Report to the Annual Parish Meeting - April 2006

The Parish Council has continued to meet on a regular basis, with the exception of December, on the third Monday of each month. Our links with Upper Poppleton Parish Council have been maintained in the spirit of working together for the general benefit of the village at large. Other links have been maintained and the report will come on to these later.

Your councillors for the past year have been Glen Bradley, Gerald Bilbrough, Carol Partington, Colin Robinson, David Tomlinson, Peter Knowles and myself, Peter Powell, elected as Chairman.

On referring to last year Annual Report you will not be surprised to know many of the issues are still in hand today.

The Allerton Drive Garden, although the grass is cut regularly and the hedge left tidy, still collects litter. But with a better rubbish bin to stop papers blowing about, some of the problems could be solved.

The new road layout at the top of Long Ridge Lane has had virtually no effect in slowing down vehicles. Speeding is still a problem. The Vehicle Activated Sign which has been installed in Long Ridge Lane showing "Slow Down" may eventually have some impact. The best method is for residents to drive at the correct speed or slower and force traffic to obey the regulations.

Continuing work on the Common Land has now opened up much of the dead and diseased trees with crown lifting undertaken where appropriate. The area is showing much improvement although further work is still to be undertaken to complete the project. Next year the Council will need to review another area of the woodland including the ash trees behind the bungalows. The grass cutting contract let last year has been reviewed and the frequency of cuts increased to ensure that the river bank is in a suitable condition for parties and picnics which children love. The wild spring bulbs although late this year will need to be supplemented at some time in the future.

Very often at this time of year in an Annual Report reference is made to the misbehaviour of youths, vandalism, spray painting and excessive noise. It is pleasing to report this area is treated by the police as a low crime area and incidents that occur are the exception rather than the rule. Hence one event which might in itself be considered to be worthy of note, across the City area and in comparison with other villages fades in to non-entity. The Youth Club operates under various guises on three nights each week and the youths seem to enjoy what is provided for them. Low cost alcohol drinks appear to be brought into the village and the debris left on the river bank or under the railway bridge for others to clear up. Drug related issues seem to be at low-key levels.

The City of York Council has agreed to the Poppleton Community Trust taking over the upkeep of the Youth Club Building. This started at the beginning of the new financial year. Much work to the premises will have to be undertaken to make it more secure and compliant with current regulations. It is proposed that these works are carried out during the school summer holidays.

Councillors agreed during the year not to move our meetings elsewhere but to continue meeting at the Community Centre even though it is strictly Licensed Premises, the Bar being closed on a Monday.

The Community Trust has continued to progress and now employs a Premises Manager who has the overview of the events, bookings, activities, etc. which are held within the complex. The Councillors would not agree to provide financial assistance to the Trust towards paying for the Manager but have supported various projects which are carried out such as the provision of the new car park.

The Parochial Church Council's efforts in disposing of Dodsworth Hall seem to have been defeated. A planning application and an appeal were both refused, although it is understood that local builders are being contacted with a view to the site being developed domestically. The Friends of Dodsworth Hall are maintaining contact with the PCC and reports are given to this Council at our meetings by our representative.

At Poppleton Park, a fairly active Neighbourhood Watch Group has started to try and have the estate properly finished off by the construction team and handed over to the City of York Council. Open Gardens, streetlights, kerbing and drainage are parts of overall matters which need attention. The problem of speeding traffic is still being monitored with hopefully a result before long. It is pleasing that the kick-about-area was effectively fenced during the year giving greater security and the less likelihood of an accident to a child following a run-away ball. The play area on York Business Park was not fitted with a basket ball hoop. It was decided that there was not enough space without encroaching into the football and the wild life area.

To return to the main village, many complaints have been voiced over the last year regarding the condition of the footways, verges and holes in roads. With Parish Council persuasion, all the grass verge edges were cut back to something like their original outlines. In conversation, no one has been able to state categorically the last time this was done - certainly not in the last 40 years. Not bad for something which should be attended to on a 10-year cycle. As this report is being prepared it is noted that some holes in roads have been marked for attention. But there are many others which will have to be picked up.

Some of the other matters the Parish Council has discussed and the actions taken include:

The adoption of new Standing Orders and Finance Regulations in September and November, works to footpath and bridleways on the Common Land and the subsequent provision of boulder stones to prevent vehicular access, the making up of the bridleway with stone shale and the erection of no parking signs at the entrance.

A Crime Survey was carried out during the year and the response confirmed the low risk designation by the local police.

The Council has its own web site on the local channel giving the opportunity for the public to gain access to council records.

A proposal is being looked at to provide additional footpaths and bridleway beyond the church and within the fields behind the railway towards the river. This is at present on hold due to the severe financial pressure from the City of York Council.

And so on.

The Annual report can only illustrate some of the matters discussed by the Parish Council. Reference to copies of the Minutes would fill in any omissions.

This Report referred earlier to links to other organisations.

These include - Poppleton Community Trust; Yorkshire Local Councils Associations; British Sugar Factory Liaison Committee; Moatfield Trust; Wildlife Area Trust; York Open Planning Forum; Dodsworth Hall Steering Group; Poppleton Ousebank School Governors and Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators. Reports are received from all our various representatives to these bodies and it would be remiss if thanks were not recorded for the time and work Councillors contribute over and above Council hours.

The Annual Report concludes by extending the thanks of all Councillors to the Clerk for the work he undertakes and for the excess hours he puts in over and above those for which he is paid.

Signed on behalf of Nether Poppleton Parish Council

Chairman