Take “Pride in Pickering”

Litter and Cleaning Group –  from Councillor Julie Hepworth

The group has borrowed the Council for Rural England slogan - "Stop the Drop" - in a new awareness campaign to work towards a safe, clean and vibrant town.  As you will know it is easy to remember a catchy slogan to help the very young get hold of an idea and we want to prevent the dropping of litter in the first place.

We have been given some help with posters from Ryedale District Council which highlight the Dog Warden’s work on one side and the Litter Campaign on the other. The performer, Magic Mike, did a little piece on litter at the recent Teddy Bears Picnic and we had a successful Litter Pickering Day on 9 August when HOPE 08 - a group of all the churches in Pickering -  went on a litter picking spree. We are mapping all the "grot spots" and taking steps to get them cleaned up.

Business engagement and tourism – Councillor William Oxley

Businesses in the town have been approached to “take a pledge” to support the Pride in Pickering campaign. They will be asked to display the campaign logo and undertake to pay attention to the areas where their premises meet the public realm – this could be sweeping the path in front of the shop, pulling up weeds or freshening up paintwork.

We are also recruiting businesses to join the working party and give their input into how we can improve the town. Topics flagged up so far include changing the style and presentation of the market, street art and floral displays, better seating and relaxation areas, a town caretaker and looking at the concept of shared space. The importance of tourism is recognised and we will be meeting with the regional tourism associations to ensure that they and their members are part of the process.

Roads and footpaths – from Councillor Brian Baker

Thanks to the Explorer Scouts, silt and weed infestation was cleared from the environs of the roundabout and the footings of the railings on the east side of the Undercliffe. The roundabout railings have been painted and at the end of the month the railings along the Undercliffe will be painted too. Hopefully Highways North Yorkshire will find replacement finials to set off the roundabout.

Discussions with a variety of disabled groups have begun. The idea is to build up a complete picture of all the problems encountered on the roads and footpaths in Pickering and then work with County Council to bring about improvements.

Open spaces and town entrances – from Councillor Cath Simpson

In early July we met with members of Pickering in Bloom. Together we came up with a list of public realm improvements and we are now looking to obtain funding to realise these projects. We thought improvements could be made to the four gateways to Pickering. We felt we had an opportunity here to give a good first impression to visitors that we take pride in our town. We don’t have much by way of open space in the town so we thought it worthwhile to see how we might improve what we have - Riverside Walk, Smiddy Hill and the Market Place.

Should you have any suggestions about improvements to the town and, or wish   to join one of the four groups, please contact the chairman. Contact details elsewhere on this page.

Other matters - Lidl’s planning application

The Town Council can see the benefits for Pickering people and wants to see an eyesore site redeveloped. The Town Council is aware of realignment schemes which were dependent on public acquisition of the coal yard - it seems unlikely, regrettably, that these can be taken forward; however, the Council is urging Lidl to work with Highways North Yorkshire to investigate whether the installation of the MOVA signal control strategy would ameliorate traffic movement in the vicinity of the proposed store.

Other matters - Hawthorn Lane play area

This is a request to the young people who are passionate about playing football in the play area. We want you to enjoy yourselves but not at the expense of others. Neighbours are being inconvenienced through balls landing in their gardens. Enjoy yourselves but please, no more footballs over the fence. And another request. Not everyone is depositing litter in the two litter bins. Please stop the drop.

The next three Town Council meetings are on 15 September, 20 October and 17 November. Members of the public are entitled to attend the meetings and may address the Town Council at 6.55pm. Agendas are available on the Tuesdays preceding the meetings from the Town Council office and its website.

Town Council Office

Kitching Room, Memorial Hall, Potter Hill, YO18 8AA 9am-1pm, Monday to Friday; Tel. 476503; e-mail: pickeringtowncouncil@pcxinternet.com  website: www.pickering.gov.uk

The Town Clerk is Mr J A Husband.