Richmondshire's best view competition winners

An innovative competition has revealed a wealth of places in Richmondshire that local people want to see protected.

The district council run contest - ‘Richmondshire’s Best View’ - asked what makes the district special and unique.

And it did it through photography – residents of all ages captured their favourite landscapes, towns and villages to help councillors plan for the district’s future.

The photographs will be used as part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) process which will develop a long term strategic plan for Richmondshire.

“The environment is a key element to this process and we need to look at what features of our district should be protected,” said Council Leader, Councillor Fleur Butler. “As part of this it is important to know what local people think so rather than involve them in written surveys and consultation roadshows we decided to try a new approach – creatively through a photography competition. It prompted over 80 entries and they will all form part of the evidence base we use when drawing up the plan – some were of places we expected to see but others suggested we should not build on certain areas to protect views, buildings, villages and countryside.”

The photographs will now be displayed in council offices and community buildings around the district.

Judged by local photographer, Richard Jemison, prizes went to:
Competition winners

Celebration of Many Cultures

If you missed out on the Richmond drop-in session, and didn't catch us at one of the many events we attended, there's another chance to take part in the Plan Our Future consultation next week.

We'll be at the Celebration of Many Cultures event in The Station, Richmond, from 10.30am to 5.30pm. The event is free, and promises to be great family fun, so we hope to see you there!

Consultation milestone

We reached a big milestone today - we received our one thousandth consultation response! Many thanks to everyone who has submitted their views so far. If you haven't yet, there's still plenty of time. Use the links on the right to fill in the appropriate questionnaire.

Young speakers have their say

Youngsters from across Richmondshire had their say on the future at a speech competition organised by the district council.

Pupils were invited to deliver a speech on a given topic, with a panel of judges giving them a score out of 100.

All the speeches were excellent, but two lucky winners walked away with an iPod nano. Congratulations to everyone who took part.

Audience members were also asked to give more structured feedback on how they think the district should develop. Their input brought the number of school pupils who have had their say about Richmondshire to more than 150.

No more photos!

We've been bowled over by the dozens of photos we've received in the Plan Our Future photography competition. The closing date (which we already had to extend once because of the demand!) has now passed. In the next couple of weeks, we'll forward all your entries to our expert judge, local photographer Richard Jemison, and he'll help us to pick the winners - so watch this space!

Upper Dales area detailed survey

If you live or work in the area we've designated "Upper Dales" (see the map on the right), you can help us by filling in a survey about your area.

Click the Upper Dales link under "Have your say" on the right-hand side of this page.

Lower Wensleydale area detailed survey

If you live or work in the area we've designated "Lower Wensleydale" (see the map on the right), you can help us by filling in a survey about your area.

Click the Lower Wensleydale link under "Have your say" on the right-hand side of this page.

Dozens of Richmond residents help to “plan our future”

More than 100 residents in Richmond have already contributed to a consultation on the future of Richmondshire district.

Staff from Richmondshire District Council set up stall in the town’s marketplace last weekend to gather as many opinions as possible about how the town and district should develop in the years ahead.

Shoppers were asked to think about the top three priorities for their local area, and name the single most important issue that should be addressed as a priority. They were also asked to rate the provision of services and facilities where they lived.

The market stall was part of a major consultation called Plan Our Future. The Council is currently drawing up a “planning blueprint” that sets out how Richmondshire will develop – for example, where businesses should be located, and where new housing should be built.

A spokesman for Richmondshire District Council said: “We got a great response from Richmond residents in the marketplace, with some really thought-provoking comments. All the contributions will be used to help us plan the district’s future, so it’s really important that everyone has the opportunity to make their voice heard.”

There will be five day-long drop-in sessions across the district, running from 10am to 6.30pm:

• The Station in Richmond, on Friday, March 20
• Hawes National Park Centre, on Tuesday, March 24
• Bolton Arms, Leyburn, on Wednesday, March 25
• Gilling West Village Hall on Friday, March 27
• Colburn Recreation Centre, on Monday April 6

Council staff are also due to host market stalls at:

• Catterick Market, on Sunday, March 22
• Leyburn Farmers Market on Saturday, March 28
• Leyburn Market on Friday, April 3
• Hawes Auction Mart on Tuesday, April 7
• Reeth Market on Friday, April 17
• Richmond Farmers Market on Saturday, April 18
• Leyburn Auction Mart on Friday, April 24

They will also be visiting local schools, coffee mornings, community groups and parish councils.

The Garrison area detailed survey

If you live or work in the area we've designated "The Garrison" (see the map on the right), you can help us by filling in a survey about your area.

Click the link for The Garrison under "Have your say" on the right-hand side of this page.

Centre area detailed survey

If you live or work in the area we've designated "Centre" (see the map on the right), you can help us by filling in a survey about your area.

Click the Centre link under "Have your say" on the right-hand side of this page.

Youngsters help district council plan for the future

Youngsters at Leyburn Primary School have had their say on what Richmondshire should look like when they've grown up.

The pupils, aged between nine and eleven years old, contributed their ideas to a major public consultation on the future of the district.

Richmondshire District Council is urging residents of all ages to take part in its "Plan Our Future" consultation, which launched this month. Council staff will be visiting schools, community centres and markets across the district over the next few weeks. They are drawing up a "blueprint" of how Richmondshire should develop over the next few decades - for example, where new houses should be built, and where new business should be based.

There will be also be an all-day drop-in session in Richmond at The Station on Friday, March 20, followed by further sessions in other towns and villages in the weeks ahead.

Simon Fletcher, Assistant Director (Customer), at Richmondshire District Council said: "The pupils we met came up with some fantastic suggestions about how Leyburn should develop over the next few decades. They were concerned that we continue to ensure Leyburn is a vibrant market town, not too small, but equally not allowed to grow too large either. Their enthusiasm and energy was infectious!

"It is really important that we give young people the opportunity to have their say - after all, the decisions we make now will have a direct impact when they're old enough to look for a job or buy a home."

Some of the suggestions from the Leyburn youngsters were: encourage small numbers of additional housing to be built each year, to allow them to stay and raise families here; and provide a wider range of shops, but not at the expense of the character of the town which they strongly felt must be protected.

A66 area detailed survey

If you live or work in the area we've designated "A66" (see the map on the right), you can help us by filling in a survey about your area.

Click the A66 link under "Have your say" on the right-hand side of this page.

Have your say online!

The first of many surveys we will be undertaking is now online! Help us plan Richmondshire's future by answering half a dozen simple questions about the area you live. Your answers really do matter - each and every one will be taken into account during the consultation.

You can fill in the survey via the link on the right hand side of this page.

Photography competition helps Richmondshire plan for the future

Talented photographers of all ages are being urged to capture Richmondshire's best view.

Richmondshire District Council has launched a photography competition to help identify what makes the area unique and special. Entries could range from landscapes, scenes of towns or villages or even just a home or garden – as long as it is something that people value.

But the competition also has a serious side – it is intended to help the Council plan the future of the district, and to identify areas which particularly need to be protected. It forms part of a wider project, called Plan Our Future.

There are three age categories – up to 19 years old, 20 to 50 and over 50s – with a top prize of £100 in each category. The best entries will be published on the internet and be exhibited at locations around the district.

A spokesman for Richmondshire District Council said: "This competition is intended to be fun, and showcase local talent, but it does have a serious side. We are currently drawing up a series of important 'blueprints' that will set out how and where the district develops in years to come.

"People's opinions are a key part of this process, and so we hope the competition will help pinpoint what residents really value about Richmondshire, as well as getting them more involved in the planning process."

Entries must be submitted electronically to photos@richmondshire.gov.uk, by March 23 at the latest.

Drop-in session dates announced

One of the many ways in which you can have your say about the future of Richmondshire is by attending one of our drop-in sessions.

We'll be holding five events across the dsitrict, in late March and early April - one for each "area". They're free, open to all, and a great chance to quiz the experts and make sure your opinions count.

Friday, March 20 - The Station, Richmond
Tuesday, March 24 - Hawes National Park Centre
Wednesday, March 25 - Bolton Arms, Leyburn
Friday, March 27 - Gilling West Village Hall
Monday, April 6 - Colburn Recreation Centre

Each sessions will run from 10am to 6.30pm.

Don't worry if you can't attend - there are plenty of other ways to get involved, not least through this website!

What "area" am I in?

For the Plan Our Future project, we've divided Richmondshire into five separate areas.


Different areas will have different priorities, and so the issues we are consulting on will vary.

You can use the map this map to pinpoint in which area you live. Each area will have its own drop-in session, so you will want to go to the one that is particuarly relevant to you.

Area profiles

We have used local evidence (for example, feedback from surveys we have sent out to residents, or data like employment statistics) to produce what we think are the most important issues and questions for the different parts of Richmondshire.

We'll be uploading those on this blog shortly - but there may be something we've missed. If you agree or disagree with any of the issues, or have anything else to add, please let us know! You can contact us using the "Have your say" links to the right.

Welcome to Plan Our Future!

Welcome to Plan Our Future - where you can help decide how Richmondshire will change over the coming years.

We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to get involved. After all, the issues that we are discussing - how many houses should be built? where should new jobs be created? which parts of the environment should we protect? - will affect all of us, our children and our children's children.

You'll be able to have your say via this website, but we'd really like to meet you face-to-face too. We'll be hosting drop-in sessions across Richmondshire over the next few months, and everyone is welcome. Full details will be published on this blog soon.