Bedlington Townscape Heritage Initiative Newsletter

[Malcolm Robinson]

And So Say All Of Us!!!

By the way Keith I'm off on a weeks holiday but by the time I get back do you think you could explain to me what a Monkeys Chuff Is? It sounds quite interesting. :whistle:

Someone tell Keith he has a ladder in his leggings!!!!!!!!!!

Can anyone explain the point of this to me............

[Malcolm Robinson]

To be honest I could not give a monkeys chuff who pays for what,...... the..... grass.....needs.....cutting....... 'cos the place is a bloody mess.

You might be interested in this Keith......if you go down to item 9.

http://committees.northumberland.gov.uk/aksnorthumberland/users/public/admin/kab14.pl?operation=SUBMIT&meet=43&cmte=ACS&grpid=public&arc=1

[Keith Scantlebury]

Someone tell Keith he has a ladder in his leggings!!!!!!!!!!

Can anyone explain the point of this to me............

I did'nt think that would get out !!!

[Canny lass]

Can anyone explain the point of this to me............

I can't explain the point of it Malcolm but you've got to admit, it's a better way for young people to spend their time than burning picnic tables!

[Malcolm Robinson]

I nearly said that Canny lass.......It might be keeping kids 'off the streets' by performing on the streets?

[Adam Hogg]

Keith,

Its not my business but I think you might find your parish council did the beds, hanging baskets etc and its NCC who are responsible for grass cutting......unless you want to see your parish rates start to multiply.... as is the grand scheme at the moment!

But Malcolm what is the £6,500 for grass cutting that West Bedlington Town Council charge for, or maybe one of the Town Councillors can anwer that.

[Malcolm Robinson]

But Malcolm what is the £6,500 for grass cutting that West Bedlington Town Council charge for, or maybe one of the Town Councillors can anwer that.

Didn't know they did Adam? If they do its for extra cuts this year.........next year who knows!

Stephen..................????

[Adam Hogg]

Didn't know they did Adam? If they do its for extra cuts this year.........next year who knows!

Stephen..................????

Well it is in their budget and was in the report about the precept this year, but we have never needed extra cuts before so why charge for them, we should be getting the same quality and amount of cuts as we have gotten over the years from BUDC, WDC and NCC before 2012.

Edited July 8, 2012 by Adam Hogg

[Malcolm Robinson]

As far as I know.........NCC are doing a certain number of cuts, if a parish or town council wants more they pay for them at a rate set by NCC. I thought WBTC had decided not to pay for extra cuts?

It can only be a matter of time before the small councils have to cut their own grass etc. Fair enough but lets see a corresponding decrease in the NCC rates bills if we have to pay parish councils extra! Thta was the promise but that isn't what looks likely to happen!

[Adam Hogg]

As far as I know.........NCC are doing a certain number of cuts, if a parish or town council wants more they pay for them at a rate set by NCC. I thought WBTC had decided not to pay for extra cuts?

It can only be a matter of time before the small councils have to cut their own grass etc. Fair enough but lets see a corresponding decrease in the NCC rates bills if we have to pay parish councils extra! Thta was the promise but that isn't what looks likely to happen!

Three options are open to NCC with council tax for the next three years: No change, Decrease or Increase above 2.5%, 1% increase equates to £1.6 million, note this year 2012/13 the government have offered funding to freeze council tax levels. That is what has been stated by the Executive Member for Corporate Resources Councillor Andrew Tebbutt, now i doubt NCC will have no change or a decrease, so whats left? But i completely agree with you Malcolm why pay twice? you don't go to a garage to fill up your car and say, "pump number 3," then, "that will be £20," and then get, "another £20 please," for your fuel.

Edited July 8, 2012 by Adam Hogg

[Symptoms]

Mal wrote: "Seems to me someone has decided to only cut about half a metre in from the roads irrespective of how much grass there is wherever.... 1 pass with the flail mower?"

Quite right too! I'm glad some responsible official on the Council has the welfare of the bugs & critters as part of his/her portfolio; I say long, uncut grass everywhere. The dicks, the frogs & toads, and all the creepy-crawlies will thrive.

[Keith Scantlebury]

Drove from the Bank Top under the black Bridge an hour ago. You can hardly see the seats for grass and the long grass and weeds are right up tp the roadside now. I also noticed that some selfish, thieving lowlife has nicked the marigolds out of the barrel nearest the pavement in front of St. Johns.......... why bother ? !!!

Edited July 8, 2012 by keith

[Stephen]

Didn't know they did Adam? If they do its for extra cuts this year.........next year who knows!

Stephen..................????

We turned it down last year when NCC were offering 3 extra cuts for £12000 but accepted the reduced price offered for extra cuts this year. There was some discussion about this and I'll admit that I was sceptical about the need, but I've been proved wrong after all the rain we've had.

I know people will complain about me saying this but Bedlington Station has a different council and they chose to freeze their council tax instead of paying more money to NCC for flower beds and extra grass cutting. So the grass isn't cut as often but the council tax in East Bedlington is lower.

[Stephen]

Three options are open to NCC with council tax for the next three years: No change, Decrease or Increase above 2.5%, 1% increase equates to £1.6 million, note this year 2012/13 the government have offered funding to freeze council tax levels. That is what has been stated by the Executive Member for Corporate Resources Councillor Andrew Tebbutt, now i doubt NCC will have no change or a decrease, so whats left? But i completely agree with you Malcolm why pay twice? you don't go to a garage to fill up your car and say, "pump number 3," then, "that will be £20," and then get, "another £20 please," for your fuel.

There was no change to the NCC council tax for 2012/13.

[Malcolm Robinson]

There was no change to the NCC council tax for 2012/13.

Last year they took the government's shilling..........this year they are taking the government's shilling again.

The argument against was that by doing so we will actually see a massive cap busting raise when it has to come.

Personally I would argue if the cuts have been real then the cost savings should reduce county rate bills anyway.............n'est pas?

[Keith Scantlebury]

We turned it down last year when NCC were offering 3 extra cuts for £12000 but accepted the reduced price offered for extra cuts this year. There was some discussion about this and I'll admit that I was sceptical about the need, but I've been proved wrong after all the rain we've had.

I know people will complain about me saying this but Bedlington Station has a different council and they chose to freeze their council tax instead of paying more money to NCC for flower beds and extra grass cutting. So the grass isn't cut as often but the council tax in East Bedlington is lower.

It's just a pity that the grass is'nt lower Stephen. The buck will always be passed and someone else blamed, but the grass will still grow. The thing is, this cannot be hidden. It is there for all to be seen and those responsible for it should be thoroughly ashamed. I wonder what it would be like if all our parish councillers lived here. On another note my wife saw some teenagers trying to sell some marigolds in Burnside, guess what ? ....... both of those barrels are now devoid of flowers.

[Symptoms]

What we need is our own version of the American chain gang. Shackled groups of naughty/evil teens forced to eat the long grass. See the Picnic Tables thread.

[Adam Hogg]

There was no change to the NCC council tax for 2012/13.

That is what I said Stephen note this year 2012/13 the government have offered funding to freeze council tax levels.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Adam.........I stand corrected, seems you were right about the £6.5K for grasscutting.

Pleased someone is keeping their eye on the ball.............and one of our youngest members!

[Adam Hogg]

Adam.........I stand corrected, seems you were right about the £6.5K for grasscutting.

Pleased someone is keeping their eye on the ball.............and one of our youngest members!

Always like to keep my eyes on local matters.

[Malcolm Robinson]

Just trying to counterbalance Symptoms assertions that teenagers need to be horse whipped to within an inch of their lives! Some actually lead productive lives.....

[Keith Scantlebury]

Q.) Who is responsible for the vadalism / criminal damage of the picnic tables A.) Those who did it ....... simple as that.

Most of us can remember the murder of James !*!@# . (an extreme example, I know) . When Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were caught some people were taken aback by their ages , 10 / 11 . We heard people saying they were just kids themselves, dont be too harsh on them. Well, I'm sorry but when I was 10 years old, I knew right from wrong and I am sure all of you reading this did as well.

I was in a slightly different situation to most kids in Bedlington because at the age of 11 I was at Boarding School in Cheshire until I was 15. Even so,when I was home on holidays, if my parents whent out on a Saturday night we were properly looked after, we didnt run the streets wrecking other peoples property, why?, we knew it was wrong.

When they are caught, the Parents should be fined and made to pay for the damage. If they are good and responsible parents, they will "take it on the chin", pay up and then they will undoubtedly find a way to punish their kids and make them pay, hopefully they will not do it again.

If the parents are those who like to go out on a night and let their kids run wild while they are in the club, the effect could be the same. If they were forced to cough up their beer money to pay for their kid's damage, I am pretty sure the message will get through to the kids ,one way or another, hopefully they will not do it again.

Then there are the parents who could not give a damn. They will get a pittance of fine (usually because they are on benefits and up to the neck in debt), because it is all they can afford. They will be alowed to pay it on the drip at a couple of quid a week. Somehow, some of them, ( and I say SOME of them , not all people on benefits are bad people) will still manage to go to the club and get hammered every weekend leaving their kids to run wild, paying for someone to look after them would only deplete their beer and baccy money. Back to square one.

The thing is, whoever did this, KNEW it was wrong to do it. If they are juveniles, the parents should be taken to book and be made to pay, but doing this will only work if the kids are utimately held responsible for their actions and in turn, made to pay (one way or another) so hopefuly the message gets through and they have a bit more respect for other peoples property.

I have got to say, I was no Angel ( first time in trouble I was locked up for fighting when I was 17) and I have been dragged in front of the magistrate to explain myself a few times since then , but, marriage and kids of my own soon brought me back down with a bang. When I whent through this phase, I was working and had to pay my own fines. I knew I was wrong in doing those things , (never thieving or damaging property though).

Edited July 10, 2012 by keith

[mercuryg]

All good points, keith. By the way, where in Cheshire were you at boarding school? I ask as I grew up in Cheshire.

[Keith Scantlebury]

All good points, keith. By the way, where in Cheshire were you at boarding school? I ask as I grew up in Cheshire.

I whent to Marton Boarding School at Whitegate, near to Northwich and Winsford. (not a million miles from Oulton park, we were well within earshot on race days) . It was a boarding school mainly for those from farming families in Northumberland and for those who were interested in going into farming. Kids from other backgrounds were also considered, but there was an interview process and an entry exam to get in, there was only 150 pupils in the school. There was a "sister school" at Haydon Bridge and the headmasters were brothers.

[mercuryg]

Keith, I know the area well! My brother still resides close to that very location.