Notices - recent
Allotments available
published on 5th Nov 2021
From Escrick Park Estate
Escrick Park Estate currently has 2 allotments for rent on Main Street. These are intended for local people to utilise and therefore offered at the princely sum of £2 per year.
We encourage people who have a keen interest or looking to fill up some spare time to put some love back into the spare allotments. Please get in touch with the Estate office if you are interested. 01904 728252 or enquiries@escrick.com
Halloween and fireworks 2021
published on 23rd Oct 2021
Halloween
Many children enjoy taking part in 'trick or treat' activities on Halloween (Sunday 31st October), and many residents gladly take part sharing treats. However, not everyone welcomes visitors, including those trying to get small children to sleep, or those who find answering the door difficult.
The general etiquette is that those households willing to partake leave a pumpkin on prominent display, and those that would rather be left in peace don't. Please consider this etiquette if taking part.
More advice is available from North Yorkshire Police website: https://northyorkshire.police.uk/halloween/
Bonfire night
Bonfire night (5th Nov) falls on a Friday this year, and it is likely that some residents will let off fireworks on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th November. Those residents with pets may wish to keep them indoors on these dates.
We are aware that some residents object to private firework displays. Whilst there is no requirement for them to be pre-notified, it might be considered good manners to let your neighbours know in advance if you are planning a display, particularly if they have pets. See https://www.escrick.org/village/fireworks/ for details of our notification service.
There is more detail regarding the law around fireworks on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law and police website: https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q625.htm
Diwali
This year the main Diwali celebrations fall on Thursday 4th November, and it is likely that some residents will celebrate with fireworks (which are legally permitted until 1am on Diwali). Those residents with pets may wish to keep them indoors.
There is more detail regarding the law around fireworks on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law and police website: https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q625.htm
Visibility at junctions and driveways
published on 23rd Oct 2021
An issue raised regularly with Parish Council is visibility at junctions.
The Highways Authority, part of North Yorkshire County Council are responsible for ensuring the safety of the road network, including appropriate visibility at junctions. The Parish Council has no powers in this area. Whilst you can request that the Parish Council discuss the matter, that is the extent of the Parish Council powers. If you would like action, rather than just discussion, it is best to report to the Highways Authority.
As a guide for a 30mph road, if from a position 2.4m back from the give way line, at a height of 1.05m, you cannot see an object 0.6m high, 40m away, then the highways authority may have the power to require the landowner to remove the obstruction. However, highways officers will look at individual cases on a case by case basis.
We are aware of some instances where individuals have cut back vegetation belonging to others at junctions because they consider to be unsafe. You cannot cut vegetation growing on private land without the owner's permission, even if it is an obstruction. To do so may constitute criminal damage. The same is true for the Parish Council: it cannot cut back, nor require the owner to cut back, vegetation that is causing concern. Only the Highways Authority (part of North Yorkshire County Council) have such powers.
You can report obstructions to roads and pavements on the North Yorkshire County Council vegetation page: https://myaccount.northyorks.gov.uk/vegetation. (The same link can be used to report vegetation obstructing the road or pavement).
Some issues raised relate to visibility from private driveways. Generally visibility from private driveways is a civil matter, and the Highways Authority have no powers to require neighbours to trim/remove hedges to improve visibility from driveways (including shared driveways). In some cases, there may be planning conditions requiring visibility splays or similar. In which case these may be enforceable by planning enforcement at Selby District Council.
Escrick sewers and drainage issues - Oct 2021
published on 11th Oct 2021
A number of residents have raised questions about sewage leakage which the MP's offices has taken up with Yorkshire Water. This update has just been received from Yorkshire Water via the MP's office.
Yorkshire water have met to discuss the network in Escrick. There are a number of actions that they have either completed or will be progressing over the coming weeks:
- We found some evidence of a silt blockage in the network. We sent a jet van out and cleared the blockage to allow flow to be restored. This was done on 30th September.
- We are investigating the operation of the pumping station in the village to understand if there are any issues and whether we can alter the operation to help reduce the risk of flooding.
- We will be conducting full survey of the whole network in the area, including a full CCTV survey to understand if there is any infiltration into the network that could be contributing to the issues.
- We will also be carrying out lining work on the length of sewer on main street outside the Black Bull. As this is quite an old pipe and lining will ensure the pipe is robust and nothing is getting in that shouldn’t be.
Parish Magazine Update - October 2021
published on 30th Sep 2021 (updated on 3rd Oct 2021)
Escrick Parish Council Update
Bus shelter: By the time this is published, bins should have been installed at the new bus stops. Parish Councillors also agreed to fund a southbound bus shelter (with perch bench) and improved street lighting on the route to the bus stops. City of York Council are still pursuing the inclusion of the bus stops within the City of York fares zone.
Highways: Dropped kerbs have been ordered for various junctions in the village to ease movement for wheelchair users amongst others, but have been delayed due to NYCC facing supply chain issues. Plans for a 20mph zone on Carr Lane, and ‘village gateway’ on Skipwith Road are still in progress. We have now received the design for the ‘village gateway’.
Maintenance: The Council has agreed to remove one of the birch trees from the Coronation Monument. This is due to its deteriorating condition and based on arborist advice. The yew will also be pruned to establish a more appropriate sized hedge, albeit it might look a bit bare whilst it regrows.
Councillors: We have two vacancies for Parish Councillors. Please contact the clerk or chair if you are interested in getting involved.
Parish Council meeting dates: 4th October, 1st November, and 6th December . All meetings at 7.30pm at Escrick and Deighton Club. Contact: Clerk (Sally Look), clerk@escrick.org, Chair (Richard Rowson), chair@escrick.org; Website: escrick.org
Road safety questions
published on 24th Sep 2021
There have been various calls in recent days for more action regarding road safety in and around the village.
This note is to summarise responsibilities and recent initiatives:
Responsibilities
Road safety is primarily the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council (as the highways authority) and the police.
The County Council determine speed limits, and physical measures such as speed humps and chicanes. The police are responsible for enforcement of speed limits, vehicle safety, etc.
Whilst the Parish Council can seek to raise awareness and lobby, and in some cases provide funding to other authorities, it does not have powers to set speed limits, ban lorries, install speed humps, etc.
Road safety is a key issue for the Parish Council, and an area where a lot of effort has been expended.
What happened to the traffic lights that were promised for the A19?
The Parish Council has been pushing to make the A19 through the village safer for pedestrians, and vehicles exiting Skipwith Road and other side roads.
Highways’ standards limit the options available, but in 2019 the County Council agreed that it would be feasible and desirable to install a traffic light controlled junction at Skipwith Road.
However, they would need the Parish Council to fund the installation cost of the scheme.
The Parish Council consulted residents, and there was overwhelming support for the Parish Council to borrow the money and fund this.
Unfortunately, the County Council then changed their mind, and wanted not only the installation cost of the scheme funding, but the full life cost and risk on any overspend, which took the scheme beyond what the Parish Council could feasibly borrow.
The Parish Council pushed back on this position unsuccessfully, but after much effort concluded there was no realistic prospect of this scheme going ahead, and efforts were better focused on other initiatives. The Parish Council has subsequently approached City of York Council about installing a pedestrian crossing near the new bus stops.
See the dedicated A19 improvements page on the Parish Council website for a more detailed history.
What is being done about speeding in the Parish?
At the request of the Parish Council and others, speed monitoring has been undertaken at various locations in the Parish. Results have found evidence of speeding problem on Skipwith Rd but did not find evidence of a significant problem along Carr Lane, nor on the A19 through the village.
Skipwith Road and the A19 are now designated sites for the police camera van. Statistics regarding the number of deployments and offences caught are on the Parish Council website.
A community speedwatch scheme was established in 2017, focused on the A19. This had to be discontinued when this was made into a police camera van location (as the police do not allow the same locations to have both camera vans and community schemes).
In 2019 the Parish Council purchased a vehicle activated speed sign for Skipwith Road. Speed stats for the sign can be found on the Parish Council website. This is alternated between periods facing north and south.
The speed sign includes a speed logger for every passing vehicle, and the data from this logger has been used to justify the need for a 'village gateway' at the southern entrance to the village on Skipwith Road. Installation is expected in 2021.
For 2021/2022 the Parish Council has made budget provision for installation of 'build-outs' on Skipwith Road (similar to Cawood), if these are deemed to be an appropriate solution. There are mixed views from residents regarding the desirability and effectiveness of these.
The Parish Council has requested that Carr Lane be included in North Yorkshire County Council's scheme for 20mph zones near schools. The request is pending review by NYCC.
Specific speeding concerns can be reported on the North Yorkshire police website.
Why are large lorries allowed to ignore the 7.5T limit on Skipwith Road?
There is a 7.5T environmental weight limit on Skipwith road, but environmental weight limits do not apply to vehicles accessing premises within the 7.5T restriction area (which runs down to North Duffield).
The Parish Council raised concerns with North Yorkshire police that some vehicles may be using the route as a cut-through, not for access. The Police undertook spot checks in late 2020 and all vehicles stopped were found to have a legitimate reason to be within the 7.5T restriction area.
The size of some agricultural vehicles is excessive and dangerous
Central Government are responsible for setting standards for vehicle design and maximum sizes. The MP is elected to represent local interests with central Government policy.
What can be done about inconsiderate and dangerous parking?
Responsibility for parking enforcement depends upon the circumstances:
- As Selby District Council has adopted 'Civil Parking Enforcement' most enforcement of parking restrictions is the responsibility of Selby District Council. This includes parking on double yellow lines, school 'keep clear' markings and blocking dropped kerb driveways.
- Parking in another dangerous position or causing an obstruction to the highway itself requires police enforcement. (For example blocking the road, parking close to a junction, parking where there are double white centre-lines, etc)
Responsibility for considering requests for new parking restrictions, such as double yellow lines, resides with the Highways Authority at North Yorkshire County Council.
Parking on pavements is a more complex area, and in practice enforcement is difficult. Central Government are looking at legislative changes in this area.
More detail is on the Parish Council website.
Escrick NDP SEA and HRA Screening Report
published on 19th Sep 2021
Escrick Neighbourhood Development Plan
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) & Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Screening Report
The Escrick Neighbourhood Development Plan is at Pre-Submission Draft stage (Regulation 14 of The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended)) and in preparation of the submission of the Plan to the Council a screening report to determine whether the contents of the draft Escrick Neighbourhood Development Plan requires a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and/or Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA).
In line with the SEA requirements the Council has undertaken a six week consultation from 8 June 2021 to 21 July 2021 with the relevant consultation bodies (Environment Agency, Historic England and Natural England). The Screening Report and responses from the consultation bodies are available to view below:
- Escrick NDP SEA & HRA Screening Report
- Environment Agency – No response received.
- Historic England response
- Natural England response
Further details on the emerging Escrick Neighbourhood Development Plan are available on the Escrick Neighbourhood Development Plan website and Selby District Council website.
Monday Players presents....
published on 17th Sep 2021
'One Night - Two Plays!
THERMAL UNDERWEAR
by Andrew Davies
Mr and Mrs Hudd are celebrating their wedding anniversary at a friend's house. Friends and family are invited along to share the caviar and to toast this odd-ball couple with champagne. However a creaking floorboard, a leaking pipe and the odd behaviour of the party members makes the day most memorable - for all the wrong reasons.
LOCKDOWN IN LITTLE GRIMLEY
by David Tristram
LOCKDOWN is a new addition to the popular Little Grimley series, which follows the antics of a hapless Amateur Dramatic Society desperate for audiences. In a time of lockdown,the Chairman Gordon calls an emergency meeting, complete with social distancing, to discuss his idea for their next production when restrictions ease.
Thursday 28th, Friday 29th, Saturday 30th October 2021 at 7.30pm
The Village Hall, Escrick
Tickets £9
Tickets available from:
Monday Players Members
01757 249820
Further details on the production are available on our website: http://www.mondayplayers.com/
Parish Magazine Update - September 2021
published on 31st Aug 2021 (updated on 3rd Oct 2021)
There was no update in September 2021's magazine
September 2021 Parish Magazine
published on 30th Aug 2021
September's Parish Magazine has been published online:https://issuu.com/poppy.green309/docs/escrick_parish_magazine_-_september_2021