Agenda and draft minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and confirmed there were no updates to provide.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

Resolved

That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Thirsk and Malton Area Committee held on 5 December 2025 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

All Members are invited to declare at this point any interests they have in items appearing on this agenda, including the nature of those interests.

Councillor Alyson Baker declared a personal non-pecuniary, non-prejudicial interest in item 7 as a member of her family worked for Yorkshire Water.

Councillor Janet Sanderson declared a personal non-pecuniary, non-prejudicial interest in item 7 as her property had been eligible for flood defences.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice and provided the text to Democratic Services Officer (details below) no later than midday on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, three working days before the day of the meeting. Each speaker should limit themselves to three minutes on any item. 

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct those taking a recording to cease whilst you speak.

Question from Mike Potter

I’m Mike Potter, a project team member of Paths 4 Everyone.  We intend to deliver a 50-mile circular, market towns, active travel route in Ryedale.   I know that plans, strategies, consultations and protocols achieve nothing without delivery, which is why I stress that word.

I have a number of questions for you to mull over.

How many of those present drove here today?  Were the roads congested?  Would you have dared to cycle here even if the distance was reasonable?  How fast and aggressive was the traffic?  Or was it slow and congested?  What was the air quality like in the congested bits?  Will it be affordable for many people to fill their tank today?  Next month?  Is there a national costly epidemic of obesity, diabetes and associated health issues?  Is there a similarly massive epidemic of mental health problems nationwide?  Is climate change an existential threat, and what are we doing to mitigate it?  Are we doing it fast enough?  What’ll be the cost if we don’t?

And finally, if there was a network of safe active travel routes, would people use them to walk, wheel and cycle a lot more?  Even to school during that most dangerous and congested twice daily school-run time?

You may have noticed that during Covid, when car travel largely ceased and the roads cleared, that’s exactly what did happen.  Young, old and whole families took to the roads because, unusually, they felt safe.

North Yorkshire has a huge number of quiet lanes, many narrow and twisting, with poor visibility, yet they invariably have a 60mph speed limit.

A Quiet Lanes protocol was adopted about 20 years ago. A Speed Management Strategy was recently adopted. Hence, a programme of speed limit reviews will be carried out over approximately five years, ultimately covering all roads in the county.

Where will we be with climate change, mental and physical health, and petrol prices and availability in five years’ time?  Wouldn’t it be a good idea to deliver some safe quiet lanes rather more quickly, particularly those that could make up part of a unified safe active travel route such as our market towns circular?

What will you do to deliver?

Response from Assistant Director – highways and Infrastructure

Thank you for your question regarding the early delivery of Quiet Lanes, particularly those that could contribute to a coherent safe active travel route such as the proposed Market Towns Circular.

As noted, the Council has recently adopted the new Speed Management Strategy (SMS), which introduces a comprehensive programme of speed limit reviews across the county over a five-year period. This programme is a key dependency for progressing Quiet Lanes, as appropriate speed limits are a fundamental requirement for eligibility.

The Quiet Lanes protocol, however, was developed 15–20 years ago and does not fully reflect current policy direction, design standards, or the wider ambitions for active travel, safety, and climate action. Officers are therefore undertaking a review of the protocol to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton.

Sir Alec Shelbrooke, MP for Wetherby and Easingwold – written update included.

Councillors received a written update from Sir Alec Shelbrooke MP and a verbal update from Kevin Hollinrake MP. Mr Hollinrake provided an overview of current national and local issues affecting communities across North Yorkshire and answered questions from members.

1.     Cost of living and the economy

Mr Hollinrake highlighted the continued pressures facing households and businesses. Rising energy and fuel costs are being felt particularly sharply in rural areas, where many homes rely on heating oil, and the hospitality sector is under strain due to increased operating costs.

2.     A64 improvements

Members were informed that the planned upgrade to the A64 has been delayed for a further five years. Mr Hollinrake expressed disappointment and stressed the need for a united cross-party effort to secure progress, given the importance of the scheme for safety, connectivity and the local economy.

3.     Housing and infrastructure

The MP raised concerns about the significant increase in national housing targets for North Yorkshire, noting that the higher numbers place added pressure on essential infrastructure such as highways, drainage, GP practices and dental services. He emphasised that while he supports new homes, the distribution of national targets should be fair.

4.     Local Government funding and SEND

Mr Hollinrake acknowledged the financial challenges facing the Council, particularly in social care, special educational needs and home-to-school transport. He noted long-standing issues with the national funding formula, which disproportionately affects rural areas, and committed to continuing to raise these concerns in Parliament.

5.     Solar developments

He reiterated his opposition to large solar farm proposals on high-quality agricultural land due to their impact on food production and the landscape.

6.     Local transport and community assets

The MP explained that he would continue working to secure progress on the Filey town bus service following a lack of support from the Combined Authority. He also expressed regret at the national closure of the Community Ownership Fund, which had supported valued community projects in the area.

7.     Other local issues

Mr Hollinrake confirmed his support for the “Paths for Everyone” project and spoke about the importance of the rural shooting industry to local jobs and tourism.

Issues raised by Councillors

Councillors raised a number of matters with the MP, including:

·       A64 delays and the need to maintain pressure for improvements.

·       Wood-burning stove regulations and their impact on rural households facing high heating costs.

·       Shrinkflation, where product sizes reduce while prices rise, and the effect on household budgets.

·       SEND funding and ongoing deficits, and concerns about how future shortfalls will be managed.

·       Second homes premium and its impact on local businesses in Filey.

·       Public toilet provision in Filey, with concerns about reduced facilities during busy periods.

·       Travel issues for staff affected by proposed moves and congestion on the A64.

·       Access to energy retrofit schemes, particularly for households who are not eligible for low-income support but still struggle with rising costs.

Mr Hollinrake acknowledged the challenges raised and the wider pressures on public finances. He stressed the importance of constructive cross-party working to address issues such  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Presentation by the Deputy Place Director and the Head of Primary Care, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.

Charlotte Liddle, Head of Primary Care, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) gave a detailed presentation on the operation of and pressures facing general practice (GP) across the Thirsk and Malton area.

Business model.

·       Independent businesses, not part of the NHS.

·       Three types of GP contracts and most local practices held a GMS contract with no end date.

The current essential service obligations, core opening hours and the national funding formula, which has not kept pace with the complexity or cost pressures modern practices face, were summarised.

GP funding streams.

·       Core GMS income remained the majority of practice funding, supplemented by voluntary Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) participation, national and local enhanced services and primary care network (PCN) funding.

·       Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), which financed a range of staff such as physiotherapists, mental health practitioners and dieticians to reduce GP workload.

·       Rising running costs, including energy, estates and staffing, had outstripped income increases, contributing to recent collective action by practices.

The range of PCN workforce roles available and the importance of directing patients to the most appropriate clinician were highlighted. Members were reassured that physiotherapists and other ARRS‑funded clinicians could refer patients for diagnostic imaging and support those cases traditionally seen by GPs. The high proportion of over‑65 residents in North Yorkshire increased demand for continuity rather than urgent same‑day appointments. Preferences of telephone versus face‑to‑face appointments and ongoing concerns about the volume of “did not attend” (DNA) appointments were also reported.

National workload trends showed a sharp rise in appointment numbers post‑COVID and changes in patient expectations, with many seeking repeat appointments sooner than clinically necessary. NHS budgets have increased overall but growth had not been proportionate in community and primary care. The number of fully qualified GPs had fallen nationally, despite higher numbers entering training. The UK currently has record numbers of unemployed qualified GPs due to insufficient practice funding for recruitment.

There were ongoing pressures including persistent staff sickness linked to stress, high DNA rates, unexpected public health outbreaks and significant estates challenges. Many practices were officially undersized for their patient populations and lacked capital funding to expand. Even where capital funding existed, ICBs may lack the revenue budget to reimburse future rent, creating an ongoing bottleneck.

A comprehensive explanation was provided on Section 106 developer contributions, including eligibility, trigger points, time limits and restrictions on use. S106 funds could only be drawn down once housing developments reached specific build or occupancy stages and funds were strictly for capital projects rather than staffing. It was noted that extensions to S106 time limits could sometimes be negotiated where developments were delayed. The Committee discussed the need for better communication with practices regarding available S106 funds. It was confirmed that annual estates planning was undertaken and that additional funds such as the Utilisation and Modernisation Fund had been made available this year.

It was explained that historical planning applications predating the current ICB had sometimes not included  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Presentation by the Lead Local Flood Authority Team Leader and the Senior Engineer, Flood Risk Management.

Meirion Jones, Lead Local Flood Authority Team Leader, and Heather Lagan, Senior Engineer for Flood Risk Management gave a summary of the recent report - Section 19 Storm Daragh flooding on Rye tributaries.

The presentation summarised the investigation, impacts, response and recommendations following the flooding event in Kirby Mills, Keldholme, Sinnington and Marton in December 2024 and gave the latest updates to the recommendations.

1.     Members queried how the Council ensured that recommendations in the Section 19 report - many phrased as “investigate”, “consider”, or “discuss” - were acted upon rather than being delayed or dropped.

Officers confirmed that while the Council could not enforce recommendations on partner agencies, strong collaborative relationships allowed the Council to influence delivery. The publication of the report also enabled political and public scrutiny. A review of all Section 19 recommendations (2015 - 2023) was underway, with further examination by the Transport, Environment, Enterprise and Scrutiny Committee later this year.

2.     Members raised concerns that the upstream flood storage area at Pickering came close to overtopping during Storm Darragh and asked whether reinforcement or redesign should now be considered.

Officers explained that the scheme, designed by the Environment Agency (EA), maximised the standard of protection achievable at the time. Any reassessment of the embankment would require the EA to revisit its business case, taking account of climate change modelling and potential partnership funding contributions.

3.     There was frustration among residents about repeated surveys, slow progress, and long timescales between identifying need and installing Property Flood Resilience (PFR). Concerns included mixed communications, contractor delays and the impact of bureaucratic processes.

Officers outlined the mandatory stages required by national PFR codes of practice:

·        Initial risk assessment survey

·        Funding bid development

·        Pre‑installation surveys

·        Costing and business case submission to the EA

·        Release of funding and scheduling of works

These steps created unavoidable periods where little visible progress occurred. Officers acknowledged communication challenges, particularly across varying resident preferences (digital, phone, via parish councils). They confirmed all properties in the current scheme - including those in Hovingham - were now programmed for installation by August, with no further approvals outstanding.

4.     Members asked why historical flood events from the 1800s were highlighted, when the increased frequency of recent flooding events was of greater relevance.

Officers noted the historical context informs understanding of catchment behaviour over “deep time”. However, current planning used contemporary frequency trends and updated climate change guidance. EA policy now acknowledged that “1-in-100-year” terminology was no longer an accurate reflection of risk.

5.     Members asked how the Council balances natural flood management (NFM) with engineered solutions, highlighting Pickering as an example where both approaches worked effectively.

Officers confirmed a national policy shift: from October 2025, DEFRA’s new funding guidance gave priority to NFM but still recognised the need for engineered structures where appropriate. The Council was working with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, North York Moors National Park, Rivers Trusts, and landowners to align opportunities and funding.

6.     Examples where highways and flood teams were unaware  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

1.       Yorkshire Water (YW)

Members were aware that the Chief Executive has met with YW but believe that the focus has been on bathing water quality at Scarborough.

In light of the information provided by the ICB earlier in the meeting, Members were concerned that the delays caused by the issues with YW infrastructure, which have resulted in Grampian conditions on approved planning applications, would impact on the funding available for S106 and CIL.

It was agreed that these concerns would be fed back to the Chief Executive and that Councillors request to be involved in discussions with YW.

2.       Quiet lanes

Noted.

3.       Request for written updates from the Mayor

Members thanked the officer for the summary provided but were of the view that any updates should be provided directly from the Mayor’s office.

Concerns were raised that the local Councillor were not informed when the Mayor was visiting projects etc in their division.

4.       Data on other GP surgeries

Noted. Members also requested information on dentistry in the committee area.

To consider the Work Programme for the Area Committee.

Members considered the Committee’s current work programme. 

Following discussion Members requested information on the following topics:

1.     Various highways matters including Traffic Regulation Orders, enforcement of the weight limit on County Bridge, Malton, the use of ANPR cameras and road haulage in the Committee area

2.     The impacts of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA) on the Howardian Hills National Landscape and what local Councillors can do to help protect the landscape

3.     Information on dentistry in the committee area

Any other items which the Chair agrees should be considered as a matter of urgency because of special circumstances.

There were no items of urgent business.

10am on Friday, 12 June 2026.

The next meeting was confirmed at 10am on Friday 12 June 2026.

Report of the Assistant Director – Education and Inclusion, the Assistant Director – Resources and the Head of School Organisation and Transport.

Report circulated for information only to inform Members of the local educational landscape, educational achievement and the financial challenges which affected schools in the Thirsk and Malton committee area.

Resolved

That the report be noted.