Councillor Patricia Fairbank

Long standing Craven councillor Pat Fairbank attended Bradleys Both Parish Council meeting last night and announced that she is stepping down on the 24th March due to ill health.

Cllr Fairbank has represented the Aire Valley & Lothersdale ward since 2000 in which time she has served on the Select Committee and as Vice Chair of the Standards Committee as well as being a champion for older people.

Living in Bradley, Cllr Fairbank has long been a popular figure and we thank her for her dedication and hard work over the years. Pat is regretfully standing down as her health is making it increasingly difficult for her to carry out her duties. She told the meeting that she would like to thank the residents of Bradley for putting their trust in her to speak on their behalf which has been an honour and a privilege.She sends her thanks and best wishes to the Council and residents.

A by-election will take place at the same time as the North Yorkshire County Council elections on May 4.

Pat Fairbank

North Yorkshire Police Property Fund, Cash Available for Community Projects

North Yorkshire Police is calling on local community and voluntary groups to apply for funding for initiatives which benefit the region and its residents, particularly those which could have a positive impact on reducing crime and disorder.
Monies from the North Yorkshire Police Property Fund are generated from the auction of property which has either been seized or confiscated as part of criminal investigations and which, despite its best efforts, the Force has been unable to return to its rightful owners.
Previous successful project applications include conservation experiences for young people, the provision of multi-cultural pre-school learning resources and riding experiences for the disabled.
North Yorkshire Police chief constable, Dave Jones, said: bThe auction of this property and the resulting monies raised, offers us the opportunity to give those organisations that carry out worthwhile work in our region that little bit of extra support to run initiatives which benefit our whole community. I welcome applications from our valued community groups and look forward to seeing the positive differences the Fund can make to our region and its residents.b
Julia Mulligan, police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire, added: bIt is often local people with good ideas who can make the biggest difference in their community, so if you know of a good project that needs a boost, or have an idea yourself, make sure you make the most of the Police Property Fund.b
Applications for this round of funding, the first of two planned for 2017, closes on 30th April.
Full details and eligibility criteria can be found at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/grant

Public Rights of Way Consultation

NYCC areB consulting on a proposal to change the way theyB prioritise management and maintenance of public rights of way within North Yorkshire, excluding those managed on our behalf by The North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.
Public rights of way are footpaths, bridleways and other routes that everyone can use without needing permission from landowners.
“At over 6,000 km, our public rights of way network is one of the longest in the country. One of ourB key objectives is to make sure this important asset is safe and usable for both residents and visitors.
In an average year, customers will report 3,000 defects, such as a brokenB stile or a fallen tree. Maintenance of the network is arranged by a small team of officers with support from landowners, contractors and a dedicated group of countryside volunteers.
We haveB had to reduceB our spending by around 35 per centB over recent years and this has affected all council services, including public rights of way. As a consequence we are now looking at ways to continue managing the public rights of way network with less money.
The purpose of this consultation is to ask people for their views on a new approach to categorising the public rights of way network. Doing so will allow us to focus routine maintenance in areas where paths are agreed as being more important or better used. The category of a route will also help us to plan how we respond to defects that we find or are reported to us.”
To have your say on the public rights of way consultation click on this link. Deadline 19th March 2017

Parish Greening

The Government have set a target of 11 million extra trees to be planted in the United Kingdom.
This recognises the considerable deficiency in the tree numbers across the land compared to other countries in Europe but more particularly the contribution to the management of global warming and greenhouse gases trees make. Further, in these times of unpredictable weather, trees make a positive impact on the permeability of the soil helping to mop up excess water.
Yorkshire has fewer trees than almost any county in the country, by a big margin. This has been recognised by the work such bodies as the Woodland Trust and Yorkshirebs National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Authorities who have been focusing on replenishing tree numbers across the County for some years.
The Parish Council wish to gather views from you about any approach or position our Parish could take to make a positive contribution to the greening of our environment.That could mean the planting of trees or shrubs in-locations anywhere in the parish including grass verges or small green spaces in the conservation area, the newer development or on the hillside or valley.
Tell us what you think and give us your views via the usual channels.
If you would like to comment please contact the Clerk on clerk@bradleysboth-pc.gov.uk

Community Speed Watch

The Parish Council is trying to organise a Speed Watch in the village with the assistance of North Yorkshire Police who will train those who take part in the use of the equipment and recording. B We need two to four residents who can spare an hour or so at a future date. If you are interested in taking part please email your contact details to clerk@bradleysboth-pc.gov.uk and further information will be sent to you.