A Rant About Bedlington

[Malcolm Robinson]

Here is the full list of county councillors; you might want to go to the bottom of the list for our 'local' ones.

http://www3.northumberland.gov.uk/Councillor/CouncillorList.asp

Here are the results of the last parish council election for Bedlington West.

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4631

This is fairly basic stuff people, you should know it, you are paying for it!!!!!!!

Deb, I have to take issue to your comments about the market place. You seem to be suggesting that somehow the council have sole right to keep the place clean and tidy, isn't that a collective responsibility? Maybe if the kids that are leaving these tyre marks on that paved area were 'dissuaded' from doing so, by whatever means necessary, it might in fact turn the Market Place into what was hoped for. Also the seats have already been vandalised. If we are going to play a blame game lets pick the right targets!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Anyone wanting to go further up the tree............

I have to declare an interest here, I have tried to get in touch with our Labour MEP twice and I am still waiting for a reply!!!!!!!

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=385

[Monsta®]

Anyone wanting to go further up the tree............

I have to declare an interest here, I have tried to get in touch with our Labour MEP twice and I am still waiting for a reply!!!!!!!

http://www.northumbe...t.aspx?page=385

you honestly think they'll have time to reply? they've got to book there holidays, pick there next new car and fit in a round of golf! while rubbing there hands together while checking there bank accounts!

[debrad65]

Malcolm... I agreed with a post regarding the market place being a mess..but I've suggested nothing about the council keeping it clean and tidy?I know it's the kids to blame but think about it... if they had places to go here they wouldn't have to hang around the market place in the first place!! Yes I made a comment about us being let down as a whole community.That had nothing to do with the market place! Hey, if we care about this place, we shouldn't be nit picking between ourselves!We should be united

[mistawispa]

I agree with the inability to get an answer from anyone. I Contacted Arther Pegg about 3 years ago, and am still awaiting and answer. I have also written to Fiona Hall our MEP, but still no answer, apart from an email acknowledgment, with the promise to raise the issue the next time she was home from Brussels.

So I say again, what is the point if nothing happens!

[Monsta®]

Malcolm... I agreed with a post regarding the market place being a mess..but I've suggested nothing about the council keeping it clean and tidy?I know it's the kids to blame but think about it... if they had places to go here they wouldn't have to hang around the market place in the first place!! Yes I made a comment about us being let down as a whole community.That had nothing to do with the market place! Hey, if we care about this place, we shouldn't be nit picking between ourselves!We should be united

what makes you think they wouldn't hang around the market place? kids always hang about its what they do! wether they've got leisure centre, youth clubs or mc'ds!

they need to teach the kids to to reck the place not say "argh they got nen where to gan!"

[debrad65]

I agree with the inability to get an answer from anyone. I Contacted Arther Pegg about 3 years ago, and am still awaiting and answer. I have also written to Fiona Hall our MEP, but still no answer, apart from an email acknowledgment, with the promise to raise the issue the next time she was home from Brussels.

So I say again, what is the point if nothing happens!

[debrad65]

I got reply straight away. Sent another e-mail tonight saying to view all the forum posts to see that the people of Bedlington have had enough! you have to make a nuisance of yourself!!

[Merlin]

I agree with the garage statment. Its not going to be used as it currently is, so level it, and landscape it for now.

And who? May I ask is going to pay for said landscaping? Parish or County? Ya Havin a laugh mwahahahaha mwahahahahahahaha

[Hillbilly]

Who is going to pay for the landscaping... I got my council tax bill last night and if that is anything to go by, judging by the increase in houses in Bedlington in the last 15 years they should have plenty of cash!

The council always pleads poverty in our area but we are paying as much council tax as some of the best served boroughs in the area!! So cash is a convenient excuse and not one that washes with me!

If we could get the email address of the MEP or similar I would suggest that every one of us separately email her and give our views and point her to bedlington.co.uk. I think it was Deb who said you need to make a nuisance of our selves and she is right. If we fill her inbox with emails every day for a month, she will have to listen!!

Does anyone have the email address and should we agree on the topics to highlight as it is no use just whinging at her... we need to be constructive, specific and consistent!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Deb,

First let me say I support your initiative 100% the more we can get people talking and discussing what concerns they have, where they want the town to go and how they suggest we get there the better in my book.

As for your comments about the Market Place, the whole tilt of your tirade is aimed at the ubiquitous 'they'. The problem is that the 'they' in this case represents council and our tax money! We paid to get that area done, oh 'they' might say it came from grant monies and yes it did but who put the dosh in to start with, and now we are paying again and again to keep it clean. Every quid spent going back to clean up or repair comes out of our tax and the real problem at this moment is that every quid spent there is a quid less spent in other, probably more worthy, areas. Look at the swingeing cut in voluntary sector funding county have just put through!

Getting to the old chestnut about the kids not having anywhere go or do, I recognise that but I don't accept it as an argument to justify this type of behaviour. I certainly won't be giving out any 'get out of jail' free cards because of it. I would be fining them for the costs of any clean up necessary and if below the age of responsibility their parents!

[debrad65]

Malcolm I'm not going to reply to any more comments about the Market Place, because when I do you seem to have a go at me! I agree with what you say.The council should put signs up saying no bikes etc.. and impose fines. At the end of the day riding around on bikes,scooters, skateboards etc.. on the Market Place could cause an accident. I'm saying nowt more about the Market Place! At the end of the day, all I want is a future for Bedlington. We have a great, safe community and deserve decent facilities to meet our needs. That's what I'm focusing my energy on-not a constant rant about the state of a few stones!

[Andy Millne]

Every quid spent going back to clean up or repair comes out of our tax and the real problem at this moment is that every quid spent there is a quid less spent in other, probably more worthy, areas.

Are we not already paying out for litter pickers and street cleaners? If that's the case why is the stuff still lying about and accumulating? I realise the graffiti on the seats and tyre marks are a different issue though and I agree that those causing the damage should be made responsible for their actions.

[mistawispa]

I agree that we should all email our MEP. The Liberal one is judith@fionahallmep.co.uk

I have tried this and have had the usual "Thank you for your email. I will talk to Fiona when she is next in the UK and get back to you". Needless to say I am still waiting. If we all sent a message about our individual concerns the perhaps we might get a response. Nothing else seems to work.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Deb

I sincerely hope I haven't put you off posting about anything, believe me that was not the intention at all. The problem for me with the whole Market Place is that it was originally a community driven idea which, probably because of the amount of money it brought in and the PR associated, was 'taken' over by council. That means it started with a few people getting off their backsides and putting some work into doing what they could for the place. Isn't that exactly what you are calling for now? When I read comments like, 'the place is a disgrace' and 'it's a mess' I hope the people who put their time and effort into the project don't think, why the hell did we bother!

I understand completely where you are coming from and in many ways agree I just think we should be a bit more selective in where we throw the stones so we hit the right targets, god knows there are enough of them!

[debrad65]

Deb

I sincerely hope I haven't put you off posting about anything, believe me that was not the intention at all. The problem for me with the whole Market Place is that it was originally a community driven idea which, probably because of the amount of money it brought in and the PR associated, was 'taken' over by council. That means it started with a few people getting off their backsides and putting some work into doing what they could for the place. Isn't that exactly what you are calling for now? When I read comments like, 'the place is a disgrace' and 'it's a mess' I hope the people who put their time and effort into the project don't think, why the hell did we bother!

I understand completely where you are coming from and in many ways agree I just think we should be a bit more selective in where we throw the stones so we hit the right targets, god knows there are enough of them!

no you haven't put me off posting anything! nobody's gonna shut me up!!

[mistawispa]

I agree with the comments about throwing stones. There are a lot of targets if you ever get to see them. It was a good idea to improve the Market Square, and it did look nice for a while, but that is just a small part of the jigsaw. Yes the kids and some adults are a problem, and those in positions of responsibility, both at the local level and higher should be praised for what they have done. But just doing the square without doing anything else is a piecemeal attitude. The kids and adults need somewhere to congregate and have fun, and wear off some energy, so why not give us all a leisure centre. There is plenty of spare land that could be used. Get the police to take a more proactive stance. Dare I say "bodies on the street". No offence to them but all they seem to do is firefight, and fill useless forms for government statistics, to make the London mob look good.

[Andy Millne]

The kids and adults need somewhere to congregate and have fun, and wear off some energy, so why not give us all a leisure centre. There is plenty of spare land that could be used.

There is lots of land but once you get into the details a lot of it becomes unsuitable. The presentation next Thursday will show all possible sites in Bedlington and whether or not they could support a leisure centre.

[Hillbilly]

What's this fourgee.... a leisure centre???

Are they considering one??? If they are we should lobby behind it!!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Jim,

Get with the programme!

It has taken 2 years to get to this position and for the first time we will have an independent report into leisure facilities, the lack or need, within Bedlington.

Mistawispa,

When you identify the piecemeal attitude toward any re/development within Bedlington that is something I can particularly identify with. There has never been any holistic strategic planning for the town since BUDC disbanded! That needs to change if we are to have any hope of bringing it back from the brink.

[Andy Millne]

There has never been any holistic strategic planning for the town since BUDC disbanded! That needs to change if we are to have any hope of bringing it back from the brink.

+1 on that! Everything seems to be ill thought out with regards to future development. If the planning departments of old had been more focussed on that rather than the colour of shop shutters and protecting eyesores in the conservation area we would have been a lot further forward than we are.

If there is so much historical significance within the conservation area then why hasn't/isn't this exploited by attempting to attract tourism to the area?

So what is the plan now? Do we have one?

[Malcolm Robinson]

If there is so much historical significance within the conservation area then why hasn't/isn't this exploited by attempting to attract tourism to the area?

So what is the plan now? Do we have one?

There is always a plan GGGG, it just some are better than others..........

Withdrawal of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD): Bedlington Conservation Area Management Strategy SPD

Northumberland County Council adopted the above document on 1 April 2009. The SPD set out management proposals for the Bedlington Conservation Area. It sought to ensure that change in the area is managed in ways which maintain and, if possible, strengthen the area's special architectural and historic qualities. It incorporated proposals for the extension of the boundaries of the Conservation Area.

Following adoption of the SPD, it came to light that not all representations made to the draft SPD at the consultation stage (October/November 2008) were taken into account by the Council when it adopted the document. As a consequence, the SPD has been withdrawn.