Beverley is keeping its cobbles ... and that's sett in stone!
PEOPLE power has saved the cobbles in Beverley's historic Saturday Market.
After crunch talks yesterday East Riding Council said it was "pleased to have reached an agreement" with Beverley Civic Society over the issue.
Instead of removing all the stone setts and reusing just 30 per cent, contractors will now take them up by hand and re-lay almost all of them.
It follows a suggestion from English Heritage, which had always said the cobbles should be retained.
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A series of public marches and an organised petition eventually forced a change of heart by the council.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby, leader of East Riding Council, said: "I am delighted that, following these further discussions with English Heritage and the Beverley Civic Society, an agreement on this element of the Saturday Market maintenance scheme has been reached, pending discussions on some of the detail.
"This council has and continues to take great care when it comes to consultation and, following the gatherings and correspondences in support of retaining the setts, I felt, as leader of the council, it was important to allow extra time for further discussions to take place.
"I now hope that this scheme, supported by English Heritage and the Civic Society, can now proceed in a timely manner with as little disruption as possible and provide Beverley with a space that can help this town maintain its place as one of the country's most vibrant market towns.
"These revisions will now be reviewed by the Beverley Area Community Partnership and will include those stakeholder groups previously consulted."
English Heritage is in full support of the new scheme.
The crossing points, granite kerbs and gutter will be retained and those setts removed will be kept in storage for future use on the scheme in the market area.
A civic society spokesman said: "The Beverley Civic Society has had further discussions with East Riding Council and has welcomed a revised scheme to retain the setts, subject to further discussions on minor details regarding the setting of the Market Cross and parking in relation to it.
"We welcome the retention and storage of historic materials for reuse within the town and are looking forward to further discussions regarding the scheme development."
The changes to the scheme will mean an additional ten weeks of work at a cost of £150,000.
The work will be similar to that done in Highgate, Beverley, in winter 2010-11.
It means the total cost of the scheme will now be about £2,650,000.
The council says its contractors will need to come off site ahead of the busy Christmas period and return to complete the work in early 2014.
18 Comments
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by loubylou116
Friday, January 25 2013, 9:09PM
“I hope the Nimbys are going to pay the extra £150,000... I doubt it tho. Its all 'want want want' for as little disruption or cost to them as possible. To$$erific.”
by gillpad
Friday, January 25 2013, 6:51PM
“I wish people would not use cobbles and setts as interchangeable. Cobbles are rounded and are difficult to walk on. Setts are rectangular and when properly laid, give a level surface.”
by charleswelton
Friday, January 25 2013, 5:23PM
“Nonesense, if you have a disability then you walk/wheel/hobble on the footpaths all around the edges, there is no need for anyone to cross the road there.”
by democracy_now
Friday, January 25 2013, 5:16PM
“Councillor Stephen Parnaby, leader of East Riding Council, said: "I am delighted that........
I bet he was saying that through gritted teeth having to do a U-turn due to public pressure. The general public have a lot of power if they choose to use it, I wish it would happen more often.
I do still think however that the 2.6 million would have been better spent on maintaining the much neglected road network in the East Riding.”
by bevman
Friday, January 25 2013, 4:46PM
“So Parnaby felt as leader he should allow extra time. This is admission that the council is a one man show. The Tory councillors are his puppets. The 6 Beverley ward councillors have been quiet on the issue recently! Obviously the public outcry wasn't loud enough to get their attention from the trough. Harold, Pearson et al do very well out of their allowances but don't speak up for the residents. I hope you Tory voters remember the support the town got from those 6 donkeys”
by miss-behaving
Friday, January 25 2013, 4:45PM
“Yep!!! keep the blasted cobbles and watch me break my neck cycling home from the Dragon after a tot of Bells (or4)”
by oldgoldone
Friday, January 25 2013, 4:39PM
“An astonishing comment, dear ynmr56. I too 'have a disability' - a 'dead' foot which has destroyed my balance (even before the first pint in The Green Dragon!) This means that I'm likely to topple over at any time, even on your preferred smooth tarmac.
But the difference between us is that I feel Saturday Market is a marvellous place, made near- perfect by it's traditional setts. It would be my fault were I to fall over - but I haven't yet - not even after three pints in The Green Dragon! Ergo, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
And may I support you directly, dear alanthedrum? Your comment was spot-on. Isn't there an old saying about 'the heat' and 'the kitchen'? There are perfectly(ish) good pavements all around Saturday Market. To utilise them as a pedestrian route would enable the walker to enjoy the window displays of more of the excellent shops in and adjacent to the square.
Perhaps the Heritage Haters should contact ERYC and urge the council, instead of ruining the beautiful town centre of Beverley, to ensure that the pavements are secure and safe for we who are less than 100% agile.
And I offer a HUGE well done to everyone at SOS.”
by beverleybard
Friday, January 25 2013, 4:19PM
“Great news that the setts are going to be retained but why did it take all this time for SP and his clan of sycophants to see common sense and then admit that they were wrong.? Possibly it is the fact that, especially in the corridors of power (local and national) common sense is not that common!”
by alanthedrum
Friday, January 25 2013, 1:53PM
“"by ynmr56
Friday, January 25 2013, 11:31AM
.
"Try walking on the Setts if you have a disability and see how you get on - not very well !!"
"
1) I am disabled and the setts reduce the danger when my stick slips by catching it in the gaps.
2) It is a road not a footpath. You have the option to stay off it it.”
by TheMarketX
Friday, January 25 2013, 12:44PM
“ynmr56, you keep saying that...that's not the issue. Look at any early image of Beverley, Sat Market and you'll see setts.
I tell you something, I push a pram and occasionally my friends wheelchair in Bev. and the bit that gives us trouble is near Dyer lane on the new tarmac. It badly needs levelling and re-doing. The camber is very uneven.”