Beverley and Holderness Parliamentary constituency to be broken up under proposed boundary changes

THE REVIEW of Parliamentary constituency boundaries starts formally today with the publication of the Boundary Commission for England's (BCE) initial proposals, which sets out to reduce the number of constituencies and equalise the size of each.

If implemented the proposals will introduce substantial changes leading to the break-up of the Beverley and Holderness constituency. It will reduce the number of constituencies in Yorkshire and the Humber from 55 to 50. Major changes proposed, include:

• South West Holderness ward will be included in the East Hull Constituency (see Hedon Blog); 
• the wards of Mid-Holderness, North Holderness and South-East Holderness will be included in a new Bridlington constituency;
• A new Beverley constituency will be formed covering three Beverley wards and the wards of Driffield and Rural, Pocklington Provincial, and Wolds Weighton.

Karl Turner MP for the East Hull constituency had already expressed his discontent at any proposed changes with a page (published prior to today's BCE announcements) on his website stating his opposition:

"The Bill that is being forced through parliament is arbitrary and partisan. It is a cynical ploy designed to protect coalition parties and to hurt the Labour Party. I believe it disenfranchises young people, minority groups and low income voters. In other words, it neglects to count those who need counting the most. The arbitrary nature of the Bill means the redrawing of constituencies takes no account of local authorities or even natural landmarks."

The proposals for Yorkshire and Humber have been reproduced below. Copies are also available from the East Riding Council's Customer Service Centres.

The initial consultation about these proposals closes on 5th December 2011.

Boundary Changes 2011-08-23 Yorkshire-humber Online

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National Citizen Service piloted in East Riding

YOUNG PEOPLE in Beverley and Bridlington have been helping out in their communities as part of a Government pilot scheme.

The 15 and 16-year-olds, who have finished year 11 at school, have been volunteering and organising in a number of events throughout the summer holidays to make a difference to the area they live. They are working under the National Citizen Service (NCS), a national pilot scheme announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in February 2011.

The NCS is a flagship Government initiative, offering a fun but challenging voluntary, personal and social development programme for young people which will enable participants to become confident and socially active young adults. Piloting in summer 2011, it offers places for 15 to 16-year-olds at the end of school year 11.

The NCS in this area is run in conjunction with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and led by young people’s charity Catch22. It provides 15 and 16-year-olds with a voluntary, personal and social development programme throughout the summer holidays. Each participant will get a certificate signed by the Prime Minister and those completing the ASDAN Community Volunteering Qualification will earn themselves 30 UCAS points to help towards university.

The young people from Bridlington and Beverley who volunteered for the scheme have taken part in a course on team-building skills, have learned about their own local communities and have developed their own social action plans.

Young people in Beverley have taken part in a healthy lifestyle event at Beverley Leisure Centre, helped to create a sensory garden in Coronation Gardens after stray cows caused damage as well as volunteering at the Humberside Fire and Rescue open day at Beverley Fire Station.

In Bridlington, the young people have organised a sun awareness campaign in conjunction with Cancer Research UK and made UV bead bracelets to give away, they have organised a litter awareness campaign in conjunction with Keep Britain Tidy, which included beach cleans on the north and south beach. Both events have been supported by the Bridlington Lions and Christ Church Community Action Team.

Councillor Julie Abraham, portfolio holder for children, young people and schools at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “I am so impressed by what these young people have achieved in their community. Young people have had a bad press after recent events in parts of the country and this proves that they should not all be labelled the same. It is a great example to demonstrate the hard-working and community minded children and young people we have in the East Riding.”

Kevin Allen, youth support service manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “It shows that, given the chance, young people can make a real different to their local community. Activities of this sort certainly help to promote a more positive view of young people in their communities at a time when news items often feature a more negative one.”

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A Bridge Across Time

Paddle Steamer 'Lincoln Castle' in British Rail livery

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS the River Humber has presented a barrier to be crossed, with ferries been the main way of crossing until 1981 with the construction of the Humber Bridge.

The Humber Bridge has dominated the landscape for the past 30 years and local people have perhaps begun to take it for granted.

It is also all too easy to forget the old paddle steamer ferries, which carried people across the Humber in the mid-twentieth century, particularly now that the last surviving steamer ferry in this region, the Lincoln Castle, has recently been scrapped.

The East Riding Archives and Local Studies Service, through the "Film and Sound Archive Presents…" series, will remind people how remarkable a feat it was to build the Humber Bridge, when it shows a repeat screening of ‘Crossing The Humber’ this May.

The screening will be a compilation of archive documentary footage, which looks back to the nostalgic days of the Humber ferries during the 1960s, and also at how the Humber Bridge was built.

Sam Bartle, collections officer, said:

"The plans to construct the Humber Bridge ultimately spelled the end for the ferries, which simply couldn’t compete with a faster and simpler method of getting across the river. “It was a sad loss, but the ferries and the bridge each have their place in the history of the River Humber, and our show is a nostalgic celebration of both."

‘Crossing the Humber’ will be screened on Tuesday, 24 May, at 6.30pm, in the Treasure House Education Room. Tickets are priced at £3, with booking essential as places are limited.

To reserve a seat, call (01482) 392790, or visit the archives and local studies search room at the Treasure House, Beverley.

Photo made available by kind courtesy of degakh under Creative Commons Licence : Creative Commons 2.0

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Rats! Is the rodent problem about to get worse?

RATS ARE A PERSISTENT PROBLEM in the East Riding. But while complaints about rats are falling - possibly due to severe winters killing many off - there is a real fear that the problem may be about to get much worse!

Official figures from the East Riding Council show a downward trend in the number of overall complaints received by them about rats in recent years. There were 2,443 complaints in 2007/08, 1,148 in 2008/09 and only 626 complaints in 2009/2010. However, there is a concern from public health professionals that problems with rodents - and other pests - will increase as public expenditure cuts bite into local authority budgets.

The Royal Society of Public Health brings together practitioners involved in championing public health and on the issue of Pest Control has warned:

Local Authority cuts will bring about widespread changes to the way pest control is delivered across the country. New and different approaches need to be found if we are to continue going forward in the way we deal with the pest problem, which remains at the forefront of the fight for improving public health.

Hull has seen an increase in rat infestation in its city centre and riverside areas in recent months - but the Council's ability to tackle this will be severely hampered due to the public spending cuts that the authority is facing. Is this a scenario - an increase in rat problems, and a decrease in funding to tackle them - one that we are likely to face in the East Riding?

Rats are considered a public nuisance. They can carry a wide range of diseases that are potentially harmful. Leptospirosis (Weil's disease) can be fatal to humans. Other diseases, such as Toxoplasmosis and Salmonella, affect both humans and animals, and parasites living on rats can present a further hazard. Rats are omnivores and will eat almost anything and they contaminate everything they encounter with droppings, urine and hairs.

Rats use the sewers as a convenient route to travel through - a rats 'tube system'. Yorkshire Water are responsibile for keeping them clear of rats, but there is also a duty on local authorities to ensure land and buildings in their district are kept free from the rodents.

The East Riding Council says on its website that it has no statutory duty to investigate or treat any pest infestations, and therefore only provides a chargeable pest control treatment service. It says that it can take up to 8 weeks to treat an infestation. Further information is available at: East Riding Council - Pest Control.

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Did you know...? 

BRIDLINGTON HAS SEEN MORE COMPLAINTS about rats than any other area in the East Riding over the last two years! 

With 111 complaints about rats reported to the East Riding Council then the seaside resort has emerged as the area with the most problems. Beverley was next in the 'rats league' with 88 complaints, Hessle had 85 complaints and Cottingham had 72.

This compares to only 13 complaints in Hedon over the same two-year period, while in Hull, between August 2009 and July 2010, there were 592 total rat complaints.

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Local Food Network - Regional Recipe for Success

THE LOCAL FOOD NETWORK will be staging the first of a series of business events on Tuesday, 22 March. The events are designed to increase the profile and availability of local food through hospitality businesses and specialist food retailers.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Local Food Network (ERoYLFN) aims to promote the wide range of food and drink available in East Yorkshire for the benefit of local food businesses and communities.

This free event to be held at Beverley Tickton Grange, is open to local food and drink producers, hospitality businesses, specialist food retailers and organisers of local food markets and festivals, and will offer an excellent opportunity to network, share successes and experiences and find out how sourcing and promoting local food and drink can give businesses a competitive edge.

The keynote speaker, Denise Walton, Vice-Chair of the Scottish Borders Food Network, will share the benefits of belonging to a local food network and the successes they have achieved in the Scottish Borders.

There will also be an opportunity to see the resources available to the ERoYLFN, including mobile demonstration kitchens to promote local food, and businesses will be able to take part in discussions to help shape the future priorities of the network.

If you would like to attend this event or find out more about the ERoYLFN, please contact Julia Soukup, local food development officer, on 01759 306624 or e-mail julia.soukup@eastriding.gov.uk

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Aiming High! - Celebrating Youth Volunteering in the East Riding

OLYMPICS ATHLETE and current British in-line skating champion Jenna Downing will be attending an event next week to celebrate the volunteering work done by young people across the East Riding.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council Youth Service is hosting the event on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 at the Hexagon Music Centre, Beverley to celebrate the positive involvement of all the volunteers within the youth service who fulfil a variety of roles including counselling young people and detached youth work.

"for young people to give up their time and energy to help others is very inspiring"

The event is an opportunity to recognise the voluntary work of young people who have made a positive contribution to the youth service. The young people have undertaken a number of projects including anti-bullying campaigns, allocating the Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) to other groups of young people and also ensuring young people’s voices are listened to across the council through the East Riding Youth Assembly.

Jenna Downing, says on her website: “Throughout my sports journey I have obtained some valuable life experiences and learnt some worthy lessons as I’ve battled my way to get to the top. Now, as a role model, I want to share with others my personal stories of success and hardship in the hope that I can inspire and influence other peoples’ lives, because that for me is the greatest achievement.”

Alison Michalska, director of children, family and adult services who will be attending the event said: “Volunteering at any age is a tremendous thing to do, but for young people to give up their time and energy to help others is very inspiring. I hope the young people can build on the positive experiences they have had and continue this good work.”

East Yorkshire Young Leaders, who have been involving other young people in community projects in the run up the London 2012 Olympics will also be attending the event..

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