Looking at rural transport in Goole & Howdenshire

I have long been a supporter of the Goole GoFar project and its predecessor the FLEDGLING project which was based in Howdenshire. The issue of youth provision was raised by Bubwith, Eastrington and Gilberdyke Parish Councils at the recent Community Partnership meeting, where it was confirmed that all three villages had comparable issues, and shared similar feelings about the constraints due to lack of rural transport, something evident across the whole Goole and Howdenshire area including the towns of Snaith and Howden.

The issue of rural transport has been raised with both Andrew Percy the MP for Brigg and Goole and myself as a Howdenshire ERYC Councillor and Chair of the Goole and Howden Community Partnership.

A conversation around youth activities as well as activities for the elderly in rural communities resulted in Andrew and I meeting with the Goole GoFar Chairman Martin Crossland and Development Officer Christine Dales (pictured above). We discussed some of their ideas and plans for the future, and how by working together and with the ERYC and Parish Councils rural transport projects for both young and old could be developed and expanded. This could include bussing people into Goole to utilise the facilities available at for example the Leisure Centre, the Hinge or the Junction”.

Andrew Percy added, “I also wanted to ask them about a possible project for the Snaith area to run in the summer when school kids are on holiday. For a couple of years local kids have said they would like to be able to get to Xscape in Castleford during the summer”.

I am very much aware that Andrew Percy and local ward Councillors Cllrs John Barrett and Caroline Fox have had meetings with Stagecoach to see if their Hull-Leeds service could be diverted. Sadly, because of timings, this was not possible. It would therefore be great if there were other opportunities we could look at for running a project in the Snaith area over summer, even if only for a couple of trips.

Representatives and young people from Bubwith, Eastrington and Gilberdyke then gathered for a brain storming meeting in Eastrington, the findings from which will be fed back to the next meeting of the Community Partnership to be on Wednesday 18th April at 10am in Goole College, Boothferry Road, Goole.

Both Andrew Percy and I left the meeting with Martin and Christine from the GoFar feeling very positive, it was reassuring that we are all looking to work together, and with other ERYC Councillors and Parish and Town Councils to address issues of rural transport in our areas”.

Andrew concluded by saying, “Goole GoFar do a great job locally and it was great to meet with them to discuss local services. I wanted to ask them about a possible project for the Snaith area. They have said they will look at the cost of this so that I can pursue it further. It may come to nothing but at least we are looking into it”.

Proud to be elected as the Chair of the new Goole & Howdenshire ‘Community Partnership’

This week I was delighted to be elected as the unpaid Chair of the new ‘Community Partnership’ for the Goole, Howdenshire, Snaith, Airmyn, Rawcliffe and Marshland area. Representatives from all the Town and Parish Councils, and those from the partner organisations including the Police, Fire Service, Health and the Voluntary Sector) were entitled to vote.

Many will recall I was the first Chair of the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT), which was the first LAT in the East Riding, and widely acknowledged as being one of the most effective. I was very proud of what the public service partners and the voluntary sector achieved by working together during my tenure as Chairman, but we were just getting started, and there is so much still to do.

The Community Partnership is a continuation of the previous Local Action Team (LAT), but also brings together under the same umbrella the previous Police and Partners Community Forums and the 3 Neighbourhood Action Teams which operated in the area. The Partnership’s role will be in local problem-solving, addressing issues of concern to local communities, as well as crime reduction and liaison between the police and the public.

The Community Partnerships will fulfil this function by :

1) Focussing on local problem-solving and adopting a multi-agency approach to solve local problems in their communities.

2) Providing a first point-of-contact for town and parish councils, and partners, for the full range of issues relating to the local area and providing the necessary linkages with partner services relevant to issues within that locality.

3) Providing ‘triage’ or ‘initial signposting’ to the appropriate partner service provider for requests for service or complaints and retaining those which are appropriate for consideration by the Community Partnership where multi-agency involvement is required. Other issues will be referred directly to Ward Members or partner services.

4) Representing and engaging with local communities while communicating LSP priorities, and developing objectives and priorities tuned to their localities.

5) Acting as an enabler linking local communities with LSP action groups and partners.

6) Working in partnership with the Police to identify crime and safety concerns and agreeing local priorities and contribute towards a reduction in recorded crime and anti-social behaviour.

7) Using a problem-solving approach to crime reduction by developing positive activities and projects that improve the local community, act as deterrents or diversionary activities to potential offenders.

8) Improving engagement and relationships with town and parish councils, engendering a local flavour and the opportunity for the greater development of local relationships and special local knowledge.

9) Working with town and parish councils to support bids for the pilot Parish Grant scheme, and carry out initial vetting and administration of the allocation of funds.

10) Taking the lead in engagement events in their localities and undertaking other public consultation as requested by the LSP Board or Council to increase local participation for a range of issues involving partners to benefit the local community by improving their quality of life and well-being, or where the LSP Board wish to use the opportunity to visit local communities.

11) Supporting parish plans, community profiles and contributing to cluster parish outcomes that are best achieved at a multi-parish level.

12) Providing a platform through which local people can have a voice on decisions which affect them and help resolve local community problems.

13) Involving communities in the planning, development, delivery and quality of local public services.

I believe in allowing town and parish councils and community groups to have more say in things that happen locally, have more powers to deliver services if they wish, and have more input on how money is spent in their villages.

To take forward the Community Partnership will require a great deal of innovation and forward thinking. I feel the members of the team have the skills, drive and enthusiasm to make it work well, and I relish the chance to once again lead the group of public sector and voluntary sector partners, to consolidate what we already have – and to work closely with the town and parish councils, and community groups to build something very good for our area.

So lots of work to do with no payment whatsoever!