Church learns it’s all about location, location, location!

And the conclusion led to disappointment for a church hoping to secure financial support for an upcoming community event.

St Peter’s Church in Earlsheaton hoped to secure £1,250 towards its third annual railway show.

But the area committee decided it would only give half the funding requested because the venue for the event was in Batley Carr.

Coun Paul Kane (Lab, Dews East) said: “If it’s not [taking place] in our ward or area, I think the area committee to go to is Batley Area Committee.”

However, issue had been taken earlier with the suggestion that Batley Carr-born Victoria Cross winner Pte Horace Waller was from Batley.

Council officer Joanne Catlow told the meeting that the government was giving commemorative paving stones to the hometowns of Victoria Cross winners.

She said Dewsbury would receive one for Sgt John William Ormsby, and Batley would get one for Pte Waller.

Amid grumbling from the public, Coun Kane jokingly asked when Batley had absorbed what was once considered part of Dewsbury.

But when the St Peter’s application was discussed later, he said the Trinity Centre was in Batley Carr and clearly fell outside Dewsbury’s patch.

The meeting heard the Trinity Centre was in Upper Road, a street which straddles the Dewsbury- Batley border, but is part of Batley East ward.

Members of the public questioned why the event could not be held in Dewsbury Town Hall instead of at Trinity, one of St Peter’s fellow Dewsbury Team parish churches.

A church representative told councillors that the exhibition had been held at the Trinity Centre in 2012.

“Last year we got a grant [from you],” he said. “Nothing was raised that we should hold it in the town hall.”

He said posters had already been printed for the event on November 16 after two business agreed to be sponsors.

Members agreed to give £625, and urged the church to go the Batley committee for the rest.

Later, councillors approved a bid by Dewsbury Rotary Club for £1,000 towards an annual technology tournament for schools held at Batley Frontier on the basis that they gave money every year.

There was no discussion about the choice of a venue in Batley, even though Dewsbury is the area committee which contributes the most money.