Housing Minister urges rural communities to learn from Harrogate

Policies created by Harrogate Borough Council to provide homes in rural areas have been set as an example to other rural councils by the Communities Minister, Andrew Stunall.

Full statement from Andrew Stunall here

Merry Christmas

Michelle and Jim wish everyone in Rossett and across the Harrogate district a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. We look forward to working hard for you in 2012.

MPs Attack Key Planning Reforms

MPs attack key planning reforms

Rossett Sports Centre Future Concerns

Michelle writes: Yesterday, Jim and I became aware of Harrogate Borough Council's proposals to discontinue the operational management of Rossett Sports Centre in order to generate efficiency savings for 2012. If this were to happen, the running of the sports centre would have to taken over by an other organisation, such as a school, a community group or a private company. At this stage, it is still a proposal, however to all of us in the Rossett Ward and across Harrogate, it's both shocking and inconceivable that these facilities could be in jeopardy.

Jim and I will be fighting to keep funding from HBC for Rossett Sports Centre and we want you to share your views. Please post your thoughts and comments on this. How do you use Rossett Sports Centre? What does it mean for you as a facility? What do you think of the council's proposals to withdraw funding?
We will keep you updated on any new developments.

Read an article abouth this in the Harrogate Advertiser - Vow to keep Rossett Sports Centre open
Read an article on this in the Yorkshire Post - Council set to axe sports hall funding

Arthurs Avenue North/South Divide Parking Update

Jim writes: At a meeting last Thursday, North Yorkshire County Councillors decided to revoke the parking controls on Arthurs Avenue. This means that in the new year the parking bays will be removed. Since the bays were introduced in 2008, the situation has improved for residents at the Otley Road end of the street (North) but has meant major problems and safety concerns for those living further up the avenue (South). Also a large proportion of the bays were not used and there was increased movement of traffic due to the time restrictions.

Myself and Michelle are going to meet Sixth Formers next week at the Grammar School to discuss the new arrangements with students and encourage a more responsible attitude to parking to benefit both residents and students. We will also raise the subject of alternative means of travelling to and from school rather than using individual cars, which is neither good for the environment or the wallet.

These changes will not address the problem of parents of children blocking drives and inconsiderate behaviour when picking up and dropping off children .We will continue to discuss this with the school.

Speeding surveys have been carried out during November and we will have the results shortly. Myself and Michelle are in favour of a 20mph limit for Arthurs Avenue.

Questions about road and footpath gritting?

Michelle writes: Now that the winter has descended upon us rather abruptly, it's time to think about keeping safe on the roads and footpaths.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) places a very high priority on its winter maintenance service and has protected the funding for it despite the current severe financial challenges.  Due to the size of the County and the resources that NYCC have available to clear snow and ice, it is not possible for the County Council to treat all roads and footways in North Yorkshire during severe winter weather conditions. However, the County Council does routinely treat 50% of the road network, which is the largest proportion of any local highway authority in England.  Resources are focussed on the higher priority routes of our network in line with our winter maintenance policy and some lower priority roads and many footways are therefore not able to be treated.  In severe conditions local farming contractors form an integral part of our snow clearing operations.

NYCC currently have 55,000 tonnes of salt stored mainly in 12 salt barns across the county.  These are located at Richmond, Leyburn, Thirsk, Stokesley, Whitby, Seamer Carr (will be complete by February 2012), Kirby Misperton, Skipton, Ingleton, Boroughbridge (shared facility with the Highways Agency), West of Harrogate and Selby.  

In widespread freezing and wet conditions NYCC salt 2300km of priority 1 routes which include the major traffic routes connecting or passing through towns and other major centres of population and these should be treated by 7.00am. When conditions dictate, NYCC will move the gritters on to the 2100km of priority 2 routes which generally provide access to local communities and these should be treated by 10.00am.  Generally treatment does not take place between 11.00pm and 5.00am; however specific conditions may require us to do so.

Priority 3 routes which include the remaining 4500km of roads in housing estates and country lanes will not normally receive treatment unless NYCC know freezing conditions are likely to persist for more than 72 hours. Priority three routes will be treated, as resources permit, but with preference to priority one and two routes. 

Footways in busy shopping areas will be treated in snow conditions before 9am. Normal overnight frosty conditions will not warrant treatment of footways. After snow fall, busy shopping streets and main pedestrian footways will be cleared before other footways. In ice and snow conditions remaining footways will be treated in priority order subject to available resources.

Last winter NYCC also successfully trialled a winter maintenance volunteer scheme with a small number of Parish and Town Councils.  NYCC have now set up a new voluntary scheme that offers Parish Councils, Town Councils and other community groups the opportunity to deliver an enhanced level of winter maintenance service in the local area.  Take up of the new scheme has been encouraging with in the region of twenty parishes taking part.  

Parish and town councils who volunteer to join the scheme will play an important role in assisting with winter maintenance across North Yorkshire to benefit residents in their local community by providing a service that is in addition to the normal winter service.   

How do I get my road gritted? 

The schedule of treated roads has been developed over a number of years and is approved annually by the Council.  Whilst it is unlikely that any additional roads will be added to our current schedules, if you feel you have an exceptional case for amending, you should contact the Council. Any submission would benefit from having the support of your Parish/Town Council or the support of your local County Council Member.  Any additional requests that come in will be looked at in a preseason review. 

Can I request an additional salt bin? Parish councils and community groups/ resident organisations can acquire and maintain additional salt bins at locations that do not meet the County Council's criteria. In these circumstances a 200kg green (or yellow) bin will be provided at a cost of £50.  An annual maintenance charge of £75 will be applied to each bin to cover the cost of two salt replenishments. A further charge may be levied if additional fills are required. 

You can find more frequently asked questions and further details on our gritting operations, mapping and camera images on the website http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/

Essential Needs - Re-use Furniture Project

Michelle writes: This morning I had the pleasure of visiting Essential Needs - an independent charity who provide low cost furniture and household items to single people and families on low incomes or in receipt of income based benefit. Esssential Needs do a wonderful job by helping people to gain stability and comfort in a house of which they can be proud. Added to that, they minimise waste by recirculating furniture and household items!

Perhaps you have some items to donate or are in need of some furniture or household items yourself. You can find all the information you need by visiting their website http://www.essentialneeds.org.uk/ or telephoning 01423 870040. A big thank you to Martin, John and Nick who took the time to show me round the store, which is based on Back Gladstone Street, just off Leeds Road.

Waste Collection Review

Michelle writes: In mid 2012, Harrogate Borough Council will be changing the way they collect our domestic rubbish. Most homes across the district will be allocated a new wheelie bin and will move to a collection every two weeks, with the opportunity to recycle more, including cardboard and plastics.

Some streets will remain on a weekly black sack collection and the reason for this is the size of the collection vehicle and poor access to narrow streets. Such is the case potentially with Wharfedale Place, Crescent, Avenue and West Lea in the Rossett ward.

The whole district has recently been surveyed in terms of how the rubbish will be collected under the new scheme, and I have asked the Cabinet Member, Michael Harrison, to pay special attention to these roads so that the correct decision is made. We will know more next year.

If any residents have any comments from the Wharfedales or West Lea on this matter, please get in touch.

Urban Areas Consultation - advice on filling in the response questionnaire

Michelle writes:
I promised I would post again, following on from the RASH meeting, about a modified Option 2 or Option 3 if you prefer to refer to it as that.


I would highly recommend visiting the Duchy Residents Association website for further information about the urgan areas consultation and proposed housing options.


http://www.duchyresidents.co.uk/


Scroll down the homepage and click on 'Suggested response' (Item 10). This links to an example filled-in questionnaire, offering suggestions for alternative areas that could be further developed rather than the large number of houses proposed for the West of Harrogate at Cardale Park. Very useful if you are looking for words or help with filling in the form.


Deadline for the response is 4th November so please try to get your responses back by then. The more residents that respond, the stronger our voice to preserve the West of Harrogate.

Winter Preparedness - advice for residents from Yorkshire Water

Last  year  was  one  of  the  coldest  to hit Yorkshire for some time with temperatures in parts of our region reaching -19C. Thousands of people were left  with  frozen  private  supply pipes and no water and as a result this year Yorkshire Water have launched a new ‘Wrap Up’ campaign to help residents get their homes prepared for winter.

The  campaign  provides residents in the region with help and advice around how  to  protect  their pipes, how to defrost their pipes and what to do if they have a burst.

This year Yorkshire Water are determined to help and ensure everyone in Yorkshire is well equipped with all the information, tools and know how to make sure that  when the snow strikes again, they will be in a much better position to cope with it.

www.yorkshirewater.com/wrapup

Today, Michelle has been...

...speaking at the Harrogate Borough Council Planning meeting on behalf of the residents of Redfearn Mews about the proposed White Rose Court Development of 10 houses at the BT training site. The plans can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/69x4gmu 


This application was recommended for approval and although there was some opposition  from 5 members and 1 abstension, this development was approved by members and will be referred to the Head of Planning(to be verified.)


This is what I had to say...

My name is Michelle Woolley and I am the local member for the Rossett Ward. Thank you to the Chairman for allowing me the opportunity to speak today about the White Rose Court development, which is part of the larger BT training site.

Residents of Redfearn Mews will be directly affected by 10 more houses and the opening up of the cul-de-sac to form a continuation road to the BT private road, and they have already expressed their concerns about this development.

Indeed, this committee has on two previous occasions refused planning permission, and it’s only because of a successful appeal by the developers that this is before you today.

Residents on Redfearn Mews (consisting of 38 houses and 6 flats) are rightly concerned that 10 more houses will cause unacceptable traffic congestion both in Redfearn Mews itself and the top end of Hutton Gate. Currently, residents from Hutton Gate are already forced to park their cars on Redfearn Mews as there is insufficient parking, causing congestion at the junction with Hutton Gate.

Furthermore, Hutton Gate was deemed too narrow for a bus and the public service vehicles have difficulty negotiating it.

Aside from the dangers relating to traffic and parking congestion with the development of 10 houses, the bigger picture also needs to be taken into consideration. As I mentioned this site is part of the larger BT site, which is earmarked for 90 houses as seen in the Council’s urban areas consultation, I am referring to area H39. Therefore, opening up the cul de sac for the development of White Rose Court will eventually give access to these 100 houses via Redfearn Mews;  a situation that gives serious cause for concern in terms of the amount of traffic being routed through a narrow road and subsequent parking congestion.

I would prefer to see White Rose Court developed with the future of the whole BT training site in mind, instead of developing it prematurely and in isolation.

I would be grateful if you would take these points into consideration when making your decision. Thank you.

RASH Meeting - Say YES to modified Option 2.

It was brilliant to see so many people at the Residents Against Spoiling Harrogate meeting at Ashville College on Tuesday - approximately 200 attended to hear what RASH had to advise on the proposed  Harrogate housing plans.


Key Messages:


Just saying 'NO' to Option 1 & 2 is not the best approach, we have to consider what is best for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon as a whole and feedback constructively on the questionnaires.
Most people agree that some level of development is to be expected and can have a positive impact and offer opportunity when carefully controlled and considered. However residents strongly object to the disproportionate amount of housing proposed at Cardale Park (Option 1 H3008 1825 homes and Option 2 H32(2) 770 homes).


The advice from RASH is:
Say No to Option 1
Say Yes to modified Option 2, which demands a fairier distribution of houses across the district.


I will post again about modified Option 2 in more detail shortly, can I suggest you contact Rosemary 01423 562480 rcarnaghan@yahoo.com for an example completed questionnaire in the meantime.


The closing date for comments is 4.30pm Friday 4 November 2011

Please send your form to: FREEPOST HG11, Dept of Developmenttal Services, Harrogate Borough Council, West Grove Road, Harrogate, HG1 2ZR.

 

Further Information:


The RASH panel was made up of:

• Rosemary Carnaghan (Chairman of the Duchy Resident's Association)
• Terry Byrne (Chairman of the Harlow and Pannal Ash RA)
• Mike Clarke (representing Beckwithshaw Parish Council)
• Peter Whittle (Duchy RA)
• Roy Osbourne (Chairman of Queen Ethelburga's RA)

Full minutes are available from Rosemary rcarnaghan@yahoo.com but the concerns raised included:

• Poor infrastructure, how will the Otley Road cope with police station traffic, increasing visitor numbers to Harlow Carr RHS gardens and up to 2000 new houses.
• Empty offices at Cardale Park, so why is more land reserved for business development?
• Significant impact on the village of Beckwithshaw, the rural consultation did not highlight the additional housing proposed for the West of Harrogate
• Clogged up rat-runs along Lady Lane, Howhill Lane through to Burn Bridge and Pannal.
• Construction traffic, years of continual house building, noise and disruption.
• The land is designated as Special Landscape Area and is recommended to stay as this.
• Flooding
• Dependency on North Yorkshire County Council for roads, schools, health services and facilities.

The campaign against the proposed housing gathers momentum...

Meet your PCSO at Rossett Sports Centre Friday 21st October

Michelle writes:

Natalie, your local, friendly PCSO will be at Rossett Sports Centre on Friday 21st October 5.30 - 7.30pm. This is an opportunity for you to have a chat with your local PCSO, and raise any issues you may have. It's more of a drop-in session than a formal meeting. It's important for Natalie to hear your concerns as she can feed these back in order to help set policing priorities for the area.

Michelle and Jim will also be there.

RASH (Residents Against Spoiling Harrogate) meeting 18th October 7pm

Local Development Framework


Michelle writes: I am strongly opposed to the level of proposed new housing presented in the 'Plan the Future With Us' newspaper (you should have had one through the letter box.) Neither Option 1 nor 2 are acceptable in terms of the numbers of houses and level of development proposed for West Harrogate behind Cardale Park. More info can be found here:


http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/Pages/LDF-Consult.aspx


Come along to the RASH meeting at Ashville College at 7pm on the 18th October to learn more about how to respond to the consultation. Filling in the questionnaire will be explained in terms of what to write so that we can all get our points across with the maximum impact. Hope to see you there.

Two evenings...two councillors...two meetings...

Wednesday eve - We (Jim and Michelle) both sit on the Overview and Scrutiny commitee at Harrogate Borough Council. In order to make sure that this commitee is scrutinising matters that are relevant and important to Harrogate and its people, we attended a workshop with a number of representatives from various organisations in Harrogate (business, educational, charitable and voluntary) and undertook a mindmapping exercise to identify such issues. We really enjoyed meeting a wide range of people and listening to the issues that they're most concerned about such as, how the cuts in services are affecting vulnerable people, how to reinvigorate the high street and fill empty shops and setting up a community fund.


Thursday eve - We attended the July Harrogate Borough Council meeting. A hot topic up for debate tonight was onstreet parking charges and the changes to these proposed by North Yorkshire County Council. We also had a presentation on the council's plans to update waste collection and improve recycling - phase 1 will be rolled out in Summer 2012. Under the new scheme, it will cost the HBC approx £1.25 per week per household to collect waste and recycle paper, cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, cans and garden waste - in other words, good value for money for the whole service.

Welcome to our brand new blog.

We promised to stay in touch with Rossett residents about local issues and this blog will be the one stop shop for all things Rossett.