Richmond (Yorks) Area Committee

Annual report 2024/25

30 June 2025

Membership

Councillors Yvonne Peacock (Chair), Caroline Dickinson (Vice Chair), Kevin Foster, Bryn Griffiths, David Hugill, Tom Jones, Carl Les OBE, Heather Moorhouse, Stuart Parsons, Karin Sedgwick, Angus Thompson, Steve Watson, David Webster, John Weighell OBE, Annabel Wilkinson and Peter Wilkinson. Co-opted Member Malcolm Warne.

Introduction

Area Committees (ACs) are a forum for visible local democracy and accountability, where members of the public and local groups can raise specific issues which affect the local area. ACs can also act as consultees for the development of plans and policies which affect the area and monitor performance data to ensure services are being delivered effectively and efficiently. ACs can provide meaningful scrutiny of local issues within their area, complementing the strategic work undertaken by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

The Annual Report 2024/25 provides a summary of the committee’s activity over the last year and an overview of what has been achieved.

The work of the committee

There were 6 formal meetings of the committee in 2024/25.  The key issues that were addressed are as summarised below:

· Home to School Transport policy

· Updates from Richmond Leisure Trust, highway works progress and delivery, public transport in the committee area, winter maintenance, electric vehicle charging points

· Annual reports from Stronger Communities, Resilience and Emergencies, Community Safety & CCTV, annual schools update report,

· Parish sector liaison

· Mayor of Yorks and North Yorkshire annual update

· Climate change activity

· North Yorkshire and York Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) progress report

· Economic, Regeneration, Tourism and Transport Project Development Fund (ERT&T Fund)

Notable achievements by the committee include:

· Endorsement of the projects under the Economic, Regeneration, Tourism and Transport Project Development Fund

Parking Spaces for Private Hire Taxis at Hildyard Row (White Shops)

Transport scheme to support individuals to get to places of work, study and health provision

A684 Morton Flatts Responsive signage project

· Home to School Transport policy – receipt of petition

There were 4 Mid-Cycle Briefings (MCBs) in 2024/25.  The MCBs enable the committee chair, vice chair and group spokes to develop the committee work programme, review issues to see whether they are appropriate for a discussion at the committee and agree the agenda for the next meeting.

In addition, there were 7 informal briefings and updates to the members (typically held remotely via MS teams) which helped to inform the work of the committee by providing context and background on issues in the area.  This included:

· Development of projects for the £50k seed funding

· Economic development, regeneration and cultural strategy

· Budget briefing 2025/26

· Let’s talk rubbish consultation outcomes

Public participation

A key element of the work of the committee is engagement with local people and organisations and listening to concerns raised.  In 2024/25, there were 22 public questions and statements.  These covered issues including:

· Home to school transport policy

· Bus provision in Northallerton

· Northallerton allotments

· EV charging

· Bus route to James Cook Hospital

The meetings of the committee are recorded and uploaded to the Council’s YouTube channel and have had 573 views, an average of 95 per meeting.

Work Programme for 2025/26

The committee work programme is a live document that is owned by the committee Members are able to suggest items for inclusion in the work programme, both as part of discussions and debate at meetings of the committee as well as in-between meetings.  Any item identified for inclusion with the work programme will be reviewed by the supporting officer and at the MCB to determine:

1) whether it is within the scope of the committee

2) what the expected outcome of the debate and discussions would be

3) whether it is being reviewed by another committee of the Council; and

4) whether it could be considered as part of an informal briefing rather than a formal committee meeting.

Some of the key areas of investigation currently included in the draft work programme for 2025/26 are:

· Mental health

· Development of the Catterick Integrated Care Campus

· Review of the Home to School Transport Policy

· Catterick Levelling Up Bid

· Scotch Corner

Contact Information

Chair - Councillor Yvonne Peacock cllr.yvonne.peacock@northyorks.gov.uk

Vice Chair - Councillor Caroline Dickinson cllr.caroline.dickinson@northyorks.gov.uk

Democratic Services Support Officer - Nicki Lishman nicki.lishman@northyorks.gov.uk