A ZOOM meeting of Stokesley Town Council was held on Tuesday, March 9.

Business proposals. – The owners of the Bexters Café business notified councillors of their intentions to move premises to what was originally the Westbrook Cycle Shop on the High Street. They advised that, as this had previously been used as a café, they are not required to apply for a change of use and that the service they were planning to offer would be the same as now. However they may consider applying for an alcohol licence in the future so they can provide Prosecco with their afternoon teas etc. Councillors thanked them for this information and wished them every success.

The owners of the Chapters Deli business informed councillors of their intentions to apply to use some of the outside area for outdoor seating. An initial pavement licence has been submitted and they are liaising with North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) regarding the cobbled area adjacent to the pedestrian crossing, to establish if this could be safely used for seating. County Councillor Bryn Griffiths agreed to chase up a response from NYCC. If this area was deemed unsuitable then the proposal would be to submit an application to utilise the parking areas outside Chapters Deli.

A resident from Tame Bridge advised councillors that they were in the process of submitting a planning application to build cabins and pods on their land. Although they appreciated that Stokesley Town Council would not be one of the planning consultees, they wanted to let councillors know about the proposals as they felt that they would benefit Stokesley in the long run. There would be no other facilities on the site so it was hoped that this would encourage visitors to shop and support local businesses in Stokesley. Confirmation was provided that they have liaised with Northumbrian Water regarding drainage and flooding risks etc.

Plans for a lobby extension to Stokesley Health Centre, additional car parking spaces and refurbishment of the building have now been approved.

Councillors had no objections to the change of use of manorial land directly in front of 69-71 High Street, Stokesley for a seating area for Bar Tru Vai with wooden decking and barriers. However this would be subject to confirmation that this would be a temporary permission only, as a part of a package to support town centre businesses during this difficult time, and that the loss of parking spaces be limited to the four parking bays immediately in front of the property and not the five as specified in the application.

Litter picking. – One of the volunteers who had taken part in the recent litter picking exercise in and around Stokesley, which had resulted in more than 150 bags of rubbish being collected, requested that councillors consider what support they could offer going forward in order to reduce the amount of littering and fly tipping. He said that there was a need to educate the people responsible for throwing the litter and, if that could not be addressed, then authorities needed to look at ways of identifying the perpetrators and holding them to account. Cllr Griffiths responded that it was a national issue and that legislation was coming through Parliament regarding enforcement. He thought that more signage would help.

The volunteer also asked if a joint approach could be developed, not only working with Hambleton District Council (HDC) and NYCC, but also with the neighbouring parishes. It was agreed that district councillor Andy Wake would arrange a meeting with neighbouring parishes and HDC to discuss a joint approach to tackling this growing issue. Councillors confirmed that they had sent a letter thanking all the volunteers involved for their hard work and efforts.

River Leven. – Ben Lamb, from the Tees River Trust, provided a presentation on their proposals to improve the in-stream habitat along the river through Stokesley, following a request from the Environment Agency. This would include the use of natural features to increase the water speed through agreed areas along the river from Manor Close to Armstrong Richardsons. Mr Lamb said that no additional water would be introduced, but the channel would be narrowed in parts and bends would be added. Timber flow deflectors and coir rolls would be added and gravels would be laid down in the bed to encourage reproduction of invertebrates and increase diversity. Mr Lamb expected that the curves would become naturalised after a while and would be self-maintaining.

It was hoped that this work would commence by the middle to end of April, and it was anticipated it would take between four and six weeks. The Rivers Trust would be looking for volunteers to assist with the project. The presentation will be uploaded to the town council website and social media to promote the proposals and inform residents of what and why work will be taking place.

County and district. – Cllr Wake advised councillors that he has requested an update on the old British Legion Club and would update councillors upon receipt. A new litter bin has been installed near to the Kier site. Cllr Griffiths advised councillors that Kier are due to submit revised plans for the further development of the Tanton development. He anticipated that these would include an upgrade of lighting at the Tanton Road junction as well as improvements to the Stokesley footpath.

Cobbles. – Following the receipt of the revised condition survey from HDC, the next step would be to draft a tender document with assistance from HDC. As the estimated cost of relaying damaged cobbles had risen from £89,000 to nearly £100,000 within a few years, it was agreed that the tender should include a fixed price element to take account of any increase to materials, since it may take several months or longer to complete the full programme of work.

Parking. – It was agreed that the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) supplied by Ward Hadaway would now be submitted to the legal departments of both HDC and NYCC for their consideration. Cllr Mike Canavan continues to seek a resolution regarding Stokesley Town Council employing Scarborough Borough Council to carry out the enforcement of the parking restrictions. It was agreed that a progress update would be provided to the chief executive of HDC.

River Leven Project. – Two comments had been received from the second pre-planning application. These were to change the proposed colour of the footpath to a sandstone colour and that the paving areas around the benches should be Yorkshire stone or something similar. The final application will now be submitted incorporating these revisions and work would commence contacting contractors to ascertain if they would be interested in submitting a bid. Cllr Canavan confirmed that the new lamp posts to be installed along the Levenside would be the ones without charge from NYCC, following approval by the conservation officer. Cllr Canavan continues to negotiate with BT Openreach regarding moving their overhead cables underground.

Horse riding. – Concerns were expressed about the riding of horses along Levenside and the Rose Hill Drive cut through to Levenside. Cllr Griffiths noted that horse riders have asked for the Rose Hill Drive cut to become a bridleway. The application had been put in and had been supported by County, but there have been objections. So it is currently still not a bridleway and should not be used by horses. Cllr Canavan commented that some paths on the Riverslea/Riversdene Estate were also being used by horse riders and wondered if it was worth enquiring if these paths could be designated as public footpaths to prevent this from happening.

It was resolved to install signs on the path along Levenside to advise that it is not to be used as a bridleway, as councillors were concerned about the safety of pedestrians, especially school children.

Bounce Back. – Councillors who had carried out the sign cleaning were thanked for their efforts and it was acknowledged that this has proved to be a worthwhile exercise and one that would be completed in the coming weeks. Cllr Dave Oxley was thanked for installing the notice board in the bus stop which displays the town map. It was agreed to promote the fact that Stokesley is a Fair Trade Town on the reverse as well as it being a gateway to the North Yorkshire Moors. Once the wording and design is agreed, the clerk will arrange for this to be printed on an appropriate material to ensure it does not fade. The clerk will continue to liaise with HDC regarding signage in the Showfield car park.

Other matters. – A letter had been received from the leader of North Yorkshire County Council regarding the unitary authority proposal. Cllr Griffiths informed councillors that there were two options on the table and that town councils were able to giving a response regarding their preference. He noted that North Yorkshire state that they would allow towns to manage their own parking, so the town council might be able to gain control of the Springfield car park. It was agreed that councillors should review the options in advance of the next town council meeting with a view to agreeing a formal response from the town council.

It was decided to appoint AAA Roofing to carry out the repair to the public toilets roof at the agreed cost of £2,080 plus VAT.

The next town council meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 13.