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Next steps for parking studies

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Parking studies and survey work has been taking place in the county’s market towns over the summer in order to help develop options for future parking needs in Northumberland, and the first stage has now been completed.

Concerns about parking capacity are regularly raised with the County Council and the new administration has made finding a solution to these problems a high priority, with parking studies for the market towns of Berwick, Hexham, Morpeth and Alnwick being commissioned in order to get a clearer picture of capacity and usage of car parks in these areas.

The first stage of survey work looking at actual levels of usage over the summer period has now been completed.

Work is now being undertaken to seek the views and opinions of the local county councillors, town councils and other key stakeholders on the parking issues in their areas through a series of meetings during September, with the final report findings then being received by the Council in November.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, said: “We need to have a close look at parking issues as we constantly hear that visitors and residents alike can’t find a car parking place when they want to shop and that causes real problems and is bad news for traders.  

“Despite the introduction of free parking some years ago, communities are often telling us that a lack of parking capacity is having a negative effect on their local economy and the sustainability of their towns.

“We’re listening to these concerns and as a first step have commissioned a study to investigate the current car parking situation within each of the four main market towns where parking capacity has been identified as a key issue.

“This will establish current patterns of use and enable us to factor in the future demand for car parking spaces so that we can fully understand what improvements are required now and in the future and look at what’s needed in terms of any new car parking sites.

“The survey work over the summer has progressed well and we are now gathering the views and listening to the thoughts of key stakeholders to help inform the development of options on the current parking issues and parking needs in their local community.

“Ultimately we want all our communities to prosper and have the right balance of sustainable parking for residents, visitors and businesses and this is the first step in making that happen.”  
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A Ponteland home valued at more than a million pounds was the most expensive property sale in the North East in July.
Data released from the Land Registry reveals the biggest property sales during that period in both England and Wales.
The most expensive sale in July across those countries was a terraced house in the London borough of Kensington which fetched almost £10 million.
In the North East, the only home to break the million-pound barriers was a property on Darras Road in Ponteland.
Two homes in Jesmond rounded out the podium positions, each selling for more than £800,000.
From Gosforth and Jesmond in Newcastle, to Hexham and Morpeth in Northumberland, here’s a look at the most expensive properties to change hands in the region in July:
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A ‘bouncer’ was brought in to watch over frustrated mums as parents made a last minute rush to a school uniform store on Tyneside, it has been claimed.
As hundreds of parents queued to get uniforms to send their off-spring back to school, they told how a security guard stood over at Emblematic shop on North Tyneside Industrial Estate in Longbenton .
The company also has stores in Bedlington and Darlington and supply uniforms to almost 400 schools across the region.
But as the final days of the school summer holidays drew near, mums came out in droves to buy uniforms in time for their sons’ and daughters’ return.
It follows scenes elsewhere in the country when parents left young shop assistants in tears in a last-minute crush for school clothes.
A shopkeeper at a major supplier in Gloucestershire was reported saying next year he said he is considering having someone stand guard on the door to stop people allegedly walking out with items of clothing because they can’t be bothered to queue for the till.
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Awards and scone competition

By Bot, in News,

Time is running out to nominate people for four accolades sponsored by East Bedlington Parish Council.
The deadline to put someone forward for the Colin Parker Good Neighbour Award, Brian Richmond Sporting Achievement Award, Apprentice of the Year and Volunteer of the Year is Friday.
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Almost 2,000 new homes will be built across Northumberland, creating dozens of jobs.
Six separate applications poised to change the face of the county were given the go-ahead by councillors.
Developer Hindhaugh Homes was granted permission to build 500 homes on land near James Calvert Spence College in Amble at a meeting on Tuesday.
The company said the two, three and four-bedroom properties will “enhance the profile of the local area by providing a distinctive community atmosphere”.
But Amble councillor Terence Clark feared the homes will be overpriced and the town’s amenities will not be able to cope.
He said: “People in the ward don’t think that the infrastructure will be able to take it. It is like another town being built.
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Residents and visitors to Northumberland will be given a rare opportunity to see some of the county’s hidden architectural treasures when the doors to many of its most historic buildings are opened to the public, free of charge.

The Heritage Open Days  event  is taking place between Thursday 7 and  Sunday  10 of  September.

The open days are free and fun and provide an excellent opportunity for people of all ages to explore the fantastic cultural heritage of Northumberland.  

A wide range of tours, events and activities are on offer. Dozens of  attractions are taking part including the ever popular  Cragside House in Rothbury. There will be the  the opportunity to look around local churches, Morpeth Clock Tower and the Rothbury Trenches.  There will also be the chance to look behind the scenes of Northumberland Archives at  Woodhorn Museum and get a rare glimpse into the work that goes into preserving diverse collections which  cover over 800 years of Northumberland’s fascinating history.

Northumberland county Councillor, cabinet member with responsibility for culture , arts and leisure,  Cllr Cath Homer said:
“ This hugely popular annual event provides free public access to historic  buildings and local landmarks,  many of which are not usually open to the public.

"It's an unmissable opportunity for residents and visitors to get a glimpse behind the scenes, and perhaps get a better understanding and appreciation of our county's rich cultural heritage.”

Heritage Open Days is England's largest festival of history and culture, bringing together over 2,500 organisations, 5,000 events and 40,000 volunteers.

To view a full list of this year’s attractions visit https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
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Northumberland County Council has welcomed the Government’s announcement today of the preferred routes for the A1 Morpeth to Felton and Alnwick to Ellingham dualling upgrade.

Following further development of their proposals Highways England have now identified the Green route option for Morpeth to Felton, and the Orange route option between Alnwick and Ellingham.

Following a six-week consultation last year, three options were presented to residents and regional stakeholders for plans to widen the A1 between Morpeth and Felton, and one option to widen the A1 between Alnwick and Ellingham.

The council has long campaigned for dualling of the A1 north of Morpeth - recognising the significant economic and other benefits for the county and wider border and north east regions.  

The improvements will mean the creation of a dual carriageway on the entire stretch of the route between Newcastle and Ellingham - providing additional capacity and improving journey times and safety.

Cllr Peter Jackson, leader of Northumberland County Council said:  “This is fantastic news for Northumberland and will provide very significant strategic and economic benefits.  

“Dualling will promote sustainable growth along the A1 corridor as well as improved connectivity with Edinburgh and the Lothians and with Tyne and Wear and other regions to the south.  

“Existing businesses will have better access to markets for their goods and services, and to sources of labour, and the dualling will also encourage new businesses to become established - creating new jobs and economic growth.

“This announcement is a further confirmation of the Government delivering on its promises in Northumberland.”

Councillor Glen Sanderson, cabinet member for environment and local services said:  “We have been campaigning for dualling of this key strategic route for over two decades, and this announcement of preferred routes is the next important step to securing major improvements.

“The ‘green’ route for Morpeth to Felton was strongly favoured by the council and so I am very pleased that this will be going forward.  It addresses our concerns that the other routes would have had more impact on the A697 during construction.

“The dualling is set to make significant improvements to road safety on the route, something I am also a very strong campaigner for, with the Green route between Morpeth and Felton offering the best alignment for improving safety.

“We welcome the support of our MP who has worked so hard for this and look forward to working with Highways England as they progress this through the next steps.”

Highways England project manager Nanette Hoyle said today:  “We recognise the importance of this route and are delighted to announce the two options we are taking forward are the ones which the majority of people wanted in last year’s consultation.

“Over the last few months we have worked hard to identify the best possible options by working through the feedback from the events, along with safety, economic and environmental analysis and we are excited to share our plans with local stakeholders, businesses and the community.

“Work now continues, adding detail to the design for each of the dualling options and on planning how we will deliver them in a way that keeps traffic moving.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for taking part. There will be further opportunities to have your say as the schemes develop.”

The green option between Morpeth and Felton includes building a new carriageway to the west of the existing road between Priest’s Bridge and Burgham Park. This option will improve safety along the route and will also have benefits during construction in terms worker safety and efficiency. The existing A1 will act as a local road once the scheme has been completed.

The orange route between Alnwick and Ellingham involves upgrading the existing road to dual carriageway, widening either the east or west of the current road depending on the local features that need to be considered. This option also includes improvements at the South Charlton junction.

Highways England will be holding further public consultation events in the area during 2018 - offering communities the opportunity to discuss in more detail the design of the preferred routes, discuss the planning application and the next steps with the project team.  Further information will be released nearer the time.

You can find out more about the A1 in Northumberland scheme at www.highways.gov.uk/A1inNorthumberland  
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A carnival atmosphere was created in Northumberland as tens of thousands of people turned out for the second stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain .
From Kielder to Blyth, the spectators lined the streets creating a wall of noise as the cyclists powered their way around the 211km course.
And the county’s beautiful countryside provided an impressive backdrop for one of the most exciting events on the racing calendar.
Despite the huge climbs and tricky corners, the riders weren’t short of passionate support from the pavements.
People transformed their streets and gardens into a sea of red and yellow - the colours of the Northumberland flag - by hanging metres of bunting and flags to welcome them.
For the start of the race, hundreds of people descended on Kielder Dam as more than 100 riders were introduced to the crowd.
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The county took centre stage in the international spotlight today ( Monday 4th) as the Tour of Britain, the UK’s premier cycle race, rolled through the county giving residents the opportunity to see some of the world's top teams and riders competing on their doorstep.

A carnival atmosphere swept across Northumberland as elite cyclists set off from Kielder for the second stage of Britain’s most prestigious cycle race.

The riders passed through 28 communities, covering over 200kms, culminating in an exciting finish in Blyth.

Kielder Water & Forest Park  was filled with an electric atmosphere from early morning, with cycling fans coming along to get up close to the riders before the start of Stage 2 of the race which is  being televised  live  in 120 countries.

Northumberland County Council Civic Head, Cllr Anthony Murray and young future star of  cycling  Roisin Lally from Hexham  waved the Northumberland flag to set the riders underway.

Communities joined in the spirit of the occasion by decorating the route the distinctive red and yellow colours of the Northumberland flag while thousands of people turned out to welcome and cheer on the cyclists and give them a fantastic Northumberland welcome.

A series of  community events were held in towns along the route  focussing  on all things pedal powered to provide Northumberland residents, of all ages the perfect opportunity to have a go at cycling.

Northumberland County Council has worked closely with race organisers Sweetspot, start sponsors Northumbrian Water and finish sponsors Blyth Town Council to bring the race back to Northumberland. It was last here in 2015.

Leader of Northumberland County Council, Councillor Peter Jackson said :

“It has been a fantastic day for the county.  We are blessed in Northumberland  with amazing natural scenery and wonderful people and it is great that we got to show  this off to the competitors and all those who watched the race unfold on television.

“In 2015 the Tour of Britain gave a real boost to the local economy - to the tune of £2.2m - and we’re confident this year’s stage which was entirely in the county, will be great news for businesses in Northumberland and our ever increasing tourism industry.”

“ It was great to see so many spectators lining the route cheering the riders on and so many communities getting  behind the event and decorating  their towns and villages . I’d like to thank the organisers of the Tour of Britain, the emergency services and our council  staff who all worked very hard behind the scenes to ensure the event ran smoothly and safely.”

Jackie Sewell, owner of Tomlinson’s cafe and bunkhouse in Rothbury  helped to co-ordinate efforts to decorate the town. She  said: “ The Tour of Britain coming through Rothbury  created an amazing atmosphere. It is such an iconic event and fantastic sporting spectacle and we are so proud to have been a part of it.”


 


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