Parish Council Update – October 2014

When Osmotherley Area PC met in October Members learnt that a framed and handwritten plaque had been found within St Peters with the names of all those who had served in some capacity during the First World War. This list will then be checked with other information and from there it should be possible to ensure that the names inscribed on the sides of the War Memorial are accurate, the next step will then be to source funding to effect a repair. The garden surrounding the Memorial needs attention on a regular basis to keep it looking fresh and following discussions with the Gardening Club a plan has been drawn up, the small amount of work involved will be carried out by Northdale Horticulture as and when necessary and the PC will fund any plants needed.
 
PC Julie Woodcock attended the meeting and as well as outlining her responsibilities reported that following the theft of vehicle number plates recently an arrest has been made. Other recent crimes include poaching and thefts including one of 5 wooden gates from a farm. If anyone is concerned about poaching or about cold callers and rogue fish sellers please ring 999 because these activities must be attended to with a degree of urgency. There were concerns about Mountain Bike riders using the footpaths instead of the road, if you know who is doing this please don’t hesitate to remind them that they are not allowed to ride of footpaths in residential areas.
 
Several road gulleys remain blocked, white lining is lacking in many locations and the condition of many tarmac areas needs attention, Highways will be tasked with attending to these concerns. Roadside potholes could easily be filled with road planings but this seems to be too simple a solution but this would prevent damage where vehicles need to take avoiding action when meeting other users on narrow roads.
 
Tree surgery is to be carried out to various overhanging branches in the Cemetery as well as the clearing away of seedlings and saplings growing on some graves. At the same time the contractor has been asked to ensure that there are no overhanging branches around the Churchyard. An information plaque has been sourced to explain the origin of The Pinfold and this will be attached to the structure and also the garden within is to be tidied.