Category: News

PC Hall attended the January meeting of the Osmotherley Area Parish Council and was able to report that there had not been any instances of criminal activity within the area over the last month.. He also answered members questions including the effectiveness of the new Traffic Warden arrangements and reiterated the need to ring 101 should anyone see any activity which caused them concern.

Highways came in for a lot of criticism, particularly for the rapidly deteriorating condition of the road through Thimbleby and the lane down into Foxton as well as the prolonged water leaks and overflowing gulleys across the area. These will again be forwarded to Highways for robust action and repair.

The hand washing facilities in the public toilets are not functioning as would be expected and a contractor is to be called in to effect repairs.

Members were concerned that the HDC refuse team do not pick up loose litter when emptying the bins, often this loose litter is caused when bins are emptied and the department will be asked to ensure this does not occur again. The passageway adjacent to the Fish Shop is obstructed by several bins and a means of easy access to the Churchyard is needed, this is particularly required once grass cutting starts again because the main access is not ideal for mechanical equipment to use.

Members also heard that the newly reformed Village Hall Committee is working well under new management and credit was given to those whose efforts have brought about this reinvigoration.

The meeting in November received feedback from the Police about their current Car Safety local surgeries as well as the new initiative ‘Operation Bright’ encouraging households to show lights at night. Discussions about possible improvements along the A684 were also reported, although evidence indicating that driver error rather than access points has caused recent accidents and blockages does not suggest any obvious strategies for targeted alterations.

It has been decided that the budget for the coming year should be held at the same level as for the two previous years, with any additional expenditure covered from reserves or funding. The recent improvements to cobbles on North End were supported by such a strategy, with £5,000 from the National Parks LEADER fund matching £1,000 from Parish reserves.

Flooding remains an ongoing concern for Highways, for instance at North End and Jeator Houses, although some road repairs have now been completed. Additionally measures are planned to ease congestion at the entrance to the Churchyard near the Fish Shop.

With the onset of frosty mornings there is a plea to motorists to avoid leaving engines running for long periods particularly at an early hour in the morning when neighbours will be disturbed.

When Osmotherley Area Parish Council met they heard that the AGM of the Village Hall was not particularly well attended and that new Members would be most welcome to carry on the good work of those whose efforts have resulted in many recent improvements to fabric and fittings of the building. An EGM is to be held and one way forward could also be to appoint a Keyholder to act as a caretaker whose role could be to ensure that the premises are locked at night and that cleaning and other activities are performed in a timely manner.

Subsequent to the recent fatal accident on the A684 at Winton there is a groundswell of opinion that safety measures must be put in place. The PC would be willing to support any such moves which could reduce any dangers and give assistance to the road users. Although most accidents are just that it must be stressed that any increase in signage could be counter productive and distract users from watching and reading the road. It was suggested that a site meeting be held to ensure that those responsible for safety improvements are made aware of the difficulties experienced by residents who are also regular users.

The external door to the Disabled Toilet has been recently replaced, further renewal of some of the cobbles is now being considered but much depends on a grant application to the National Park being successful. A recent safety inspection of the Children’s Playarea has recommended that some minor repairs are carried out to some items of equipment and this will be done in the next few months.

It was reported that there are a few houses which have remained empty for well over a year, this information has been passed to the Housing Enabler for further consideration.  The Moorsbus is to be withdrawn by the National Park as a cost saving measure to them and although some residents would like to see it replaced, there is already an alternative in that the Community Bus can be booked for similar outings or indeed by a variety of users.

Len Cragg, 23rd October 

The September meeting of the Parish Council heard that the many Highway concerns are slowly being attended to but unfortunately those of an urgent nature do not receive the attention required. Chester Lane has had some potholes filled but not to a very high standard and the Thimbleby road as well as the Bog Hole ford will be tackled during the later weeks of September when road closures will come into effect. Many gulleys are blocked, grass is growing through them, water is cascading down streets and still we wait for work to be carried out. These gulleys are normally only emptied every 6 months which is deemed by residents across the patch as well as by P C Members to be totally insufficient yet Highways steadfastly refuse to ramp up the intervals. A resident of Ellerbeck has kindly offered to draft a letter for residents to sign and send to Highways to press for works which need completing to be carried-out.

Congestion is an increasing problem and in turn this has led to bollards being demolished by vehicles attempting to find a way through between parked vehicles. Everyone is encouraged to ring 101 when roads are impeded by inconsiderate motorists. Likewise ring 101 to attract the Police to poaching and similar acts of criminal damage over open fields. Kirby Sigston has seen an increase where field gates are now being deliberately broken down so these persons can get in and out quickly.

The Defibrillator will be installed in October and a training session has been arranged for the morning of Saturday 19th when all are welcome to see what can be done to help save life. The PC have already received some donations toward this vital bit of kit, any further donations will be most welcome, please give to any Member of the PC or to the Clerk, all these contacts can be found in the Messenger.

The demand for a car park is growing but it will not be possible to find a solution to this problem until such time that a suitable piece of land becomes available, does anyone know where this land is?

Len Cragg

Recently there have been thefts of both a Landrover from in the village as well as  of other farm equipment from the area. Because of this the Police intend to step up patrols to try to combat this and they will also be able to tackle any antisocial activity at the Codbeck reservoir area.

Highways are still being asked to complete the various sections of white lining in the village as well as repairs to setts and kerbs across a wide area. This includes both the whole length of West End/Clack lane and around the Cross. Recently a tyre on the Community Mini bus had to be replaced after the driver had to ride over the kerbs because vehicles were illegally parked in the centre of the village, this matter has also been passed to the Police for action. For the benefit of doubt no parking permits are permitted in the village and any person displaying one is likely to be taken to task by the Police.

The Play Area has been given an overhaul, the hedges cut back and some items of equipment repaired, this site  is almost 20 years old and has stood up well to its use. Other maintenance issues included repairs to the banking on the footpath from Colgate Lane to Osmotherley Mill which was carried out by the NPA Rangers.

Planning applications included a sympathetic project to repair much of The Flags on West End but comment was made that the proposed gates should also incorporate sufficient space within the property to allow vehicles to be turned rather than them being reversed onto the road. Reference was also made to the use of materials to comply with the Conservation Area and the VDS.

Highways and HDC are looking to save funds and are proposing to reduce street lighting overnight, this will be discussed further when the plans showing which lights are to be put out are available. In future all meetings will be held in The Supper Room, with the exception of one in June each year at Kirby Sigston.

The Play Area equipment was installed about 20 years ago and now a major overhaul and refurbishment is being carried out to the climbing frames in particular and at the same time it was decided that the hedges needed to be severely cut back to let in more light to help prevent the timber items becoming slippery when covered in algae and lichens.

The new housing build at Westfields is nearing completion and an open afternoon is to be held on Thursday 2nd May before the chosen occupiers are permitted to move in. It is hoped that all road and other ancillary works will also be complete by then to give the project a finished look, and then the traffic lights can also be removed.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service gave a presentation a month ago and since then some of the funding to purchase a Defibrillator has been secured so Members decided that the go ahead be given to siting one within the village where it can be easily accessed if and when needed.

Planning issues around the access to various properties continue to cause headaches and is has been reported that a works to a property on South End have made a gap in a hedge. This has been forwarded for whatever enforcement action the National Park consider is necessary, as has the construction of a ménage off Colgate Lane. The same enforcement team are also considering what action they need to take regarding the deteriorating condition of a property, currently held up by scaffolding, on South End.

Road maintenance is still a problem and Highways will repair potholes if they are deemed deep enough to warrant it. Recently some on the West Harlsey road have been considered to need this intervention and this work will be carried out at a date somewhere in the future. The damaged setts around the Cross have also been reported as needing repair sooner rather than later.

Len Cragg.