A full list of events has been planned for the evening of 2nd June. Please check the details on the Jubilee Events Poster
At the last Parish Council meeting councillors received a presentation by Ian Woods on behalf of the Moat Fields Management Group (MFMG) which looked at changes the committee would like to see. The MFMG manage the area of fields, which are beyond Church Lane and St Everilda Church, and councillors have frequently commented on how fortunate the village is to have such an able and willing group of volunteers making up the committee.
Ian set out a vision of the changes the committee would like to see which included the likes of new hedges and fencing and other improvements, as well as detailing possible funding streams before taking questions. The work will enable the area to be best looked after, whilst balancing issues like not disturbing ground which needs protecting, so it can be enjoyed by a variety of users.
Councillors all agreed that the Moat Fields had long been a great asset for the village and this had been seen all the more so in the Covid times with their access to fresh air and nice walks. All agreed that they supported the vision set out for the area and supported the idea of providing one off and ongoing funding as and when needed.
After the sad death of Cllr Peter Powell, it was necessary to look for a new Parish Councillor for Nether Poppleton. Notices were put in the relevant places and village resident Gordon Bates said he would like to be considered for the role.
At the February meeting of the Parish Council Gordon’s application to join was unanimously supported and he was therefore co-opted. Gordon works in York as a school teacher and lives on Midway Avenue with his wife and dog and is very much looking forward to further contributing to village life. As he had yet to be formally appointed Gordon was an observer for the February Planning Meeting but then joined in with the Main Meeting after his co-option. The clerk has given him an induction to the role and Gordon will look at doing relevant training as and when it is available.
As Peter continues to be remembered, the meeting agreed it would put a plaque commemorating him on one of the new seats being installed in front of the pond. As recorded in the minutes ‘It would be a ‘Happy to Chat’ seat’ as Peter loved to chat.
Commenting on Gordon’s appointment, Parish Council Chairman Sean Barry said ‘the passing of Peter was a huge loss for the village and Parish Council but I am delighted to welcome Gordon to his new role, which I have no doubt he will be excellent at.’
Last year Nether and Upper Poppleton Parish Councils appointed representatives to a committee to look at local plans for this year’s Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II will this year become the first British monarch ever to reach 70 years on the throne and as a result national celebrations are being planned over a four-day Bank Holiday extended weekend from 2nd June. The purpose of the committee is to co-ordinate and organise events in Poppleton, primarily over that June weekend.
The committee has met twice already and will meet again this month and monthly going forward to share expertise and bring local people together in planning to maximise the participation and fun in June. It is hoped a leaflet will be produced of all events in the village. The committee has spoken to and will speak to the likes of the scouts, local schools and sports groups. It is planned that the celebrations will see a combination of music and entertainment type events as well as an interesting but more educational type of focus, for example with the likes of Poppleton History Society doing interview segments with people who remember the coronation 70 years ago. Floats around the village, maypole dancing, arts and photographic exhibitions and big screens to show videos and national television coverage are amongst the ideas being looked at!
Funding of the plans is clearly a key consideration and will be kept closely under control. It is possible there may be funding from the Parish Councils as well as Ward Funding from City of York Council. However the committee would be keen to hear from anyone, whether an individual, organisation or business, who feels they could provide financial or other support.
Below is a link to a survey which we would be delighted for you to complete about what you would like to see or how you may be able to help. It will only take about a minute or so of your time, though you can of course spend far longer if you are bursting with ideas!
At recent Parish Council meetings the issue of speed in the village has been discussed. There are a number of problem spots and one area considered before is Main Street, especially the bends just out of the main built-up area. The Parish Council had reported its concern to North Yorkshire Police who agreed to monitor speed and this was reported to Monday’s meeting.
Overall the police report showed average speeds well inside the speed limit but a small minority of speeders. Based on the data taken and other evidence the North Yorkshire Road Safety Task Group believe a Community Speed Watch (CSW) may be sensible. A CSW is a group of volunteers who are given training and equipment (from fluorescent jackets to speed monitoring devices) by the police and they then monitor speeds.
Councillors agreed that looking to set up a CSW would be added to the next meeting’s agenda. The Parish Council does not meet in December and this next meeting will therefore be 17th January. However!! If CSW is to be brought in there needs to be enthusiasm from residents with a reasonable number volunteering to help. Schemes have failed in other areas where there have been too few volunteers who have therefore tired and it has fizzled out.
If you wish to make any comments on speed in the village, a proposed CSW or are interested in volunteering please contact our clerk James Mackman at netherpoppletonclerk@poppleton-pc.org.uk. Residents are of course very welcome at the January meeting, as they are at any meeting.
Residents will be well aware that the road surface in Allerton Drive is poor in parts and particularly bad between Ebor Way and Montague Walk. This particular section of the road has actually been a concern of Nether Poppleton Parish Council for some time and featured on the monthly agenda for more than two years.
The Local Authority has set standards (like depth) for the repairing of potholes or leaving them but it is not as clear with an overall road. With the road at best a pain to drive on and at worst likely to cause accidents your parish councillors are continuing to urge City of York Council to resurface it as soon as possible.
At the September Parish Council meeting the road was again discussed and the clerk will once again contact the council’s highways staff to ask where the road is on the list of priorities and urge for action to
At July’s respective meetings Nether Poppleton and Upper Poppleton councillors discussed whether the two Parish Councils should consider merging. Currently, as they always have been, Nether and Upper are run as separate councils reflecting the two historic different villages, however there is increasingly overlap in the areas of influence and or issues that affect residents of one area sit absolutely under the other and the two communities have long since joined to work together on specific projects. Many residents do not realise where each village starts and ends and few would have any confidence to draw an absolute boundary!
Although both Nether and Upper share a clerk and have worked together on areas like the new website, listing buildings and the significant project of the Neighbourhood Plan both villages retain their separate status. Merging the two councils has been looked at in the past with a considerable amount of research being done by some but there has not overall been sufficient enthusiasm to take the project forward.
Each Parish Council has now appointed two councillors who will meet to look at the process and pros and cons which will include the likes of financial changes, how committees may then function and whether the new parish would be split into wards with a certain number of councillors having to represent Nether and a number representing Upper and indeed whether it would become a larger Parish Council or would become a Town Council.
The sub group will then report to their respective Parish Councils who will look at taking the project further or not. It must be emphasised that this exercise is just councillors looking at possibilities, if anything was to happen it would be subject to a formal consultation and process led by City of York Council. However we are always interested in your thoughts and if you have any please contact the clerk James Mackman.
