North Yorkshire Council
Richmond (Yorks) Area Committee
Minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 10 November 2025 commencing at 10.00 am
Councillor Caroline Dickinson in the Chair and Councillors Kevin Foster, Bryn Griffiths, David Hugill, Carl Les, Heather Moorhouse, Stuart Parsons, Karin Sedgwick, Angus Thompson, David Webster, John Weighell OBE, Annabel Wilkinson and Peter Wilkinson
Officers present: Andrew Clarke, Public and Community Transport Manager and Nicki Lishman, Senior Democratic Services Officer.
Other attendees:
Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust - Martin Dodd, Area Operations Manager and Helen Edwards, Assistant Director of Communications and Community Engagement
Arriva - Neil Wise, Operations Manager and Gary Hutchinson, Site Manager Darlington and Durham
Malcolm Warne, representing The Right Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Apologies: Councillors Yvonne Peacock and Steve Watson.
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Copies of all documents considered are in the Minute Book
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173 |
Apologies for absence
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Steve Watson.
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174 |
Minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2025
Minute number 169 be amended as follows:
It was unanimously agreed that this Area Committee requests a review of the Stokesley community’s banking needs by applying to LINK for a banking hub to enable:
Following the meeting it was realised that an assessment of Stokesley’s banking needs had been undertaken in March 2025, when the provision of any new or improved cash access services in Stokesley had not been recommended.
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175 |
Declarations of interest
There were no declarations of interest.
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176 |
Public questions/statements
There were three public questions or statements submitted to the committee. Questions 1 and 2 were considered at minute 180 – Discussion session with representatives from Arriva.
Ms Hardie and Ms Hodgson were unable to attend to read their questions, however the questions were considered during the discussion.
1. From Anne Marie Hardie
I am writing to express my deep concern about the continued poor performance of the Arriva X26 bus service, which operates between Colburn and Richmond. This service is a vital link for residents, including students, workers, older people and those without access to private transport. Unfortunately, its reliability has deteriorated significantly, leaving many residents frustrated and isolated.
Buses frequently fail to turn up without notice and when they do, they are often late or overcrowded. The Arriva app is unreliable and fails to provide accurate real-time information, leaving passengers uncertain about whether a bus is coming at all. For many in Colburn, this has made travel for work, education, and essential appointments increasingly difficult.
I urge the Committee to take this matter up with Arriva and the relevant transport officers to explore urgent solutions, such as:
Reliable public transport is not a luxury — it is a necessity for communities like Colburn and the wider Richmondshire area. I hope the Committee will take this issue seriously and work with Arriva to deliver the improvements our residents urgently need.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response and to hearing what action will be taken to ensure the X26 route provides the dependable service our community deserves.
2. From Lorraine Hodgson
Having read the agenda regarding Arriva bus service I would like to add some comments from people who use the service.
My daughter had arranged for transportation to Darlington via the buses and this had to be changed due to the bus app informing her that they were running late. My nephew was unable to take an exam because the bus simply did not turn up. A person in my class was very late due to the service. While chatting about buses one lady said well you cannot rely on them for appointments because they do not turn up and she was paying for taxis.
I have witnessed them broken down and when this happens the people just walk.
Responses to these questions were considered at minute 180.
3. From Chris Johnson
Stokesley volunteers, businesses and Stokesley Town Council are striving to make Stokesley a more vibrant town. The Town Council has recently received a grant of £50,040 from the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to promote the High Street, aiming to increase footfall all year round, specifically on the non-market days
Stokesley had four banks HSBC, Barclays, Santander and Nat West which are all now closed. There are 3 cash machines, but they are all inside - 2 in the Co-ops and one in Boyes. None are outside.
Stokesley has an ageing population and many need face-to-face help from their bank, including vital support for avoiding scams.
Yarm has just been giving the go ahead for a banking hub and Stokesley is no different. Having a banking hub will help the town to remain vibrant.
The major banking and building societies fund the banking hubs and they owe it to the Stokesley residents and businesses for their loyalty over many years to provide one.
(Question) Please will the committee support my request that the decision not to open a banking hub in Stokesley is reviewed?
Response from the Chair
LINK is the organisation responsible for assessing whether a banking hub is recommended to provide basic banking services to communities, especially in areas where individual bank branches have closed. They are designed to maintain access to essential banking services for people who may not be able to bank online or travel easily to other branches, such as:
An assessment for Stokesley was done in March 2025 and recommended that no new cash access services were required at that time.
The assessment found that the closest banks were located in Thornaby and Middlesbrough and did not mention any banks or building societies with a physical presence in Stokesley.
A community may request a review of the assessment only in these circumstances:
A request may be made by any individual, group or organisation.
The Chair has recently been contacted by Stokesley Town Council who also supported the introduction of a banking hub.
As Member Champion for Older People, I'm very concerned that people are being pointed to Thornaby or Middlesbrough. We all know from our feasibility study on transport that infrastructure is poor and it would be extremely difficult for them to get to these places.
Based on the facts that are available, on behalf of the committee I would encourage Mr Johnson, the Town Council or anyone else to request a review and ask Members of the Committee to support that way forward.
During discussion Members agreed that further work be undertaken to identify how the Committee may support those towns and villages who may request that a banking hub be provided.
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177 |
Update from the MP
The Right Hon Rishi Sunak MP provided a written update which was circulated to Members.
His representative, Malcolm Warne, advised Members to submit any questions on the update to him and he would pass these on to the MP.
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178 |
Updates from previous meetings
Transport to Work and Study report
At the mid cycle briefing, Members asked for an update on the above. This was requested from the mayor’s office, but no reply was received until 30 October, when apologies were sent to the Committee for the non-response. An update has been requested for the next meeting in March.
The Vice Chair was recently advised by the Mayor that he hopes to run pilots of rural bus franchising. The Vice Chair expressed a hope that Richmond area would be considered due to the recent study produced by the Committee and the Mayor acknowledged receipt of the study.
Resolved
That the Mayor be asked to attend the meeting of the Committee to be held on 2 March 2026 to provide a briefing on the pilots of rural bus franchising.
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179 |
Update from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Martin Dodd, Area Operations Manager and Helen Edwards, Assistant Director of Communications and Community Engagement, presented a report on the performance and services provided by Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust within the Richmondshire area of North Yorkshire
It was noted that the TS9 Stokesley and Great Ayton postcode area was not included in the information. Mr Dodd confirmed that those areas are part of the service area and that performance figures for the past 12 months aligned with the data previously circulated.
Members raised questions regarding cross-border ambulance provision, particularly in relation to the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS). It was confirmed that Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) did not routinely report on the number of cross-border responses.
Members sought clarification on decision-making for ambulance deployment in border areas. It was explained that the nearest available resource responds to urgent calls, regardless of service boundaries.
Members expressed interest in data on air ambulance usage and investment in new vehicles, particularly for winter conditions and rural access. YAS confirmed:
The new ambulance station at Thirsk was progressing well and it was expected that the building would be watertight before Christmas. Full operational status was anticipated by the end of the financial year.
Handover times at hospitals were discussed. YAS continued to work with acute trusts to reduce delays and improve response times. Demand for 999 and A&E operations had increased by 1.5% over the past 12 months, but response times had improved due to operational efficiencies.
The Chair thanked Mr Dodd and Ms Edwards for the update.
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180 |
Discussion session with representatives from Arriva
In response to question 1 in minute 176 above Andrew Clarke, Public and Community Transport Manager, NYC gave the following response.
Thank you for your question regarding Service X26/X27. This is a commercial bus route operated by Arriva and not one which is run under contract to the Council. This means that the route and timetable are set by the bus company, and they are responsible for the operation of the route.
North Yorkshire Council doesn’t have regulatory powers over commercial bus services as this is the role of the government appointed Traffic Commissioner and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency. That said, the council’s public transport team work closely with bus companies and managers from Arriva will be attending the Area Committee meeting on 10 November to discuss the operational challenges with the X26/X27 route and the points you have raised. We will then work together to address issues affecting service reliability.
Regarding Real Time Information, NYC will be installing additional digital displays at bus stops across the county over the next few months and will include X26/X27 in this programme.
Neil Wise, Operations Manager and Gary Hutchinson, Site Manager Darlington and Durham, representatives of Arriva attended the meeting.
Mr Hutchinson thanked the committee for the invitation and hoped that attendance at this meeting would be instrumental in building a better-informed working relationship with the Council.
Members agreed that effective communication between all parties - including bus operators, user groups, and council departments - was critical to delivering reliable services. The committee hoped that council services engaged constructively with Arriva as a key public transport partner.
The Arriva representatives went through the questions submitted by Members and replied as follows:
· The Arriva bus app could not be updated with breakdowns or delays once the bus journey had started. In addition, there were a number of blackspots where GPS did not work. · X26 and X27 was a priority service, and no services were lost due to staffing issues. However, Councillors appreciated that breakdowns or delays could not be planned for in advance. · Delays and breakdowns could impact on legally mandated drivers’ hours
There were a number of reasons for delays to the services including:
· Traffic flow through the Catterick/Colburn corridor and A6136 was worsening, and there were frequent delays on the A1. Arriva were considering reviewing the timetable to improve services across the area. · Road closure notification notices sent by NYC Highways may advise of a lengthy period when works may take place, rather than specific dates
Arriva were liaising with Councillor Kevin Foster regarding the issues at Colburn and the A6136.
The length of time it could take to get into and out of a local supermarket in Catterick was causing considerable delays, which could add approx. 15 minutes onto the journey. In addition, there were no raised kerbs at the stops within the car park and other safety concerns, which impacted the service.
Mr Hutchinson assured the Committee that a considerable amount of work was taking place in the background, particularly regarding timetables and reviews of current routes.
Arriva’s commercial and engineering teams were looking at methods to improve reliability, including the provision of electric buses to serve the more urban routes, which would enable existing better vehicles will be available for rural routes.
Additional questions included:
· Regarding reliability and how improvements may be made to notify passengers of any delays. Arriva acknowledged the issue and asked that Councillors encourage the reporting of any issues/concerns to Arriva, to help inform next steps. · The Public and Community Transport Manager reminded the Committee of the imminent installation of real time information displays at bus stops across the county. · It was confirmed that Arriva were in receipt of a subsidy · Arriva advised that they could reconsider some routes include villages, such as Middleton Tyas
Members also considered the issues regarding alternatives to the supermarket stops in Catterick and the demands on the road network, such as the traffic lights at Scotch Corner.
The Committee asked whether the local Highways area offices could send similar notifications of road works as they send to parish councils.
The Chair thanked Mr Wise and Mr Hutchinson for the information provided and for the opportunity to build a positive working relationship.
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181 |
Update on Catterick Integrated Care Centre
The representative from NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board was unable to attend the meeting.
Resolved
To request an update to be presented to the meeting of the committee to be held on 2 March 2026.
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182 |
Work programme
Members requested information on a number of items as follows:
· An update on workload and resources of the Planning team serving this Committee’s area. · A684, Morton Flatts, River Swale flooding update · Adherence by contractors to the terms of Streetworks permits · An update from Waste and Streetscene Operations with particular reference to litter and dog waste bin emptying, removal of litter bins
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183 |
Any other items
There were no urgent items of business.
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The meeting concluded at 11.30 am.