Great Ouseburn Parish Plan Report 2003
Introduction
Dear Parishioner
Great Ouseburn Parish Council commenced work
in September 2002 on the Parish Plan. The result of which is the culmination of
a great deal of information about Great Ouseburn Parish and the production of
this report. The report identifies the current nature and characteristics of
the village and aspects of village life that could be developed to improve the
facilities and overall nature and quality of the village. The Parish Council
encourages you to read the report and would welcome comments and advise with
regard to any aspects of it. Anyone wishing to participate in developing
aspects of village life in line with the recommendations in the report please
feel free to contact one of the Parish Plan Committee members listed at the
back of the report.
Thank you for your time.
Jeff Gill
Chair Great Ouseburn Parish Council
Throughout the report people’s names will
be given as contacts. Their relevant telephone numbers are listed at the back of
the report.
What is a Parish
Plan?
A Parish Plan is the mechanism whereby a
rural community can have a greater say in its own affairs. It is a statement of
the residents’ vision of the future for their village.
It covers all aspects of village life, including
housing, services, community buildings, play areas, land use, businesses,
transport, rights of way, sports facilities and crime.
The report provides the Parish with an
opportunity to identify the priorities in the local area for attention from the
relevant council bodies. That is not to say that local or county councils will
act on everything that is drawn to their attention in the report. However, it
will provide the Parish Council with evidence that the people of Great Ouseburn
Parish recognise these priorities and support the actions identified as
required to bring about improvement. This in turn will add weight to any claim
for action, funding or support required from local and county councils to bring
about changes in the Parish.
Throughout the report contact names are
given. A table of contact details can be found at the back of the report.
About Great Ouseburn
The Villages of Great and Little Ouseburn
take their name from the river Ouse that starts as Ouse Gill Beck in the garden
of what was the old Great Ouseburn Poor Law Union Workhouse. At the original source of the Ouse (the spring now
emerges approximately 35 metres away) stands a stone column bearing the
inscription
'OUSE
RIVER HEAD' 'OUSEGILL SPRING Ft. YORK 13miles BOROUGHBRIDGE 4miles'
Ouse Gill Beck flows south for 4 miles
before joining the river Ure (a broad river of 60 miles length). Here, the tiny
Ouse Gill Beck usurps the power of the Ure and gives its name to the river
which flows through York to the Humber estuary and into the North Sea.
The village of Great Ouseburn lies in the
Vale of York, half way between London and Edinburgh. It is 4 miles South East
of Boroughbridge, 8 miles North East of Knaresborough, 15 miles from York, 13
from Harrogate and 12 from Wetherby.
It is a linear village that runs almost
parallel to the Ouse Gill Beck. Approximately 1 mile long the combined Great
Ouseburn and Branton Green village is characterised by its traditional look and
varied buildings along its length.
Services available in the village include
the Village Post Office Shop, the Church, Village Hall, Community Primary
School and Crown Inn Public House.
Annual events include several Open Gardens
days, Village Hall craft fair, School Christmas fair, French cafe and the
nationally renowned Spring Festival. The people of the village work hard to
raise money for the local village services and charities of all descriptions.
History
Originally part of the district of
Knaresborough, which was a royal forest in William the Conqueror’s time, Great
Ouseburn had "Forest Liberty Town" status. That is, it had the
liberty to punish those people who misbehaved within its boundaries. In the
Domesday survey the village is referred to as ‘Useburne’
The estate, now known as Kirby Hall, was a
major influence on the village and was owned by William de Kirkeby in 1200. The
estate owned most of the village and the economy of Ouseburn was principally
centred on the estate’s agricultural business. In 1912 most of the
smallholdings were sold to the tenants.
Further information can be found on the village website www.great-ouseburn.co.uk
and in "Victorian Ouseburn, George
Whitehead’s Diaries" available in local libraries.
The Conservation Area
Great Ouseburn was designated a conservation
area on 17 March 1994. The boundary roughly runs from the southern end of the
village either side of Main Street up to the village Green. A conservation area
is defined as
"an area of
special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of
which it is desirable to preserve or enhance."
(Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990)
The conservation statement identifies
Branton Avenue with its lime trees, the grass banks along the road, and the
walling throughout the village as particular landscape features. The primary
purpose of the conservation area is to protect the character of Great Ouseburn.
Harrogate District Council have identified a number of objectives to ensure
continued enhancement of the Village in line with its present character. The
survey asked residents if they would support the Parish Council in attempts to
bring about the enhancement proposals. All the proposals were supported (range
86%-50% in favour). Further details on Local Plan policies can be obtained by
contacting the Local Plan Section of Harrogate District Council on 01423
556581.
Further information can be found at:
www.harrogate.gov.uk/planning/heritage/pdfs/gtouse_c_area.pdf
Economic Activity
Principally an agricultural village, Great Ouseburn
has developed into a commuter’s village with some small local businesses.
Resident population aged 16 to 74
(percentage)
|
|
Ouseburn |
England and Wales |
|
Employed |
67.2 |
60.6 |
|
Unemployed |
1.4 |
3.4 |
|
Economically active full-time students |
2.0 |
2.6 |
|
Retired |
12.9 |
13.6 |
|
Economically inactive students |
6.1 |
4.7 |
|
Looking after home/family |
7.2 |
6.5 |
|
Permanently sick or disabled |
2.0 |
5.5 |
|
Other economically inactive |
1.4 |
3.1 |
Source: 2001 Census, ONS
Local businesses in the Parish are listed at
Appendix 1
Village Appraisal
Great Ouseburn Parish Plan Village Survey
was carried out in March 2003. Surveys were distributed to all households in the
Parish, along with children’s surveys. Fifty one per cent of household surveys
were completed. This was an excellent response rate. The survey results were
collated and made available in the Village Post Office Shop, Village Hall and
on the Village Web site for all to read.
The Results
Demographics
The resident population of Ouseburn, as
measured in the 2001 Census, was 2,997. Men account for 47% of residents
(female residents 53%).
Resident population (percentage)
|
|
Ouseburn |
England
and Wales |
|
Under 16 |
22.5 |
20.2 |
|
16 to 19 |
6.5 |
4.9 |
|
20 to 29 |
5.9 |
12.6 |
|
30 to 59 |
45.9 |
41.5 |
|
60 to 74 |
13.2 |
13.3 |
|
75 and over |
6.1 |
7.6 |
|
Average age |
38.6 |
38.6 |
Source:
2001 Census, ONS
The majority of residents of the Parish live
within the village of Great Ouseburn with 15% of respondents living in Branton
Green and 6% living on outlying farms.
The amount of time that residents have lived
in the village appears to suggest that, once here, people have a tendency to
stay!
Only 17% of respondents identified that they
were born in the Parish with the majority (75%) coming to live here for reasons
other than work or retirement.
The majority of residents liked living in
the village because it was in the country, provided peace and quiet, community
spirit and low crime.
A number of reasons were cited for disliking
living in the Parish and included, aircraft noise, parked cars, traffic, lack
of facilities, transport, poor telephone lines, poor response time for
emergency services and litter. A number of these things are beyond our remit to
attend to. Others we can endeavour to address.
|
Action Point Litter
Awareness Week takes place around April. If
you wish to help keep Great Ouseburn tidy please contact Peter Naylor near
the time and he will advise as to how you can help and provide you with the
necessary equipment. |
|
General Information Point 1.
Peter Duncanson and Keith Scott are presently canvassing residents of the
village to establish how many people would like access to Broadband. 2.
The RAF post notification of night flying dates and hours regularly on local
notice boards. 3.
Recently the frequency of local buses has increased. Timetables are posted at
the bus stops and available on line at
www.ukbus.co.uk/cgi/jptt.exe?c=Nyor&x=0&s=n&
search for Great Ouseburn. 4.
The Parish Council have contacted the Ambulance Service to check details of
road names in the village. |
Housing and
Development
This was an area of particular concern for
residents. The information gathered will be useful in presenting opinion to
Harrogate District Council in respect of planning applications and future
development proposals for the village.
Only a small percentage (16%) of residents
identified that they would require further housing provision over the next 10
years. With the majority identifying the need for small groups of starter homes
for young/single people. Any new development necessary should be carried out
using traditional building materials and in keeping with the overall size of
the present housing in the village. A small percentage or respondents suggested
that agricultural and light industry workshop development was necessary. It was
encouraging to know that the majority of residents were aware that Great
Ouseburn is designated a conservation area with most people believing that the
principles were being upheld. Twenty one per cent who did not agree that the
principles were being upheld offered numerous reasons why. These included;
developments too large and not in keeping with present village character and
inappropriate designs and materials being used.
The Parish Council hope to take up the
opportunity to compile a Village Design Statement in the near future. Village
Design Statements are the outcome of an initiative taken by the Countryside
Commission in 1996. The purpose is to help guide change in ways that will
enhance rather than detract from, the quality of life in the village and its
environment. Although it particularly emphasises design it is also concerned
with social and economic well-being.
In addition we have recently registered for
the "Virtual Village Project". This is a project developed by
Yorkshire Rural Community Council where a 3D computer reality based model of
the Village is developed and used as a tool for community planning.
|
Action
Point 1.
The opportunity to
develop a village design statement needs to be taken to provide support for
local opinion regarding planning applications and development proposals.
Further information will be posted on Parish
notice boards in the near future. 2.
Development of our
“Virtual Village”. |
General Information Point
2. General information about conservation areas can be found
on line at www.harrogate.gov.uk/planning/heritage/conservation.htm |
Law and Order
Given that a number of people cited the low crime rate as a reason for liking living in the parish it was interesting that a number of people identified issues surrounding law and order. Most people rated the level of policing as "satisfactory" with 12 respondents identifying they had been the victim of anti-social behaviour. There was strong support for the Neighbourhood Watch scheme with 88% believing it was of benefit. The Police Research Group Report "Policing and Neighbourhood Watch" (Tilley and Laycock 1995), found that in some areas Neighbourhood Watch helped to reduce crime, notably burglary, as well as producing an enhanced sense of community. www.neighbourhoodwatch.net
Comments relating to Neighbourhood Watch
have been passed on to the Coordinator.
|
Action Point 1. Please continue to be vigilant and report anything
suspicious to the police. Non-urgent
messages can be left for the police on Harrogate 539336. For more urgent
enquiries please ring 505541
|
General
Information Point
1.
If you would like to
know more about Neighbourhood Watch or get involved please contact Peter
Naylor. 2.
A Village News Letter
is distributed every 2 months - Peter
Naylor compiles the letter and organises distribution. |
Public Services and
Utilities
The survey asked residents their opinion on
service provision in respect of 10 services:
1. Mains Sewerage
2. Mains Electricity Supply
3. Mains Water Supply
4. Street Lighting
5. Refuse Collection
6. Road Sweeping
7. Road Salting
8. Road and Pavement Maintenance
9. Verge Cutting
10. Telephone Service
This section of the survey elicited the most
comments from residents and is obviously an important aspect of living in the
Parish and one that residents are not wholly satisfied with.
Overall services were rated as
"Satisfactory" with each service gaining between 40% and 67% in the
"Satisfactory" rating.
Refuse Collection & Recycling
Refuse collection was rated
"Excellent" by 33% of respondents and "Satisfactory" by
another 58%. This particular service has improved recently with the
introduction of waste paper collections in the village bi-weekly. Glass and can
recycling facilities have been extended to Great Ouseburn in October 2003.
|
Box |
Bag |
|
Glass bottles and jars – please rinse and remove lids |
Newspaper and magazines including leaflets flyers and catalogues |
|
Aluminium and steel tins, including pet food cans – please rinse and crush if possible |
|
|
Empty aerosol cans – with plastic cap removed |
Residents who have not had a blue paper
collection bag or a black bottle/can collection box left for their use, can
obtain them and if left in view outside your property they will be collected.
The bag will be left at the same spot for you to collect and use again, please
leave it somewhere where it can be secured and don’t forget to pick it up.
Garden rubbish will be collected if left in
the appropriate green bags.
Mains Sewerage
Mains Sewerage received the highest
percentage of poor responses, 24%. There are particular problems at the
Northern end of the village. This is being looked into by the Parish Council
who are in negotiation with Yorkshire Water and Harrogate District Council.
Road Salting, Road and Pavement
Maintenance and Water Supply services were rated "Poor" and
"Unsatisfactory".
Road Salting
Frequency of salting has been referred to
the Parish Council for action, with the hope that this can be increased in the
future. Requests to Harrogate District Council to situate salt bins at the
entrances to Townend Court, Springfield Rise and Branton Lane have been
rejected because the gradient of the slopes are not deemed to be steep enough.
The Parish Council has ordered salt bins for these three locations as they felt
the safety of people in the Village was at risk without them. They will be in
place for Winter 2003.
Water Supply
Yorkshire Water has recently spent time
working to improve the water services in the Village. The hardness and taste of
the water were mentioned by a number of people.
Road & Pavement Maintenance
Road and Pavement Maintenance will continue
to be monitored by the Parish Council and Harrogate District Council will be
informed of any problems and their response monitored. The side roads around
the Parish have recently been resurfaced and this has improved their general
appearance and quality. North Yorkshire County Council Highways Department will
be placing ramps at certain points along the village pavements to aid access
for wheel chairs etc. Work to road drainage at Campbell & Penty, Lightmire
Lane and Piper’s Lane has been completed.
Telephone Services
Comments by residents about telephone
services in the village have been passed on to British Telecom. A number of
residents commented on the poor quality of the telephone lines. Work is ongoing
to replace cables servicing Branton Green. The Parish Council are looking into
the possibility of changing the telephone box to a traditional red box in
keeping with the overall character of the village. Local residents are
presently campaigning for the provision of Broadband in the village.
Action Point
|
General
Information Point
1. Harrogate District Council will supply the salt for the salt bins.
Local residents are asked to apply it when necessary. 2. For information about roadside recycling facilities telephone the
Helpline No. 01609 785450. 3. Glass recycling facilities are available at the Green Tree Public
House in Little Ouseburn, The Anchor at Whixley, The Bay Horse at Green
Hammerton and at Morrisons Supermarket and The Leisure Centre (High School)
in Boroughbridge. 4. Green garden refuse bags can be purchased from Harrogate District
Council, Claro Road Depot or Ring
556644 for other locations. Bags cost
£6 for 10 - £3.15 over 60’s & Registered Disabled. Keith Scott also provides supplies locally. |
The majority of respondents did not see the
need to bring mains gas to the Parish, with only 16% willing to pay towards the
cost of establishing the supply. These results do not support the pursuance of
this service for the Parish.
The services that residents did wish to see
provided in the Parish were a GP Surgery, Broadband Internet Access and
Improved Mobile Phone Reception. The Church Lane Surgery at Boroughbridge runs
a surgery based in the Village Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Patients should
arrive between 1200 and 1230. The Springbank
Surgery at Green Hammerton provides a local surgery at the Village Hall on
Thursday between 1100 and 1130. Comments from the survey have been forwarded to
the Principal General Practitioner. The Village Hall Committee is looking into
improving the facilities available.
Mobile telephone reception is something that
we have very little possibility of influencing. It appears that O2 provide the
best cell phone cover in and around the Parish.
The Environment
The survey asked residents which
improvements in the environment they would support. Skips for garden waste
received the biggest response at 56%. It is recognised that the beautiful
gardens in the Parish are one of its most attractive features. The time and
effort spent establishing gardens and maintaining them is rewarded regularly at
open garden days throughout the year. The provision of a skip would raise the
question of where to situate it and how to maintain the surrounding area, as
this is often a problem with skip provision. Despite such a large response to
this, it is generally felt by the Parish Council that provision of a permanent
garden skip would not be appropriate. The Parish Council are happy to provide a
skip once a year and are looking for an appropriate site to locate it.
Residents are reminded that they can purchase green refuse sacks from Harrogate
District Council and that there are nearby rubbish tips at Tholthorpe and Thorp
Arch.
Local recycling facilities were requested by
52% of respondents. As mentioned previously local recycling has started with
the collection of waste paper, glass and cans from the roadside. Please see the
previous Action Point and General Information Point for Public Services and
Utilities.
The repair and preservation of grass verges
received a 50% response. The level of opinion in respect of this has been
passed on to the Parish Council for further action. Comment was made that farm
vehicles and other large vehicles are destroying grass verges. The Parish
Council have recently applied to North Yorkshire County Council to have kerbs
put in place.
A number of residents requested the planting
of spring bulbs and trees in the Parish. Other improvements in the environment
of the Parish included more litterbins and dog waste bins. The Parish Council
are aware of the need for bins in certain locations.
Action Point
|
General
Information Point
1.
Open Garden events are
advertised locally, the main Spring Festival event, supporting the Village
Hall, Church and School, takes place around April. 2.
Opening times of local
refuse tips: Tholthorpe: Nov-Feb 0830-1600 March 0830-1700 April-Sept 0830-1900 October 0830-1700 Except Christmas Day Boxing Day & New
Years Day Thorpe Arch: Summer 0900-1700 Winter 0900-1600 |
Rights of Way
There are a number of footpaths within the
Parish and these are marked on local maps. However, there are very few circular
walks and there is no local access to the River Ure. There was quite a large
response to the suggestion that information should be provided about local
walks and the Children’s Survey indicated that a footpath along the river would
be well used. A Rights of Way Subcommittee has been set up to deal with this
particular need. Keith Scott is chairman of the group. Forty six per cent of
respondents suggested that new footpaths should be created. The Rights of Way
Subcommittee are investigating the possibility of establishing new rights of
way as well as checking access along current rights of way. They will be
meeting with neighbouring parishes to discuss accessibility of rights of way
that extend beyond Great Ouseburn Parish. It is hoped that some leaflets and
maps giving details of footpaths in and around the Parish will be produced and
be available for residents and visitors at local outlets. If you have any
information about local footpaths please contact Keith Scott.
A small percentage of respondents (36%)
agreed that there were parts of Parish owned land that could be improved. These
were the Free Landing at Aldwark Bridge and the land at Burn Bridge (Corner of
B6265). Extensive work has been done to establish ownership and rights of
access at the Free Landing. Work is being done, with the help of Ripon Explorer
Scouts, to clear the area and discussions have taken place with the Fishing
Club that access the river there and Aldwark Manor Hotel who own the golf
course. It is hoped that a recreational area can be established here to provide
a place for residents of the Parish to spend time near the river and exercise
their right of common to fish.
Great
Ouseburn Free Landing and Toll Bridge 2003
Some of the land at Burn Beck corner has
been offered to North Yorkshire County Council to improve the junction by
lessening the acute angle. This should be completed soon.
Recreation and
Leisure
Clubs and Activities
The survey identified that a lot of the
residents knew about the clubs and activities that take place in the Parish.
For such a small Parish there are a variety of activities available.
Thirty-three respondents suggested other
activities they would like to see provided in the Parish. The desire for tennis
courts was strongly supported by the Children in their survey. The children
were very vocal in their want for more sports facilities generally. The
establishment of Great Ouseburn Football club is welcomed and Great Ouseburn
Cricket Club is doing well with seven teams competing in local leagues.
Some respondents suggested the establishment
of other clubs and activities including a drama group. The Ouseburn Follies
staged productions regularly in the Village Hall until the early 1990’s.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they would attend evening classes if
they were run locally, with 10 people suggesting language courses and 6
computer courses. The Parish Council will be happy to offer advice and support
where appropriate, to anyone interested in setting up a club or activity in the
Parish.
The children’s survey identified a need for
a meeting place in the village and as a result the Parish Council is enquiring
about a teenage café. Money may be available to set this up from various
sources.
Great Ouseburn Village Hall
The Parish Council is trustee of the Village
Hall, with the everyday running of the facility being governed by the Village
Hall Committee.
Sixty-five respondents said they used the
village hall and 93% knew that it was available for hire. Originally the
Village Hall was a wooden structure and had previously been a YMCA hut in York.
Cynthia Lonsdale in her book "Ouseburn Gems" tells how the Parish
Councillors brought it to the village in sections and erected it on the playing
field without the consent of the authorities! The present hall took 10 years of
fundraising before being built in 1986 with the
old one being sold on to use for breeding rabbits!
Old Village Hall 1985
The Village Hall offers two main facilities,
the main hall and the committee room. Both are for hire and are very well used throughout
the week for regular activities and at weekends for parties and private
functions. The main hall can accommodate 200 people seated, with the committee
room providing for 50 people. The kitchen has a cooker and cutlery and crockery
for 100 settings. Information and conditions of
hire are available from Mr Doug Child.
A number of suggestions were made with
regard to how the Village Hall facility could be improved. Suggestions have
been passed on to the Village Hall Committee. The hall now has toilet
facilities and access for the disabled and work is ongoing to improve car
parking.
The survey asked parishioners which facilities
in the Parish were important to village life.
Generally comments about the above
facilities were made in relation to their importance and how provision should
be made to ensure that the facilities remain. The Village Shop and Post Office
was deemed to be very important by over 80% of respondents.
The closing of village shops and post
offices around the country has been evident recently and a number of people,
including the Parish Council, were concerned that we should not loose this
facility in the future.
The Village Church
|
|
The Village Church of St Mary the Virgin
dates back to the 12th century and is in the Diocese of Ripon.
Great Ouseburn is part of a group of parishes with Little Ouseburn,
Marton-cum-Grafton, Whixley and Green Hammerton. Details of services can be found at www.great-ouseburn.co.uk A Parish News is published monthly and can be order by contacting Jenny Prosser |
The Village School
Great Ouseburn Community Primary School was established in 1854 with the laying of the foundation stone by Sir Harry Mesey-Thompson of Kirby Hall and dedicated by the then Bishop of Ripon. More information about the school can be found at www.greatouseburn.n-yorks.sch.uk
The Mobile Library is a welcome facility for those parishioners who are
unable to travel to Boroughbridge.
Sports Facilities
Both surveys elicited a number of responses
in respect of the provision of sports facilities. The Children’s Survey
particularly requested more variety in the provision of facilities. At present
the Cricket Club and Football Club provide opportunity for children to do
sporting activities. It is hoped that further provision can be established as a
result of the surveys and application to various sources of funding.
Action Point
2.
Support and help with
local fundraising activities raising money for the School, Village Hall and
Church. 3.
Do not take dogs onto
the playing fields or into the children’s play-park. |
General
Information Point
1. Village Shop and Post Office Opening Hours: Monday – Wednesday 0715 -1200 1300 - 1730 & Friday Thursday &
Saturday 0715 –
1230 Closed The Post is
collected at 1800 from the Post Office and Branton Green. 2. Church Services take place in the parish churches
every week. Services for the week ahead can be found on the Church notice
board and in the Parish News. 3. The Library visits twice a month on Thursday. Dates and timings are advertised in the
Parish News or contact Harrogate Library on 720300 Crown Inn 1340-1415 Ouseburn School 1420-1445 4. The playing fields can be booked for activities
through the Parish Council. 5. The Crown Inn is open every evening and all day
Saturday and Sunday for meals
and liquid refreshments. 6. For information and booking of the Village Hall
contact Doug Child. |
Local Government
Great Ouseburn Parish Council consists of
seven councillors and is supported by a Parish Clerk. Councillors live in the
Parish and take responsibility for different aspects of council business.
Meetings are held monthly, usually in the Village Hall Committee Room and
minutes of meetings giving details of decisions made and agenda are posted on
the Parish Council notice boards in Great Ouseburn (opposite the Village Post
Office) and Branton Green. They are also available on the Village Web Site www.great-ouseburn.co.uk Parishioners are welcome to attend council meetings
and ask questions and make comments. If unable to attend meetings Parishioners
are advised to speak to one of the councillors personally or write to the
Parish Council via the Parish Council Clerk to make their views known. The
Councillors present discuss all correspondence at meetings.
There was a varied response to the question
asking about consideration of views on planning and new developments.
Twenty-four percent of respondents agreed that the Parish Council considered
and understood their views. Others (6%) were unaware of how to make their views
known and 23% stated that views were only "sometimes" considered and
understood.
Every planning application is advertised in
the local press and in the vicinity of the affected property (Green notices).
All planning applications (including drawings) are sent from Harrogate District
Council Planning Department to the Parish Council for comment. Planning
applications are discussed at the monthly Parish Council Meetings. Anyone who
has a view on a planning application can make these known directly to Harrogate
District Council Planning Department and can attend planning meetings held in
Harrogate. The Parish Council, after discussing a planning application will
make known to the Borough Council any objections on planning grounds that they
have to the application and why they hold those objections. Harrogate District
Council is not at liberty to act on objections put forward by the Parish
Council, only take them into consideration when making a decision.
In an attempt to apply the views of
Parishioners and influence planning decisions more accurately the opportunity
to develop a Village Design Statement will be taken up in the near future.
As part of the Parish Plan a Village map has
been painted and a copy will be displayed on the notice board opposite the
Village Shop and also in the Village Hall. Survey respondents were not happy to
have a map produced showing house names. The Post Office is thanked for
directing people to houses that have no identification. Residents are respectfully
asked to identify their property to assist deliveries etc.
Action Point
1.
Consideration to be given to the identification of
property by name or number as appropriate. |
Traffic and Transport
Great Ouseburn Village is a linear village
that is used readily as a route from York and surrounding area through to Ripon
and the A1 North because of the river crossing at Aldwark Toll Bridge. As such
the Main Street is busy with all types of traffic including heavy goods
vehicles. The location of the village entails the use of transport, other than
walking, to access many amenities in neighbouring towns. This is reflected in
the survey results that show only 11% of respondents do not have a car in their
household with 20% having more than 2. Most people in the Parish use their own
car for transport or the local train or they walk. Traffic and transport are
therefore an essential part of the village and they both raised a number of
concerns with a lot of survey respondents.
Cycling was one area that people thought
improvements could be made to provide safer routes for people to use
particularly to the local station at Cattal and to Boroughbridge. This will be
raised with Boroughbridge and District Community Investment Partnership.
The majority of respondents (65%) said they
never travelled by bus and only 6% used the train more than once a week, the
majority citing the inconvenient times and destinations of public transport as
the reason. In May 2003 new bus timetables were published identifying an
increase in services to and from York and Boroughbridge. The local train
service to York and Harrogate/Leeds runs regularly every day from Cattal
Station. Access to this service is difficult for people without their own
transport as there is no regular connection on local transport from the
surrounding villages. The local community bus group are looking into the
possibility of establishing a connection service to Cattal Station.
The Village survey identified Burn Beck
junction as one of the danger spots in the Parish. North Yorkshire County
Council will be doing work to lessen the acute angle of the junction, however,
this will not rectify the speed at which traffic approaches the bend in the
road that leads up to the junction with the B6265 Boroughbridge Road. Seventy
two per cent of respondents agreed that Great Ouseburn Parish has a problem
with speeding traffic. Most people identified the main street including Branton
Green, Boat Lane and Boroughbridge Road as the worst stretches of road. A
number of speed control measures have been employed in surrounding villages
throughout the county. Respondents to the survey mainly supported the
improvement of warnings and signs and the introduction of reduced speed limits
with police presence regularly to catch speeding offenders. A lot of people
obviously disliked road-narrowing schemes.
The position of the School, Church and
Public House on the Main Street and the parking that they inevitably attract,
add to the danger on the Main Street. The School particularly was identified as
an area where residents thought parking restrictions would aid road safety. The
Governors of the School have for some time been aware of the parking problem at
the School and do regularly advise parents about safe parking. School warning
signs are situated either side of the school and are switched on before
commencement of the school day and at the end of the day. North Yorkshire
County Council will be extending the footpath from the school to meet the
footpath from Little Ouseburn. It is hoped that this will provide a safe route
for children from Little Ouseburn to walk to the School and a safe dropping off
point for those who come by car, allowing the children to access the school
gate without having to cross the road.
A Traffic and Road Safety Subcommittee has
been set up to identify the problems with speeding traffic and to look into
possible measures to reduce speed and make the Main Street safer. The committee
will be working closely with the Governors of the School and the police.
Action Point
1. Comply with the current speed limits in the Parish. 2. When parking
on the road ensure that there are passing places between parked cars. 3. Drive carefully past the School during school hours. 4. Make
visitors to the village aware of the speed limits and parking problems. |
General
Information Point
1. Bus timetables are posted at the bus stops throughout the
village. 2.
Bus times are also
available from Traveline 08706 082608 and www.ukbus.co.uk 3.
Train times are posted
at Cattal Station and can also be found at www.arrivatrainsnorthern.co.uk 4.
Parking at Cattal
Station is free. |
Action Plan
The results of the Parish survey were
presented to parishioners in April 2003 and a list of areas for action was
agreed. Three priorities were identified for immediate action:
|
Priority |
Contact Name |
Contact Number |
|
Traffic and Road Safety |
Ruth Girdham |
330631 |
|
Rights of Way |
Keith Scott |
331235 |
|
Sports Facilities |
Jeff Gill |
331110 |
Sub committees have been set up to plan and
take action in respect of these 3 areas. Meetings are held regularly and
progress will be reported to the Parish Council and recorded in the Parish
Council Minutes and when appropriate in the Village News. As work progresses on
the 3 priorities other working groups will be set up to deal with other areas
identified for action. A number of interested residents have volunteered to
participate in the work of the subcommittees. If you would like to get involved
in any of the 3 groups identified above, please make yourself known to the
contact name. Anyone who is interested in helping to maintain and improve
aspects of Parish life can get involved. There is no need for special talents,
knowledge or skills, all that is necessary is the motivation to be part of the
development of the Parish for the benefit of all living in the area and
visitors.
Other areas that were identified through the
survey for action in the future were:
Recycling
facilities
Bus
Shelter
The
Free Landing
Village
Website
Public Transport
Village Design Statement
Some of these are already being addressed.
The Village website is up and running and you can email the webmaster at [email protected] to comment or suggest additions.
What Happens Next?
The Parish Council will continue to support
the work of the Parish Plan Committee and its Subcommittees. Opportunities to access
funding from relevant sources will be taken by or on behalf of the Parish
Council through the Subcommittees. Meetings will continue until issues are
addressed to the satisfaction of the members of the committees and
Parishioners. Parish Plan Committee and Subcommittee meetings will be
advertised on the Parish Notice Boards. Developments and ideas will be
communicated to Parishioners as they arise through minutes of the Parish
Council, Village News, Village website and Parish Plan Updates.
Appendix 1
Local Businesses in the
Parish of Great Ouseburn with Branton Green.
|
Business |
Name |
|
Aldwark Toll Bridge |
Aldwark Bridge Limited |
|
Bed and Breakfast |
Brenda and John Walters |
|
Blacksmith |
Nigel Saville – Nidd Smithy |
|
Builder |
Allan Meek & Sons |
|
Computer & IT Consultant |
Peter Duncanson |
|
Dairyman |
Richard Robinson |
|
Farmers |
John Coates |
|
|
Tim Cross |
|
|
Simon Gill |
|
|
Anthony Gillam |
|
|
Michael Knowles |
|
|
Brian Robinson |
|
Garage |
Simon Gill – Moor Lane Autos |
|
Garden Design |
William White |
|
Haulage |
Mark Wright |
|
Joiners |
Wm Burrell & son |
|
|
Tony Ellis |
|
|
Mike Rampling |
|
Landscape Gardener |
John Elgie |
|
|
Terry Jones |
|
|
Pat Lord |
|
Livery Stable |
Maurice Scaife |
|
Monumental Mason |
Charles Smith |
|
Post Office & Village Shop |
Ted & Kate McKeowen |
|
Public House |
Ian & Barbara Gill – The Crown Inn |
|
Seed Warehouse |
Campbell & Penty |
|
Taxi |
John Rawlings |
|
Training Consultancy |
Jen Flintoff |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Useful Contacts
|
NAME |
CONTACT FOR |
TELE PHONE |
|
|
Tony Burrell |
Parish Councillor |
330291 |
|
|
Doug Child |
Chair of Village Hall Committee |
330812 |
|
|
Peter Duncanson |
Broadband registration |
330986 |
|
|
Jeff Gill |
Chair of Parish Council |
331110 |
|
|
Ruth Girdham |
Parish Councillor Parish Plan Traffic |
330631 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Harrogate District Council |
Local Plan Policy Section |
556581 |
|
|
Dorothy Armstrong |
Parish Councillor (2003) |
|
|
|
Peter Naylor |
Neighbourhood Watch Village News Litter Awareness |
330663 |
|
|
Jenny Prosser |
Parish Magazine |
322443 |
|
|
Judy Rich |
Parish Council Police/Community Safety Link |
323119 |
|
|
Brian Robinson |
Parish Councillor |
330237 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keith Scott |
Parish Councillor Rights of Way Broadband Registration School Governor Garden Refuse Sacks |
331235 |
|
|
|
Web Master |
|
|
|
Jayne Winn |
Clerk to Parish Council |
331742 |
All numbers are prefixed with Harrogate STD Code 01423
unless otherwise stated.
|
This Parish Plan has been created and published with a grant from |
|
The Working Group are also very
grateful to the many parishioners who have all contributed their time, opinions
and ideas to this plan.
The Working Group are: -
Robin Adams, Dorothy & Tom
Armstrong, Tony Burrell, David Burton, Nick Butler, Doug Child, David Dwight,
Jeff Gill, Ruth Girdham, David Holden, Carol Livesley Dave & Trish Meakin, Judith Rich, Keith
Scott, Chris Spooner, Hannah Tankard, Paul & Bridget Thompson,
Amanda Trevithick, Alyson White, Richard White, Margaret Williams.
Cover
Photographs and map paintings courtesy of Caroline E. Bailey.