Chairman’s Report 2018/2019
Overview
It is very satisfying to look back at a year of many achievements in Escrick, and apologies if I fail to capture them all here.
Parish Council
Key areas of focus for the Parish Council have included:
- Launching the ‘neighbourhood development plan’ project, to solicit local opinion and begin to develop a blueprint for future development in the village. The large number of responses to the Parish survey have evidenced the issues that are most important locally;
- Obtaining a design and quotation for installing traffic lights/pedestrian crossings at the A19/Skipwith Road junction. We will consult on whether to proceed with this scheme during 2019;
- Installing two additional streetlights on Carr Lane;
- Continuing to support local residents with the objections to the proposed waste processing site at Stillingfleet Mine;
- Responding to almost all planning applications impacting upon the Parish, including the significant proposals for a leisure/caravan park at the former North Selby Mine site.
- The Escrick Heritage project for its project to document and open-up Escrick’s history, along with improvements to the Church;
- The Yorkshire Countrywomen’s Association for organising the very successful scarecrow festival, and ensuring the village was decorated for the Tour de Yorkshire’s visit;
- The Village Green Association for completing the refurbishment and clay lining of the village green pond, hosting Dinner of the Green, and arranging the ‘Beacons of Light’ commemoration;
- The Playing Fields Association for the ongoing safety checks, maintenance and fund raising for the playground;
- The Escrick 10k took a break in 2018, but we look forward to welcoming back the event in 2019;
- Thanks is also due to the various other groups – the Village Hall Committee; Tennis Club; Club committee; Church, PCC and FoSH; and tea-shop committee – all who put in significant effort to keep these amenities for the community. As are thanks due to those that undertake various ad hoc roles, be it planting flowers in front of the village signs, mowing the grass around the fountain, or simply maintaining the verge outside their house (and apologies for any groups that I have failed to mention).
Village
Outside of the Parish Council it is great to see the contributions from the various other voluntary groups around the Parish. In particular:
Councillors
Parish Cllrs Mervin Casling and Brian Forster both stood down during the year – the latter after over 25 years’ service to the Parish Council. Their contributions will be missed.
We welcomed John Reader back to the team, and will welcome Nigel Bartle at May’s meeting. We still have three Parish Councillor vacancies.
We look forward to working with Neil Reader as our new District Councillor for Escrick ward.
As Neil takes on this role, I would like to both personally and on behalf of the Parish Council thank Liz Casling for her numerous contributions over the past 20 years, which conclude over half a century of Liz and her father David, serving the residents of Escrick as Parish, District and County Councillors.
The Year Ahead
The Neighbourhood Development Plan will continue to be a key area of focus, as it start to build upon the research phase to capture and document policy statements for the future development of the Parish.
The consultation on whether to borrow funds to proceed with the A19/Skipwith Road traffic lights and pedestrian crossing gives residents the opportunity to decide whether to do something tangible about this long running issue of concern.
The programme of additional streetlighting draws to a close, with two additional lights ordered for Main St.
The Council will continue to represent residents to other authorities on issues such as highways and planning.
Notable ongoing planning issues for the Parish Council to represent upon include the ongoing application for the waste sorting site at the former Stillingfleet Mine; the caravan/leisure park at the former North Selby mine; the pending application for clay extraction west of the A19; and an application to increase the volume of waste being tipped west of the business park.