More changes to the Withernsea to Hull bus services

EYMS LTD have now issued a new timetable to commence from Sunday 30th October 2011 for the Hull to Withernsea bus services following, what they describe as passengers being "unhappy" with the recently changed service. The details of the changes have been published by the bus company in its newsletter:

"We understand many of you have been unhappy with recent changes to our Withernsea buses, so we have listened to your views and from Sunday 30 October Service 76 will return, Service 74 is replaced by Service 77 (meaning more buses for villages between Keyingham and Withernsea during the day), there will be an extra Service 77 journey from Hull at 9.45am during the week, and an extra Service 77 journey from Hedon on Saturdays, and there will be minor changes to times on all journeys, including some Service 277 journeys. Service 71 will also be retimed slightly so that it can continue to connect with buses to Hull. Download the new Withernsea timetables now."

It is certainly good news that EYMS have been able to act to change services in response to 'passenger power' in this way. But it remains to be seen how long the company will be able to act in such a beneficial manner.

The company faces increasing pressure on its services due to: cuts in national Government funding available to subsidise services; increasing fuel prices; and the need to replace its fleet of buses by 2017 to ensure that they all meet the requirements of the Disabled Discrimination Act.

Tough times ahead for the company - and indeed for passengers who perhaps now need to embrace passenger power and community activism as something that can help preserve services and even improve them.

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East Riding Council: FREE COMPOST given away in Withernsea

THE EAST RIDING COUNCIL will be holding a FREE COMPOST giveaway on 27th July 2011 at the Pavilion Market Car Park, Withernsea. 

The giveaway will start at 5pm and two free green sacks of soil improver will be put in the boot of each car by council staff. Councillor Symon Fraser, portfolio holder for environment, housing and planning for the council, said:

“This free compost is the result of all our residents’ hard work in keeping garden waste, food waste and cardboard out of landfill by putting it in the brown bins. Since April, when we started collecting the additional materials, 7,400 tonnes has been collected, higher than our expectations and proof of just what keen recyclers our residents are.”

NOTE: Compost will not be given away before 5pm and residents are asked not to queue before this time as it causes congestion and inconvenience to those living and working nearby.

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Hull to Withernsea 76 bus withdrawn to be replaced by "improved services" says EYMS

EYMS PUBLISHED ITS NEW HULL - WITHERNSEA bus timetables this week. East Yorkshire Motor Services has withdrawn the No. 76 service and replaced it with "improved Services 75 and 77" says the bus company.

The proposed changes caused controversy last month when it was revealed that services between Withernsea and Keyingham would be reduced at off-peak times and that the altered services will no longer pick up and drop passengers off at Ryehill or Bridge Bungalows bus stops.

The new services operate from Sunday 15th May.

A special Bus Surgery will be held outside St Stephen's Shopping Centre in Hull on Friday morning 20 May from 6:00am - 9:00am. This is the chance to make comments and suggestions on bus services in and around the Hull area. You'll be able to speak to representatives from bus operators (including EYMS) as well as impartial public transport experts.

Radio Humberside will also be broadcasting their entire breakfast programme from the surgery. Look out for the 'Bus It' bus, which will be parked at the front of St Stephens, near the entrance to the Interchange. No appointment is needed, just drop in.
Eyms Service 75-77 Timetable

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MP appeals to Government Minister to fund new Withernsea High School

GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS MINISTER Nick Gibb is touring Withernsea High School today after accepting an invitation from Graham Stuart MP.

Graham Stuart has arranged the visit to highlight the case for funding a new school in the resort. Withernsea High School was one of many schools that missed out when the previous government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme was abolished. In anticipation of the visit, the MP said recently:

“Withernsea High School has been passed over too many times and, I know, that if funding for a new school can be secured it will be a huge boost not just for the school, but for the town of Withernsea. I have already raised the issue of funding for Withernsea High School with the Secretary of State in the House of Commons and will continue to work as hard as I can to make sure the school and the community get the regeneration and support they need."

The Minister is expected to talk to staff, pupils and education chiefs at the school.

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Support "The Hut" in The People's Millions on Tuesday 23rd November 2010

UPDATE: The Voting Number to ring from 9am - Midnight on the day is 0871 62 68 141


“THE HUT” ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND in Withernsea is through to the final television round of ITV Yorkshire’s 'The People’s Millions’ and needs your votes on Tuesday, 23 November.

The project is the only entry from the East Riding and will be up against others from around Yorkshire. First prize is £50,000 which, if the project wins, will be spent on opening up the playground for more hours and putting on a wide range of activities to make it a really special place for everyone in the community.

The Hut will be featured on the ITV Yorkshire regional evening news on the Tuesday and people will be able to phone in and vote from 9:00am in the morning until midnight.

Fiona Thompson, Pathfinder manager for East Riding Council’s sport and play development service, said: "We would encourage everybody to watch our entry on Calendar and vote for us. If we win this exciting competition it will mean that the adventure playground can open more hours and put on free activities, like building climbing frames, towers and dens, a community garden and cooking sessions, 'grans and granddads club', teen sessions such as music, dance and films, and sensory play for disabled children."

Fiona added: "We want everyone in Withernsea to get the best out of their adventure playground. We hope that this project will help young people stay out of trouble with the police and get their lives back on track. Activities like gardening, camp fire cooking and 'self-build' (woodwork on a grand scale) can help bring the generations together in a fun and friendly place."

Graham Stuart MP is also encouraging people to vote in what he calls the "X-Factor" for Community Groups: "This will be a chance for the Hut project to become a reality and I would like to see as many people vote for it as possible."

Watch the programme on Calendar, ITV1 on Tuesday 23rd November 2010 at 6pm. You can also help 'spread the word' on Facebook and Twitter and get other information about The Hut project, and how you can vote for and support it, at The People's Millions : The Hut.

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Work programme to deliver East Yorkshire Beaches that are "best in Europe"

YORKSHIRE WATER has secured £110 million of funding to further upgrade its waste water facilities on the east coast.

A multi-million programme of work is being launched with the aim of turning Yorkshire’s beaches and bathing waters into the best in Europe. The five-year initiative will deliver environmental improvements along 50-miles of coastline, stretching from Withernsea to Staithes.

The aim is to ensure that Yorkshire’s bathing waters can achieve a new “excellent” standard due to come into force in 2015. Only where bathing waters met the new, tighter, environmental standard, would local councils be able to apply for the much coveted European Blue Flag.

Coun Steve Parnaby, OBE, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:

"Every year we are delighted to welcome visitors from all corners of the globe to the East Riding of Yorkshire. Many of these visitors are keen to enjoy our breathtaking coastline and we are determined that they should have the best possible stay and look forward to coming back again in future. Whether they come from the local area, from elsewhere in the UK, or from the rest of the world - we know how highly our visitors value safe, clean water. That is why we are pleased to be working so closely with our partners on this fantastic new scheme which will help to boost water quality along our coastline”

The prestigious Blue Flag is given to coastal destinations with the highest standards of water quality, cleanliness, safety, and environmental management. Hornsea and Withernsea were given the Blue Flag award in 2009 but were not on the list of 2010 winners.

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Red Dye Sea Testing

Note: Not an actual photo of  the dye

Residents and holidaymakers are being urged not to be concerned if they spot large plumes of red water in the sea off the coast of Skipsea and Withernsea from Monday 11th to Sunday 17th October 2010.

Yorkshire Water is conducting environmentally friendly dye-tests in a bid to build a greater understanding of how its sewer outfalls at both locations can impact on the quality of local bathing waters.

The company, which is planning to invest £110 million over the next five years to meet new environmental standards, is monitoring how long it takes for discharges to reach the sea and the effect of underwater currents and tides.

Bathing Water Strategy Manager Lee Pitcher said the dye will have no impact on fish, birds, or other wildlife.

“The dye itself is completely inert and is not harmful in any way to plants and wildlife. Over the course of the seven days, we'll be releasing different volumes from our outfalls and then tracking where it goes. This testing is hugely beneficial as it should give us a clearer picture of how our outfalls operate and the impact they have, helping to inform our planning around future investment. This activity has to be undertaken during the bathing season to ensure that it takes into account weather and environmental conditions that are typical of the season to ensure that we fully understand the impact of our sewer outfalls." 

Dye-testing was undertaken in Scarborough and Bridlington back in 2008, with similar work recently completed at Filey, Staithes, Runswick Bay, Sandsend, Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay.

Source: Yorkshire Water press release

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Community workers to meet Minister for Employment

COMMUNITY WORKERS from the SHoRes Centre in Withernsea are to meet with Employment Minister Chris Grayling (pictured) to address their fears that that services run by local voluntary and community sector groups will be hit by Government cuts.

Graham Stuart, the Beverley and Holderness MP, has arranged the meeting after visiting the Withernsea based community Resource Centre last month.

“The teams at the SHoRes Centre are doing a great job helping as many people as possible get back into work and with their care needs. They are worried much of that work could be undermined as Government is forced to make the changes to public spending to get the country back on track after 13 years of Labour mismanagement. They fear they will be overlooked and possibly squeezed out by larger organisations which simply do not have the local knowledge which has been built up by dedicated staff at the SHoRes Centre.” - Graham Stuart MP

Three members of staff from the SHoRes Centre will travel to London with the MP to meet Chris Grayling. They will also be meeting other senior civil servants about new Government arrangements being put in place to improve services and get better value for money.

Graham Stuart has described the SHoRes Centre as a 'Withernsea success story' that provides a base for thriving social enterprises providing care services and back to work help in Holderness and Beverley.

Chris Grayling is the second senior Minister to agree to meet with people from Withernsea. In November the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, will visit Withernsea High School as part of the local MP's campaign to improve understanding of the needs of rural and coastal communities in East Yorkshire.

See also: PM offers comfort to VCS groups.

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Senior Minister accepts MP’s invitation to visit Withernsea

A GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS MINISTER will tour Withernsea High School in November after accepting an invitation from Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart.

Graham Stuart expressed his delight at securing the visit of the Minister of Schools, Nick Gibb (pictured), to Withernsea. He has arranged the visit to highlight the case for funding a new school in the resort. Withernsea High School was one of many schools that missed out when the previous government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme was abolished.

“Withernsea High School has been passed over too many times and, I know, that if funding for a new school can be secured it will be a huge boost not just for the school, but for the town of Withernsea. I have already raised the issue of funding for Withernsea High School with the Secretary of State in the House of Commons and will continue to work as hard as I can to make sure the school and the community get the regeneration and support they need."

The Minister will also get the chance to talk to staff, pupils and education chiefs when he goes to the school on Thursday November 18.

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New Hedon (including parts of Hull) and Withernsea Parliamentary constituency?

"HEDON AND WITHERNSEA" might be the name of a new parliamentary constituency that would embrace areas as diverse as Bransholme East in North Hull, Ings, Longhill, Marfleet, Southcoates in East Hull and Holderness. The new constituency would be formed if proposals from the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) are adopted by the Government.

Plans to reduce the number of parliamentary constituencies by 50 and to equalise the size of constituencies are already being discussed by the House of Commons. The ERS have attempted to demonstrate how this can be done fairly using a state-of-the-art mapping technology. The new political map they have drawn up will create 598 new constituencies. Each new parliamentary area will be based on the number of voting age people within it and gives an average size constituency of 85,300. The average Ward will contain 5,400 people.

The solution put forward by the ERS is based on the number of people over the age of 18 in 2015, rather than the number of people registered to vote.  They consider this to be a fairer approach due to fluctuations in the size of the registered electorate in different areas. The new Hedon and Withernsea constituency would have 89,240 people over the age of 18 in 2015.

The new Hedon and Withernsea constituency, under the ERS proposals, would be formed from the following wards:

• Bransholme East, Kingston upon Hull North
• Ings, Kingston upon Hull East
• Longhill, Kingston upon Hull East
• Marfleet, Kingston upon Hull East
• Mid Holderness, Beverley and Holderness
• South East Holderness, Beverley and Holderness
• South West Holderness, Beverley and Holderness
• Southcoates East, Kingston upon Hull East
• Southcoates West, Kingston upon Hull East

The details of the proposals will be debated in the coming weeks. However, local politicians will be weighing up the ramifications of potential voting patterns that might result from the very different mix of Hull and Holderness based wards.

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Freedom Festival bus service criticism

EYMS Ltd has come under criticism for its decision not to schedule extra bus services on the 75/76/77 routes on the day of the Freedom Festival and the Hull KR/Hull FC rugby derby on Saturday 11th September 2010.

Buses into Hull City Centre from Hedon and Withernsea on the afternoon of the festival were already experiencing massive demand. Buses caught in Hedon were already full of festival revellers and other travellers. Buses were full and, at least on one occasion, suspected of being overloaded with people sitting right up the stairway while those standing were squashed up right to the back of the lower saloon.

This early evidence should surely have alerted EYMS that the crowds heading into Hull from Holderness were unusual and that additional services were needed to successfully manage the extra demand?

Journeys home also experienced difficult conditions. This will have been exacerbated by the fact that EYMS does not run a 10:15pm service 75, leaving travellers with the choice of catching the earlier 9:15pm bus or waiting for the last one at 11pm. Mrs Karen Russell commented on the Hedon Blog:

"I think the decision not to put on any extra buses for Hedon – Withernsea was abysmal and resulted in us having to leave early to be sure of getting a bus home which when it arrived was clearly fuller than it should have been with people sat all the way up the stairs. I am sure a lot of people would have been stranded thinking they could get the last bus home, particularly teenagers. Needs to be better thought out next year."

The situation in the Hull bus station at 10:45pm at the 75 bus bay was already quite tense, and made worse, as more people arrived after seeing the Freedom Festival fireworks finale. There was obviously more people than a single bus could transport.

Staff from EYMS were present but there was no announcement that any extra buses were to be provided. People in the disorderly 'queue' were getting agitated. Some left to get taxis, other younger people began to push their way towards the centre and front of the queue. The police were in attendance and pulled at least one young person from the crowd.

One 75 bus arrived and pulled into the adjacent bay - not the scheduled bay - and there was a surge of people towards the new bay. At this point the bus pulled back away without taking on any passengers. This just added to the general confusion of the situation.

Another bus arrived just after 11pm and an announcement was made that an extra bus would be arriving and everybody would get home. The first bus pulled away and a second arrived just after 11:10pm.

Unfortunately, this experience in Hull bus station will have spoilt what was overwise a very enjoyable Freedom Festival. It could also have been easily avoided by a much earlier announcement that EYMS would provide additional services during the day and particularly during the evening.

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EAST RIDING GCSE RESULTS

EAST RIDING COUNCIL reports that exam results are the best they have ever had!

All the results are now in from the East Riding and pupils have achieved their best ever results, with 78 per cent of pupils getting five A* to C grades.

Fifty-nine per cent of pupils across the East Riding reached the ‘gold standard’ of five A* to C grades, including English and maths.

South Holderness improved the gold standard – five A*-C with English and maths by 10.2 per cent to 55 per cent.

Withernsea improved significantly in the gold standard measure with 47 per cent of pupils achieving five good grades with English and maths a rise of 8.3 per cent

Mike Furbank, head of the Council's improvement and learning, said: “The results quoted above are underpinned by many individual stories of hard work and application as well as committed teaching and support. They are the best results we have ever had and the pupils, staff and pupils’ families should be applauded.”

Note: Image c/o Christian Life Church

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Nuclear Command Bunker tours

TOURS ARE currently taking place twice a day at Royal Air Force Holmpton near Withernsea. The tour includes a visit to the nuclear Command Bunker situated nearly 100ft underground.

The Command Bunker was constructed in the 1950s and was refurbished during the 1980s and again in the 1990s. Tours last about 1hr 45min and the Bunker is well lit and heated throughout and includes a film depicting the role of the Royal Observer Corps in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK.

July 31st to August 31st 2010 - Tour Details

Morning - Gates open at 11am - Tour 11.30am
Afternoon - Gates open at 2pm - Tour 2.30pm

INCLUDES - AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

£6.00 for adults.
£5.00 for adults
(Various discounts are available).

Location - See Google Map.

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