Councillor Robinson - March 2018

[Malcolm Robinson]

March 2018.

 

Beginning of March and I’m snowed in.  Hope this clears before I have to get back.

Well it did and I made the meetings I had and held my surgery.

I had quickly rearranged meetings because the NCC officers I needed to speak to were busy and having just been though a very bad snow-out I could sympathise.   We ultimately met at Plessey Woods to talk through some of the ideas I had to improve visitor numbers.  Lots of negativity here I’m afraid and I had to explain I didn’t want to spoil the natural environment only improve it and commercialise it so we didn’t have to be so dependent on NCC funding.  One way opens up opportunities, the other is a continuation down a one way street I’m afraid.  I did get support off the park manager and with his help we even managed to turn a flat no into a let’s look at the possibility.

I really want to see a very much increased offer down there, well publicised and easy access for coaches.  We spent well over a couple of hours walking around and they did listen to what I proposed but time and again it came back to, ‘that might not work’.  I really have my work cut out to bring these guys into the 21^st century!  Not everything will work, some will inevitably fail but some will fly and they are the gold nuggets we want!

After that it was time for the second site visit, this time the end of the Red Ash Path next to the cemetery.  We drove there and parked up then I took them along the sodden path which had been churned up by cars at the start.  I convinced them we had to put in new bollards to stop cars driving up the footpath there.

I also pointed out the drainage problems the cemetery has and what I have been doing to tackle the flooding problems.  Hopefully WBTC will commit to funding to help repair all the drains which actually join up under the houses and exit into the Green Letch.  If that gets done then I need new field drains along the cemetery fenceline to stop flooding there.

I think I won this one and they agreed to investigate and get the estimate I have, checked out.  I also want to add in pitch drainage because that will not only make the pitch much better it will also help drain the footpath.

The full costs of what I am talking about is well over £100K and all of a sudden why this has been left for so long becomes clear!

Because the strategic planning meeting had been cancelled I was able to make it down to the EBPC meeting.  Russ, Bill and Christine, the Mayor of West Bedlington Town Council, made it down too as did councillor Gobin.  The chair made a point of gushingly welcoming only councillor Gobin and by association snubbing the rest of us.  How childish!

Anyway we needn’t have bothered going because most of the agenda was going to be discussed behind closed doors after we and the public all got kicked out!  And that’s exactly what happened, very Stalinesque!   I have to ask is that really in the public interest and all those agenda items needing to be discussed, subject to commercial confidentiality?  Some looked quite innocuous.

Today I have been on the phone for most of the day.    I have agreed to help out more community groups and getting stuff in place for them took ages.

 

Tonight is the WBTC meeting here is my update for them:

 

Before I started I thanked them for their “open and transparent agenda” with everything out in public not hidden! 

 

WBTC update March 2018.

Again not having a great deal of time to get things down chronologically so here is my update.

Been getting a few concerns about anti-social behaviour in the ward so I asked for a meeting with the police.  They duly responded and I have to say I initially went in to the meeting convinced it would be quite heated.  I raised all the points residents have told me about and I have to say I was more than impressed with the police response.   I was reassured and my constituents can be too that the police are taking all these reports seriously and even with the limited resources they have available, they are taking pretty firm actions. 

They did ask me to highlight a couple of things.  First please report any incidents because a lot of these social media reported incidents are not being logged because they are not reported to the police.  Ask for a ring back to make sure they are being taken seriously!

Secondly please try to secure your wheelie bins!  That’s the craze at the moment, setting fire to wheelie bins, and replacements don’t come cheap! 

 

Next up the problem with flooding at the cemetery.  

 

This is actually number 8 sub section A on your agenda tonight.  I’m asking to help fund the repairs necessary to the existing drainage which untimely drains surface water out of the cemetery and also Redhouse Farm and Westlea.  I have paid to get the whole warren of pipes CCTV’d and then dye tested so the blockages and problem areas could be identified.   The quote you have on your agendas tonight is for that remedial action.  I am also paying for extra work on the Green Letch outlet area. 

That’s the sprat to catch the mackerel!  I have also been working on full replacement to the field drain which runs the length of the cemetery and have estimates for that.  This is what will drain the cemetery and keep it dry!  I have most of that cost covered and I would like to thank my two NCC colleagues here (Bill and Russ) for agreeing to help fund some of that too.  I was down there with NCC yesterday and have their agreement to start looking at the project seriously and possibly making up the shortfall.  Not to stop there because we have a problem with the path which runs along there, the Red Ash Path, and the football pitch I have also been quoted for full pitch drainage.  I have already identified funding for that additional costing. 

To sum up, the overall cost of the basic infrastructure project is in excess of £100K, we get the children’s graves, and others, protected from flooding, path drainage, pitch drainage, surface water from Red House Farm estate and the Westlea estate drained properly, first time in decades and your contribution if you agree is about 6% of the cost and it will last for many years to come.  The road inside the cemetery is getting redone too I have that already agreed.   

 

Now onto Plessy Woods. 

 

I have had meetings there with NCC officers because I have asked for more funding, well more help really.  I want to see a bigger car park and better access because I want to see many more coaches down there.   I think driving up real usage at school times means we take schools trips there.  That’s one line I am exploring.  I was also promoting many more ways to help the park pay towards its upkeep and especially giving the workers there some security! 

I didn’t expect the negativity I got back off some of the officers.  In fact I had to tell them I would drag them kicking and screaming into the 21st century if I had to.  The one officer who had liked my ideas was in stiches and had to turn away! 

We have a huge asset there, 100 acres plus, but because it’s been allowed to whither due to successive funding cuts it’s in danger of not being able to look after itself properly.  There is already one path almost impassable! 

I am also working with two very enthusiastic young ladies who are opening a Woodland Nursery there. 

 

The work on the new Puffin crossing was delayed but is now well underway.  I did ask Highways to get most done during school holidays because of the traffic congestion it would cause, but again local knowledge was set aside because it didn’t fit into a nice pie chart! 

 

It has been stated that the funding for the Town Centre redevelopment has been halved……it hasn’t, actually it’s slightly more because of the planning conditions we applied to the application.

 

Lastly I have to mention the Gallagher Park event and the steering group meeting to select the preferred event organiser.   After almost 2 hours I walked out in disgust.   Let me say why.  There were 6 representatives there to score two applications and an NCC officer taking the role of chair and another officer from procurement handling the tender.  When one of those representatives firstly hands out 3 pages detailing why one of the applicants shouldn’t get the gig, I think that was enough bias shown to exclude him from any voting on the matter, but then after 2 hours when the scoring has all been done and is being tallied up and its very close, he says quite categorically that if his choice doesn’t get it, the event won’t go ahead, then that is not a full and fair process for either applicant and one I didn’t want to be part of!   I therefore felt I had no other option but to leave, registering my dismay.  I did say my funding was still available but this process has to be resolved properly.  It now seems NCC have agreed with my assessment and they have withdrawn too!   

Thankfully WBTC did agree to my request for our joint funding project and we will now see all the main drainage for surface water leading into the Green Letch repaired and redone.  Thanks very much WBTC, now to get on and get the funding necessary to put in new drainage for the cemetery!

 

They also took the decision to withdraw their funding for the Bedlington Music event given the chair’s experience at the steering group meeting and NCC’s reaction.  If they decide to put on their own event that has to be where my funding will go, having linked my “small’s scheme” funding to WBTC last year.

 

Another day and another e-mail to planners this time for advice!  I also had to get in touch with the same manager I did last month asking for some information to be passed to one of my constituents.  I cannot believe that hasn’t happened but it hasn’t, even though I was copied into the email off the manager asking for this to be made available.

Well it seems the Music event has taken on a life of itself according to all the emails and messages I am getting.  Not really sure why this has blown up in the way it has other than an inflexible predetermined position by a couple of the members of the steering group.  Hmmm…. local politics don’t you just love it, gets in the way of everything!  If only decisions were based on the merits of the arguments……  A live music event for Bedlington was never under threat, but proper rules and procedures have to be followed, this is public funding.  I think this sentence from NCC says it all……..”it has been decided that in order to protect the probity of the process, the procurement will be terminated..”  I think that more than justifies my reaction to what occurred.

I can only go off my training and experience.  I have done commissioning and tendering training when I ran the Development Trust and I have delivered quite a large, for us anyway, commission.  The two play parks, Westlea and Meadowdale, which were done by WBTC and overseen when I was the chair, were done through a commission put out to tender.   We publicised the work as far as we could and 4 national and international bidders came forward with their tenders.   A small subcommittee opened them together on the time and day we had included in all packs which the suppliers all got, and they were then scored off an agreed list which was also supplied to the tenderers.   That reduced the count to two and the two which made the cut were then put up for public display and a public vote.  The design the public liked most won the contract!  That I would suggest is an open and transparent system and because the submissions were only opened and viewed at a predetermined time and all together, then there could not have been any “predetermination” and the only thing which counted was obtaining best value for council tax payers!

Busy weekend at work but an even busier Monday.  I was contacted by one of our schools who needed help with some fundraising they needed for one of their major projects.  I checked things out and then gave them a list of funders who they could ask and should reasonably expect donations off.

Next up several of my constituents were in touch about different problems they are experiencing and they took the rest of the day to get a handle on.  Some I am meeting so they can show me their concerns directly.

 

I have also been in touch with the Plessey Woods officers I met because I want to write a report for the next WBTC newsletter including a call to see if anyone is interested in forming a proper “Friends of Plessey Woods” group.   Hopefully people will come forward and we can start seeking out extra funding to add to the Park’s appeal.

Off up to County Hall later today for a strategic planning meeting.  Only thing on the agenda is the application for 118 houses at Pegswood.   I genuinely haven’t decided which way to go on this one but I have read the papers and I do have several questions!

 

Well not to disappoint there was only one item on the agenda but it took 2 hours to get through and then it was essentially deferred for a site visit.

 

We heard the application then the objectors and then the applicant.  Several valid points were raised in these exchanges but they weren’t allowed to ask questions directly to the planners, the only people allowed to do that are the members of the committee, so I listen intently to what the likes of the local parish council says and what local community groups say and in most cases ask the questions they have intimated by their submissions.

This was no different and after I guess about an hour of questioning and then debate the motion to award planning was amended to defer for a site visit.  Hmm, looks like the strategic planning committee are not the usual push overs they have been!

 

I also had a few words with the cabinet member for country parks who asked me to work on driving up visitor numbers at Plessey Woods.  He understood my concerns and is to set a meeting up between officers, him and myself.  This has to be an all-in play!

Loads going on today and several constituents have been in touch to ask me to sort some things out for them.  Pleased to do that, it’s just part of the job.  Other problems and concerns raised are not quite that straightforward and I will get back onto them on Monday when I have more time.

 

Another hectic weekend at work but straight back into it on Monday morning.  In fact I even fielded a call off a lady in Surry asking for some local help with her relative.  I have also been invited to meet with a charity which is starting here in Bedlington.  Just organised a meeting for this afternoon with them.

 

Police have been on too voicing concerns about the social media stuff which is saying there isn’t a police presence in Bedlington after 8pm.  There is, what ends at 8pm is just the civilian front desk access.  So a meeting with them is on order again.

 

Unbelievably I still haven’t been able to get the information one of my residents requested about the traffic survey at Netherton.  Calls for a bit stronger worded email!  This is not top secret, it’s a traffic survey for God’s sake and why this hasn’t been expedited straightaway I can’t for the life of me work out!

Well it seems like my latest epistle worked and both I and the resident have now got the detailed results of the traffic survey which have been requested for some months!

 

I have had the meeting with the principle of a charity which has just opened in Bedlington and what a load of stuff they do, in fact it took nearly 2 hours to listen to what they are about!  Looks like they will concentrate on family issues to start and I was pleased to help and offer local advice.  Especially pleased a local lass is leading this!

 

I also had reason to drive around the Chesters estate because of complaints I have had and will forward onto the appropriate people.  I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what and where the complaints were about.

It was soon time to go up to County Hall and again, this was a specially called full council meeting to hear a single issue, the Devolution enigma.   We first have to pull out of the 7 authority one after 4 authorities said they were not going to proceed, and give delegated powers to the leads to negotiate and proceed on our behalf on the new 3 Authority one.  In the end there was cross party support with only two dissenters.  Unfortunately one of them decided to extend the meeting unnecessarily by insisting he reply in long speeches every time he was named by another member.  That’s the protocol for these full council meetings.

I rushed back to Bedlington to try and make the last Bedlington Forum meeting and say adieu to Brian and Margaret and thank them for their diligence and support.  I got back just as people were leaving the Sally Army building so I could only do that by phone later.

I spent most of the night replying to mails I have received on various topics.

I have also canvassed for support off various organisations with my ideas for Plessey Woods development.  Everyone without exception has welcomed my ideas and this now gives me a much better hand to play when I have the next meeting with the lead officers and cabinet member.

Well a day off today but I did have a few calls to make and e-mails to answer!  They took on a mind of their own and I now have several site visits and further enquiries to make on residents’ behalf.

Today I had to get to work early then a meeting in Bedlington, then a meeting in Cramlington.  For some strange reason the Labour group are saying the Cramlington meeting has been cancelled?  No it hasn’t and I had to point that out on social media.  And someone actually ‘liked’ it………Strange people?

Anyway I made my afternoon meeting in Bedlington and it was extremely helpful.   Excellent response off a local business when I asked for help!  More on that later.

I came home via the cemetery and took some pictures of the resurfacing work which has just been done.   This is something I have been asking for over many months and at every available opportunity and at the last meeting where I had brought it up I was told to shut up because I had won them over!  I sent a couple of messages to the people who untimely had to agree, thanking them for the job and passing on my congratulations to the team for a job well done.

Next came the evening meeting at Cramlington.  I turned up and had to sit right in front of the projector so all I saw for 25mins was a bright light!  Anyway we heard the planning application, listened to objectors and supporters and then voiced our own questions.  In the end we passed the application unanimously and then it was onto the LAC normal business.

Pretty thin agenda but I do know they are going to be beefed up very soon.  This is something I asked them to do last year, that and give the public a reason to come along!

This meeting finished pretty early and as usual contained a game of political ping pong between the main parties.

Today I had to be up at County Hall for a corporate scrutiny meeting.  I turned up only to see more than half the committee hadn’t?  Pretty bad show especially when we are the first line of scrutiny on corporate matters.  I said that at my first opportunity when the meeting had started.

This meeting was mainly about Active Northumberland, looking into the way it had been managed and then trying to get to the bottom of why it had gone so badly wrong.  When the chair explained that the people who we needed to grill weren’t available, I again didn’t take that lying down!  The officer who secretarys’ the meeting said the cabinet could still ask questions but it then goes to full council who will act as the main scrutiny.  I disagreed.  My argument was that we in this committee are supposed to drill down into the nitty gritty and spend as long as we needed doing that.  I said the same level of questioning isn’t available at full council where we are lucky to catch the chair’s eye to ask any question in reality!  Not the same and not really comparable or why have these meetings?  We have now been allowed to send in written questions which will be passed around the members and replies hopefully received prior to the Cabinet meeting.  If that’s the best we can do on such a confidential and essentially quite intrinsic subject matter then so be it, but any of my questions may well have led to new avenues of questioning to follow, you just don’t that that interaction with written stuff!

I did submit a dozen questions and some observations.  Don’t think anyone is in any danger of not knowing what I mean when they read my offerings.  One thing which did puzzle was that one of the members of the committee said they had held a small meeting to discuss the issue and had some questions to submit.  Now this has come out on Pink paper which means it’s entirely confidential and cannot be discussed outside the meeting, that’s why I can only mention the subject broadly and not go into any specifics.  Just how that equates to having a small meeting about it with “our lot”, I don’t know……. but I have asked.

 

I have several meetings lined up for next week now and I have been out to check the state of the roads in one of the residential estates in my ward.  It has been inspected earlier in the week and several problems identified for remedial action.

 

Well the week started off very well and I hope I have made a good enough argument to see a countywide employment initiative implemented in my ward.  That on top of other developments should see this ward start to flourish in the coming years.

The new light controlled crossing work on the B1331 continues and while it is causing quite a few obstructions and waiting traffic lines it just goes to show how busy this road is and the amount of children crossing it with no right of way was really just a fatality in waiting!  At least they will have somewhere to cross in relative safety soon.

Seems another week and another road to review.  This time a road residents had been promised would be done several years ago but which hasn’t been.  Again I have asked the question and also requested a site visit.

The officer who responded to my request for a site visit didn’t hang around, it has happened the very next day!   We discussed various options to get most of the road resurfaced and eventually agreed.  I also asked him to take a look at a small bit of footpath I have been asked to try and get waterproofed.  I have sent him the requested pictures and an offer of funding so we might get both jobs done!   He has since agreed so both jobs will be getting done in the next couple of months.

 

Well another month and yet another scandal breaks about the way the last administration behaved.  I can only image the headlines they would be coming up with if this had been me in the frame!  As it is it now looks like most people have realised just what has been going on and there is plenty more to come if they haven’t!

I know work is going on behind the scenes to beef up the board of Arch as it transforms into something more along the lines of its original remit which was to provide real growth and opportunity for our county.

 

It may be a bank holiday today but I still wanted to check up on some work which was supposed to have been done this week.  It hasn’t so yet again another phone call to ask why not!

 

I have done a reply to the accusation the Leader of the Opposition at NCC made during the last full council meeting, which was televised, where he effectively said I had sold out the Town too cheaply.

 

Reflecting on the last administration and how they governed this county, including Arch and Active Northumberland debacles, brings this to my mind more and more………….here!