Liberal Democrats at North Yorkshire County Council are calling on the county’s coastal MPs to support a campaign to promote British seaside holidays.

The hotel chain Travelodge has launched a “Save Our Seaside” campaign. They hope to open 55 new hotels in seaside locations and say this will create 1000 jobs.

Two Lib Dem MPs representing seaside towns, John Pugh (Southport) and Norman Lamb (North Norfolk) have submitted an Early Day Motion (EDM 2122) to the House of Commons congratulating the company on its scheme.

Whitby Lib Dem Councillor Rob Broadley is urging the county’s two coastal MPs to sign the EDM.

Councillor Broadley commented:

“Revitalising our seaside towns is not something any one organisation can do. It will require a partnership of business, central and local government and individuals as consumers. Travelodge clearly realise this.”

“The Yorkshire coast is rightly famed for its beauty, so we need to promote the towns of Whitby, Scarborough and Filey as places where people can come to enjoy it.”

“I hope that our North Yorkshire coastal MPs Robert Goodwill and John Greenway will appreciate what Travelodge are trying to do and sign the EDM.”

Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show that North Yorkshire County Council has made severe cutbacks in maintaining the county’s public footpaths.

The Conservative-run council spent only £280k on maintaining the network last year, compared with £505k in 2005/6. The Council now employs 22 full-time equivalent staff on public rights-of-way, compared with 28 in 2005/6.

Even more worryingly, performance indicators show that only 65% of footpaths are now considered easy to use by walkers, compared with 75% last year.

The Ramblers’ Association has also expressed concern at the reduction in resources for footpath work.

Lib Dem Councillor Keith Barnes (Harrogate Oatlands) commented:

“In recent years the County Council has significantly improved the footpath network, responding positively to information from walkers. But the Council appears to be letting things slip now. There is still a lot to do. Many rights-of-way require maintenance as well as work on the large number of path diversions and creation orders awaiting resolution.”

Cllr Barnes raised the issue at this week’s meeting of the Council, at which the Conservative portfolio holder conceded that the fall in performance was disappointing.

Cllr Barnes added:

“Walking is a big part of our county’s leisure and tourism industry, bringing a great deal of money into the local economy. It is false economics to let the footpath network deteriorate, especially when the Council clearly has the money.”

Lib Dem Councillor Caroline Seymour is dismayed at the Tory council’s poor provision for young people in Stokesley this summer.

The Youth Service. working with the police, has done much work to reduce youth nuisance in the town.

However, the youth worker has gone on maternity leave and been told that there no replacement planned for the summer holiday.

County Councillor Caroline Seymour, who represents Stokesley and the surrounding villages, raised the issue with the Conservative portfolio holder for the Youth Service at today’s meeting of the Council. Cllr Seymour was told that action was being taken to provide cover but that it was “unlikely” to be in place for the summer.

Cllr Seymour commented:

“This is not an unexpected staff absence. The Council should have been able to make alternative arrangements in time for the summer holidays, the very time when this service is most needed.”

Cllr Seymour added:

“This poor level of service is even more upsetting to people in Stokesley in view of the Council’s £115,000 underspend by the Youth Service, and the £8.3 million underspend last year by the Council as a whole.”

Lib Dem Councillors are optimistic that their long campaign for a second recycling centre for Harrogate and Knaresborough may be successful.

At today’s meeting of the Council, Councillor Richard Hall (Lib Dem, Knaresborough), asked the Conservative portfolio holder if she could give any hope to the relief of the Stonefall site on Wetherby Road.

Conservative Councillor Clare Wood said that she was “hopeful that successful negotiations will be concluded for a new site soon.”

The Council was also reassured that money is still available for the comprehensive redevelopment of the Stonefall site when the new site is open.

Cllr Richard Hall commented:

“This is a welcome development, and not before time.”

“Stonefall is the largest Household Waste Recycling Centre in Yorkshire, taking in excess of 22,000 tons of waste per year. Use of the site is causing huge traffic problems on the A661 Wetherby Road in Harrogate. Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for a new HWRC for our area, to take the pressure off Stonefall, for some years.”

“I will believe it when I see it, but at last the Tories seem to be treating this as a priority.”

Lib Dem Councillor Mark Wheeler is fighting to maintain a fully staffed and operational police station in Crosshills.

At today’s meeting of the Council, Councillor Wheeler sought assurances from the Conservative Chair of the Police Authority that the station on Wheatlands Lane will not be closed.

However, no such assurance was given for Crosshills, or Ripon, Knaresborough or Settle.

Cllr Wheeler (Lib Dem, Airedale) commented:

“It seems our community is about to take another hit. First a reduction in our bus service, then post offices, and now our police stations may go the same way. Surely enough is enough.”

“Rural areas deserve as much of a police service as urban areas. Crime, whatever the perceived level of severity, has a long lasting effect on the victim.”

“Our area has a higher than average proportion of elderly people, for whom fear of crime is a real concern. Without their local police station they will be less confident that any crime can be dealt with quickly.”