TO MEMBERS OF THE PARISH COUNCILS OF EAST AYTON, WEST AYTON, SEAMER AND CROSSGATES, HUTTON BUSCEL, IRTON, BROMPTON BY SAWDON,SNAINTON, WYKEHAM AND RUSTON Updates on current NYCC and Scarborough BC issues NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL The council has agreed priorities for the next four years as maintaining its 6000 miles of roads, promoting economic growth and helping communities. The Locality Budget of 5000 for the Seamer and Derwent Valley Division has now been allocated to a wide range of projects including supporting junior cricket teams, restoration work on The Butts, Brompton, Ruston Beck, tools for the Friends of Seamer, the volunteer group which carries out environmental improvement work, kitchen facilities at Sawdon Village Hall, equipment for Snainton Village Hall, a defib unit at Ayton Sports Field, and a health promotion day for the villages in the Division at Ayton. Senior officers at County Hall are awaiting information from Westminster regarding the potential financial impact of the decision to leave the EU and its implications on the grant allocations to local authorities. As Joint Chairman of the NY and York Flood Protection Committee and of the Yorkshire Regional Committee I have been involved in decision making on a number of schemes aimed at helping to combat future flooding. In the Scarborough Borough area scheme also include cliff work at Runswick Bay, Scarborough Spa, and flood alleviation work at Filey. The Government's new Bus Services Bill is currently going through Parliament but will not affect our area, only those authorities which operate services, according to Robert Goodwill MP whom I have discussed the matter with. There is pressure for all local authorities who want to improve bus services in towns, villages and areas that are poorly served at present, to be able to franchise services. Such moves are on the devolution agendas I understand. I hope to plant a tree with my three small granddaughters in the next month or so, at Hutton Buscel to mark my year as Chairman of NYCC. SCARBOROUGH BOROUH COUNCIL The council is to explore the possibility of a number of its 38 public toilets being run by town and parish councils as a way of (a) saving money and (b) improving the standard of the many of the existing toilets, which in a number of cases take a great deal to be desired. A new report on the Futurist Theatre is due to go presented by officers to the Cabinet in September. The council was told this week that since January there have been 34 complaints of "Hate crime". Other points from the Council meeting of July 4: Progress is being made on the redevelopment of the Scarborough Market Hall. A number of new businesses want to move into the hall when the work is completed.
Some 16,400 households have now signed up to the garden waste service The Coventry University Scarborough Campus and the Scarborough University Technical College (UTC) are both on target for completion in September and a good number of students have already enrolled. The new water theme park is scheduled to open at the end of July in Burniston Road, in time for the school holiday season. The Sports Village is also making good progress. David Jeffels 5 July 2016 TO MEMBERS OF THE PARISH COUNCILS IN THE SEAMER AND DERWENT VALLEY DIVISION NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL A man has been fined a total of 10,000 at Scarborough Court and ordered to pay 16,000 compensation for conning and pressuring elderly people into having their driveways resurfaced. NYCC Trading Standards made the prosecution after complaints that the work which had been carried out was extremely poor resulting in driveways crumbling after a short time. NYCC has issued a warning to elderly householders, who are seen as the most vulnerable, to be aware of such scams and to immediately contact the police if they are concerned. BRIDGE MONEY NYCC has been awarded 3.2 m by the N Yorks Local Enterprise Partnership towards further improvements to the bridge at Tadcaster which you will recall collapsed in the River Wharfe floods last Boxing Day. The money is to be used to widen footpaths and make the historic bridge more pedestrian friendly. Work is on-going on the general restoration of the bridge, funded by the Government. LOCALITY BUDGET All the current budget of 5000 allocated to me for the Seamer and Derwent Valley Division has been earmarked for projects. They include the recent Health Matters promotion for the villages in the division, held at Ayton; cricket equipment for young players (girls, boys and those from ethnic minorities) at Forge Valley CC, Seamer and Wykeham, kitchen equipment at Sawdon Village Hall; chairs at Snaintion Village Hall; restoration work at The Butts, Brompton and Ruston Beck, and Friends of Seamer Village to help their enhancement work in the village. This funding will help attract other money to improve our communities in a wide range of ways. SCARBOROUGH BOROUGH COUNCIL Work on the 2 billion plan for a potash mine at Sneaton near Whitby is likely to start in September says Sirius, the company behind the project. Managing director, Chris Fraser, says Britain's exit from the EU would not affect its plans. Initial work will include the building of mine shafts at Dove Farm, Sneaton, and the tunnel which will transport the potash from the mine to Teesport
WATER THEME PARK Hopes are high that the new 14 m Water Theme Park in Burniston Road, close to Northstead Manor Gardens, will be operational in about two weeks. SEAMER TRAVELLERS The annual visit of the Travellers, went off without any major problems. The number of caravans this year was well down at 104, after reaching a peak a year or two ago of 180. The only incident of note was a road accident outside the entrance site at Seamer when, I understand, a vehicle ran into the back of another turning into the site. The police, NYCC and SBC officers, parish council, RSPCA and security personnel did a first class job in ensuring the re-assurance of the residents of Seamer and Crossgates, and the safety of the travellers. HOUSING SCHEMES I am currently involved in plans for major housing developments at East Ayton and Seamer which I expect will go before the planning and development committee of which I am a member, later this summer. It is important that residents are encouraged to express their views on the schemes. OTHER ITEMS 1. I am currently involved with work as a Trustee of the Yorkshire and Humber Forum for Older People, and the Environment Agency on flood defence schemes, as Joint Chairman of the N Yorkshire Flood Protection Committee. I have been in contact with the officer responsible for the River Derwent at East and west Ayton regarding the build-up of silt near the old stone bridge in the hope of it being rectified. 2. I have received figures regarding the recent EU Referendum so far as our area is concerned. In the Borough's Derwent Valley Ward (our area excluding Seamer) the turnout was 79 pc, one of the highest in the Borough, while at Seamer ward, the figure was 75 pc. They show that in the Scarborough Council area as a whole, the turnout was 73 pc, with 37,512 people voting to 'Leave' and 22,999 voting "Remain" David Jeffels July 17 TO THE PARISH COUNCILS OF EAST AYTON, SNAINTON, SEAMER AND BROMPTON BY SAWDON HIGHWAY ISSUES I had a meeting at Whitby yesterday with Andrew Santon, of NYCC Highways regarding a number of issues raised at PC meetings in this division of late.
SNAINTON Verges at Wydale Rise: Ways of resolving the parking problem on the verges and the impact on them, especially in the winter months, have still to be resolved and it is possible that an on-site meeting will be held with residents, NYCC highways, SPC and me in the hope of finding a solution. SCARBOROUGH TOWN CENTRE The long-awaited improvements to the pedestrian areas in Westborough and Newborough and part of Huntriss Row are due to start in September. Tender documents are being despatched this week to potential contractors for the work which will see paved areas of York-stone type paved areas and tarmac. SBC is expected to fund the provision of new street furniture. When completed the scheme should enhance the appearance of the town centre. FORGE VALLEY While the road between East Ayton and Hackness/Lady Edith's Drive and Mowthorpe is popular as a route from the northern area villages of Scalby, Burniston, Cloughton etc, it is a 60 mph road. Highway officers have investigated the accident statistics on the road and in the last four years there appear to have been four: one where a driver went of the road while trying to avoid a deer; another when a motor cyclist's chain broke; a single vehicle accident in which a car driver lost control on a bend and collided with a wall, and a fourth resulting from a fault on a motor cycle. The officers point out that it is up to the motorists using the road, most of whom are local, should drive according to the conditions. STEPNEY HILL/JACOB'S MOUNT SBC was asked to cut back overgrown vegetation especially on the footpaths and this has been carried out. SCARBOROUGH BOROUGH COUNCIL The entire council staff have been stunned by the tragic death of the authority's Conservation Officer, Derek Green and his wife Joy in a four-fatality road accident on the A64 at Scampston Bridge last Friday night. The other two victims were family members from Leeds. Their vehicle, it is understood, was in collision with a lorry. Derek had worked for SBC for many years at Whitby and Scarborough and was a much respected and valued member of the staff who was greatly valued. I have sent a message of condolence to Derek and Joy's daughter and to the planning department staff. WATER THEME PARK Councillors have been invited to visit the new water theme park which is due to open to the public in the next few days. David Jeffels 26 July