The hole on one side of Bishopdale Bridge is getting worse, the councillors were told at the last meeting of Aysgarth and District Parish Council.
The council first told North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department in 2015 when the bridge was damaged by a heavy vehicle. Since then the highways department has been informed when other vehicles have caused further damage.
The highways department has also been regularly asked since December 2014 when the road from Thornton Rust to Cubeck will be repaired as a part by the Scar is collapsing.
The highways department has placed barriers there and also at Bishopdale Bridge, and now also where a wall has been damaged on the road on the south side of Aysgarth Falls.
Councillor John Dinsdale reported that the level of tarmac on the road through Thornton Rust was so high that, during a period of heavy rainfall, water flowed over the kerb into a garden and a barn.
Planning applications. – Parish councils in the Yorkshire Dales National Park must give substantial reasons for either supporting or objecting to a planning application even when they don’t know what the planning officers will recommend.
Pip Land of the Association of Rural Communities reported that if a parish council did not give detailed reasons a planning officer could make a decision under delegated authority that was contrary to its recommendation without referring an application to the planning committee.
Mystified Bungalow. – The application to use the annex at Mystified Bungalow in Bishopdale was discussed by the YDNPA planning committee because enforcement action was requested.
The retrospective application was for the annex at the bungalow to be used as a self-contained holiday let. The owner had offered to sign a legal agreement tying the annex to the bungalow and restricting the holiday let use to 10 months each year.
Ms Land read an email from the YDNPA head of development management, Richard Graham, which stated that such a legal agreement could be subject to appeal because the annex had its own separate parking, access and garden space.
The planning committee had refused the application and agreed that an enforcement notice should be issued, giving the owner six months to stop using the annex as a holiday let.
Bishopdale. – The council was informed that a YDNPA officer had recommended that all the proposed work at Howesyke Farm should be refused. The council had given its approval for the project which included extending the existing farmhouse, the erection of two semi-detached rural workers cottages and the conversion of a barn so that it could be used for short-term holiday lets.
The councillors agreed that the planning committee should hold a site meeting there before making a decision. Richmondshire District Councillor Caroline Thornton-Berry, who is chairman of the YDNPA planning committee, said she would recommend a site meeting.
The councillors said that a new storage building at Street Head Caravan Park would tidy up the site and fit in well with the landscape.
The council agreed to be a partner in making grant submissions to Richmondshire District Council and the YDNPA Sustainable Development Fund regarding the provision of broadband in Bishopdale.
Streetlight. – Councillor Robert Walker said he had bought a new bulb for the solar street light near the Doctors’ Surgery in Aysgarth but the light still didn’t work.
He had found that the battery was not charging and would investigate to find the cause.
Aysgarth. – Councillor Peter Windle told the meeting that some dog walkers were kicking dog faeces into the road along Dyke Hollins. When it rained this was splashed back onto the pavement by vehicles.
Flood management. – Cllr Dinsdale spoke about the Wensleydale Natural Flood Project and suggested that the council should consider having Thoralby Moss and Thornton Mire included.
Next meeting. – It will be held at Aysgarth Institute at 7.30pm on Thursday, March 30.
