17/01/2026
17 January 2026
Dear Airmyn Residents,
JANUARY 2026 UPDATE
Happy New Year. I hope this letter finds you well and that everyone had an enjoyable Christmas.
Parish Precept
At our first meeting of the year, held on 14 January 2026, the parish council approved its budget and precept for the financial year 2026–27 following a detailed review of anticipated income, expenditure, and reserves. Sitting around a table and discussing what you, our residents should pay as a contribution towards the running of the parish is always an extremely difficult decision. The financial year 2025-26 has been extremely challenging for the parish council, following our former Parish Clerk being absent from work, due to ill health, for a little over eight months. Following the decision to appoint an Interim Parish Clerk, the costs of running the council increased dramatically. However, due to prudent financial management, the council was able to reduce its planned expenditure within the parish, to ensure that our overspend was as minimal as possible.
For 2026–27, the council has set a precept of £28.775.00, which will meet the forecast day-to-day running costs of the council while allowing it to continue delivering its statutory duties and local services. This equates to an increase of 3.8% on the parish precept for 2026-27. In real terms the precept will increase by £3.48 a year for a Band D property, or 7 pence a week. Planned expenditure for the year has been carefully assessed against known commitments, with due regard given to affordability and value for money. The budget also takes account of the council’s current financial position, including the use and protection of reserves, ensuring that the authority remains financially resilient while avoiding unnecessary pressure on council taxpayers. Members were mindful of ongoing cost pressures affecting local government generally and have sought to strike a balanced and responsible approach, maintaining essential services while keeping the overall budget under close control.
Despite experiencing a challenging financial year, the council delivered on its drainage project at Airmyn playing field. Initial impressions are that the scheme was a huge success and the playing field and play area can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. The council also allocated resources to the clearance of d***s and watercourses in the parish to ensure excess water can exit the village quickly and efficiently, as well as continue to maintain the riverbank and ensure it continues to look neat and tidy. It would be remiss of me not to mention and thank those volunteers who contributed so positively in the parish during 2025-26 to assist with grass cutting, grounds maintenance, litter picking dyke/drainage maintenance and delivery of the Airmyn News.
Airmyn Parish Clerk
Following the extensive advertisement of our vacant Parish Clerk position, Councillor Matthews and I interviewed our preferred candidate on 12 January 2026. Following an excellent interview, the position was offered and accepted by the candidate, which is fantastic news. Our Interim Clerk has done a tremendous job whilst in post and I thank Vonny for everything that she has done. There will inevitably be a handover and period of transition while our new Clerk settles in. Further details on working hours, contact details etc will be circulated in due course.
Future of the Former Airmyn Bowls Club Site
Further to the comments I made in my article in the Airmyn News in December, the parish council held a consultation event on Tuesday 13 January 2026 at Airmyn Memorial Hall to discuss an interested party’s proposal to operate a Padel Club from the former Airmyn Bowls Club site.
By way of background, the parish council has, through its commercial partner Screetons Commercial, invited expressions of interest to lease the former Airmyn Bowls Club site. At the 12 November 2025 meeting of Airmyn Parish Council, members received a verbal representation from an interested party who wished to lease the former Airmyn Bowls Club site. The proposal presented to the council was for a Padel Club, associated changing facilities and a café to be operated from the site.
For those residents who are unfamiliar with the sport, Padel is a racket sport played on an enclosed court slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court. It has the same scoring system as tennis, but different rules. Padel is widely recognised as the fastest growing sport in the world, with over 25 million active players across more than 110 countries.
The proposal would see two Padel Courts installed on the western boundary of the former bowls club site as well as the redevelopment of the existing outbuildings to include changing facilities, a café and a place for users to socialise. The interested party circulated initial artist impressions of the site, as well as a timeline for its development (the images were pinned to the notice board at the Memorial Hall). On the 13 November I printed and hand delivered a letter to all residents of Woodland Way, informing them of what had transpired at the council meeting the evening before.
Whilst I am Chair, the parish council will conduct all its business in and open, honest and transparent manner. That is why it was so important that residents were informed of the Padel Court proposal. However, I did make an error of judgement in not circulating my letter further afield than Woodland Way which I am happy to and will continue to apologise for. Whilst an error, the circulation of the letter was done in good faith as I wanted people to know at the earliest opportunity what the council has discussed.
The letter was published on the council’s social media channels and pinned in the village notice board, as well as available on the council’s web site.
In the December edition of the Airmyn News, I gave a commitment that a consultation event would be held on 13 January 2026, to which all residents would be invited.
The event was attended by 19 residents, four parish councillors and representatives of the interested party who wish to operate from the site. Several questions were directed to the interested party in a respectful manner from residents, with concerns being expressed about the increase in vehicle movements in and around the Memorial Hall, proximity of the site to residential properties, saturation of Padel Courts in and around Goole, noise emanating from the playing of and attendance at the Padel Courts, loss of a village amenity, inappropriate location for the Padel Courts, hours the site will be open to the public, parking, impact on the security of the Memorial Hall car park and dangers of additional car movements in and around a popular playing field and children’s play area.
On 14 January, the council held its first meeting of 2026. Included within the agenda was a request from a member of the public to address the council following the consultation event held the previous evening, as well as the future of the former Airmyn Bowls Club site. The member of the public spoke passionately about their concerns, both on behalf of themselves and the wider village. The member of the public also submitted a petition signed by 50 residents objecting to the Padel Club proposal. Representatives of the interested party were also in attendance and spoke enthusiastically about their proposal, including what mitigating measures they would implement to alleviate residents’ concerns.
A lengthy discussion then ensued amongst the councillors on the future of the former Airmyn Bowls Club site. The council acknowledges that the future of the site is clearly an emotive subject. Understandably, homeowners who live adjacent to or close to the site are concerned about how the development may impact them. Councillors were presented with several online articles that reported occasions where Padel Clubs had been unsuccessful or adversely impacted residents by such a development. However, in the interests of fairness, there are also many articles praising Padel Clubs and the positive impact they have made, both from an environmental perspective but also a health and leisure point of view.
Following the discussion, the council agreed to enter into formal negotiations on the terms of a lease, to allow the interested party to use our land, subject to them being granted planning permission.
It is now important that I take this opportunity to clarify several points made during the consultation process.
The interested party wishes to install two Padel Courts at the site, as well as changing rooms, shower facilities and a café. You may have heard rumours of up to six courts being installed at the site. This is simply not true, and the council would not support this over development of the site. Infact, a clause will be inserted into the lease as to how many courts could be built on the site.
It has been insinuated that the council is a partner in the project and will enter into a profit share agreement with the interested party. Again, this is not true. The council will simply be a landlord. Neither I nor the council have any interest in entering a business partnership with the interested party, except as the landlord, which is the same arrangement the council operated with the former tenant before they relinquished the lease. Were the project to proceed, the council will simply collect a monthly rent from the tenant. All risks, costs etc lie with the interested party, and not the council. Similarly, included in any lease would be measures the interested party would have to implement were he ever to leave the site i.e. removing the courts etc.
It has also been alleged that the council needs a revenue stream. This is not the case. As was stated earlier in this letter, and despite increasing the precept slightly for 2026-27, the council finances are in a very healthy position. The driver for the lease of the former Bowls Club is to have it managed and maintained by AN Other to remove the responsibility from the council. My councillor colleagues and I, alongside our former Caretaker, have spent many hours working at the site which, in the long term, is not sustainable. What makes the Padel Club proposal so positive is it would provide additional leisure facilities into the village by way of a café, outdoor seating etc. I do completely accept though that there are several other alternative uses for the site, but, in my opinion, they all require either money or volunteers to manage and maintain. I honestly don't believe it's an efficient use of the precept just to maintain a site and keep it hidden away. Assumptions have been made that Community Payback operatives or volunteers could manage the site. Unfortunately, the Payback project is at full capacity, and they cannot currently commit to more work on the site. It is one of my proudest achievements as a parish councillor that I and my colleagues, on behalf of the council and St David’s Church, established the relationship with the Probation Service. Airmyn already has an excellent volunteer network, who often go above and beyond on behalf of the village. But asking volunteers to manage and maintain the site is a step too far in my opinion. Similarly, I would be concerned that to open the site up and allow it to become an extension of the Memorial Garden may well attract anti-social behaviour due to its secluded design.
The potential impact of a Padel Club on house prices has also been suggested as a reason to not progress any development of the site. However, whilst clearly important to the homeowners, house prices are not a material consideration in any planning process. Availability of other Padel Clubs in and around Goole has also been mentioned as a reason not to progress this development. Competition is an issue for the interested party and not the parish council.
It has also been suggested that the council is putting income generation over road safety and congestion. I and my councillor colleagues are unequivocal in our aspiration that all vehicles travel through the village in a safe and timely manner. That is why, as part of the budget setting process for 2026-27, funding has been applied for, which the council will match fund, to support the installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras in the village as part of the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Road Safety Measures Grant Scheme. If successful, the cameras will be strategically placed to monitor drivers passing through the village, ensuring compliance with speed limits and weight restrictions for heavy goods vehicles.
Finally, the council was encouraged to hold a Referendum on whether it should progress discussions with the interested party. Whilst I can understand the thinking behind the suggestion, the council cannot justify the costs for such an event which, having liaised with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, could cost in excess of £3,000. A cost which would be met by the parish council.
The parish council will now commence negotiations on the terms of the lease with the interested party. Assuming the lease is agreed, the interested party will then submit a planning application to East Riding of Yorkshire Council for the development of the site, that of course anyone can comment on.
Further developments/updates will be communicated once known.
Thanks for your time.
Matt
Chair – Airmyn Parish Council
PS The letter can be read on the Parish Notice board and on the council's web site.
