The highs and lows of the River Leven keep villagers agitated

The comments were made during talks about last year's flooding. People said the Leven was often too high at Great Ayton but too low at Stokesley.

Farmer Clifford Petch, of Little Ayton, said: "I've lived there since 1947. We were nearly flooded in 1976 but last winter was the first time we were actually flooded.

"The river was still high after the rain had stopped, which I couldn't understand. The day afterwards, I went to Stokesley, where the flood channel was still very full but there was virtually no water in the Leven.

"In 1977, I was very involved in the Stokesley flood channel scheme . The original, preferred plan was to raise the height of stone walls along the riverbanks, at a cost of £200,000.

"However, Stokesley Civic Society was started and the plan was changed to a flood channel, which stored river water which would previously have flowed through Stokesley.

"Around the same time, the bypass was built by the showfield, which was a flood plain. So the land cannot now perform that role because the Leven doesn't get the water."

Referring to last year, a woman said: "Little Ayton flooded because they did not open a sluice gate. I heard a fireman say 'Open No 3 gate or Ayton will sink' and the river went down like a stone."

Speaking about the organisations that were historically responsible for the Leven, Mr Petch said: "Before nationalisation, we had the internal water board which cleared the river every year.

"Now, the Environment Agency has to go cap in hand to the Government or local authorities. It hasn't got the money for the work, which should be stressed to North Yorkshire County Council.

"At Stokesley, the agency doesn't think it's responsible for clearing the Leven. Its only responsibility is for the flood channel. But the Stokesley stretch is starved of water."

Chairman, Coun John Fletcher, said: "We are concerned about silt under the stone bridge in Ayton. We've written to the agency but it said there was nothing wrong."

Clerk, Louise Holden, added: "It looks at the river two times per year, which it says is sufficient."

Coun Frances Greenwell said: "The Environment Agency will only do work if the river's flow is impeded. Although it doesn't look very pretty at the moment, it is not impeded.

"The parish council has been through this before, year after year. We cannot clear the river one year but not the next. It's not our responsibility and there is no room for discussion with these agencies."

Councillors noted the residents' concerns and recalled that, in the past, the Scouts, drama society and youth clubs had cleared the river. Sadly, people no longer volunteered for the job, Coun Fletcher said. He hoped new volunteers would come forward.

Police. - Annoyance was expressed about the rise in council taxes, through additional policing costs and a perceived compensation culture within the North Yorkshire force.

Mr Petch said: "I compliment Hambleton Council on its low rates but I'm very disappointed with the police."

He understood one stressed officer was awarded a large pension which would cost Hambleton ratepayers an estimated £500,000, if the officer lived until 85.

"Some older people get a bit disappointed about these stress cases. There are 20 men in this village who went away for five years in the war. They were taken prisoner, but they came back afterwards and got on with work. We never heard them talk about it.

"Yet we have got big strong police officers going off with some sort of stress. Doesn't stress get better? Do they ever come back to work? Is there any independent authority which can give us these answers?

"I've helped the police all my life, but I'm very disappointed with them. Their costs are rising 40pc. They say they attended the Selby rail crash and helped during the foot-and-mouth crisis. Well, they didn't do much in the crisis."

Additionally, he felt the force was too distant.

"When there was a station in Ayton, the police were on to things straight away. Now, it takes ages to get an acknowledgement from them. Last summer, I rang them twice about some lads on my land and they never came. Just last week, some other lads drove a stolen car round my yard. I called the police and they're still coming!"

Coun Fletcher regretted the apparent demise of regular patrols by two uniformed officers but welcomed an officer's attendance at parish council meetings.

Other matters. - Coun Fletcher gave a progress report on work identified at last year's agm.

The pavement at the waterfall terrace had been seen to. Following last year's floods, landowners were asked to check their land, as requested by the parish council and Environment Agency. No special measures were taken, other than routine maintenance.

A kissing gate had been installed and the county council was improving the cricket field footpath.

"Hambleton Council still has the second lowest council tax of all shire areas and that is important," Coun Fletcher emphasised.

This low figure was welcomed by a number of residents, who also made a point of congratulating the parish councillors for their work, dedication and attendance.

Resident, Brian Winn, said litter and weeds in the river looked very unsightly and hindered the flow.

One woman said rats were feeding on bread thrown to ducks, adding: "I've had the rat man out three times."

Coun Imeson acknowledged the problem, adding: "Coun Greenwell tried to get someone to move them on. But there are simply too many ducks. They're all overfed and the drakes are over-sexed," she quipped.

Traffic calming. - Coun Fletcher spoke about the unpopular roundabout at Newton Road and criticised aspects of other new measures.

An illuminated beacon near Skotta House was unsightly and disturbing to residents living nearby.

Resident, Alan Eardley, said the county council's measures on Guisborough Road created problems.

"They would have been better off doing it at Stokesley or Great Broughton. It's like Wacky Races and the yellow lines along the High Street are ignored. Nobody enforces them and people who aren't disabled park on the disabled spaces. Maybe we should have disc parking?"

Other people said Ayton rarely had a traffic warden and there was little support for one.

Coun Fletcher said a policeman once stuck parking tickets on illegally parked cars. However, nobody actually knew what the single yellow line at the High Street location indicated.

Coun Imeson said over zealous highways officials were classifying minor accidents as speed-related.

"Two accidents, in which a cyclist fell off his bike through fright and a lady hurt her thumb, were both classed as speeding accidents, which is ridiculous."

Agreeing with Mr Eardley's sentiments, she said: "You're speaking to the converted. I stated the case to North Yorkshire County Council against these measures but argued for safety measures at the Tree Bridge junction. But they ignored us and are trying to turn the village into a town, I fear.

"Similarly, when the Friends' School was redeveloped, we said the roads could not cope with extra traffic. There is very little parking space and the roads are choked.

"Having said that, there's nothing that couldn't be solved in Great Ayton with a few minutes' patience."

Despite some frustration with traffic calming, Coun Fletcher said the parish council had achieved some success in its criticism of "yellow splodges" on roads which made Ayton look urban.

Local employment. - On the closure of AMR Autos and relocation of hauliers, Coun Fletcher said: "Housing development continues to worry the council. We are concerned about the loss of commercial businesses and employment. It is a worrying trend."

Cemetery. - The late Brian Helm was praised for his excellent maintenance work and his death greatly saddened councillors. The new cemetery keeper was thanked for doing a good job.

Winter gritting. - An elderly tenant called for Hollygarth roads to be gritted and said a postwoman had hurt her ankle after slipping. While sympathetic, councillors said Broadacres Housing Association was responsible for the roads and salt was delivered to bins. Perhaps volunteers would help?

The Trod. - The footpath behind Wheatlands and the Tilesheds pub was littered and homes backing on to it were vulnerable to burglaries, residents claimed. One woman stressed: "People are moving away because they cannot bear to live there."