Complaints about noise and rowdy behaviour in the town late at night could lead to agreements for the use of street furniture to be revoked.
At the June meeting of Middleham Town Council as Trustee of Charity for the Benefit of Inhabitant Householders of Parish of Middleham (TC) councillors were informed that a resident had objected to a consistent pattern of excessive late night noise, rowdy behaviour and unpleasant language outside a pub. A visitor had also complained.
Cllr Honor Byford reported she had undertaken some mediation with the licensee last year.
It was pointed out that the agreements made with businesses in the town allowed street furniture to be used until 11pm and made it their responsibility to control any excessive noise or rowdy behaviour.
It was agreed that a succinct and robust letter should be sent to each establishment in breach of these conditions giving notice that agreements would be terminated without notice if this continued.
When two councillors measured the areas used for street furniture outside some businesses it was found that these were larger than those on which the invoices were based upon. As some discrepancies were quite large these would be re-measured to ensure that it was done on a consistent basis with previous years.
NOTE: We have been asked to point out that the pub in question was not the Black Bull in Middleham.
Hedges. – At the TC meeting the councillors were shown evidence that the hedgerow alongside the Busks had been so drastically cut back that the visual amenity of the area had been affected. The councillors were also concerned that the work had been carried out during the nesting season.
The landowner will be asked how the boundary will be re-instated.
The need to ensure road safety, however, led to the councillors agreeing that the hedges on the Plantations should be cut back as soon as possible. It had been reported that, due to recent rapid growth, the hedges were obscuring the visibility for road users.
The councillors agreed that the more expensive cut should be undertaken as only doing the ends and not the sides or the tops might create an unbalanced and untidy appearance. The contractor will be asked to take care not to disturb any nesting birds.
Waste bins. – During the open forum at the council meeting residents reported that the dog waste bin on Canaan’s Lane was in such bad condition that bagged waste was falling on the ground.
The clerk will ask the district council if its refuse collectors will empty a black bin placed beside the broken one.
Residents also asked if the dog waste bins could be emptied more frequently so that they did not become over-full.
Playing field. – A member of the Middleham Sports and Community Wellbeing Association (MSCWA) management committee gave a detailed overview of recent activity aimed at ensuring the playing field’s viability.
He said that a key priority was to convene a quorate Extraordinary General Meeting so that the association’s constitution could be revised. The association needed to generate additional income, encourage new activities, and ensure that the grounds and the buildings were maintained. He thanked the volunteers for all the work they were doing.
Road resurfacing. – The council was disappointed that it had not been invited to a meeting about resurfacing roads so that there was less chance of racehorses slipping. This had been organised by Middleham Trainers’ Association and attended by NYCC’s Richmondshire Area Highways Manager, Richard Marr.
Mr Marr has assured the council that it will be a key consultee in any further discussions about resurfacing roads. He told the council that, even though there was no funding at present for the work suggested by the trainers, a proposal would be prepared, priced and informally consulted upon.
Forbidden Corner. – The councillors were informed that a meeting will take place between the council and the principal planning officer for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority regarding common concerns about applications submitted by the operators of Forbidden Corner.
Environmental health. – The district council’s environmental health officer had reported that he had visited a householder where rats had been reported and provided advice on the proper disposal of household waste. There had been no further reports of rats in the west end of the town.
Next meeting. – This will be in the Key Centre at 7pm on Wednesday July 25.
