Nether Poppleton Parish Council Chairman`s Annual Report 2023-24
It is an honour and a privilege to be a Councillor and to be your chairman.
Please find a brief summary of the events and activities in the 2023 / 2024 period.
King Charles Coronation Event: 6th May 2023
Last May, we celebrated the Coronation of King Charles. A number of us played a role in organising this event and also setting up on the day itself.
This event was a big success and a large number of people turned out on the night. I do think that we need to think about utilising a larger section of the community to organise these events in the future.
Grouping of the Nether and Upper Poppleton Parish Councils
A significant amount of time and effort has been expended upon the preparatory work for the proposed Grouping.
We have engaged with the City of York Council, CoYC; the Yorkshire Local Councils Association, YLCA; and, to a lesser extent, the National Association of Local Councils, NALC.
Both Nether and Upper Poppleton Paris Council`s held Parish meetings in January to seek parishioners’ views on the proposed Grouping. In each case, the outcome was overwhelmingly in favour of this. The Chairman of Upper Poppleton and myself separately informed the CoYC of the outcome and requested a meeting to discuss the way forward.
The response from CoYC has been both lethargic and discouraging. A focus in the coming year this year will be to try and seek engagement from CoYC.
Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday
20 people attended the Armistice Day on the 11th November. Colin Robinson laid a wreath and read out the names of Nether Poppleton residents who had given their lives in the First World War.
The Chair of NPPC attended the Remembrance Day Service at the Methodist Chapel, together with David Johnson, who represented Upper Poppleton. Both of us delivered readings at the service and subsequently read the names of those residents who had fallen in conflict.
Notable Areas That We Have Worked
• The road in front of the Allerton Drive shops was resurfaced after a long period of chasing from the NPPC.
• We have raised the issue of parking congestion at the Ebor Way / Millfield Lane junction. A proposal to paint yellow lines in the area is out for public consultation.
• The area in front of the Cart Sheds has long been a problem, in particular regarding localised flooding water ingress into the sheds. A trench drain has now been created to drain the water into the adjacent pond. New tarmac has also been laid and the area is now much improved.
• We are progressing repairs to the riverbank adjacent to Saxe Dane Lodge. This will involve the planting of willow trees in order to strengthen the bank and provide visual amenity.
• Upstream of the aforementioned area, we have pollarded some willows, for their long-term health, and also to provide a better view of the river.
• We initiated a five-year tree survey and are currently acting upon the high priority actions arising from the survey.
• We re-purposed chippings to enhance the footpath in Warren Lea.
• We have assumed ownership for the defibrillator situated at the Allerton Drive shops.
Routine Parish Council Business
We have progressed 45 planning applications, representing a 10% increase from the 2022/23 period.
Finance
Grants to local organisations totalled £13,650
Closing
Finally, I wanted to say a big thank you to my fellow councillors for their commitment and their time in making the village what it is.
I would especially like to thank Edie Jones for her tireless work and her enthusiasm. Every village needs an Edie, I feel that she is a fantastic role model.
Our Parish Clerk, James Mackman, has also done an excellent job; producing the papers in good time, and also ensuring that we adhere to the correct protocols and procedures … well done, James.
As a Parish Council, I think that we make a really good team, and I am looking forward to the year ahead.
