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PICKERING TOWN COUNCIL’S
NEWSLETTER “Slowing the flow” – flood water storage scheme The threat to the proposal to store 85000 m3 of flood water has led to a flurry of activity to find a way forward. Anne McIntosh, the local MP, secured a debate at Westminster Hall on the implications of potential delays to planned flood defence systems. The MP made the case for the Pickering scheme in front of Richard Benyon MP, Minister of State, Defra. He stated that “We want to do all we can to ensure that the scheme goes ahead, because we think that it is a good example of how biodiversity, slowing up water and flood protection can fit together in many areas. We want (Anne McIntosh) to know that the Government will look into any means possible to ensure that such schemes go ahead.” Any scheme involving flood storage has to comply with the Reservoirs Act 1975; however, working to the exact requirements of the act has led to an increase of two million pounds on the available funds. One way forward would be for government to amend either the act or its guidelines to allow a lower standard of design for the storage scheme. This appears to command support as the proposed bunds are not operating as a reservoir does. The Environment Agency is also reassessing the current design proposal to see if costs could be reduced and reassessing all the options for flood alleviation that were previously considered. Once this work has been done, the agency will work with its partners to explore what could be done with the £1.35 million funding available. Work continues on the construction of large woody debris dams on main beck sites. These, in themselves quite large structures, complement the hundred already constructed dams on small channels and tributaries, but they are far more effective in the amount of water they can hold back. Play areas A local resident stopped me in the Market Place the other day and asked where there was a play area for very young children. She was about to have a visit from her grandchildren all under five years old. I told her she could find equipment for the very young in two small play areas in Vivis Park – Troutbeck Close and Otter Drive. There was also a dedicated area in the play area at Manor Drive and suitable equipment at Hawthorn Lane. For children at primary and secondary school there is suitable equipment at Paddock Close and Garden Way, Hawthorn Lane and Manor Drive. And for those who want to kick a ball about there is a large public open space at the bottom end of Kingfisher Drive, two goal posts at Manor Drive and a goal post at Greenlands. It is not as easy as it used to be to find volunteers to unlock and lock the play areas and the council is very grateful to those Pickering people who continue to do this. There are currently two play areas without keyholders: Otter Drive (which has remained unlocked for some time) and Greenlands. The council has taken advice from its insurers and made the decision that when a volunteer keyholder cannot be found for a play area, it will remain unlocked. The play area at Manor Drive is not locked. Application to add a short section of path to the Definitive Map An application to add a short section of path to the Definitive Map has been submitted to the county council. If the application is successful, the public right of way from the eastern end of Porters Headland will be connected to the byway open to all traffic at Wells Walk. Continental Market Following the success of the continental market that was held in the Market Place in July 2010, the organisers, Traditional Markets Ltd, are to return on Sunday 11 September. They have contacted the district council and the local police and have applied to Highways and Transportation Area 4 for a road closure order. Road repairs in Eastgate… The county council has issued a temporary Prohibition of Waiting Order which will prohibit parking in Eastgate for seven weeks during the period 26 September 2011 to 30 March 2012. The reason for the prohibition is to keep the area clear of parked vehicles to allow carriageway patching works. …gulleys. Several local residents were worried by the downpour at end of July and anxiously watched water pouring from the roads down paths adjoining their properties. The gulleys are the responsibility of the county council and should you notice any that need cleaning out, please ring 0845 366 9504 or this office. Town Council Office Kitching Room, Memorial Hall, Potter Hill, YO18 8AA, 9am-1pm, Monday to Friday. Tel: 01751 476503. e-mail: townclerk@pickering.gov.uk website: www.pickering.gov.uk The town clerk is Andrew Husband. The council meets in the Memorial Hall on the third Monday of each month at 7pm. The next three meetings are on 19 September, 17 October and 21 November. |