Parish Magazine Update - May 2022
The following update appears in May 2022 Parish Magazine:
Escrick Parish Council Update
Bus stops: Installation of an additional streetlight opposite the Sang Thai to improve lighting for bus stop users is underway.
Highways: Most dropped kerbs have been installed, with just the junction of Carr Lane and Skipwith Road outstanding. The road markings for the village gateway are also outstanding. The highways authority are being regularly reminded about both.
Shop: A working group is continuing to develop proposals for a shop in the village.
Post office: Plans to pilot a mobile Post Office in the village hall once per week have been agreed, with the service expected to commence within a few months.
Black Bull public house: The Black Bull is currently for sale. The Parish Council has been approached by a resident encouraging the Council to consider facilitating the purchase of the Black Bull as a community asset. The Parish Council discussed the concept, and agreed that the most preferable outcome would be for an experienced landlord to acquire the pub and run it commercially. However, if a buyer is not forthcoming then the Parish Council should seek to initiate a community group to explore the designation as a community asset and purchase of the pub on behalf of the community. The Parish Council will approach the vendor to establish the status of the sale process, and if applicable call a community meeting to discuss further.
Grass cutting: The Parish Council arranges the grass cutting of the village green, playing fields, and verges within the 30/40mph areas of the village (other verges are cut by North Yorkshire County Council). These areas are cut approximately fortnightly from April to October by the Council’s contractor. Some residents cut the verges outside their own properties, for which the Council is very grateful. The Council has been asked to consider various changes to its cutting arrangements, including (i) not cutting grass until the end of May to promote wildflower growth; (ii) collecting grass cuttings to improve appearance; (iii) banning the contractors from using strimmers. The Council considered these suggestions but felt that current arrangements were appropriate. There is scope to look at more rewilding in future, and an indeed a new wildflower strip is currently being established on the village green.
Hedges and pavements: We are reaching the time of year where hedgerows grow again. The Highways Act 1980 creates a legal obligation for the owner or occupier of a property to ensure that the road and pavement adjacent to their property is not obstructed by vegetation from their property. Whilst we recognise that significant hedge cutting is best undertaken outside of the bird nesting season, it is not illegal to trim hedges at any time of the year, providing you do not disturb nesting birds. We would encourage residents to keep hedges adjacent to pavements and junctions trimmed so that they do not cause an obstruction. Complaints about hedges impeding roads or pavements can be raised with the highways authority on their website at https://myaccount.northyorks.gov.uk/vegetation
Playing fields: As the playing field is now being regularly used by a local under 9s football club, the Council has agreed to have the pitch rolled to improve the surface.
Planning - NDP: Consultation on Escrick’s Neighbourhood Development Plan concluded on 4th April and Selby District Council has appointed an independent examiner to review the plan. This is expected to take 2 – 3 weeks. Following the completion of the examination there will then be a public referendum for adoption of the plan.
Jubilee celebrations: Various activities are being coordinated by groups in the village for the Jubilee long-weekend, in addition to a Jubilee garden initiative. Details will be published directly by those organising these. The Parish Council has agreed to take on the lease for the land to be used for the Jubilee Garden, and has successfully obtained various grants on behalf of the volunteers. The Parish Council has agreed to hire portable toilets for the village green for the duration of the events.
Councillors: Cllrs Chamber, Cunningham, Hawes, Hopkinson and Rees have been nominated for May’s election, and will be elected uncontested as there are fewer candidates than vacancies. Cllrs Coulson, Reader and Rowson did not stand for re-election. There are now six vacancies for Parish Councillors. Anyone interested in the role should contact the clerk. I’d like to thank Lilian Coulson and John Reader who are also stepping down at this point. Since joining the Council in 2008 Lilian has brought a passion for planning, and for many years has chaired the Council’s Planning Working Group. In this role she has scrutinised and responded to hundreds of planning applications, plus other policy documents, with a professional rigor that is rare for Parish Councils. John has had several tenures as a Parish Councillor spanning three decades, and in recent years has been our Vice-Chairman. He’s not only brought great experience and local knowledge, but is invariably one of the first to volunteer when practical help is needed.
Parish Council meeting dates: Next meeting 9th May. 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
From the chair: This is my final update for the Parish Magazine, as my tenure as a Parish Councillor comes to an end at the start of May. Chairing the Council has been a much more varied (and time consuming!) role than I expected, and a great lesson in the variety of different views and priorities held by different residents. A new chair will be elected at May’s meeting, and I wish them every success with the role. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my tenure in the role. Richard Rowson