioned an article in the Courier about the park at Dodgeholme and questioned who owned it, as it was believed to be TGH, but Calderdale Council seemed to take ownership in the article. Councillors agreed that there were some issues that needed sorting out at this park. It was noted that lots of events would be taking place at the Urban Park over the summer. The Community Shop on the Go was starting on 24 June, and Dan Marham distributed leaflets with further details.

Other Business

A 'To Let' sign had been put up on the Hub Shop. The primary care network was still planning to move into the medical centre once the paperwork was sorted. This would not be a doctor's surgery, but would offer additional health services. A resident asked about a free cash machine, but it was not known whether one would be installed. The councillors agreed to flag the possibility of a post office being added, as there was now going to be a shop over the road, which might create an opportunity to fill the shop space with something other than another shop. The cost of travel for people to access post office and banking services elsewhere was discussed. It was mentioned that the shop should not be something detrimental to health, such as a betting shop or takeaway. The nearest Inpost box was at Morrisons or Costcutter on School Lane, highlighting another service not available in Mixenden. The Mixenden Activity Centre (MAC), supported by the NHP, was now based in the property and would be doing community engagement. There were various funding sources available to run different services. The building was currently being cleaned. A resident asked about the possibility of making money from the building through things like hiring it out for children's parties. This was something that they hoped to do in the future. It was asked whether the residents would run it in the future, but at present, the NHP were shouldering this risk. A resident commented on the equipment that had been given away in the past. The NHP would be finding out what the residents wanted the centre to be used for and possibly establishing a community steering group at some point.