April 2024
Since the AGM in December (see Minutes attached) the Directors have had 2 further meetings and a number of the tasks discussed are in progress or have been addressed:
Jim Hope
After more than half a century of toil and looking after the grounds of our small part of North Yorkshire, that has existed in numerous guises, “Jim the Gardener” has decided it is time to retire. We have all benefitted from Jim’s work over the years, so there will be a collection for him and a card will be circulated, so we hope to give him an appropriate send off.
The board are discussing how best to recognise Jim’s contribution to the village and this could tie in very well with something else we are working on, but any suggestions would be gratefully received and considered. We know Jim does not want us to have any sort of event or presentation – that is not something he would enjoy but we will have to do something!
Going forwards, we intend to use local contractors to do the jobs that need doing in and around the village. We engaged Chris Farrow in February, to cut the large beech hedge and he did an excellent job, reducing the height by 30 to 45cm. We intend to do another cut back in October.
Trees and Hedges
The conifer hedge around the water treatment plant has been tidied up but we need to tackle the top, for which we may need to hire a cherry picker and we intend to reduce its height by up to 60cm. We can also use the cherry picker to do some other trimming around the village.
We have taken down a few trees recently, as they were either dead/dying, diseased, leaning or a risk to property/cars and residents. We have a lot of land and a lot of trees, many of which have become very large and overgrown. With 63 houses there will always be differences in opinions over what should and should not happen, which is why we discuss the issues and ask for views at the AGM meetings.
We would like to remind everyone that the CMCL board are here to represent the village and make decisions on issues, as and when they arise. We cannot consult with the entire village before we make every decision and all the directors are owners of properties in the village and volunteers, giving up a lot of their spare time to help manage the village assets. It is impossible to please everyone all the time and sometimes difficult decisions have to be made. If we want to keep our costs under control then we need CMCL to be run in this way, by volunteers. If you have concerns about any actions or decisions being taken, then please email the directors on info@crambeckvillage.com.
Confronting directors on their doorstep or trying to instruct contractors when they are carrying out work in the village, is not acceptable. We have a limited pool of good, skilled professionals in the area, so we do not need to become a place where they refuse to work.
If you have views, please attend the AGM meetings and possibly become a director too, as there are going to be more and more difficult decisions that will have to be made in relation to what we do with our land and the trees we own, over the years ahead.
Dumping of Green Waste Near the Container
A large amount of garden waste has been dumped down the bank near the container and really this area was for the waste generated from the village green, trees and hedges. Historically it has taken a lot of effort to clear out all the waste that could be burnt but now the amount that has built up is beyond being separated by Jim. We must therefore insist that no further garden waste be dumped down the bank. Please use brown bins or take garden waste to the waste disposal facility in Malton. We will need volunteers (those who have been using this area) to help clear and burn what we can.