When Osmotherley Area Parish Council met in January many Members expressed serious concerns about the effects of winter weather and the fact that road surfaces are deteriorating at an alarming rate. These concerns will again be flagged up with Highways and despite their lack of funds work is now deemed to be essential. Particular sections include the ongoing flooding at West Harlsey, the poor state of the road through Thimbleby and the subsidence on Chester Lane as well as the increasing depth and number of potholes everywhere.
Highways have indicated that they can only give priority to flooding where it affects homes or businesses and that roadside ditches are the responsibility of the adjoining land occupier who should attend to these. It is hoped that major improvements to the watersplash at Boghole can be completed before the end of the financial year but that may now become weather dependant. The National Park Rangers are due to assess what is needed to stabilise the erosion of the footpath from The Applegarth to the Codbeck bridge leading to Osmotherley Mill before this path collapses into the water course.
A recent safety report on the Play Area equipment has indicated the need to replace some of the decking and also to prevent any build up of algal growth. A joiner will be needed to carryout the repairs and the hedges are to be cut back to allow more exposure to wind to help prevent surfaces becoming slippery. The recent weather with quantities of snow and ice has been tackled very successfully by Keith and this commitment by him has been very much appreciated by all concerned.
Planning matters included an application by Openreach to position a telecoms cabinet at the bottom of North End, this was supported because it will bring Broadband provision much closer to the user. A revised application to build a house on what was Rydes Garage has been withdrawn but applications to improve the dormers at The Croft on Clack Bank as well as an agricultural building at Swainstye were supported.
Although the Police report indicated that there had been no crimes figures recorded there had been a case of some sheep being slaughtered in a field and the remains left in the open, the Police had attended to this at the time of reporting.
Len Cragg – Clerk to the Parish Council