Howdenshire Neighbourhood Policing Team respond within 20 minutes of a call to their non-emergency number

Newport’s nature trail and play area along Canal Side West, and the neighbouring semi derelict property, have been a target for vandals and, according to some residents, a hideaway for drug use recently. I was innocently walking past the site (whilst delivering leaflets!) when I saw two suspicious characters walking out of the nature trail area dressed in black clothing, unshaven, quite thin and very pale, and there was also a car parked out of place alongside the road nearby. To compound my suspicions when I shouted ‘good morning’ they failed to respond and turned to walk back into the nature trail.

I thought something was not quite right, and did what any responsible citizen would do – called the Police Control Centre on the non-emergency number on 0845 60 60 222 . This was at 11.28am. At 11.46am I got a call from the Howdenshire Neighbourhood Police Team’s Inspector on a totally unrelated matter, as I sat on the canal bank wall to talk on the phone, a police car sped by and stopped directly in front of the suspicious vehicle - this was at 11.48am.

After about twenty minutes the vehicle with the two suspicious characters passed by, closely followed by the police car, which stopped when they saw me. The officers gave me a brief update of their findings and said they would continue to monitor the area.

I guess the moral of the story is that the Police non-emergency number really does work, and to get a response within 20mins from the Howdenshire Neighbourhood Policing Team is fantastic and a credit to Inspector Mike Bower and his team.

A great morning with the 12 new recruits to Humberside Police

Almost exactly a year ago I was invited to speak to the new Police Constables recruited by Humberside Police – Well I guess I must have done something right because today I was invited to spend the morning with the 12 recruits for this year - 6 weeks into their training and they get me talking about the role of Councillors, how we can have an input into Policing, Local Action Teams, and partnership working.

(I'm not sure why - but every time I park in a Police Station car park I always have the urge to check my vehicle tax disc and tyre tread depth!)

I cannot recall spending time with such a positive and enthusiastic group of people; all the recruits have either been PCSOs, Specials, or administrators within Humberside Police, so had a good grounding in Neighbourhood policing.

PC Chris Hughes (the Police Officer seconded to the East Riding Local Action Team project) and I managed approximately one and half hours without the recruits becoming bored or falling asleep, which must be some achievement particularly considering most of it was unscripted and spontaneous, but also interactive.

12 great recruits; who I’m sure will make great Police Officers in the weeks, months and years to come.

New Fast Bus Service from Gilberdyke and Brough to Hull

Great News for Gilberdyke residents - A brand new express bus route between Gilberdyke, Elloughton, Brough and Hull is to be launched by East Yorkshire Motor Services on Monday 26 April, providing the quickest-ever bus journeys from the Brough area into the heart of Hull.

The route will also go through the city centre rather than going direct to the Interchange with all journeys passing Princes Quay and peak time journeys serving the Guildhall and Hull College. Scheduled time between Brough centre and the city centre will be under 35 minutes, cutting up to 13 minutes off the time taken by the long-established 155 route which serves other villages on the way.

Using brand new single deck buses in a special livery the ‘PETUARIA EXPRESS’ will initially provide ten return journeys on Mondays to Fridays but the company says that if successful it will certainly consider increasing the service.

The journeys are carefully timed to suit commuters working in Hull and journeys between the peaks should prove ideal for shoppers. The route also passes the door of HRI so should also be good for hospital staff and visitors.

EYMS claims that from the centre of Brough to the centre of Hull will be as quick if not quicker than the train allowing for walking times to Brough station and from Hull Paragon to the Old Town area. At just £5 return and £20.50 for a weekly ticket the fares also compare favourably with the train especially if station parking costs are added. Even a comparison with the car is good when rising fuel costs and city car park charges are taken into account.

The population of Brough in particular has expanded a great deal recently with more houses still being built and the new route is the first significant improvement in public transport provision in the area for many years and is designed to cater for the growing population, many of whom work or shop in Hull.

The route will be ‘branded’ on a Roman theme, reflecting the fact that Brough was a significant Roman settlement called Petuaria, and the new route coincides with the 1600th anniversary of the year the Romans finally left Britain in 410AD.

The single deck buses will have a very eye-catching livery incorporating the Roman theme but also based on the traditional EYMS colours of indigo and primrose which were used by the Lee and Beulah company which was based in Elloughton and was one of the companies from which EYMS was formed in 1926.

Timetable information can be found at:

http://www.eyms.co.uk/content/busservices/searchtimetable.aspx?intservice=143

Conclusion of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council's Car Parking Review

Back in January I predicted that the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Car Parking Review would be completed and the decision would be popular with the majority of residents.

I decided to speak on the issue when it came to full Council and voted to support the findings and recommendations of the Review as I did feel the Council had listened to people over the last few months and thought the report and its recommendations reflected what people have told us – it was about compromise and by and large I think overall the majority of East Riding residents will be happy, but there are a few who will not - and some who never will be.

The most common comments I’d heard was regarding the half an hour free parking, I acknowledge this would be long enough to go to the bank or chemist – but perhaps not for visiting the hairdressers, visiting more than one shop, or having a leisurely cup of coffee.

For me car parking should be localised as much as possible and decision-making should be made at the local level.

Prior to the Council meeting I, along with Goole North Cllr Jean Kitchen, Prospective Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole Andrew Percy, and ERYC Portfolio Holder for car parking Cllr Matthew Grove attended a meeting of business people in Goole to discuss car parking in the town. It was clear that the business people where giving out mixed messages; on one hand they thought that having charges on car parking would prevent customers coming into the town - and on the other complaining that there was nowhere to park as presently the carparks are full during the day, which deterred customers.

Herein lies the issue of how important footfall is to traders in places such as Goole. A carpark is of little use if it is full, no trader wants to see a would-be customer to driving around a carpark, not able find a space and so drives off. A customer needs to be able to park with relative ease, do their shopping have a cup of coffee or whatever, and then depart, leaving a car parking space for the next customer. One only has to observe what happens in a large supermarket carpark to see how this works.

This is why carparking needs to be managed – managed to achieve the maximum footfall through the doors of local businesses and this is how parking charges can really benefit the business community.

But this is not going to be achieved by a ‘one size fits all’ policy on carparking and the ERYC Car Parking Review report sought to recognise this - the sea front parking at Bridlington is different to Goole town centre, Beverley is different to Willerby, and Hedon is different to Hessle.

It was my opinion that the Council is providing a template that can be adapted or added to by Town or Parish Councils, or business groups if they wish. I would fully support any community that wished to increase the free parking from half an hour – BUT it is important that the decision for this should be made locally, by local people and businesses, it could and should, be then funded locally through the Town or Parish Council precept, a local levy, or voluntary contributions…

Finally this is not going to happen tommorrow as the recommendendations will not come into force for two years, a lot can happen in the next two years, and I hope the ERYC will use this time in helping local people come up with local solutions to car parking in their communities… Isn’t this what localism is all about?

Being part of Humberside Fire and Rescue Peer Review

As Chair of the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) I was invited to spend a few of hours with Humberside Fire and Rescue as part of their peer review, looking at how they performed over the past year. It was interesting to be part of group of 15 people from different backgrounds and services giving our experiences of the service.

As a local Councillor who works very closely with the Fire Service it was very easy to be complimentary to them, particularly in how they are proactive when it comes to partnership working, how very well they work in communities, and how they are perceived as positive role models.

But to inject a touch of balance I was quite comfortable in mentioning the impact of the reduction in capability of Goole Fire Station from two full time fire crews, down to one full time and one part time (retained) crew, and not forgetting the purchase of the massive Combined Ariel Rescue Platforms (CARPs) which have had problems with just getting them on the road, never mind them being of such a size to make travelling down narrow streets very difficult, if not impossible.

All in all a great service, some great fire officers, but problems in the strategic direction - but acknowledging much of this is the fault of Central Government.

For more information on Humberside Fire and Rescue please go to:

http://www.humbersidefire.gov.uk/

Howdenshire Policing Update

Please find the following update of Policing issues affecting Howdenshire, and information regarding meetings and surgeries. More information on the local crime scene is also available of the Humberside Police Website.

1. Priority

Issue: - Anti-social behaviour on Scalby Lane, Gilberdyke

Action: - Following complaints of Anti-social behaviour the team are actively working to reduce incidents of this nature in order to improve the quality of life for the residents of Gilberdyke.
Anyone witnessing anti-social behaviour is asked to call in with details. Howdenshire Neighbourhood Policing team will aim to respond to all calls for service in relation to this priority. Any incidents that are not attended will be investigated and followed up by the team.

Positive action will be taken against anyone engaging in anti-social behaviour.
East Riding of Yorkshire council anti-social behaviour team also investigate reports of anti-social behaviour the 2 teams will be working together along with other agencies to target the issue. Howden and Howdenshire Neighbourhood action team have also recently completed an anti-social behaviour project.

In December 2009, 3 local youths were issued with final warnings 2 of these were for section 5 public order offences and the other for criminal damage. A further youth has been charged with criminal damage to a window he appeared at Goole youth court on 26th January where he pleaded not guilty a trial will be held in April 2010. Another male juvenile also appeared at Goole Youth Court on 26th January where he was convicted of a section 5 public order offence and received a 4 month referral order.

Regular patrols are being conducted in the area and talks will be given in local schools.
An anti-social behaviour surgery was held on Wednesday 17th February, between 5pm and 7.30pm.

2. Priority

Issue: - Non-dwelling burglaries, Canal Side, Newport

Action: - The last 3 months have seen an increase in burglaries specifically along Canal side, Newport. Offenders have broken into sheds, garages and outbuildings and stolen items of property from within.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team have attended and conducted scene visits and offered crime prevention advice to all victims of crime. They have conducted house to house enquiries and encouraged people to ring in reporting anything or anyone acting in a suspicious manner.

Scenes of crime officers have also attended the scenes to try and obtain forensic evidence.

A number of shed alarms have been given to residents and crime prevention leaflets posted to all residents of canal side, anyone who would like a visit to discuss home security can contact the team and an appointment will be made to visit you at your home address.
Extra patrols have been conducted by our colleagues on incident response teams who are actively patrolling the area on a night time; they will be specifically targeting areas vulnerable to crime and will be stopping and checking people in the area.

In January a resident of Canal Side telephoned police reporting 3 males pushing a motor cycle, he thought this was suspicious due to the time of night and the recent burglaries in the area. Officers attended and recovered the motor cycle which had been stolen and was reunited with its owner, the males had already left the scene; enquiries are ongoing to identify and deal with these males.

Members of the Neighbourhood Action team attended at Newport village hall on Saturday 13th February they offered crime prevention advice and materials and were visited by a number of Newport residents. A comprehensive action plan is in place to target the burglaries.

3. Priority

Issue: - Poaching in Broomfleet

Action: - The team will patrol rural areas and check any suspicious persons and vehicles. Officers will attend calls for service and deal appropriately with offenders, if we are unable to attend or the offenders have left prior to our arrival, evidence from informants will be gathered and action taken.

There is an active farm watch in the area that the team are in regular contact with.

Dedicated patrols to target poaching were carried out in December and will continue into 2010, our presence will not only deter activity but also allow us to rapidly respond to any reports that come in.

A number of warning letters have been sent out to persons who have been acting suspiciously in the area and officers have also seized dogs and vehicles of persons committing offences.

Officers attended all reports of poaching in this area in the month of February.

4. Offenders brought to justice

At 4.10 am on 23rd November 2009, police were called to North Cave by a local resident who had heard a vehicle driving up a private road which leads to the back of the church.
Police Officers attended in the area and conducted a search for the vehicle and located 3 males and a trailer containing lead.

All 3 males were arrested on suspicion of theft of lead from the church roof, all 3 males have been charged with theft of the lead and appeared at Beverley Magistrates court on 4th February 2010, the case has been adjourned and the males were bailed to return to Beverley Magistrates Court on 19th March 2010.

There has recently been a spate of criminal damage offences in Gilberdyke, one male has been interviewed in relation to this and has admitted his involvement in the offence. The youth offending team have worked with this male and he has recently received a final warning for the offence. 2 further juveniles from Gilberdyke, have also been referred to the youth offending team and have received final warnings for offensive behaviour towards a member of the public whilst on their way home from school. One of these youths has since been charged with criminal damage after a window was damaged by a snowball, he has appeared at Goole magistrates and pleaded not guilty a trial will be held in April 2010.

A further youth was arrested in Gilberdyke, on 22nd January 2010 for a section 5 public order offence, he has been charged and appeared at Goole Youth Court on 27th January 2010 where he was given a 4 month referral order and ordered to pay £85 costs.

3 other Gilberdyke youths have also been dealt with for a number of shop thefts from the Triangle garage, 2 of them have received reprimands and the third has been referred to the Youth Offending Team and will receive a final warning for his involvement.

A male juvenile from Howden has been charged with shop theft after stealing items from the Triangle Garage in Newport in October, he appeared at Goole youth court in January and was given an absolute discharge and ordered to pay £5.67 costs.

A local male and female have been charged with assault causing actual bodily harm following an incident in Sandholme in July, where the victim was assaulted by 2 people one of whom had a baseball bat, the male was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon. Both have appeared at Goole Magistrates court for the offences the case has been referred to the crown court and a date is to be fixed for this trial.

A male has been charged with assault after he punched a fellow player during a game of football in Holme Upon Spalding Moor in October 2009. The offender admitted to the punch stating ‘he lost it’, the victim had a fractured Jaw as a result of the assault. The offender will appear at Beverley Magistrates court on 5th March 2010.

2 cautions and a fixed penalty notice were issued in November and December for offences of criminal damage and public order in Bubwith.

A local male has been charged with assault and criminal damage following an incident at the Black Swan, Eastrington, the male appeared at Goole Magistrates Court on 2nd March 2010, and an update will be provided next month.

Operation Verain came to the Newport area in January, the operation involves a number of multi agency tasks in the Humberside area. Officers work in partnership with the DVLA, HM Revenue and Customs and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to crack down on illegal motorists. A total of 43 vehicles were stopped in a 4 hour period out of these 21 were found to have defects, 12 vehicle defect requests were issued this requires the driver to have the defect rectified and then present it at an MOT centre to have it checked. 2 endorsable fixed penalty notices were issued, and 4 non-endorsable fixed penalty notices. Other drivers were given verbal warnings.

A vehicle was stopped in North Cave at 0135 hours on 23rd January 2010; the driver was checked and found to be over the prescribed alcohol limit for driving, he was also driving without a substantive driving license or insurance. The male has been charged with all of the offences and appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court on 4th February 2010, he was given a £233 fine and a 12 month driving ban. The vehicle was also seized.

On 19th January 2010, another vehicle was seen acting suspiciously in the North Cave area, officers stopped the vehicle and the driver did not have a substantive driving license or insurance to drive the vehicle, the officers seized the car. Both the male driver and the passenger were arrested and have been charged with possession of Class B drugs. Both appeared at Beverley Magistrates court on 4th February 2010, the driver was fined a total of £250 and the passenger was fined £65 and ordered to pay £85 court costs.

On 27th January 2010, a male was stopped and searched by officers on patrol in the Everthorpe area; he was found to have a small quantity of cannabis in his possession and was issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice.

On 13th February 2010, 2 officers were travelling home from work along the A614 towards Howden, when they saw a caravan being pulled by a Mitsubishi Shogun, it was 1 o’clock in the morning and following a number of crimes in the area they thought this appeared suspicious. The officers followed the vehicle and alerted their on duty colleagues, the shogun and caravan stopped in the Pollington area and the male driver who was alone was arrested for theft of the shogun from the Lancashire area and theft of the caravan from Barmby Moor, he is currently on police bail to return to Goole Police Station on 18th march 2010.

On 19th February 2010, a member of the public telephoned police to report a car being driven erratically on A164 at Holme Upon Spalding Moor towards Howden, officers located the vehicle and the driver was arrested and charged with driving whilst over the prescribed limit, driving with no insurance or driving license and taking a motor vehicle without the owners consent. The male appeared at Goole Magistrates court on 2nd March 2010 and an update will appear on this page next month.

On 23rd February 2010, a female from Eastrington, called police to report a road traffic collision on the road between Gilberdyke and Howden. Officers attended and located a vehicle in a ditch but the driver had left the scene, it was believed the driver may have been in drink officers eventually managed to locate the driver after members of his family had tried to hide him. The driver and a member of his family were both cautioned for obstructing a police officer and the driver is currently on police bail for the drink driving offence.

On 24th February 2010, PC Lee stopped a vehicle in Newport for a routine check the driver was found to have no insurance or current driving licence, the vehicle was seized and the driver will be summonsed to court for the offences.

On 1st March 2010, a local farmer from Holme Upon Spalding Moor detained 2 males for stealing diesel; the 2 males were arrested and are currently on police bail until 11th March 2010.
Following an altercation at an address in Eastrington on 28th February 2010, 2 adults have been issued with police cautions for common assault.

PC Lee of the neighbourhood team has been out and about at various locations within the Howdenshire ward with speed detection equipment he has issued a number of tickets for speeding offences and offered verbal warnings to other drivers.

5. Meetings

Residents are invited to attend any of the below meetings:

Police Surgery. Means: an opportunity for you to meet privately with a member of the neighbourhood team to discuss any policing issue of concern. This is a drop-in event so you may have to wait a few minutes.

Police and Communities Together Meeting . This is a public meeting where the police and other public authority representatives will be present. Its main purpose is to determine what the local priorities for action over the next three moths will be. It gives members of the public an opportunity to raise their concerns and influence those decisions. The next meeting is on 22nd July 2010 at Howden.

Street Briefing. This means that the whole neighbourhood team will be briefed on current problems in the area and tasked to deal with them. The public can meet with the officers and be informed about how they can help with these issues.

Type: Police Surgery

Venue: Howden Library, Shire Hall, Market Place

Date: Monday 8th March 2010

Time: 6pm to 8pm

Type: Police Surgery

Venue: Howden Library, Shire Hall, Market Place

Date: Monday 12th April 2010

Time: 6pm to 8pm


Type: Crime Prevention Morning

Venue: North Cave Playing Fields

Date: Saturday 20th March 2010

Time: 10am to 12 noon


Type: Police Surgery

Venue: North Cave Reading Rooms

Date: Monday 19th April 2010

Time: 5pm to 7pm


Type: Police Surgery

Venue: Howden Library, Shire Hall, Market Place

Date: Monday 17th May 2010

Time: 6pm to 8pm


Type: Police Surgery

Venue: Howden Library, Shire Hall, Market Place

Date: Monday 21st June 2010

Time: 6pm to 8pm

6. News and Appeals

The neighbourhood action team have recently completed an anti social behaviour project in the Howden and Howdenshire area, the project involved engaging with the younger and older generations and asking for their views on anti-social behaviour. A number of issues have been raised and hopefully they will assist us in tackling anti-social behaviour.

The current project the team are working on is a crime prevention initiative; members of the team will be visiting locations in the ward to give crime prevention advice and hand out leaflets and materials to members of the public.

Local PCSO’s will visit victims of crime, conduct scene enquires and offer crime prevention advice, anyone who like a PCSO to visit them and discuss crime prevention can contact the team and a visit will be arranged.

Following an increase in vehicle crime in the East Riding local officers are conducting daily checks in areas vulnerable to vehicle crime, letters are also been sent to vehicle keepers who leave their vehicles vulnerable to vehicle crime, please protect your vehicle by following these easy crime prevention tips;

Some of the advice may sound obvious, but it could make all the difference if you follow it consistently.
1. Don't leave items on display
Never leave anything on display when you leave your vehicle. Even an old coat or a plastic bag can tempt a thief.
2. Use immobilisers
Electronic engine immobilisers prevent your vehicle from starting and are the best way to stop thieves. They should be professionally fitted - either by your car dealer or by an installer approved by the Vehicle Systems Installation Board.
3. Park safely
When parking at home, always use your garage if you have one, and lock both your vehicle and your garage. If you don't have a garage, try to park in a well-lit, open place.
4. Buy a steering wheel lock
Use a steering wheel lock every time you leave your vehicle.
5. Get an alarm fitted
Alarms can deter thieves not only from stealing your vehicle, but also from taking items from it. You can get more information about alarms, immobilisers and other security devices by phoning the Vehicle Security National Helpline on 0870 5502006 or the Sold Secure Helpline on 01327 264687.
6. Secure your wheels
Locking wheel nuts are cheap, easy to fit and stop thieves from taking your wheels.
7. Etch your vehicle identification number onto surfaces
Have your vehicle registration number or the last seven digits of your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etched onto all windows, both windscreens and your headlamps.
8. Mark your equipment
Mark all your equipment, like your car stereo, with your vehicle registration number.

If you have any suspicions, please notify the police immediately on 0845 6060222.

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.

Appeal victory over access road linking Newport’s Thimble Hall Lane and Canal Side West

Things are moving forward for Newport residents who have been denied motor vehicle access to the M62 accommodation road linking Thimble Hall Lane and Canal Side West by two large gates installed by the Hull and District Angler’s Association (HDAA), who claimed to own the road. A recent successful appeal to the government’s inspector instructed the East Riding of Yorkshire Council to make an order to re-open the road.

(Pictured with Richard Bates and my fellow Councillor Charlie Bayram)

At present the two large metal gates at each end prevents anyone from using the road that has been in Public daily use for over 20 years. Signs on the gates declare it is a Private Road and that there is “No Unauthorised Access”. Local horse riders and even motorised scooters, used by some of Newport’s disabled residents, cannot get through the narrow gap that has been left.

A local resident commented to me that anglers seeking peace and tranquillity have been coming to Newport over many years for the excellent fishing in and around the village. They have always been welcome but that has now changed. By erecting these locked gates the Angler’s Association have provoked a great deal of anger and hostility towards the Anglers and made them and the HDAA very unwelcome here.

If the Hull and District Angler’s Association (who I’m led to believe do own the adjacent pond) had wanted to ingratiate themselves to local residents then this heavy handed approach is surely the last thing to embark upon.

The road was originally constructed as an access road during the construction of the M62 and runs alongside. If we were to see a repeat of last year’s accident with an HGV crashing off the motorway along this section, I would not like to think that the emergency services were prevented from reaching a victim because of these gates. Therefore it is essential the gates be removed as soon as possible.

Clearly the gates were installed against the wishes of many Newport residents, local horse riders, and certainly against the wishes of Newport Parish Council who have been fighting to have the gates removed. I fully support the residents and the Parish Council, it is clearly not acceptable and the gates should be removed at once.

An appeal against this has been successful, and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council has to go through the legal process to reclaim the road, but as with most things legal this will take time. Much credit goes to Newport Parish Council and especially Parish Cllr Richard Bate in mounting the successful appeal

I gave one hour of my time for the Marie Curie great daffodil event

This morning I spent a very cold couple of hours in Howden collecting for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Daffodil Collection. Thanks to all who took pity on me standing in the shade dressed in a bright yellow tabard with a tote tray of lapel daffodils. One memorable question… ‘Isn’t it normally women who do this?” I declined to answer!!

The aim is for as many as possible to give up just 1 hour of their time during March

For more info on the great daffodil event click utube link below or visit: http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council Will Repair The Damaged Roads

First the flooding then the severe winter, there is little wonder that some of our roads, that were never designed for today's HGVs, are breaking up.

This is not a matter of filling in potholes, some sections of road are so damaged they will have to be rebuilt.

The cost of highway maintenance is funded through road tax, however the amount the Labour Government pays back to local authorities is much less than they take in taxation and not sufficient to maintain the roads.

The cost to repair and rebuild our damaged roads will be huge, and it will take time, but East Riding of Yorkshire Conservative councillors have made a pledge that we will undertake this work.

We are not waiting for the damage to be reported, the council has a crack team out every day filling potholes as they go around - I think this is very much a common sense, practical short term solution as we can not repair properly until the weather allows, and the full extent to the damage is known.

Expect to see road works accross the East Riding soon as the weather improves.

A new, progressive choice for everyone

A new, progressive choice for everyone

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council needs fair and transparent funding from Central Government

East Riding of Yorkshire ratepayers will have a small rise of 1.5% in their council tax charges this coming year.

The Conservative Controlled East Riding of Yorkshire Council has set a budget for the next financial year of £269 million, which requires a council tax at Band D of £1,212.20. The council tax increase is the lowest ever set by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and will mean that the increase for an average household will be less than £16 per year.

While the costs of providing services in a large but quite sparsely populated rural area like the East Riding are high - as with all Local Authorities the East Riding of Yorkshire Council relies heavily on the Central Government grant for funding; unfortunately over recent years the area has received less and less. At present we receive around £100 per person less than the national average, and significantly less then our neighbouring authorities, e.g. the East Riding gets only £384 per person compared to £600 in Hull. (please see table below)

The formula Labour use is so complicated it is impossible for most people to understand but it adds up to Central Government giving the East Riding a staggering £100 million less that it would if we were funded to the same level as Hull.

The unfairness in Central Government funding also applies to schools, with the East Riding pupils again receiving less funding per head then the national average and also that of our neighbours, e.g. East Riding schools receiving £337 less per pupil than Hull schools. (please see table below)

An extremely positive outcome of the 2010/11 budget is that the East Riding of Yorkshire Council will be carrying out its biggest ever building or ‘capital’ programme, with £148 million to be spent on improving essential infrastructure like roads, housing and schools. The programme has been boosted and accelerated by the fiscal stimulus of £100 million approved last year which is resulting in the council bringing forward many schemes to assist the local economy and support local businesses.

In addition, the council is undertaking a £33 million programme over the next year, which will see the first new council, homes in the East Riding for many years. Some 275 properties are to be built and more will follow as a result of additional funding that has been secured. This building programme will also help support local businesses, especially the construction industry.

In conclusion, despite being constantly squeezed by lower and lower Central Government funding year on year. The East Riding Council continues to deliver top level, four-star services, investment in infrastructure, and sound financial management, whilst keeping the Council Tax relatively low..... and strange as it may seem we also have a net influx of pupils from Hull attending East Riding of Yorkshire Council's high performing schools.

Please find the following from Prospective MP for Brigg and Goole Andrew Percy:

Labour Seek to Double Council Tax Rise

Submitted by andrew on Thu, 11/02/2010 - 21:01.
Andrew Percy has reacted with anger at an attempt by Labour Councillors to double the Council tax rise for residents in the Goole and Snaith area.

The East Riding Council met today to set the Council Tax for the next year with Labour Councillors trying to force a higher than inflation rise of 3% on hard pressed taxpayers.

Andrew Percy says, "With unemployment in our area still rising, and with the Humber area suffering the hardest from Gordon Brown's recession, you would have thought that Labour Councillors would have wanted to give hard pressed taxpayers a break. Pensioners in particular feel Council Tax rises especially hard, and after 13 years of putting up the bills of pensioners, Labour have clearly learned nothing!

It is only thanks to the vigilance of Conservative Councillors that this year's rise will be kept to 1.5%, well below the current rate of inflation. I don't always agree with everything the East Riding Council does but they have certainly made the right decision on this year's Council Tax.

The East Riding receives some of the worst funding in England from the Labour Government, meaning that keeping Council Tax rises down is no mean feat."

Skate/BMX parks - and how young people can develop a sense of ownership

The Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) is working with other groups, organisations and partners to look at anti-social behaviour issues. The perceived lack of youth facilities and activities to enable young people to have things to do and places to go appears to be a contributory factor, particularly in both Goole and Old Goole.Along with fellow East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor (ERYC) Beryl Beck Taylor, Goole’s detached youth workers, and a number of young people I was invited on a fact- finding mission to look at youth facilities including skate parks, BMX tracks and play areas in Hull and the East Riding.

Unfortunately the weather was a little cold so there were not many young people using the facilities, but I was very much impressed by the Ings Road site provided by Hull City Council and free to use. The £330k concrete skate/bike park was funded through grants and administered by the council, and is of a concrete construction with a shelter and seating. The site is unfenced but is protected by CCTV and timed lighting. The most striking thing (apart from the non-offensive graffiti) was the lack of vandalism.

(Ings Road skate/BMX park)

I was amazed by the young people we spoke to, who said they police the site themselves, bring their own brushes to clean it, and won’t allow offensive graffiti. They actually came across as having a strong sense of ownership, having been part of the decision making process from the very beginning - which was great to hear.

The visit also included a visit to the Haltemprice Sport Centre’s flood-lit metal skate park, which was developed as a result of community leaders supporting young people with their applications for funding and helping them to commission contractors to work on their ideas.

Interestingly this was on the back of a visit to the Bridlington Town Council’s skate/BMX park a few weeks ago. This project was put together by Bridlington Town Council, and differs significantly in the fact that the whole area is fenced and locked, there is a charge to use the facility and most importantly the young people we spoke to felt no ownership of the skate park whatsoever. Unfortunately the site has suffered from vandalism.

The visit to Hull was about giving young people the opportunity to consider and discuss their dreams and ideas for Goole. The BMX trail in West Park, Goole is due to be extended and developed, so it was a useful opportunity to find out what works elsewhere.

The young people played an active role in developing some of the sites that we visited, and we wanted to encourage and motivate our young people to play their part in shaping Goole for the future.

The visit formed part of a project the ERYC Youth Service in delivering in Goole using some £19,000 of the Government’s ‘Connecting Communities’ funding which is to be used to fund a number of community based activities in the town over the next few months. The aim is to encourage young people to engage in decision-making processes and inspire them to influence those decisions affecting their communities.

Unfortunately the weather was a little cold so there were not many young people using the facilities, but I was very much impressed by the Ings Road site provided by Hull City Council and free to use. The £330k concrete skate/bike park was funded through grants and administered by the council, and is of a concrete construction with a shelter and seating. The site is protected by CCTV and timed lighting.

I was amazed by the kids we spoke to, who said they police the site themselves, bring their own brushes to clean it, and won’t allow offensive graffiti. They actually came across as having a strong sense of ownership, having been part of the decision making process from the very beginning - which was great to hear.

I feel that young people are not always listened to – especially on issues that affect them directly.

Last week I was invited to take part in the mock general election at Wolfreton School and Sixth Form College as part of their democracy day. Along with representatives from the Labour Party, Green Party and the Lib Dems we were asked to talk for a few minutes on Young People and Democracy. The following is the short presentation I gave:


Young People and Democracy

I feel that young people are not always listened to – especially on issues that affect them directly.

Today’s young people are the decision makers of tomorrow. We must stimulate your interest in democracy, enable your voices to be heard and for you to have a stake in the political process.
It is a myth that young people are not interested in politics.

I know from talking to many young people that you are passionately interested in issues as diverse as crime, anti-social behaviour and bullying, alcohol and drugs, sexual health and teenage pregnancy, youth activities and sport, and reducing the voting age to 16.

But it up to us adults to listen to you, we have to have to make formal politics more relevant and somewhat less boring – and we need to capitalise on the interest shown today. All organisations need to listen more to young people and should be encouraged to ‘youth proof’ their activities wherever possible.

We need to look at how the political parties, Government and Local Councils communicate with young people – How many of you use Facebook?

We need to maximise the use of Facebook but also Twitter, Bebo, My Space and blogs.

We need to improve the opportunities for young people to get involved in politics at a local level, through your school council, through the East Riding Youth Assembly and through emerging community youth councils.

Young people have to feel that someone is listening to them and to their point of view; this will go a long way to enhance their belief in politics. Specifically if young people were able to vote at 16, be able to fully participate in the East Riding Youth Assembly, and have the opportunity to connect with their elected Councillors, MPs and MEPs - then we might just see more engagement of young people in the political process.

(School photo by Paul Harrop)

Link to the East Riding Youth Assembly: ihttp://www.eriding.net/young_people/youth_assembly.shtml

Link to Wolfreton School:
http://www.wolfreton.co.uk/

Lowest ever council tax rise set by East Riding of Yorkshire Council

East Riding of Yorkshire ratepayers will have a small rise of 1.5% in their council tax charges this coming year.

The Conservative Controlled East Riding of Yorkshire Council has set a budget for the next financial year of £269 million, which requires a council tax at Band D of £1,212.20. The council tax increase is the lowest ever set by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and will mean that the increase for an average household will be less than £16 per year.

As Councillors we had as a basis for discussion a budget prepared by the council’s corporate management team which indicated a 3% rise in council tax. However, this increase has been halved by taking money from various reserves and budgeting for a half per cent pay rise, which is in line with national expectations, and not from front line services.

I hope that this lower-than-expected increase will come as some relief to the many East Riding families who continue to endure the adverse effects of the recession, especially those on fixed incomes. This is more good news for Gilberdyke residents who will also benefit from the 30% cut in the Parish Council part of their council tax.

I think we certainly took our political opponents by surprise in announcing the 1.5% increase. It was sad that the Liberal Democrat group could not support our proposals, and even worse that the Labour Councillors not only failed to support the budget, but instead proposed a full 3% increase. I am not sure what message the local Labour Group is sending out but it has all the hallmarks of what we have seen with Labour nationally since 1997 – HIGHER TAXES!

I agree with Beverley and Holderness Tory MP Graham Stuart when reacting to our budget proposals he said,

“Labour has learnt nothing, the choice at the General Election is now clear – responsible government under the Conservatives or sky rocketing taxes under Labour."

http://www.grahamstuart.com/

Campaign For Faster Broadband Speeds in Howdenshire Villages

Continuing on the campaign for faster broadband speeds in Howdenshire Villages, particularly Holme on Spalding Moor, Newport and Bubwith, the Conservatives have unveiled plans to help make the UK the first major European country that has superfast broadband in the majority of homes by 2017.

Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said "we are currently one of the slowest countries in the developed world for broadband", but with the Conservatives "we'll become one of the fastest".

Most importantly, Mr. Hunt said that under these plans "high speeds will be available not just in our cities but across the rural areas that have been left behind for too long".

Commenting on the plans Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs Jim Paice MP said:
“Our proposals to deliver superfast broadband will benefit town and country, leaving no rural community behind. We will use any underspend from the digital switchover fund to establish a universal broadband network of 2 Mbps by 2012.

This approach could be continued post 2012 if our plans to force BT to open their infrastructure to other operators have not started delivering high speed broadband to even the most windswept reaches of the country.

Farmers are increasingly expected to deal with the Government online so it is incumbent on Ministers to enable them to do this with high speed broadband connections.”

Disused Bubwith Arts Centre Gets Planning Consent For Development

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee has, subject to access issues being resolved, approved the development of the disused Arts International Centre just north of Bubwith. The centre has not been used for many years and despite numerous attempts by the owners, could not be sold.

The application was for a conversion to accommodate 14 dwellings and 2 offices plus a part conversion of the existing theatre to provide a Rural Enterprise Centre. This in my view was the best compromise and will ensure that the building does not fall into disrepair, adds to the sustainability of Bubwith village and the shops and services it provides.

My fellow Howdenshire Councillor Mrs Engall spoke in support of the application. I then proposed that we as a planning committee supported the application, but asked for a footpath to directly link the development to the village be included, and that the vehicular access should be onto a side road rather than the Howden - York Road, fortunately the majority of the committee members agreed and we have a way forward. (Photo by Gordon Kneale Brooke)

Wind farm subsidies top £1 billion a year

Britain's energy policy faces new controversy as it can be revealed that electricity customers are paying more than £1 billion a year to subsidise windfarms and other forms of renewable energy.

By Ben Leach and Richard Gray Published in the Sunday Telegraph: 8:45PM GMT 23 Jan 2010 Photo by PA

The Ofgem report will show that over the past three years the subsidies have added a total of £32.50 to the average household's electricity bills.

The hidden levy is part of a Government scheme to force energy companies to fund green energy. The companies bear the cost but pass it on to consumers in the form of higher bills.
The amount raised has climbed steeply since the introduction of the levy in 2002.

Next month's annual report from Ofgem, the energy regulator, will show that it has risen above £1 billion for the first time, according to analysts at the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF), a green energy think-tank.

It means that renewable energy added an an estimated £13.50 to the average household electricity bill last year. An additional burden fell on industrial users of electricity, who in turn passed on costs to their customers.

Critics claimed that the subsidy scheme unfairly penalised consumers and was being used to fund "unrealistic" plans to increase the use of wind power. Countryside campaigners have expressed concerns at the number of wind farms being built around the country, as the Government tries to meet its target that 30 per cent of the UK's energy should be generated from renewable sources by 2020.

The Ofgem report will show that over the past three years the subsidies have added a total of £32.50 to the average household's electricity bills. The annual cost has steadily risen from £7 in 2007 to £13.50 in 2009.

The proceeds of the levy, known as the Renewables Obligation (RO), are divided between the main renewable energy sources, with wind receiving 40 per cent, landfill gas 25 per cent, biomass 20 per cent, hydroelectric 12 per cent and sewage gas 3 per cent.

Dr John Constable, director of policy and research at the REF, said: "The fundamental problem with the RO is that the cost to the consumer is extremely high. "Since the cost of the scheme is passed onto businesses as well as households, there will also be a significant impact on the economy. "The Government's plans for wind are wildly unrealistic. Wind power is going to be very expensive, very difficult and ultimately very costly."

The cost to consumers of the RO scheme has risen from £278 million in 2002/3 to £1.04 billion last year, the Ofgem report is expected to say - a total of £4.4 billion over seven years.

The scheme works by requiring energy suppliers to obtain a set percentage of the electricity they provide to consumers from renewable sources. In 2008/9 this figure was 9.1 per cent, compared to 7.9 per cent in 2007/8.

For each megawatt hour of renewable energy bought by a supplier from a generator, suppliers must also buy a certificate as proof. If suppliers fail to meet their obligation by presenting enough certificates, they must pay a fine known as a "buy-out". The cost to energy suppliers is passed on to consumers through their bills.

Ofgem predicts that the total cost of the RO to consumers between 2002 and 2027, when the scheme is set to end, will amount to £32 billion. By 2020 it is estimated that the annual cost will be running at over £5 billion. Prof Ian Fells, emeritus professor of energy conversion at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, said money that was being invested into wind farms through the RO scheme needed to be diverted elsewhere.

He said: "Consumers simply don't realise the cost to them of supporting the renewable energy industry. Not only is there a cost to consumers but there is a cost to businesses as well.
"So people will not only see the huge cost of the RO scheme in their household bills but also on the High Street, as they see shops put up prices to meet the rising cost of electricity. Subsidising wind farms is far too expensive, and the money could be better spent by investing in other forms of power."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: "To ensure we meet our climate change goals we need a massive increase in low carbon energy and that includes renewables. "The RO is helping that expansion happen with the amount of electricity generated from renewables trebling since 2002. "We also need to make sure we have continued secure energy supplies in the future and renewables are part of that too. There's no high-carbon low-price alternative – we must move to low-carbon sources."

There are currently 270 wind farms with 2,775 turbines in operation, with plans for a further 10,000 on and around Britain's shores.

It has raised concerns in communities that hundreds of acres of rural landscapes will have wind farms built on them.

Last week The Sunday Telegraph revealed how 14 of the UK's officially-designated beauty spots could soon be blighted by turbines, which can reach more than 400ft in height.

Working to understand Anti-Social Behaviour

The Goole and Howdenshire LAT identified addressing anti-social behaviour as one of the highest priorities for residents, this has also been highlighted at Police and Partners forums, and household surveys.

The Howdenshire Neighbourhood Action Team, as a key delivery partner in crime and disorder issues, is looking into the perceptions of anti-social behaviour. The team is talking to both young people and older people to try and more fully understand the issues. This included a visit by a group of older residents to Howden School last week to engage in ‘one on one conversations’ with young people specifically about perceptions of anti-social behaviour. As one of the facilitators it was fascinating to listen as the two generations expressed their thoughts to each other, and at the end for all to say they now have more of an understanding of anti-social behaviour, proved the exercise very much worth while, and something to build on.


The East Riding of Yorkshire Council is also conducting a review of anti-social behaviour through a panel of Councillors, of which I am part. As part of this review Cllr Pat Smith and I visited Bridlington to spend some time with the Council’s detached youth workers, talk to some of Bridlington’s young people, and look at facilities for young people in the area. One of the highlight of the visit was visiting the Bridlington Gasworx Skate Park, a fantastic facility greatly valued by the kids we spoke to. (pictured with Cllr Pat Smith and the the ERYC Detached Youth Workers)


I have spent quite a lot of time with the Council’s detached youth workers in the past, and continue to be impressed with what they do, but more importantly how they interact with young people.