By Duncan Atkins

Copyright thescarboroughnews

Although the fire is contained, hotspots will continue to burn for many months. It is devastating to see the charred landscape. Farmers who supported the firefighters so bravely have lost grazing, fencing and more. In the House of Commons I was honoured to pay tribute both to them and water tanker drivers, gamekeepers as well as all the volunteers and agencies whose incredible actions prevented loss of life or property. I also thanked North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for what has been an extraordinarily long tour of duty. I’ve visited both Scarborough and Whitby fire stations to meet the crews, and they all told me the same story – the hot, windy and explosive conditions were tough. An on-call firefighter from Lythe told me their station has been to the site 29 times, which demonstrates our reliance on those who provide cover around employment and other commitments. A huge thank you to our heroes. Our wonderful countryside binds communities together. I was delighted to visit the Egton Estate and see the reinforcement work Yorkshire Water has undertaken to ensure the Egton Bridge pumping station does not subside into the River Esk. This work was done after a constituent brought it to my attention. The government is determined to clean up our waterways and hold water companies to account. There’s still plenty of work to be done but I’m the first to commend Yorkshire Water on this occasion. I am delighted to confirm to readers of my column that my two-year long campaign to get working smart metres into the constituency has been a success. Last month the Government announced the rollout of 4G to the North. The North South divide will soon be equalised! The North which was previously limited to Long Range Radio (LRR) can now access the same cellular data hubs commonplace in households in the South. Tough new obligations will also be placed on energy suppliers to improve every stage of the smart meter process. The reforms, set to be introduced next year, include new and improved compensation for long installation and repair wait times.  After being contacted by constituents lumbered with “dumb meters” in the Esk Valley soon after becoming the Labour candidate, I made it one of my personal missions to find a solution if elected. By working closely with the DCC and government, including holding a Smart Meter Summit in Westminster, we’ve been able to do that. Please check with your supplier and ask them to supply a cellular data hub!