NEWSLETTER

The Town Council - A Quality Council 

New councillor
In October 2009 the Town Council    co-opted Andrew Danby. The co-option arose as a result of a vacancy in the office of town councillor for the East Ward of Pickering caused by the resignation of Arthur Aslett.  

The vacancy which was advertised on the Town Council’s notice boards and in the last issue of the Beacon, attracted three applications. 

The Councillor’s contact details - as all councillors’ contact details - can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.

 Smiddy Hill
The Town Council is responsible for the two open spaces in the town centre,   Riverside Walk and Smiddy Hill. Some years ago, at Riverside Walk, the Town Council created an amenity area from what had become an eroded bankside. The amenity with retaining wall, trees, small scale planting, seats and picnic tables is enjoyed by local people and visitors alike.

Smiddy Hill is also an area in the town centre where people can rest awhile. In the centre of the open space is a cross which commemorates the reign of Edward VII and the accession of George V. There is another memorial at the southern end to the late John Wilson. The deceased was a local councillor – he served on both   Pickering Urban District Council and the County Council - and a member of the Labour Party. This memorial was erected in 1950. The only other structure is a raised sensory garden in front of the Liberal Club.

A small group of local people chaired by Councillor Margaret Lowe has been looking at the open space at Smiddy Hill will known as the Lumley Rest Gardens. The group has come up with a series of   recommendations which the Town Council is considering. The main recommendation is that the lower shrub bed and attendant railings are removed. This would open up Smiddy Hill from the south and show the commemorative cross, backed by the  buildings on the north side of Smiddy Hill, to better effect. The flower boxes at the base of the cross would be removed so that the structure could be seen as a whole. The shrubbed area would be turfed and the seats which run along its top side moved to the eastern side of the open space.

In addition the Wilson Memorial would be re-erected in the cemetery where the   remains of John Wilson are buried. It has proved very difficult to make the memorial vandal proof: the tap has had to be replaced regularly and no longer can water run freely into the lower basin where it used to be available for dogs and birds. The lead inscription has suffered much wear and tear and hardly any of the lettering remains.

Grounds maintenance is undertaken by the Town Council with Pickering in Bloom and the Council is particularly grateful for the work that the In Bloom group has done with Pickering’s young people in creating  floral displays in the open space. The Town Council hopes that this will continue and is also grateful to the In Bloom group for being willing to recreate the sensory garden.

The Town Council would not only appreciate any information you might have about the history of Smiddy Hill once it ceased to be a cattle market in the late nineteenth century but also on the ideas for change.

Youth engagement
As part of its strategy of community   involvement, the Town Council is taking steps to encourage as many young people as possible to take an active part in the life of   the   town   and   to   learn   about  local government in a practical and entertaining way.  A team of councillors is now working closely with all the schools in Pickering.  Visits, assemblies and presentations have already taken place  Plans for direct  ongoing contact between the schools’ councils and the Town Council are currently being established in order to provide our young people with a genuine voice in the Town’s affairs. Councillors are also exploring the possibility of developing a Pickering Youth Council and would be pleased to hear from anyone in the 11-18 age range who would like to be part of a steering group.

www.welcometoryedale.net
is a new blog which provides space for anyone living or working in Ryedale  whether you have lived in Ryedale all your life or have recently arrived from another country, to share experiences and stories.  People so far have used the blog to ask for information, recommend schools and   comment on the availability of services. The site is monitored to check all     comments and questions before they are published to make sure that there is nothing offensive or inappropriate. The blog is the creation of Ryedale Voluntary Action and Wojtek Strojecki, a web designer from Poland who lives and works in Ryedale.

Town Council Office
Kitching Room, Memorial Hall, Potter Hill, YO18 8AA, 9am-1pm, Monday to Friday; Tel 01751 476503; e-mail: pickeringtowncouncil@pcxinternet.com  website: www.pickering.gov.uk

The Town Clerk is Andrew Husband.

The next three Council meetings are on 21 December 2009, 18 January 2010 and 15 February 2010. The meetings are held in the Mill Room in the Memorial Hall. Members of the public are entitled to attend the meetings and may address the Council at 6.55pm. Agendas are available on the Tuesdays preceding the meetings from the Council office and its website. Council Minutes are accessible on the website and can be inspected in the Town Council office.