Agenda item

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 (contact details below) no later than midday on 24 September 2024. Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·         at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·          when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

 

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

Question from Ms Jo Shaw

 

Context

 

The following bullet points are to illustrate the current risk that users of Station Road users face:

 

·        The 40 mph relates to around 350 m of highway only on Station Road.

·        The whole of Station Road is in an extremely poor state of repair.

·        Increased housing (112 new homes at Furlong Park) and the new Europark has increased usage of the road. We are aware that planning permission is being sought for a further 30 houses on Station Road. This will increase the number of vehicles turning into drives and onto the new roads leading off Station Road.

·        We have ongoing issues with vehicles using excessive speed on the road – this includes HGVs and other vehicles. There are also slow-moving agricultural vehicles and carts and horses using this road.

·        There is a new children’s playpark in Furlong Park around 10m from Station Road 40mpm section.

·        Increased pedestrian footfall from the Station and on Race Days. Increased cycle users having to make use of a cycle path in extremely poor condition.

The Ask

 

This question comes in two parts and is supported by those residents* who live on Station Road, Thirsk.

 

The residents of Station Road request:

 

·        A commitment and plan to remove the 40 MPH section of Station Road, thereby making the entirety of this road subject to a 30 MPH limit.

·        A commitment and plan from the Council to re-surface both the road and cycle path

Through actively committing to these requests today the Council Members will meet the resident’s concerns around the safety of this road, support their wellbeing by reducing the noise, reduce air pollution and enable a better user experience for all those motorists, cyclists and pedestrians that use this route in and out of Thirsk.

Note - *I have a signed petition to support this request from those impacted on the 40MPH part of Station Road. Currently this stands at 44 residents and is increasing daily. The residents are now displaying posters asking for a 30mph limit.

 

Response from the Area Manager, Highways and Transportation

 

The residents of Station Road request:

 

·        A commitment and plan to remove the 40mph section of Station Road, thereby making the entirety of this road subject to a 30mph speed limit.

NYC response: This matter has been raised previously, but North Yorkshire Police were not supportive of the proposed change in speed limit at that time. However, given that there has been further development along this route – as has been pointed out, NYC highways officers now intend to re-visit this matter.

 

Whilst there is no objection in principle to this proposal from NYC, a formal consultation is required prior to making the necessary amendments to the Traffic Regulation Order, as well as alterations to the infrastructure on the ground (i.e. signage and road markings). The plan is to combine this consultation with an additional proposal seeking to change the existing 40mph speed limit on another section of the A61 to the west of the railway line, thereby making a continuous 30mph speed limit, starting at the western end of Carlton Miniott and extending into Thirsk. The two sections of existing 40mph speed limit which are proposed to be reduced to 30mph are shown in yellow and red lines in the diagram below, the red section being Station Road and the yellow section being Carlton Road. A specific date for the consultation has not been set at the time of writing, it is likely that this will commence within the next few months.  

 

 

·        A commitment and plan from the Council to re-surface both the road and cycle path.

A carriageway resurfacing scheme for the A61 – Station Road, Thirsk, is currently within the draft capital program for financial year 2025/26. The proposal involves the resurfacing the full width of the A61 carriageway between the approach to town end roundabout to the eastern side of the railway overbridge at Thirsk Station. However, at the current time our funding settlements from central government/the Department for Transport (DfT) for 2025/26 have not been confirmed, therefore we cannot commit to the delivery of this scheme at the time of writing. Confirmation of the highway maintenance funding settlement for financial year 2025/26 and onwards is unlikely to be received from DFT until early 2025 following the Government’s autumn statement.

 

Ms Shaw then asked the following supplementary question.

 

On average, how long does the consultation take for the reduction in the speed limits?

 

The Area Manager replied:

 

We need to get the statutory consultees on board, so the police need to be on board and the initial indications are that they are.

 

It comes down to other staff, consultants and if we've got objections there is a process to go through. So, I wouldn't like you to put a time scale on it to be to be quite honest with I would like to see if it would be done within 12 months. We can keep you updated.

 

Question from Ms Kate Nash

 

Filey Community Transport (Filey little bus)

 

I note with concern that the former Filey little bus ceased to operate some time ago, and that very little progress appears to have been made towards putting in place a replacement service, and in addition there has been little or no communication with the people of Filey regarding the position.

 

This is despite bus services apparently being a priority issue for both North Yorkshire Council and national Government.

 

The lack of the little bus service has had a huge impact on the lives of the people of Filey with clear detrimental impact on the health, both mental and physical, of vulnerable residents. This in an environment where local health services are under immense pressure. 

 

There have been surveys done and reports written, some of which date back some time, but they have not been acted on and no actual progress has been made. The people of Filey are not being fairly treated. In response to one of the surveys a number of people expressed their willingness to volunteer but their offer has neither been recognised nor acknowledged.  Given the length of time since these responses were received it is likely that people's goodwill and willingness to volunteer is unlikely to continue. 

 

Given this background please provide a full and detailed update in relation to the position regarding the Filey Little Bus to include details of grants applied for and to be applied for, the date the bus service is planned to be reinstated, the person or persons, or organisations, who will be taking this forward and the reasons for the delays and lack of communication to date.

 

Response from Councillor Keane Duncan, Executive Member for Highways and Transportation via Teams

 

There is a written response which has been circulated to Councillors from the Passenger Transport team (below), but I did want to speak directly on this topic. Firstly, just to thank Miss Nash, Miss Cowan and local people for raising the issue of the bus provision in and around Filey. I recognise your commitment and passion to improve services. I thank you for that.

 

I also wanted to thank our Member of Parliament, Kevin Hollinrake, for also bringing forward this issue. I've had several conversations with him and with our Passenger Transport team in a bid to try and find a way forward.

 

I also wanted to recognise the work of the Council and the Passenger Transport team. We have really sought every potential avenue that we can in an attempt to provide a revived town bus service. We know previously it was popular and it's unfortunate that the service did cease. We have been trying to find a way forward.

 

In terms of the situation right now and as things stand today, there's summary really, is quite simple.

 

The bus that previously operated - the condition of that has been assessed by the Council. We've inspected that and it's really in a dire state. It's unroadworthy. We think - our teams feel - that it's likely it will never be roadworthy again. So, as things stand today, there is no bus. There is also no operator for the bus. We have sought interest. None has come forward. There is no business plan that we have received at the Council either. We have suggested that the community get together to try and devise a viable proposal. We haven't had a business plan.

 

As a result of that there is no funding available either for the service. We need the business plan for that funding to be identified and released. We are prepared to support the development of a business plan. We're prepared to release some grant funding as well but no grant funding's been applied, for no grant funding has been released. So as things stand right now, I think it's just important to make clear that there isn't a plan. We're not aware of any plan that would see the revival of the town bus in the way that it operated before.

 

However, there is a positive which is the car scheme, the voluntary car scheme, which some Members will be aware of and members of the public will be too, is moving forward. North Yorkshire Council has issued a grant of £2,500 to help Age UK set up the car scheme. We hope and we think this can be a success. We want to support that. We want to get that up and running. We want local people to be using it, making sure that they can access the services that they need. That is a positive to take away from this.

 

But we just want to address really any potential misunderstanding or miscommunication that there might be in and around Filey, that the bus is going to be revived and working in the way that it was before. That is not the model that we have at the moment and that's as a result of the number of issues which have identified there been no real viable way forward for this service. So, I imagine that's some disappointment. Again, we would be willing to receive any business plan, any proposals, but as things stand today, there is no way forward which we're aware of.

 

Ms Nash asked the following supplementary question.

 

It is no surprise to me that the actual physical bus that was stashed in the in the open for heaven knows how long is not going to run. Anybody with half an eye could have guessed that but I don't think it's acceptable for people to wash their hands of this. This is an important issue and money needs to be put in and I think they should be new minibuses. A car scheme, whilst I'm sure it's very useful, it's just not acceptable as a replacement for the former bus service. A bus service is sorely needed in the Filey.

 

The Chair replied:

 

Thank you. We've got the message and we'll work on it with you.

 

Written response from Integrated Passenger Transport

 

Olympic Coaches stopped operating their Filey Town Bus in May 2023 when the company owner decided to retire. Although the route had originally been operated on a commercial basis, NYCC (now NYC), contacted other bus operators but none were interested in running a replacement service. On retirement, the owner of Olympic Coaches donated the bus to the local community.

 

Since then, there have been a number of meetings led by different groups discussing this issue, including Filey Town Council and the local MP.

 

With no bus company willing to take on the operation of a local bus service, the Integrated Passenger Transport and Stronger Communities teams at NYC spoke to Community Transport operators in the area asking them to look at options for a voluntary car or minibus scheme in Filey. Earlier this year Age UK agreed to undertake a car scheme in Filey and they applied to NYC for a grant of £2,500 to help set this up. The grant was approved and paid last month and we are waiting to hear from Age UK as to when the project will start.

 

As we understand it, the new scheme will be a pilot at this point and its success will depend on finding sufficient volunteers and also that passengers make use of the service.

 

Question from Dinah Keal

 

Norton on Derwent has a long history of flooding and has suffered from repeated incidents of sewer flooding for over 20 years since the Malton, Norton & Old Malton Flood Alleviation Scheme was completed. Due to climate change and a rise in the water table, flood incidents have increased in frequency and are particularly difficult in Norton as flood water contains raw sewage as the sewers do not have sufficient capacity to cope with surface water flooding when river levels are high in the River Derwent.

 

These repeated incidents not only put homes and businesses at risk, but also cause increased road traffic congestion due to road closures.

 

Members of the committee may be aware that there are plans to build 645 new homes in Norton, which will undoubtedly have an impact on the towns over stretched sewer system.

 

Should planning permission be approved for this site, the developer will be installing drainage measures as recommended and agreed with Yorkshire Water as part of the planning process, which will manage flow into the main system, but ultimately waste water from the development will flow into the main sewers in Norton.

 

So, my question is: “Will North Yorkshire Council as lead planning authority ensure that Yorkshire Water fulfils its statutory duty, as prescribed by the Water Industry Act 1991, to improve its existing sewer systems in the town itself on the back of this development?”

 

Response from Development Management read by the Chair

 

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the overall approach to protecting people and property from flooding, which all local planning authorities are expected to follow, with a number of tests required at both the plan making and application decision making stages. Engagement with key stakeholders - including the environment agency, water utility providers such as Yorkshire Water, the Lead local flood authority - forms an important part of the local plan making process to ensure that appropriate site selection takes place and local policies reflect national guidance, and that where development is proposed to take place there is appropriate infrastructure in place, or that there is a realistic prospect of additional capacity being provided alongside new development.

 

Such bodies are also key consultees on planning applications in ensuring that the proposed on and off-site infrastructure is suitably robust and future proof in light of the implications of climate change. If there are specific questions and concerns with regard to particular sites/applications, we can raise those with the relevant body.

 

Ms Keal then asked the following supplementary question.

 

Just yesterday when everyone saw the torrential rain houses in Norton were yet again surrounded by water and the sewers discharged into and around people's properties. So just yesterday the River Derwent was not high, it was the level of torrential rain.

 

So that to me proves that the capacity in the sewer system in Norton is not sufficient to deal with the level of rain and the level of extra discharge which will come from this development.

 

So, I hope the Members of this committee would agree that having more sewage in our streets in 2024 is actually totally unacceptable. Will Members therefore agree to continue to lobby Yorkshire Water to commit to putting all measures possible in place to alleviate sewer flooding in Norton, including increasing the capacity of the sewers and agree to contribute a percentage of the CIL receipts from the Beverley Road development, should it be approved, towards a Yorkshire Water project to provide a permanent, and I stress the word permanent, pumping station for Norton.

 

The Chair responded that the debate later in the meeting may address this questions.