Take “Pride in Pickering”

Pride in Pickering” campaign
The campaign continues. Councillor Mrs Hepworth is tireless in working with children in local schools to encourage them to “stop the drop” and thanks are due to members of Hope08 who have gone out and about in the town picking up litter. We are hoping that there will be volunteers who are prepared to do this from time to time.

Councillor Baker has completed a survey of the town centre and its approaches to identify the problems facing those who use electric buggies. The report is based on consultation and the councillor even drove a buggy himself to experience the problems at first hand. The survey together with the 2006 survey on access to town centre businesses is available in the Town Council office and also on the Town Council website. On the home page click on “Town Council”, then click on “Documents”. The Town Council would welcome your views.

As a result of the work of the Open Spaces group, additional hanging baskets are to be bought for the town centre: come next Summer there shouldn’t be a lighting column without a floral display. Plans are in hand to improve both Riverside Walk and Smiddy Hill, the town’s popular open spaces. The group is supporting Highways North Yorkshire on the care and preservation of trees. Highways North Yorkshire recently commissioned a survey of all the trees in the town along the A170 as a basis on which to make informed decisions about tree maintenance during the next few years. The Town Council itself has commissioned a survey of its own trees which will lead to work during the coming financial year. It is likely that trees in the closed churchyard will be trimmed shortly.

Finally, a request to those dog owners who are exploiting the cover of dark mornings and late afternoons not to clean up after their dogs have messed in Picture House alley and elsewhere: please be responsible; please clear up. There’s no reason why pedestrians should have to side step your dog’s dirt.

Discussion Forum

The Town Council is relaunching the “Discussion Forum” on its website. If you want to participate, please click on “Discussion Forum” on the home page. You can either raise a new topic for discussion or have your say about current topics. If you are a new participant you will be asked to “register”. Irrespective of whether you are registered or a new participant you will have to “log on”. Your views will be reported to the Town Council.

Walkers are Welcome Towns and Villages are places which have something special to offer walkers. Obtaining Walkers are Welcome status, as a growing number of communities across Britain are doing, brings a number of benefits: it helps strengthen a town’s reputation as a place for visitors to come to enjoy the outdoors, bringing useful benefits to the local economy; it helps to ensure that footpaths and facilities for walkers are maintained in good condition, benefiting local people as well as visitors.

There are those in the town who would like Pickering to achieve this status and the Town Council is more than willing to work with, and support, them. For further details about the scheme visit www.walkersarewelcome.org or the Town Council office for print outs.

Requests

A small amount of money is allocated each year to award to organisations and groups whose activities benefit Pickering people. Recently the Town Council awarded £500.00 to the 1st Vale of Pickering Scout Group to help them meet the cost of the Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party.

For further details of the grant scheme, please contact the Town Clerk or visit the Town Council website. On the home page click on “Town Council”, then click on “Grants scheme”. And “thank you” to the Scouts for organising and running an event which is so much appreciated.

Street lights

If you notice a light flickering, glowing red or simply out, please report it to the Town Council office. It is helpful if you can give the number of the light – look for a number on a blue or a yellow coloured square – and its location.
Play areas

Just a reminder that the programme of re-equipping or improving the town’s play areas is nearing completion. The toddler area in Manor Drive is proving popular and the swings have been replaced in Paddock Close.

The next three Town Council meetings are on 15 December, 19 January, 16 February. 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. Minutes of meetings are also posted on the 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 JA Husband.