Historical Factoids 5:

[Mal]

Back in 2009 we started on a round of local government reorganisation as designated by central government. There were basically two options put forward and for everyone to have their say a referendum took place. The choice was between a single Unitary Authority encompassing all of Northumberland or two, one for the rural North and West and one for the urbanised South East.

The ruling Labour group wanted a single unitary, and not even considering the narcissistic power at play, there should be a huge financial benefit given the 6 District Councils were being abolished and everything they delivered would be delivered by a single Unitary Authority the cost savings should have been immense? One Chief Executive instead of 6, one head of planning and planning department instead of 6 etc etc.

Of course the other side of that were the needs in the urbanised South East, where half the population lives, were different to the needs in the Rural North and West.

So a referendum took place to essentially answer that question.

If memory serves me correctly something like almost 52% of people who took part voted for two Authorities. The ruling Labour group must have thought that was the wrong answer so we saw the single behemoth that is NCC today, created.

(Funnily enough a few years later when people were asked if they wanted a North East Assembly almost 78% responded with a no. A North East Assembly was still created and is still there, albeit very much in the background, SHHH! What is it with these people?)

NCC was seen as ‘remote’ as far as a lot of residents were concerned so the Gov came up with the idea of Parish Councils to fill what was called a ‘Democratic Deficit’.

Parish Councils had to be petitioned for if an area didn’t have one and as North Tyneside and Wansbeck were the only Districts to effectively ban Parish Councils we didn’t have any here.

The Lib Dems who by now had taken over the reins at NCC and were the Administration, following the then recent election, petitioned for a parish for West Bedlington. This was quickly followed by the labour group petitioning for parishes at East Bedlington and one for North Bedlington, which is now called Choppington Parish Council.

I remember arguing for my preferred choice at the time; bring back Bedlingtonshire Urban District Council, in one form or another because that might give us some say in meaty things like economic regeneration etc. It would certainly give us a half decent budget for some proper projects. It would also mean one clerk etc not 3!

The Lib Dems also quickly changed the name of the West Bedlington Parish Council to West Bedlington Town Council. The only difference being that the chair of the Council on a Town Council is called a Mayor, for Parish Councils it’s just plain old Chair. Maybe more than a touch of egotism there because the same Lib Dems ran this council for the first 4 years!

That’s why we have 3 Parish Councils in Bedlingtonshire.