January – May 2011
JANUARY 2011
There was considerable concern at the January meeting that ambulance response times were becoming longer now that patients suffering strokes, cardiac arrest and other traumas were being taken to the James Cook Hospital at Middlesbrough instead of the Friarage at Northallerton. Coun John Dinsdale reported that recently it had taken an ambulance one and a half hours to reach a patient in Thornton Rust.
County Coun John Blackie told the meeting that the Primary Care Trust (PCT) had refused to fund an extra ambulance and so increase the cover in the Upper Dale. The parish council had asked the PCT for assurance that the ambulance cover would be increased so that the response times would not suffer.
Local representation. – Coun Blackie discussed the implications for local community representation should DEFRA propose a reduction in the membership of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority from 22 to 12. It was agreed that the clerk should write to DEFRA expressing the concerns of the parish council.
Library services. – There was also concern that the county council might close Leyburn library and the mobile library service. It was suggested that it would be fairer to share the number of opening hours with Catterick and Richmond, allowing the three libraries to remain open but with reduced hours. The clerk was asked to write to the county council about this.
Aysgarth. – The owner of Flatlands has agreed to allow the erection of a mirror to assist drivers exiting the surgery at Aysgarth.
Coun David Wood requested that the YDNPA Ranger service should check the lambing gates along the footpath between St Andrew’s church and Aysgarth village as some need repairing before lambing time.
The planning application for change of use of the former car showroom and garage so that it could be used for a farm shop type business has been withdrawn.
Thornton Rust. – A meeting was held at the new houses at Thornton Rust Hall to agree the boundary and alignment of the wall. The YDNPA planning officer informed those present, which included the owner of the houses, Coun Blackie and representatives of the parish council, that a full report on the houses would be submitted to the February planning committee meeting.
Thoralby. – The chairman, Coun Brian McGregor, and the clerk had met with the representatives of English Nature, the landowners and the lessee of the shooting rights on Thoralby Moss to agree terms to enter the Higher Level Stewardship scheme. The application has now been submitted.
Coun McGregor had cleared the ditch up Ox Lane, Newbiggin, and had prepared the car park area in Thoralby ready for when the planings were delivered. The delivery of the planings had been held up by the snow before Christmas.
There had been a complaint about dog fouling along the Mill Race footpath and the clerk will contact the district council about that.
Grit bins. – The county council’s highways department had delivered grit bins at Aysgarth Institute, High Gill at Thornton Rust, and at Newbiggin. The councillors were satisfied with the provision and re-filling of salt heaps and grit bins after a slow start.
Precept. – As the parish council might incur extra costs due to the elections this year it was agreed to raise the precept by just under three per cent to £3,500. Horton Landscaping has not increased its tender for grass cutting this year and the council was happy to accept its quote of £2,063.
Parish council meetings. – It was decided to try and start the parish council meetings at 7pm instead of 7.30pm. This will be kept under review.
Due to the parish council elections and the need to hold the annual general meeting within two weeks of May 5 the April meeting has been cancelled. The annual general meeting will be held on May 11.
FEBRUARY 2011
Affordable housing was needed for local residents but at the February meeting of Aysgarth and District Parish Council not all the councillors felt they could support the sites in Aysgarth and Thornton Rust proposed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).
County Coun John Blackie and Dt Coun Yvonne Peacock, who are members of the YDNPA, pointed out that the two sites were the only ones in the parish to reach the present stage of the consultation. They said that the parish council’s comments would be considered by the YDNPA ‘s Working Group and then added to a formal draft plan in April. Members of the public will be able to comment on the formal plan before it is examined independently by the Planning Inspectorate.
Post Bus. – The council was informed by the county council’s Passenger Transport Service that the Royal Mail did not wish to continue the Wensleydale Post Bus service after April 17.
Flooding. – There was a request that diversion signs should be placed at the west end of Aysgarth when the A684 towards Bainbridge was closed due to flooding. A resident pointed out that when there were just “road closed” signs many visiting motorists had no idea where to go.
It was reported that severe flooding had occurred on the B6160 at New Bridge and beyond, and also west of the Street Head Inn. Drainage problems in Goose Lane and Low Green Lane in Thoralby had caused flooding. Two drainpipes from a gutter at a farmhouse in Newbiggin were discharging onto the highway. There was a similar problem at Thoralby where a drainage hole had been made through a wall by a new house.
The parish council requested that potholes in the district should be repaired as almost every village had problems after the last two winters.
Harper Wath. – Coun Peacock agreed to look into the ownership of the footbridge at Harper Wath. It is in need of restoration but both the YDNPA and the county council’s highways department had denied ownership.
Parish land. – Coun Peter Windle reported that at the Yorkshire Local Councils Association Richmond Area committee meeting in Leyburn in February the importance of registering all land owned by the parish councils had been emphasised. The clerk was asked to check that all letting lands were registered to the parish council under the Commons Registration Act.
Thornton Rust. – Not all the residents in the village agreed with planings being used to repair the parking area in front of the institute. It was, therefore, agreed that this should be discussed at the parish meeting.
Thornton Rust Hall. – It was reported that that YDNPA planning committee had agreed that an enforcement notice should be served before May 1 if the conditions on the new houses in Thornton Rust Hall estate were not complied with.
Aysgarth. – Yorkshire Water had been informed that there was a burst pipe at Aysgarth Garage and water was running down the side of the building. The clerk will contact the owner of the garage. The car parking area near the Doctors’ Surgery had been tidied up and bollards had been placed as requested.
The YDNPA Ranger had found that the lambing gates on the footpath between the church and the village were in good repair.
MARCH 2011
The footbridge at Harper Wath near Aysgarth has now been placed on the bridge list of the county council’s highways department, Dt Coun Yvonne Peacock told the parish councillors at the last meeting. She had made enquiries on behalf of the parish council after the highways department and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) had denied ownership of the bridge, which is in need of repairs.
Aysgarth. – Coun David Wood said he would clear the undergrowth on the bank adjacent to the footpath between High Hollins and the doctors’ surgery. The burst pipe at Aysgarth Garage had been repaired and so there was no more flooding. It was reported that there were still no double yellow lines at the entrance to the car park at The Falls Motel.
Bishopdale. – The cause of the flooding in Bishopdale had been investigated with the hope of reducing the problem. It was reported that there were still potholes in the road which needed repairing.
The highways inspector will contact the owner of Eastburn Farm at Newbiggin about drainage issues. The noticeboard at Newbiggin had been repaired after one of the doors was blown off in windy weather. Coun Brian McGregor will power wash the seat by the waterfall and that and the noticeboard will be treated with teak oil. The parish councillor for Newbiggin, Coun Lynda White, is standing down in May.
Thoralby. – The Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Defra for Thoralby Moss had been signed and began on April 1. An internal agreement between the parish council, the grazier and those with shooting rights was being drawn up.
The repair of Goose Lane was discussed and it was agreed that, if necessary, the work would be carried out by the parish council with the cost being met from the Thoralby Moss account. The drainage problems in Goose Lane and Low Green Lane had been discussed with the highways department.
The Pinfold will be sprayed with weedkiller and quarry waste will be provided for Top Lane, Middle Lane and Bottom Lane.The district council will be contacted about dog fouling along Mill Lane.
Parking on the road side was still a problem and the parish council will consider making some spaces at the north end of Low Green Lane. It was agreed that if the problem persisted after the parking at the Pinfold was completed the parish council will request double yellow lines next year. The police had been contacted again about vehicles being parked on the corner near Beech Cottage.
The clerk was asked to contact the YDNPA about the drainage at South View.
Thornton Rust. – The YDNPA has issued an enforcement notice to the owners of the new houses in the Outgang. The conditions, which include lowering the roofs, must be complied with within six months.
It was decided to request some planings for the area in front of the institute and these will be paid for out of the Thornton Mire account, as will the cost of replacing some white posts.
It was reported that the walls along Thornton Scar were in very bad repair and were a danger to traffic and pedestrians. The clerk will ask the highways department to contact the owner to enforce the repair of the walls.
NEDL has proposed to underground the electricity cables in the village but there is some doubt as to whether this can go ahead as it will involve digging up the village green.
Commons registration. – The clerk had been to the Commons Registration office and found that the land registered to the parish council is: at Aysgarth – Flout Moor, High Lane Quarry, Keslpring, Seata Quarry and the village green; at Newbiggin – the Pinfold; at Thoralby – Thoralby Moss; and at Thornton Rust – Quarry East Lane, Thornton Mire and the village green.
Planning. – The clerk and Coun Alison Sayer had attended a development control focus group meeting at the YDNPA office in Bainbridge. Following the restructuring of the YDNPA planning department in 2009 officers were interested in talking to parish councils that were frequent users of the service to find out how it was being received and how it could be improved.
Future meetings. – It was agreed to hold parish council meetings at 7.30pm during the summer and at 7pm in the winter.
MAY 2011
A parking area has been created near the pinfold in Thoralby, Aysgarth and District Parish Council was informed at the May meeting. Coun Brian McGregor had spread the road planings delivered by the county council’s highways department at this new parking area and also at the south end of Goose Lane.
Thoralby parish meeting had sent a letter to residents in the village asking them to use the new parking area. The parish council will request that double yellow line should be painted along the edge of some roads in Thoralby if vehicles continue to be parked in such a way that they block the highway.
Speeding. – The Road Policing Group is now targeting the A684 at Aysgarth and will inform the police about any enforcement activity. PC Andy Foster will attend the June meeting to discuss any policing issues.
Enforcement. – The owner of the new semi-detached houses in the Outgang at Thornton Rust has appealed to the planning inspectorate about the enforcement action proposed by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).
The YDNPA enforcement officer had been to look at the drainage pipe in the wall at South View in Thoralby. It was found that the pipe had now been enclosed so that it discharged into the existing water drainage culvert rather than on to the road.
The councillors heard that solar panels were installed at Tom Gill House in Thoralby under permitted development rights as the latter had not been removed when planning permission was granted in 2003.
The YDNPA will no longer be mailing paper copies of minutes and agendas for its planning and full authority meetings so as to save on costs. These are accessible on the Authority’s website and also at the meetings.
Highways. – The highways department had assured the parish council that yellow lines would soon be re-painted by The Falls on Church Bank, Aysgarth. The highways department will inspect the wall along Thornton Scar, Thornton Rust, and will contact the owner about necessary repairs to safeguard the highway. The department had issued a works order for potholes to be repaired along the road in Bishopdale.
Thoralby. – Littleburn Lane was being re-surfaced. It was pointed out that there were also potholes along Eastfield Lane and there were problems with dog fouling along Goose Lane. The clerk was asked to contact the owner of the trees which were overhanging Low Green Lane as these were making it difficult for tractors with loaded trailers to be driven along it.
Annual meeting. – At the annual general meeting of the parish council Coun McGregor was re-elected as chairman, with Coun Penny Noake as vice-chairman. Coun Brian Pearson was welcomed as the co-opted member for Newbiggin in Bishopdale.