Repairs planned for Bowlam Bank, Kirkby Great Little Ings Reservoir.
Message from the Environment Agency:
Since our last newsletter in December 2024, when we described the issues with Bowlam Bank (part of Kirkby Great Little Ings Reservoir), we have been working to finalise plans to repair the damaged section of the bank.
The map below shows the location and extent of the reservoir and Bowlam Bank.
Following survey and design work our contractor, JBA Bentley, is now ready to carry out the repairs. We expect this work will start in the week beginning 11th August 2025 and take three to four months to complete. The project will require a site compound and there will be some HGV traffic moving to and from the site during this time. All planned work will take place on weekdays during normal working hours. To ensure safety at all times, National Gas Transmission staff will be on site to oversee construction work that is within the control zones of their gas main. The current temporary repair to the bank will be removed during this work. Throughout the construction period we will be closely monitoring the weather and JBA Bentley will take additional actions to ensure the reservoir operates safely, if required.
Any Questions? If you have any questions about these proposals, please phone our National Customer Contact Centre on 03708 506 506 and ask for Quentin Williams or Alex Swift. Or alternatively contact us via email at yorks.ap.sunow@environment-agency.gov.uk The JBA Bentley Site Agent is Chris Williams 07773083560
Village Field, West Milford Lane, Towton
The Village field was purchased with the support of local residents in 2021. The Council has worked closely with many residents to enable an enhanced community space.
The Architects have produced a
virtual image of the completed field for those interested, the link is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wno1q2EEaE
Chairman to the Council, Cllr Tom Fielden said "We are very excited about the long-term benefit that this land will offer to the Parish but nature takes its time and our progress must follow the seasons. We’re confident that, but this time next year, the view will look very different. Thank you once again for your support, which has made an enormous difference to the Parish and allowed us to build a permanent asset for our community". (Dec 21).
The site now has 14 well established allotment plots as well as a community field, car park and places to walk.
Fly-tipping
Police and council officers are working together to tackle selfish fly-tippers, after a recent increase in tyre fly-tipping in the area.
Members of the public are being urged to support the authorities by reporting fly-tipping offences, so that those responsible can be identified and stopped.
There has been an increase in large-scale tyre tips in the Selby district – with around 2,000 tyres dumped in more than 35 separate incidents in the last 12 months alone.
PCSO Caroline Saville, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “Fly-tipping is a source of pollution, a potential danger to public health and a hazard to wildlife. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses who operate within the law.
“We are increasing patrols to target known hot-spots, and working closely with landowners and our colleagues at Selby District Council, to tackle this issue. Offenders should know that this crime will not be tolerated.”
Cllr Chris Pearson, Lead Member for Housing, Health and Culture at Selby District Council, said: “Fly-tipping is a selfish crime that blights our local environment and spoils our enjoyment of our countryside. The culprits show a blatant disregard for the local community and environment.
“No one wants to see rubbish dumped – it is a potential danger to both public health and wildlife. Clearing up fly-tipping costs both private landowners and councils a lot of money each year.
“We’ve seen lots of instances of tyres being dumped in our district recently and we’re committed to working closely with the police and landowners to tackle the issue. We need members of the public to help too – if you find or witness fly-tipping, wherever it is, record as many details as you can without disturbing any potential evidence (noting the date, time and location with a photograph) and report it to us. This helps us take action against those responsible and stop them fly-tipping in the future.”
Find out how to report fly-tipping in your area at www.gov.uk/report-flytipping. You can also report it directly to Selby District Council using this online form: www.selby.gov.uk/report-fly-tipping-or-fly-posting.
General Parish Information:
Our Parish covers the villages of Towton and Kirkby Wharfe and the smaller hamlets of Grimston and North Milford, a rural area on the southern edge of Tadcaster.
Towton, the largest village in the Parish, was the site in 1461 of England's biggest battle, a decisive engagement in the Wars of the Roses. The battlefield and its history are carefully maintained by the Towton Battlefield Society.
As a small Parish Council in a rural parish, we aim to deal simply and openly with the small number of local issues that arise. If you have any queries, then please join us at one of our Parish Council meetings at The Rockingham Arms in Towton.
The Parish Council receives a precept of approximately £7,000 p.a. from North Yorkshire Council, which comes from the Council Tax paid by residents of the Parish. This annual precept was increased in 2022/23 to enable the Council to purchase the Village Field and develop this into a community space for all.
As we have no village hall or other amenities the Parish Council is very grateful to The Rockingham Arms for allowing our Council Meetings to take place there (when allowed). It is also where we have our village noticeboard located. A second noticeboard is located at Kirkby Wharfe.
If you have any issues or ideas you would like to put to the Parish Council please contact the Clerk or simply attend the next Parish Council Meeting.
The dates of the next meetings should be shown on both the Home Page and the Council page of this website. If for some reason the next meeting date is not available on this website please contact the Clerk (Georgina Ashton, clerk@towtonpc.org.uk) Tel. 01937 557701