A Parish Plan Project

The ribbon cutting ceremony at the new FERA car & cycle park where Helen Wood, Leader of the Parish Plan work group cut the ribbon to the new complex with Mike Wray, Director of Operations at FERA.

 

Members of the Parish were there and were shown around the new car park and cycle facilities as well as the new £3 million work complex.

 

Parish Plan

Claxton & Sand Hutton

 

Whats has been happening in the last few months?

 

The Parish Plan was published in the summer of 2008.  Every household was given a copy but, if you’ve lost it or are new to the parish, you can read on-line courtesy of Bill Heath’s website www.PhotoReflections.co.uk

or the parish website.

“www.claxtonandsandhuttonparish.ryedaleconnect.org.co.uk” It’s still interesting to read about the consultation process and its findings and the final Action Plan remains very much alive, under the wing of the Parish Council.

 

As we said in the last newsletter, where we need the local authorities to co-operate with us, it takes a very long time for anything to happen but where residents take the initiative and get on with things, the results are soon there for all to enjoy.  For example, still responding to popular demand, the Heritage Group continues to thrive and some interesting events have been put on which everybody enjoyed. They are continuing to gather information on the heritage of the two villages and putting it together for all to see on the “www.photoreflections.co.uk/heritage-group/”

website.

 

Films are also being shown in the Village Hall; (don’t miss “Muriel’s Wedding” being screened on Thursday 28th April). Everybody who has seen them enjoyed their evening.

 

The parish website is gradually taking shape and proving its value.

 

Progress on road safety measures is very slow but Highways have responded to some of our concerns and are in the process of consulting on proposed alterations to the speed restriction signs on the way into Sand Hutton from Claxton.  Access to the school field for children to play out of hours has, similarly, taken ages to sort out but we are finally nearing agreement on the terms and conditions of use.

 

Good news at last on the proposal to permit bike parking at the FERA laboratories for those wishing to cycle down and catch the Coastliner.  From April 1st  parish residents have been provided not only with a smart new bike shelter to use at any time of the week but also with access to 10 car parking spaces to be used at weekends by anyone heading for the bus to Leeds, York or the coast, or places in between. 

 

To take advantage of this scheme, all you have to do is let the Parish Clerk, Laura Edwards have your name, address and car registration to add to the spreadsheet held at the FERA gatehouse.

laura.edwards@claxtonandsandhuttonparishcouncil.org.uk It’s first come, first served for the parking spaces, but you can use them any time between 6.00 pm on Fridays and 6.00 am on Mondays so plenty of time to go off on your travels knowing your car is safely parked and kept an eye on round the clock by FERA staff and CCTV cameras.  We are very grateful to FERA for their very generous provision of these facilities.

 

Persuading anyone - NYCC, Highways, landowners, etc - to allow us to have a footpath between our two villages has proved almost impossible.  We are constantly told there is no justification, and certainly no money, for a new footpath to be built by the public authorities but they have also discouraged us from pursuing a more DIY solution. 

 

However, we are not quite ready to call it a day!  We may need to rally everyone to help out by tramping the verge in their hobnail boots but this summer we are hoping to have the grass verge cut more often and shorter than usual to try and make it a bit more walker-friendly and create a “rustic” path.  Sadly it won’t be much good for buggies, wheelchairs, etc but at least regular walkers of the route will be able to get off the road with less fear of tripping over holes or clods of earth hidden in the long grass!

 

 

The Heritage Group are updating the “Heritage Trail Leaflet” and also gathering details of local walks and access to the surrounding countryside. These should be printed together and will be available shortly.

 

Following the great success of the previous one, there will be another Photographic Competition for children and young people resident in the parish. 

 

Its theme will be The Royal Wedding Party on Claxton Village Green”. 

 

The party is taking place on the day of the wedding, Friday 29th April from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm.  Invitations have gone out and everyone in the parish is welcome – just bring a plate of food to contribute to the feast – and we hope an afternoon of fun and conversation will be enjoyed by all. 

 

And, we hope all the children will have their cameras at the ready to capture some of those candid shots that make everyone smile and remind us of a happy occasion when they are entered for judging and exhibiting at a special Parish Plan coffee morning and prize giving to be held in May or June (date to be confirmed).

 

2011 Photography Competition

 

Everyone in the parish is invited to the Royal Wedding Party on Claxton village green on Friday 29th April 2011 at 2pm. We hope you will come along to enjoy the party with your family and have a lot of fun taking photos of the celebrations. Then choose your favourite photo to enter our competition.

 

The competition is open to children and young people up to the age of 18 who live in Claxton or Sand Hutton.

 

The photograph can be of anything that interests you at the Royal Wedding Party and if you are unable to be at the Claxton party, you can submit a photo taken elsewhere on the theme of ‘The Royal Wedding’. The photographs can be taken with any kind of camera but the entry must be provided as 6 x 4” print. The winners of each age category will receive a prize and there are 3 categories:- 8 and under / 9 – 13 / 14 -18.

 

An exhibition of all the photographs and the prize giving will take place at a coffee and juice morning in the Village Hall, Sand Hutton – date to be decided. Please submit your 6x4” entry to the Parish Plan Working Group (e.g. Helen Wood, Bill Heath, Anne White, Sue Sessions) by Friday 20th May.

 

Keep a look out for further details of the photograph display and coffee/juice morning!

 

If you are interested in getting involved in parish activities and would like to help complete the proposed actions in the Parish Plan do make yourself known to members of the PP Working Group or the Parish Council. (See the website for contact details) The more the merrier!

 

     Helen Wood                                                                       April 2011