For residents with a vague idea of what a Parish Council can do, and what influence it has

Powers and duties.

 

Strategic issues, such as Roads and large Residential Developments such as ‘Hemingbrough New Town’ to be built beyond Orchard End and Mill Lane, are the responsibilities of North Yorkshire County Council and Selby District Council respectively.  The Parish Council’s ability to affect them is like a gnat bite.

Anyone with concerns about ‘Hemingbrough New Town’ could wander down Landing Lane and talk to former Parish Council Chairman and York Hospital Director Roland Chilvers.  Maybe he could initiate a discussion at the next Parish Council meeting at which Residents will learn how best to express their concerns to the Selby Council Planning Committee that will approve or deny this application, and others in the pipeline.

The next Parish Council will take place on Thursday 15^th June at 7pm in the Methodist Church Hall.                

The following are under parish council remit:

Allotments
Churchyards
Bus Shelters
Public clocks
Community Centres*, Conference Centres, Halls*, Public Buildings

Dog fouling
Drainage – of ditches and ponds
Entertainment and the Arts
Footpaths
General Spending anything they deem of benefit to the community

Highways – lighting, parking places, right to enter discussions about new roads and road widening
Land – acquisition and sale of
Legal proceedings – prosecute and defend legal proceedings in the interests of the community
Litter
Planning –notifications of planning applications and comments to the planning authority

Public conveniences
Recreation – provision of recreation grounds, public walkways, pleasure grounds, open spaces, village greens, gymnasiums, playing fields, holiday camps and boating ponds
Rights of Way – footpath and bridleway maintenance
Seats (public)
Signs – danger signs, place names and bus stops signs
Tourism
Traffic Calming
War Memorials
Water Supply – power to utilise stream, well or spring water

Strange!  The private ‘Hall for Hemingbrough’ project, led by the Parish Council Vice-chairman Bob Procter, “has nothing to do with the Parish Council” (according to Chairman Strelczenie).  Both agreed to remove it as a Council Agenda item last month, after its effect on established village businesses and church fund-raising was mentioned in the local press.

The Public Meeting to brief residents that was mentioned at the January Council meeting, and again in April - "It will be next month", still hasn't been announced. 

Holiday time soon.