Newsletter March 2010

Introduction

We welcome both new and returning readers to this update on council affairs and will be pleased to receive your feedback which can be left on our website. If there are other questions that you have, please feel free either to send an e-mail/ write a letter to our clerk (details below) or to come along in person to any of our monthly meetings where there is always a slot allocated for members of the public to speak.

Markets

We have several current concerns - one of which is support for our Friday market. A combination of bad weather, economic downturn and (healthy) competition has led to some of our regular traders giving notice and, although there are plenty of others who would be pleased to take their place, it is another case of "use it, or lose it!" if the market is to remain in place and to prosper. Please continue to browse and buy on a Friday as well as supporting the local shops, the weekly Country Market and the monthly Farmers' Market. If you would like to enquire about obtaining a stall on the Friday Market, please contact the Clerk.
Note: This year the Easter Market will be held on Good Friday instead of Maundy Thursday.

Dog Fouling

Hambleton District Council recently published a warning outlining the penalties for allowing dog fouling. Easingwold Town Council has made efforts to reduce the amount of fouling on all public land and recently put this sign up at the entrance to the Millfields Park. Regrettably it has had a relatively small impact on the continuing problem and this fouling causes considerable risk and distress to children and adults alike. Dog owners are asked to act responsibly and pick up after their pets.

Springhill Court Footpath

Next month we will host the Annual Parish Assembly and it is almost unbelievable that it will then be two years since the issue of a safe route for wheelchairs between Springhill Court and the Market place was first raised by a concerned resident at the 2008 Assembly. If you share our concern, please write to:
Mr Nigel Smith, NYCC Highways and Transportation, Area 2 Thirsk Industrial Park, York Road, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 3BX, so that this matter can be brought to a speedy and acceptable conclusion.

Young People

It was sad to read in the local paper that some youngsters are climbing public buildings simply for the challenge of doing so but it does give us the opportunity to mention the Easingwold Community Youth Centre (COZIE) which is supported by an annual grant from this council. This is only one of many provisions in the town for the younger generation which provide safe and challenging environments for those with lots of surplus energy! With other facilities including the Youth Club at Easingwold School, the play parks, the football club, the skate park, the ATC, the Scoutsand Guides plus numerous clubs and societies hosted by the Galtres Community Centre (and elsewhere) there is no real reason for our young people to be looking for something to do because they are bored.

Personnel

This month we welcome our new Assistant Clerk. The previous Assistant Clerk and temporary replacements have made valuable contributions to the efficient running of the Council office. We wish to record our thanks and appreciation of their efforts and wish them well in the future.

Easingwold Service Centre Transportation Strategy (SCTS)

This is the new name for NYCC's proposed scheme for improvements to the Market Place and various stakeholders, including the Town Council, have commented on some draft proposals so that they can be refined before being sent out for public consultation. When they are eventually published, please exercise your right to comment on the public version and/or suggest amendments so that the final plans can be as representative as possible of the majority view of the town.

Budget 2010/11

The budget for this current year (2009/10) had to be severely pruned because the total proposed expenditure would have led to an unacceptably high increase in the local precept. Cuts were "across the board" but included such items as tree maintenance and play park equipment. It has not proved possible to restore those cuts in the budget for 2010/11. We have asked Hambleton District Council to collect £76,500 next year on our behalf which represents an increase of 2.68%.

Play Parks

Despite the cuts referred to above, we are delighted to inform you that refurbishment plans for a large part of the Memorial Park are now going ahead. This is due to a lot of hard work by members of the Recreation Committee under its Chairman Cllr Shirley Shepherd ably assisted by Lisa Wilson, Lifestyles Manager at HDC, and Andrew Firth who is the Project Officer for Playbuilder at County Hall, Northallerton. After various delays, setbacks and disappointments, it is good to see Easingwold receiving a grant that will greatly enhance our facilities for young people. Site clearance is underway and the new installations will be completed by the end March 2010.

And finally …

We wish to pay tribute to all those who struggled through the recent snowstorms to deliver mail, goods and services. We are also grateful that the appalling weather was unable to quench the community spirit that is so evident in Easingwold and its surrounding area but instead brought out the best in those friends and neighbours who looked out for each other.