Council should clean up "disgusting mess" in Foss

I REGULARLY take the walk from Foss Islands Road along the river Foss past Rowntree Wharf and feed the abundant wildlife which live along this stretch of river.

Anything from moorhens to swans, geese and mallards, there is a wonderful array of creatures but my letter is not regarding the bird life but the complete disregard human beings have for this whole area.

The stretch of river I've described has a huge amount of rubbish along its bank and in the water everything from tin cans, bottles, fast food cartons and strangely a large number of footballs, I must have seen eight balls that had been lost or placed in the river.

To top it all, the junction where the river splits into two has for the past three weeks (at the very least) had a huge council type industrial waste bin half submerged in the water why has this not been removed yet?

Also why doesn't our local authority do something about cleaning up this disgusting mess that selfish people have created without a thought for the wildlife or people who live along the river or those who like to walk along this same stretch?

Sean Atkinson,

Gillygate,

York

We need real education change for our children

THE MP for Thirsk and Malton, Kevin Hollinrake, has recently shared the news that North Yorkshire has been named as an ‘Education Investment Area’ in his government’s plan to level up the north.

I suppose that any investment in the education of our young people is good news. It is important though to understand that Education Investment Area status has been given to North Yorkshire because it is one of “55 cold spots of the country where school outcomes are the weakest”.

The government’s levelling up plan suggests that the solution will be to use the funding awarded to give even more support to Academy Trusts (already 35.4 per cent schools are academy trusts in Thirsk and Malton constituency), increase the number of Free Schools (6th forms) and offer retention payments to keep good teachers in their posts. I’m not convinced that this will do the trick.

This plan does nothing to address the real issues of persistent underfunding since 2010. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has established that "the cuts to education spending over the last decade are effectively without precedent in post-war UK". In March 2021, 22 North Yorkshire schools had accumulated deficits totalling £7.5m. The average primary school deficit is £57k and the average secondary school deficit is £596k. Three of the 22 schools have converted to academy status or closed since March 2021.Going forward, 67 per cent of NYCC maintained schools are projecting an in-year deficit in 2021/22 and by 2023/24 (forecast) this will mean 79 schools will be in deficit.

Today, after 11 years of Mr Hollinrake's government, children across North Yorkshire and in Thirsk and Malton are not able to access the quality of education they deserve. Will being an Education Investment Area make up for a decade of underfunding by this government? I suggest that we need real change rather than vague promises before even more of our children and young people are unfairly disadvantaged through no fault of their own.

Graham Scott,

Stonegate,

Hunmanby

SOMEONE in Government has finally realised people don't only fall ill at times convenient to doctors. Demanding doctors adjust their working hours to include weekends and evenings is to be applauded. One stumbling block remains - how to obtain a convenient appointment in the first place.

Peter Rickaby,

West Park,

Selby,

North Yorkshire

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