November Chair Letter: Weight limits & lots of cake
Dear Parishioners of Bubwith, Breighton and Willitoft
We can all sigh with relief as finally, and ahead of schedule, Bubwith Bridge has reopened, hurray! A vote of thanks go to the officers of East Riding and the contractors who worked hard to bring the repair in ahead of time and who set a new high bar on communicating effectively with communities.
Work has begun on tidying up the car park adjacent to the bridge with new picnic benches and a good trim of the hedges and there have been some very positive comments on the safety barriers although the blue is not everyone’s cup of tea (I’m told it was the original colour when the steel barrier was put on).
The Parish Council wishes to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our recent informal survey testing the appetite for campaigning for a new second bridge. We received a number of responses via email or in person the majority of which were against and some wished to see speed or weight restrictions imposed following the reopening of the repaired bridge.
The Parish Council voted to accept the survey results as indicative of local views, various points were discussed for and against the proposal of a second bridge and it was then resolved not to pursue the issue at this time.
The Parish Council then considered trying to gain a weight limit to reduce traffic on the A163, the only way to approach this would be to apply for an environmental weight restriction. The grounds for such an application were explored and of the four possible grounds only one could apply and this was seen as not being achievable. Parish Councillors saw that if a weight limit was imposed this would push traffic onto lesser roads, and would impose a 60-mile diversion in some cases resulting in added cost to companies and more pollution. The effect on Sutton Derwent village would be extreme resulting in further danger to their school children. Parish Councillors felt that a “fair sharing out” of HGVs was sensible and therefore resolved not to apply for a weight limit.
It was a joy to attend the Macmillan Coffee Morning at the end of September at the Leisure Centre. It was lovely to see so many members of our community (some into their 90s) coming along, bringing their cakes and then enjoying a cuppa, a cake and a chat with old and new friends. A big thank you to all who came along and supported us, we managed to raise the princely sum of £655.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Best wishes.
Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council
