North Cave litter pick yields almost 50 bags of rubbish

A litter pick was carried out on sides of the B1230 as it passes through the village of North Cave, this as part of the ‘Wallingfen Way Project - a scheme to improve and develop the road as it continues through the villages of Gilberdyke and Newport as well as North Cave.

Many thanks to the 21 people who gave their time free of charge, including Parish Councillors, members of North Cave in Bloom, First Responders, the Womens Institute and other people who took part in wanting the village to be clear of unwanted litter and rubbish. (you're all great!).

We collected almost 50 bags of litter, plus a lot of other rubbish, including goodly amounts of vehicle parts.

I am told that my 2½ hours raised £16.68 in matched funding from the LEADER programme, with the other volunteers achieving the same. This money has been made available for this worthwhile project and will be initially spent on landscaping, and the planting of shrubs and trees along the B1230 through our villages.

The Coast, Wolds, Wetlands and Waterways LEADER funding programme was launched in April of last year. The area covers most of the rural East Riding of Yorkshire as well as parts of Ryedale and Scarborough.

Special thanks to North Cave Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsey (pictured) although not able to pick up the litter, played a key role in organising the morning’s activities.

Gilberdyke and North Cave Parish Councils take the lead to clear snow in their villages

Both Gilberdyke and North Cave Parish Council’s took the lead and employed diggers to clear the unprecedented levels of snow from the streets within their villages.

After numerous complaints and requests from residents Gilberdyke Parish Council employed Sweeting Brothers who provided a tractor with a snow plough blade to clear the streets within the village. Local framer Miles Kirk from Oxmardyke also provided his loading shovel driven by local businessman Howard Malcolmson to remove some of the snow from the roads where it would create problems for pedestrians if the snow was pushed from the road onto the footpaths. The Parish Council's road sweeper, Parish Councillors and volunteers also donned shovels to help with the work.

After receiving similar requests from residents North Cave who were finding it difficult to get their vehicles from their driveways to the main roads in the village, employed local farmer Dick Brown with his loading shovel to clear the streets in Manor Road, Blanchards Lane and others.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) has done a sterling job in keeping the 800 plus miles of A and B roads clear, but simply does not have the resources to work on all the minor roads and streets within villages. This is why I feel it is important that the communities pitch in to do their bit, and as we have seen in Gilberdyke and North Cave - the Parish Councils have taken the lead.

I acknowledge that there are going to be lessons learnt from this recent period of snow. Perhaps we need to look back to the past when we had farmers ready to go to clear the minor roads using their tractors. I remember when I was growing up in Faxfleet the local farmer had a snow plough that he attached to the front of a tractor.

If we had been able to call on an army of farmers with their modern 4 x 4 grain shovels or using simple snow ploughs, the snow could have been cleared before it turned to ice, and we would not be witnessing the inches of compacted and frozen snow on minor roads and streets within our villages.

People say it’s the compensation culture that is preventing people from clearing the snow from outside their properties and more so shopkeepers from clearing the snow form outside their retail premises. The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has issued guidance to Parish Councils but I feel more needs to be done to dismiss the rumours surrounding this compensation culture where people are afraid to become involved in helping themselves and others for fear of being sued.

All aboard the 'Wallingfen Way' open top bus tour

On Sunday people from Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave took part in a consultation event with a difference – a continuous open top bus tour between the three villages, dropping off at a presentation held at Newport Village Hall as part of the Wallingfen Way project.

(Pictured with Sheffield University Student Kate Jackson and North Cave Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsey at the beginning of the bus tour)

The Wallingfen way project is a visionary initiative, set up by the three village Parish Councils aiming to remove a ‘scar on the landscape’ (the B1230) and replace it with a distinct rural community corridor, known as ‘The Wallingfen Way’. The project aims to reinforce the distinctive character and identity of three Howdenshire villages, Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave, to reclaim the road for the local community.

The project began when Newport and Gilberdyke Parish Councils came together because of a mutual dissatisfaction with the main road through the two villages. The road was bisecting the villages and became a ‘bully’ that prevented growth of the communities and their identity. North Cave joined the working group shortly afterwards with a different set of problems. The narrowness of the road caused many traffic problems, which need resolving, and it was hoped that the introduction of North Cave would have a positive effect on the project as a whole and add weight to the argument for the rural community corridor. An Urban Analysis team was brought on board, led by Dr Lindsay Smales, and, following extensive community consultation and analysis, a design brief was drawn up.

Leeds Metropolitan students were also involved to uncover the real problem areas along the road and pose suggestions for solutions.

Initial funding was won from LEADER, a program financed by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and DEFRA. The program is being overseen by Yorkshire Forward as part of the Rural Development Program for England.

As part of a six- week live project, students of the University of Sheffield joined the design team in October this year.

Following discussions, it became clear that the problems the villages were facing did not just end with the B1230. Gilberdyke and Newport were suffering with a lack of visible community identity and the road was exacerbating this problem. The students conducted further community consultations to uncover the true identity of the villages. ‘Roadworks?’ events were held in the three villages over the course of a week. Workshops were also run at Newport Village School to understand the younger community’s aspirations.

The consultations highlighted not only the lack of awareness about the project itself, but also the frustration of the community, waiting for long-term improvements. The students have developed short- term and long- term visions for not only the B1230 but also the surrounding public spaces that could be developed. They looked at short-term ideas that could be instigated by the community itself and would allow tangible improvements over the next few years, at little cost. It was hoped that by populating empty spaces along the road the village identity would become more apparent to drivers and this would encourage them to travel with more care.

The ideas and findings were presented on the continuous open top bus tour. Special bus stops were placed in each of the villages, which gave the community a chance to see the students’ ideas and catch a ride down to the accompanying exhibition in Newport Recreation Hall on the vintage open top bus.

The event was well received by the 40 + passengers who attended. We received positive feedback regarding the exhibition and the bus event itself - people used that opportunity to discuss their ideas, give us direct feedback on our proposals and voice their opinion regarding the future of the Wallingfen Way and its villages. There was some concern amongst certain residents that this would not necessarily lead to any developments due to a lack of funding – but they appeared to be reassured when the different time frames for various parts of the project were explained, ranging from the next 12 months to the next 20 years.

Hopefully this event raised awareness for the project, and that it is moving forward, and gave the community another chance to give feedback on the project as a whole. I hope that the work will spark enthusiasm, publicity and support for the project and leave a legacy of ideas for the local communities to take hold of and adapt as they see fit.

For more information on the Wallingfen Way project please click here

North Cave residents to have their say on design of new Froscoles Bridge

Residents in North Cave are being encouraged to come and find out more about the next stages of a scheme to reduce the risk of flooding to 31 properties.

On Wednesday 10 November staff from the Environment Agency are holding a drop in session at North Cave Village Hall from 3pm to 7pm.

The Environment Agency has already completed the first two phases of the scheme.

For the first phase of the scheme a new overflow channel was created at Low Mill. The new channel carries extra water in times of heavy rain where North Cave Beck used to overspill onto the surrounding area.

For the second phase of the scheme part of North Cave Beck at Townend Lane was widened. The work has increased the capacity of the beck by approximately 15 per cent, which will improve water flow during times of heavy rain, reducing the risk of flooding in the village.

Work is due to start on the next phase of the scheme at Froscoles Bridge. The arches of the bridge don’t allow enough water to flow underneath when it floods which causes water to back up and flood nearby properties. The Environment Agency will be replacing the bridge, which will allow water to flow through more freely.

The Environment Agency would recognises that is still more to do to reduce the risk of flooding, and are holding the event so they can show the residents of North Cave their plans for next phase of the scheme. Members of North Cave Parish Council Flood Committee will also be at the event to answer any questions.

North Cave experienced flooding from North Cave Beck on a number of occasions, most recently in November 2000, February 2001 and June 2007. The most severe flooding in North Cave occurred in 2007 when widespread flooding was caused by very heavy persistent rain falling on already saturated ground.

Although the process of the flood relief work in North Cave has been long and often frustrating since the June 2007 flooding, we have seen some tangible results over the past year or so with the excellent work already undertaken by the Environment Agency as part of the first two phases.

I am acutely aware of the delays and difficulties involved with the decision making process, when it came to the design of the replacement Froscoles Bridge, which was agreed many months ago, before a late intervention by ‘interested parties’ required the bridge being redesigned to be capable of taking a ‘horse and trap’. I hope the new plans are in tune with the wishes of residents and the project can move forward quickly.”

I applaud the members of the North Cave Parish Council’s Flood Committee, for the tireless work they have put in over the last 3 years, and also to the Environment Agency’s Keith Crawford for what I’m sure has been a frustrating project for him – Thanks to all who have stuck with this!

Photo courtesy of Paul Harrop

'HSBC The Worlds Local Bank' - but not in North Cave!

Despite the efforts of North Cave residents, the Parish Council, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and David Davis MP - HSBC have refused to reinstall the cash point machine in North Cave after the attempted robbery in June.

I share the feelings of residents when they tell me they’ve been treated shabbily by HSBC, and I would not blame North Cave’s HSBC customers if they all decided to move their accounts to another bank, particularly one that supported rural communities rather than penalised them. Perhaps a bank whose cards are accepted free of charge at the Post Office?

There was some hope when Bank Machine Ltd, an ATM company who installs ‘Free To Use’ ATMs contacted me offering to look at locations within the village where a replacement cash machine could be installed, but sadly a suitable site has not been found.

One site was identified but unfortunately the high costs of the installation that would be required to alter the building meant that it is not a suitable option. Sites for an external stand alone ATM machine where also considered but none were found suitable.

I know that banks and bankers are not high on people’s lists of respectable professions - and the actions of HSBC in choosing not to replace the ATM in face of what their customers from North Cave and surrounding villages wish, does nothing to dispel these thoughts.

HSBC The Worlds Local Bank - but not in North Cave!

Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave 'Wallingfen Way' project hits the road

Wallingfen Way is a visionary concept aiming to remove ‘a scar on the landscape’ (the B1230) and replace it with a coherent boulevard known as Wallingfen Way, a distinct rural community corridor. The Project aims to reinforce the distinctive character and identity of three Howdenshire villages, Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave, to reclaim the road for the local community.

Following recent 'Roadworks?' public consultations the Live project team present an open top sightseeing tour.Look out for the 'wallingfen way' bus stops on the day or check http://www.wallingfenway.org.uk/ for more information closer to the day.

An accompanying exhibition of our visions for the future of the B1230 will be on display for one day only at the Recreation Hall in Newport on the 31st October between 1pm and 4pm.

This event is organised by Students of the University of Sheffield as part of a 6-week live project focused on generating short term and long-term visions for how the B1230 can be improved.

'The Wallingfen Way' is an initiative of three Howdenshire parish councils of Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave. For further information please visit http://www.wallingfenway.org.uk/

Students from University of Sheffield descend on the villages of Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave to consult on the future of the B1230 road

Pictured with the University of Sheffield studensts and North Cave Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsea

Students from University of Sheffield are descending on the villages of Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave as part of the award winning ‘Wallingfen Way’ project, looking at how the B1230 road running between and through the three communities can be improved in the long term.

The students are holding a series of consultation events to gather information from local people on the possible improvements they would like to see to the road and it’s environment.

The first event was held in North Cave today (Tuesday 12 October), with two further events being held at Newport’s Canal crossing and outside Gilberdyke’s shops - both starting at 10am on Friday 15th October.

A further inducement can be seen in the photograph left - I did try one cake, but only one - it would have been rude not to!

HSBC continues in refusing to reinstate North Cave ATM cash machine

North Cave continues to cope without the HSBC ATM machine; with the company continuing to dig in it’s heels in refusing to reinstate the machine after the attempted robbery.

Needless to say the bank has replied to the Council subsequent to my motion to the last Council meeting, in the letter the HSBC still pedals the ‘questionable’ reasons it feels why a service to a rural community should not be continued, and refuses to listen to reason.

But there is good news - I have recently received an expression of interest from another company willing to install a free to use ATM in the village – I will be working with the company, Parish Council and residents to identify a suitable site and try and find a way forward.

An offer of a 'Free To Use ATM' in North Cave

The following is an email I received this afternoon:

Hi Paul

Bank Machine Ltd are an ATM company who install Free To Use ATMs, we have recently installed an ATM into Rainhill Village which also had the HSBC ATM removed due to a raid. If any of the retailers in North Cave are willing to have an ATM in their premises we are more than willing to assist.

Please call me or email to discuss this further?

Kind Regards

Julie Davison
Bank Machine Ltd
National Account Manager

http://www.bankmachine.com/

ERYC urges HSBC to reconsider their short-sighted decision in not replacing the damaged ATM machine in North Cave

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has put its weight behind the campaign to have HSBC replace the damaged ATM machine in the village of North Cave. At yesterdays meeting the full Council supported my motion that it write to the HSBC Bank in the strongest terms, raising the points I mention, and asking them to reconsider their short-sighted decision in not replacing the damaged ATM machine in North Cave. Thank you to all my fellow members for their support.

(pictured with North Cave Parish Councillors Howard Strong and Steve Skipsea as they hand me the petition prior to the Council meeting)

The following is a transcript of my speech:

On Saturday 12th June at approx 3.30am there was an attack against the North Cave HSBC ATM cash machine, which was forcibly removed, badly damaged and left in the road after the raiders were allegedly disturbed. Since the incident the ATM machine has not been replaced and the building has been boarded up, approaches to HSBC have resulted in confirmation that the machine will not be replaced.

Historically there has been a bank in North Cave with the HSBC’s previous incarnate the Midland Bank providing banking services to local residents – no doubt playing on the fact that it was a local bank to attract customers. Then about four years ago the bank was closed, and I am told the HSBC wrote to all local customers saying that although the branch would be closed they would ensure that service would continue to be available through an HSBC ATM…. This promise has now been broken.

The ATM cash machine was installed providing banking 24 hours per day 7 days per week, providing an essential service for residents not only from North Cave but also to residents of Hotham, Everthorpe, Broomfleet, Newport and Gilberdyke. I have also spoken to people who work at the Wolds Prison who used the cash machine on the way to and from work.

North Cave consists of 705 houses, the Parish Council has organised a petition in the village and so far over 400 people have signed, demonstrating the strength of feeling within the community.

North Cave Post Office offers a cash withdrawal facility – although ironically this service is not available to HSBC customers, and is only open during office hours. The North Cave shop provides a ‘Cash Back’ facility, which unfortunately is not free and the shop closes at 8pm. So we have the situation were the loyal, long-standing and local customers of what was the Midland Bank, before becoming the HSBC, cannot gain access to their accounts – although they can withdraw their own money at the shop during the day provided they are willing to pay for the privilege.

In a response from HSBC’s London based Deployment Manager Caroline J. Abrahams cites concerns for potential injury and damage to the any building housing an ATM machine as the reasons for not replacing it stating,

“Having considered our position very carefully in this instance we feel that reinstating the machine could put both our customers and the building residents at further risk of a repeat attack and we will not therefore be replacing the ATM”.

Well I’m not sure how many HSBC customers are queuing at the cash machine at 3.30am to ‘suffer potential injury’ and as the first floor rooms of the building are not occupied - the comment about the risk to building residents is difficult to understand.

I have a letter to David Davis MP from Mr Steven K Green, who’s not just your ordinary Banker, this man is a serious Banker, in fact the Group Chairman of HSBC.

In this letter he gives a few carefully selected figures and statistics, as one would expect from a Banker. These include:

“Industry statistics show that 25% of all physical ATM attacks result in the forcible removal of the ATM machine” - nothing surprising there.

He also States, “Experience has shown us that once an ATM has been attacked in this way it is more likely to be attacked again” but surprisingly he fails to give any figures or statistics to back up his case.

Well I’ve got some figures for this Banker – let’s talk about the bailout of the banks - It is estimated that the bailout cost each person in Britain approximately £13,800 - if one multiplies that by the 1,392 adults living in North Cave that means that the community contributed £19,209,600 to the bailout. I wonder how this compares to the cost of replacing the ATM machine in the village – A bank source says this is approx £40,000 which is less than ¼ of 1% of the money contributed by residents to the bailout.

The Banker also states and I quote, “there is a free of charge external ATM currently operated by Halifax, which is located on Welton Road, 0.75 miles from the centre of North Cave”

Clearly he’s been give some duff information here, because as residents know there is no Welton Road in North Cave nor within 0.75 miles of the village, not even in neighbouring South Cave – BUT there is a Welton Road 6.6 miles away in Brough. So we have a man who deals with figures on a day-to-day basis but can’t tell us the number of miles to the nearest cash point.

He continues, “also taken into account where the cash services which are already available from the village itself, from the Post Office and the local shop”

I’m at a loss as to why the Group Chairman of the HSBC fails to grasp that HSBC and the Post Office do not have an agreement where the HSBC card can be accepted at a Post Office for free cash withdrawals. I also wonder if he realises that the local shop charges people to withdraw their own money from their own account?

He also states, “customer demand for ATM services is migrating from where they live, to where they work, undertake considered purchases and their social and leisure activities”

This is only credible if you are NOT a pensioner living in North Cave who has held a bank account for many years, firstly with the Midland Bank and then the HSBC, and now can’t get access to their money without a bus ride.

Again it is not credible if you want to draw money to spend locally at the pub, the travelling fish and chip van, or at a function put on by the Playing Fields Committee or at the Village Hall.

This is not credible if you work at the Wolds Prison and want to access your cash on the way to or from work, and it is certainly not credible if you have exited the M62 on the way to the coast and you want some spending money.

“As far as I’m concerned this is clearly not acceptable for local residents. I have still not received a satisfactory reply to the question I raised with HSBC regarding risk assessments and whether these have been undertaken for all ATM machines operated by them, and how many have been removed because of the risk to customers and buildings.

“This smacks of an excuse to remove a cash machine from a village and yet another example of rural communities facing cuts to services. Banks should remember that it was taxpayers money that was used to bail them out of a self inflicted crisis, those taxpayers of North Cave, Hotham, Broomfleet, Newport and Gilberdyke deserve better from the HSBC.

I urge the Council to write to the HSBC Bank in the strongest terms, raising the points I have mentioned, and asking them to reconsider their short-sighted decision in not replacing the damaged ATM machine in North Cave.

Action on North Cave to South Cave footpath and road repairs

Before and After

The issue of the footpath running between North Cave and South Cave has been a long standing issue, with the path deteriorating over the years, making it very difficult for pedestrians and mobility scooters to travel between the two communities. This was highlighted to me by North Cave Parish Council, and Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsea brought it to the Goole and Howdenshire Action Team, which in turn supported the case and coordinated the solution with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council funding the repairs and improvements.

It took a lot of work by all those involved but this has certainly been justified when we see people from North Cave safely walking or riding their mobility scooters along this improved path, particularly when visiting the South Cave Health Centre.

Many will have noticed the repairs and replacement of damaged kerbs carried out in North Cave’s Westgate. This was again highlighted to me as a long standing, and somewhat dangerous situation by Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsey, we again brought the issue to the Local Action Team. A solution and funding was found, although the original plan was to replace the damaged stone kerbs with concrete kerbing, this was not acceptable and with a ‘little persuasion’ the East Riding of Yorkshire Council replaced the damaged kerbstones with like-for-like stone.




Much of the credit for this work goes to North Cave Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsey pictured here.

Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave’s ‘Wallingfen Way’ Project Moving Forward

Newport and Gilberdyke village communities are effectively split in half by what was once the only East – West route from Hull to the rest of the UK. As a result, significant problems remain including a wide carriageway (dual through and between Gilberdyke and Newport) relatively high speed limits and remnants of trunk road infrastructure that are obsolete and counter intuitive to all users.

Previous attempts to solve the issue have resulted in so much paint on the road it would appear the Council had a gift from the Dulux factory! (Of course, during times of snow, all the lines disappear and people are unsure in which lane to drive).

It has taken 25 to 30 years to get to this point. This is a long term scheme that plans to rectify the wrongs and bring greater quality of life to residents. It is important to realise that over the next decades money will be spent on this road, however, it is all about making sure that the money is spent not just on maintenance but making a real difference to the road itself. Additional funding will also be sought from a wide variety of sources.

The local communities have so far set the following overall aims:

• Reclaim the B1230 for the benefit of our communities, making it safer and easier to travel by car, bicycle, horse or by foot.
  
  
• To create bespoke entrances to each village, creating identities for each village.
  
  
• Improve the overall appearance of the road to reflect the rurality of the area, including footpaths and boundaries both within and between the villages. This will include the de-cluttering of both signage and paint. Also, encouraging residents and landowners to participate in the visual enhancement of their properties and boundaries in an environmentally way e.g. tree planting, flowerbeds and verges.
  
  
• Make it easier for people to travel between villages on foot, bicycle and horse e.g. continuous footpaths, cycleways and bridleways.

The next step for this innovative and award winning project is for a public consultation for residents to have further input.

Come and have your say on the long term future of the road joining Gilberdyke, Newport and North cave on Saturday 20th March between the hours of 9:30am and 3:30pm at Newport Primary School.

Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave's 'Wallingfen Way' Project Moving Forward

On Gilberdyke's ageing footbridge with the Leeds Metropolitan University civil engineering students

The Parish Councils of Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave have over the past six months worked closely with the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) and Howdenshire Forward to move the 'Wallingfen Way' ( B1230) project forward.

This project concerns a stretch of road like no other. Newport and Gilberdyke village communities are effectively split in half by what was once the only East West route from Hull to the rest of the UK. As a result, significant problems remain including a wide carriageway (dual through and between Gilberdyke and Newport), relatively high speed limits and remnants of trunk road infrastructure that are obsolete and counter intuitive to all users. North Cave suffers slightly different problems including parking, HGV movements and a very difficult junction.

The local communities set the following overall aims:

• Reclaim the B1230 for the benefit of our communities
  
• Create community/village boundary delineation and focal points (possibly iconic, gateways)
  
• Improve the aesthetic/visual appearance of the environs of the road (including footpaths and boundaries) both within and between the villages. Including the de-cluttering of both signage and paint. Encouraging residents and landowners to participate in the visual enhancement of their properties and boundaries in an environmentally friendly way e.g. tree planting
  
• Create a ‘sense’ of Village community identity by enabling ‘Shared Spaces’
  
• Create a ‘soft’ pathway for movement between villages; e.g. continuous footpaths, bridleways and cycleways.

Members of Gilberdyke, Newport and North Cave Parish Councils and other volunteers have undertaken their own walkability audit of their villages to identify issues with the road. This past week has seen 20 Civil Engineering students from Leeds Metropolitan University carrying out site visits for a project briefing and starting to work on viable solutions. Work with local schools on possible designs for village gateways and signs will commence soon, as well as exploring options for business sponsorships.

We will then see the Students submit design proposals, a draft design guide for key stakeholders will then be produced and a mounted exhibition of draft proposals will take place followed by revision of the draft before the final version is published and a launch event takes place.

The Yorkshire Post covered this story, many thanks to journalist Chris Berry who wrote the piece highlighting the issue. This can be found at:http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/country-view/Why-these-villagers-are-at.5803112.jp

Top Award for Partnership and Strategic Working in Howdenshire

Pictured with Rita Lawson (Economic Development Manager North Yorks Council)

and Leigh Johnson (Howdenshire Forward's renaissance co-ordinator)

At the Yorkshire and Humber Market Town Awards held in Thirsk this week, Howdenshire Forward’s Wallingfen Way (B1230) Working Group won the top award in the ‘Partnership and Strategic Working’ category.

This is a visionary project aimed at removing a scar on the landscape the road represents and replacing it with a distinct rural community corridor. The aim is to create community/village boundary delineation and focal points (possibly iconic, gateways), and to improve the visual appearance of the environs of the road by creating a ‘soft’ pathway for movement between villages; e.g. continuous footpaths, cycleways and bridleways by narrowing the road between Newport and Gilberdyke, and through to North Cave.

To also include de-cluttering of both signage and paint and encouraging residents and landowners to participate in the visual enhancement of their properties and boundaries in an environmentally friendly way e.g. by tree planting to help create a ‘sense’ of village community and identity by enabling ‘Shared Spaces’

The local parishes of Gilberdyke, North Cave and Newport worked together, along with many other individuals and groups, including the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team, which played a leading role, and students from both Hull and Leeds Metropolitan universities, to support Howdenshire Forward.

Funding was obtained from Yorkshire Forward to carry out a feasibility study and produce a 25-year plan for the B1230.

The judges commented: “A project that is trying to solve a 'real' community issue. Involving three separate communities the project shows that people can work together with one ultimate aim. Innovative and transferable, the next challenge will be to raise sufficient funds to make the vision a reality”

I am proud to be a member of working group as well as Chair of Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team, and I feel the partnership approach brought the best out of everyone’s talents and knowledge and we have worked across boundaries to promote a long-term plan that reflects the community’s aspirations.

I would like to recognise in particular Dr Gordon Shields for championing and taking the lead on the project, Tania Pells the Goole and Howdenshire LAT officer, Leigh Johnson Howdenshire Forward's Renaissance co-ordinator, and all other partners and team members whose efforts have ensured we have succeeded so far.

Hugh Roberts, Chairman of Howdenshire Forward, said: "I’m absolutely delighted that the innovative approach taken on the Wallingfen Way Project has been regionally recognised for its excellence in strategic partnership working. The commitment shown by all members of the working group, including all three parishes, Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team, and Leeds Metropolitan University has proved to be a true winner for Howdenshire."

For more information on Howdenshire Forward’s activities, please visit the website: http://www.howdenshireforward.co.uk/ or contact Renaissance co-ordinator Leigh Johnson on (01482) 391689, email leigh.Johnson@eastriding.gov.uk

North Cave Flooding Update

The North Cave Flood Committee have raised (through community fund-raising) and spent £2,350 on the preparation survey for the Medium Term Plan application submitted by the community to the Environment Agency. Subject to Environment Agency approval, this will offer a permanent solution to North Cave’s flooding.

North Cave Parish Council was successful in obtaining a grant of £5,000 from the ERYC, although the money has not yet come through to date. A decision on what this grant money is to be used is going to be taken at the meeting of the Flood Committee to be held on 6th November 2007 at 7.30 at the North Cave Village Hall. It may be that this money can be used for local action on ditch and dyke clearance if that is what is judged to be the most immediate need.

I recently attended a meeting with North Cave Parish Councillors and the Environment Agency to discuss the effects of recent flooding and action to be taken to prevent it happening again.

“It was interesting to see the Agency’s maps proudly displayed, showing land levels, the route of the Beck, and the extent of recent flooding...BUT it was more interesting observing the frustration of residents when told by the Environment Agency that only a minimum amount of work was soon to be carried out on the Beck to remove obstructions, overhanging branches and reeds.”

“The Environment Agency is proposing a feasibility study of the Beck from North Cave to the M62 within 12 months, and the Beck to be de-sludged some time after that. But, after speaking to many residents, I feel there is more than enough anecdotal evidence that the Beck needs de-sludging now.”

“I feel one can make excuses for not doing something or find reasons to do something - unfortunately all we have seen from the Environment Agency is excuses. It is totally unacceptable for the community of North Cave to live in fear of further flooding whilst the Environment Agency procrastinates over what to do.”

“The Environment Agency Officer has agreed to come back to the community and will be attending the meeting in the village hall. I would encourage local residents to go and make their views known.”

David Davis MP adds, “The Environment Agency have frankly been pretty slow in their responses throughout East Yorkshire and I am afraid North Cave is no exception. I have written to them to encourage them to get on with some action rather than spending up to 12 months carrying out a “feasibility study”. I have also had a meeting with the Chief Executive of Yorkshire Water who assures me that further remedial work is soon to be carried out to the drain under Blanchards Lane in North Cave.”

Are North Cave residents being let down by the Environment Agency?

Last night (Wednesday) I attended a meeting between the Environment Agency and residents and Parish Councillors of North Cave.

It was interesting to see the Agency's maps proudly displayed showing land levels, the route of the Beck, and the extent of recent flooding.... BUT it was more interesting observing the frustration of residents when told by the Environment Agency that only a minimum amount of work was soon to be carried out on the Beck to remove obstructions, overhanging braches and some reeds.

A feasibility study of the Beck between North Cave and the point where it runs under the M63 was then going to be sometime within the next 12 months, and the Beck then de-sludged at some time after that..... It was quite clear that residents have 'more than enough' anecdotal evidence that the Beck contains a large amount of Silt and sludge which is preventing flow, and work is required now.

Those at the meeting may have seen my reaction to the Environment Agency’s excuses and reasons for not getting on and doing the work. I feel one can make excuses for not doing something or find reasons to do something – unfortunately all we saw last night was excuses. It is totally unacceptable for the community of North Cave to live in fear of further flooding whilst the Environment Agency pontificates and procrastinates over what to do.

Eventually we did get a commitment from the Environment Agency Officer to come back to the community, with dates and a plan for moving forward. This is be be at the Village Hall at 7.30pm on 6th November 2007, I await this meeting with a degree of (hopefully not misplaced) optimism and encourage as many residents as possible to attend.