North Cave post office re-opens in local shop

(The first customer of the new North Cave post office Mr Eric Howard & with Maria Shelton)

Some really fantastic news for the people of North Cave, who have got their post office back this morning.

It was less than 6 months ago that the long standing Post Office in the village closed, this a couple of years after the village also lost the cash machine when the HSBC refused to reinstall the machine after a botched robbery.

Well done to North Cave shop owners Maria and Paul Skelton for incorporating the Post Office Local facility into their village shop, I looked into the business case with them and it’s not that they will make a fortune out of this – especially with the post office counter taking over a significant amount of space previously used for retail. It’s very much credit to them for giving something back to the village.

The new Post Office Local will offer almost the range of services offered by the recently closed post office, including the taxing of vehicles – but will be open much longer, so people will be able to access post office services in the early morning and evening as well as through the day, and over the weekend too.

There is also a free to use cash machine facility as part of the deal which compensates for the loss of the HSBC machine, unfortunately this will not be available to HSBC customers – which seems to be another good reason for North Cave residents to switch from HSBC to a bank where they can get cash from a machine in their village.

This is very much a positive for North Cave, well done to the residents and all those who supported the shop in taking on the Post Office – we have seen a Post Office Local established in nearby Eastrington during the last 18 months which is continuing to grow, and I see no reason why this will not be the case in North Cave.

So again well done, and many thanks to Maria and Paul Skelton – and I wish them the very best of luck with this.

Have Your Say On Gilberdyke, Newport, North Cave & Eastrington to Hull and Goole Bus Changes

A number of people have contacted me regarding the changes to the 155 bus that runs between Goole and Hull announced by East Yorkshire Motor Services, proposed to take effect from 6th February 2012.

The operator says alterations between Goole, South Cave, Gilberdyke, Brough, Hull and York will mean faster journey times and new links.

EYMS consulted hundreds of passengers last year who called for more express buses to Hull and services to Market Weighton and York. After reviewing passenger feedback, EYMS has decided to make changes to the X55 and 155 services to and from Hull and introduce a new service to York, a link to Castle Hill Hospital and extra express buses.

The proposed new 155 bus timetable to run from 6th Feb 2012 can be found here

EYMS is holding drop-in events where passengers can find out more at:

* Brough Morrisons, today, 10am to 2pm.
* Howden Co-Operative, Wednesday, 10am to noon.
* Gilberdyke Memorial Hall car park, Wednesday, 12.30pm to 2.30pm.
* Goole Boothferry Road, Thursday, 10am to 2pm.
* South Cave Town Hall, Saturday, 10am to noon.
* Elloughton EYMS Depot, Saturday, 12.30pm to 2.30pm.
* North Cave Village Hall, Sunday, 1pm to 3pm.

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.

Howdenshire Parish Councils take the lead in organising snow clearing & gritting

Many thanks to the Howdenshire Parish Councils for taking the lead in organising snow clearing and the gritting roads and footpaths over the past couple of weeks. Those residents who picked up shovels to clear snow and grit footpaths and streets independent of the Parish Councils should also be recognised for the tremendous work they did. Although the task was great as we had not seen the amount of snow or the freezing temperatures for many a year, and it was never going to be possible to remove the snow and ice from every street and footpath, the work carried out by communities has been humbling. It has also sent out a clear message that the ‘Compensation Culture’ is not going to stop communities working together to help each other in times of need. The £175,000 made available to Parish Councils by the East Riding Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) and administered by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council was certainly welcome, and enabled equipment to be hired and grit to be purchased. North Cave Parish Council certainly took the lead and brought in snow clearing equipment and with a small team of volunteers cleared the snow and ice from a good number of streets within the village, primarily to allow people to be able to drive from their houses to the main roads running through the village. This work continued and well done to Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsea for taking the initiative and all the other Parish Council volunteers and resident who ‘mucked in’ to help. Gilberdyke Parish Council saw volunteers working with equipment provided by a local farmer, and also employed a local contractor to remove the snow from the main village roads and to snow plough almost all the streets within the village. This removed the surplus snow to the side but unfortunately was a little too late to address the issue of the snow that had become packed and turned to ice. After many calls from residents the Parish Council then cleared the carpark and paths in front of the shops, with the landowner not only giving his consent, but also agreeing to pay for digger used to carry out the work. The Parish Council then purchased 4 tonnes of grit and a team of volunteer Parish Councillors, the road sweepers and residents spread it on numerous paths and roads in the village. This was then followed by clearing of packed snow and ice from footpaths and a number of the streets within the village using both a mini digger and JCB tractor. It was the priority to clear the footpath near the school and other key walking routes within the village. Those residents who were proactive in clearing snow and gritting footpaths did a fantastic job too. Holme on Spalding Moor Parish Council organised a team of volunteers including diggers and equipment provided by local businesses and farmers, and also buying in grit. I spent the first Saturday morning working with the volunteers and was certainly impressed with the way so many people were able to achieve so much in a relatively short space of time. The tenacity of the Parish Council Chairman Chris Worrall should also be recognised in sticking with the task, for more information please click here Eastrington Parish Council organised plant and equipment to clear the streets in the village particularly after the snow had become packed and frozen. It was certainly impressive to see the size of the equipment employed and in a very short time a number of key streets were cleared. Parish Council Chairman Rob Martinson and fellow Parish Councillor Gina walker did a tremendous job as did all the others involved. Bubwith Parish Council organised equipment and volunteers and in a relatively short space of time made a significant impact. Well done to Parish Council Clerk Steve Young, Handyman couple Gill and Nigel, the Parish Councillors and volunteers for a job well done. Blacktoft, Broomfleet, Kilpin and Laxton did a sterling job with local farmers toiling to keep the roads clear throughout the Parishes. Newport Parish Council purchased grit for the community to use. Many thanks to the small group of volunteers that spent Sunday morning clearing the footpaths ,and others who have also cleared snow and ice in the village. Other villages and communities did sterling work, and all concerned should be recognised for their efforts. There are countless stories of the good work done by Parish Councils, volunteers and residents. No Parish Councillor is paid to do anything in their community, never mind clear snow. The task has been great and so many have risen to the challenge. There has been some criticism that some paths and roads have not been cleared or the work was not done quickly enough, but by and large the comments have been positive and people have been grateful for the work having been done.

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.

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.

North Cave residents fight HSBC to have ATM cash machine replaced after attempted robbery

On 21st June there was an attack against the North Cave HSBC ATM cash machine, which was forcibly removed and 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.

(pictured with North Cave residents Sue Malton and Howard Strong)

Previously the bank opened between 10am and 2pm on a Friday offering a service to residents of the area, and then about four years ago the bank was closed, although some banking facilities remained available through the ATM cash machine. The cash machine offered banking 24 hours per day 7 days per week and provided an essential service for residents not only from North Cave but also to residents of Hotham, 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 post office offers a cash withdrawal facility (although I’m led to believe this is not available to HSBC customers) and the North Cave shop provides a ‘Cash Back’ facility, which unfortunately is not free. The opening hours of the Post Office is limited to office hours and the village shop closes at 8pm, therefore anyone wanting access to cash after office hours face charges, or later in the evening face a journey through to South Cave or Howden.

HSBC’s response cites concerns for potential injury and damage to the any building housing an ATM machine as the reasons for not replacing with HSBC’s London based Deployment Manager Caroline J. Abrahams 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”.

Mr Walter Sweeny, the owner of the building, has confirmed has that he has an ‘open mind’ to the ATM being replaced. The first floor rooms of the building are not occupied therefore the comment about the risk to building residents is difficult to understand.

“As far as I’m concerned this is clearly not acceptable for local residents. I would ask if a risk assessment has been undertaken for all ATM machines operated by HSBC and how many have been removed because of the risk to customers and buildings. I’m not sure of the usage of the North Cave ATM machine but it will unlikely to have been as high as some machines located in towns”.

“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, Newbald, Newport and Gilberdyke deserve better from the HSBC. I urge the Bank to reconsider their decision and recommend residents sign the petitions being organised by the Parish Council”.

Local MP David Davis adds, “HSBC needs to think again. I’m afraid this proposal not to replace the ATM strikes me as a ludicrous decision. This provides an important service for local constituents both in North Cave and the surrounding villages. I will be writing to the Chairman of HSBC to ask him to reconsider.”

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.

Environment Agency moves the goalposts on flood defence funding

At a recent public meeting held in North Cave with Mr Peter Holmes of the Environment Agency (EA), residents were dismayed to hear that the Environment Agency appears to have ‘moved the goalposts’ for flood defence funding applications.Under threat are the two applications for flood defence projects worth over £1.5million submitted to the Environment Agency for Medium Term Plan (MTP) funding. The two Howdenshire areas, namely North Cave, and the Lower Ouse Internal Drainage Board area including the villages of Gilberdyke, Blacktoft, Eastrington and Laxton now face an agonising wait.

I am reliably informed that during DEFRA/Environment Agency training workshop held in June of this year, the participants were told that any application with a scoring of over 20 on their predetermined scale would have been ‘favourable for approval’ and the two subsequent applications from the flood-hit areas above scored well into the 20’s.

It now appears that there has been a shifting of the goal posts, as during the North Cave meeting, Mr Peter Holmes stated that figure has been raised to the high 20’s or even as high as 30, effectively ruling out these two applications.

If this is the case does this indicate the Environment Agency are now looking at ways to accommodate the current MTP applications into the funding that was available prior to the flooding in June 2007? This smacks of fitting flood defence work into existing funding rather than increasing the funding for the work required as promised by Central Government.

This is potentially very bad news for Gilberdyke, Blacktoft, Laxton and Eastrington who were hoping the MTP application would be used to fund the £1.4million flood prevention scheme, to include dyke widening, new dykes and a new pumping station.

Phil Garland, North Cave Resident and Chairman of the Parish Flood Committee in the village adds, "As a village we must all have serious worries over the commitment of the EA towards the flood protection of rural communities. The insistence by the EA for us to look to a flood defence scheme part funded via our own fundraising and part funded by Local Authority money is ludicrous. If the beck and drainage had been adequately maintained we wouldnot be in this situation. This is, in my opinion, just another example of a government department that is under funded and is over run with middle management bureaucracy and will have a detrimental effect on our village and lives.

"Phil continues, "The opinion of the Environment Agency with regards to our MTP application is disappointing, however the community has been thrown a lifeline where the work required in North Cave could be funded by a scheme under the local levy funding route. We are committed now to working extremely closely with the Agency and their consultants to produce a flood defence scheme that will, if funding is granted, protect the future of our village."

“Having spoken to fellow Councillors, MPs and residents alike there is a shared frustration that the Environment Agency are still maintaining the following position: ‘Because of the rainfall on June 25th 2007, whatever preventative routine maintenance work on watercourses and facilities that should have been carried out previously - would have made little or no difference to the flooding that occurred on the day’. In my view this is clearly becoming an ever more untenable position to take, as more and more contradictory anecdotal evidence comes to light that if the work that should have been carried out had been, houses would have been saved as the extent of the flooding was mitigated.”

David Davis MP adds, “I am concerned that, especially in North Cave, the cost of the flood defence work required is relatively small compared with the costs incurred by householders and their insurance companies as a result of the damage caused by June 25th floods. I have written to the Environment Agency asking for an explanation as to why Howdenshire villages may well lose out to a shortfall in Government funding for flood defences.”

Please see link below to Yorkshire Post Article:

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/Row-over-flood-funding-39Uturn39.3518295.jp

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.