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.

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

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!

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