Mal

Our ex-pats might like this....................

. I always find the Bee Gees song 'Stayin Alive' gives a great rhythm for compressions and it's easy to remember because of its title. We were told to sing Nelly the Elephant..........😄

When I was chair of the Town Council I put three onto the Front Street and held courses about how to use them. The NHS actually did the courses. They give their own instructions when you take one out so they are pretty easy to use........the hard bit is continued CPR until the professionals arrive!

No it shouldn't Vic but you have to try a lot of doors to find one open!

Sometimes, of course, it’s a pleasure to meet up with people who do try and do the right thing! I know developers have a bad press and I know better than most that some do deserve it but once in a while there is an exception that proves the rule! Taylor Wimpy Homes are part of the build out at Fenwick Park and I have to say never shied away from my calls or emails! In my experience they tend to meet the problems head on and try to resolve them as soon as possible. Some are easier than others of course but………… Just as examples, their staff have helped with litter picking at West Lea Cemetery and the area manager donated a load of plants, again to the cemetery. A while back I was after a defibrillator for the new Playzone at West Lea and happened to mention this to them. A week or so later I had a message, I think we can let you have two, have to check first! Firstly they had to be overhauled and new batteries fitted then thoroughly checked out so it has taken some time. In the meantime NCC fitted a defibrillator to the PlayZone just a week or so ago. Upshot is that I took delivery of them yesterday morning and they will soon be winging their way to two local community groups! Thanks very much to the lads and lasses at Taylor Wimpy it’s all very much appreciated! (Pictured Steve Wall - Production Manager, Malcolm Robinson- NCC ward councillor, Charlie Arkless - Customer Relations Manager and Michael Coombs- Technical Director.)

I agree Vic but just been told at the event where this was unveiled there was a hell of a lot of interest from International investors. Course the trick is to maintain that and turn it into actual investments!

One of the most important developments this area will see has now been officially declassified! Naturally it’s in Bedlingtonshire and for those that don’t know where this is, it’s between the river Wansbeck and the river Blyth. With over 77 hectares of land and with the ability to install 3.25 million ft/sq of industrial space, it will be one of the largest developments seen within Northumberland for generations. Members had the presentation last week about this and apologies to other members there (not really!) who complained about the length of time I took asking questions so I understood what was being proposed. I do hope some of my suggestions were taken on board too. I immediately lobbied trying to make sure Bedlington and its environs had seamless access to this development because the job opportunities are without doubt the best we have seen! In fact the committee who heard it, in camera, insisted we are kept up to date with its roll out because, as I explained, to make sure it actually happens and in orderly procession. So this time the job is to make sure it’s rolled out and because it’s being developed in our backyard make sure we see some major benefits this time! https://www.businessnorthumberland.co.uk/council-unveils.../

I have a fairly full historical record on my Facebook page Pegwoman.

Thanks everyone. One thing I've learnt, its always a bumpy ride at first until they realise I'm not joking!😄 For once Bedlington has a seat at the top table!!!!!!!!!!!

I must be crazy.................. https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/council/bedlington-councillor-elected-as-new-leader-for-county-councils-independent-group-6940625?fbclid=IwY2xjawRVYuxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEegbmPi9RC-Pj6QGHCHEo0KfiVh2KV65wntJq0pwkE8AfKmFcSXpYtmLlyGqg_aem_e4LVRXTZ1rrB_sqcSZCZgA

Official opening today I believe..........just need the cafe sorted!

https://fb.watch/G9V8_joKPk/

We had another all member briefing yesterday about the production of a new Local Plan. This time about a third of the members turned up. This Plan is important because it will shape our villages, towns and even the whole county over the next few years. What makes this really urgent is the Governments proposed changes to our planning system as they chase their 1.5 million new homes promise. Northumberland has been ‘given’ our own quota in relation to that target and it’s huge! I’ve talked about this before and how important it will be to take part in the public consultations which will be coming out soon. Do we want to see new Towns created, existing settlements expanded, new industrial sites, new commercial spaces, all questions which people can have their say in answering. The most important aspect is that we need to engage to have at least some say in what happens otherwise the Government will just impose! That is something I spoke about at the last Town Council meeting when I suggested they might want to re-examine the neighbourhood plan they have almost finished. Because of the changes which could well come in, not havening local planning committees, presumption in favour of house building etc. the importance of neighbourhood plans is that at least local people have their say and it could well be the only time we do within a planning application. So deciding where we might want to see new housing, shops and offices, industrial estates etc. It might not have the absolute power to stop an application but at least we will register a public opinion because neighbourhood plans have to go to local referendums before they are ‘made’, in other words adopted as part of the planning criteria. Yesterday I spoke about rewriting settlement boundaries and how we have seen that happen in Bedlington about 5 years ago to meet the last housing figures we were delegated to achieve. This time it won’t be a blip on the side of the settlement boundary it will be a huge inflation right around because of the sheer numbers we have been told to achieve. We might even see new Towns created although I remember the last time that was a proposal in the county! Whatever happens having to find the sites for 34,500 new homes here, and that’s not including industrial, commercial and social infrastructure fill, will be challenging and quite obviously change the topography of our county forever. For more info here is the latest version………. https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/northumberland-local-plan-2016-2036

Historical Factoids 25: Borderlands. Seems from what I’ve heard and seen quite a few people aren’t aware of this initiative. The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal was signed in March 2021 bringing up to £452 million of fresh investment to the Borderlands area. This funding was made up of £350M from Government and £100M from local match funding. Around £200M for the English side. The Accountable Bodies are Dumfries and Galloway Council with regards to both the Scottish Government funding for the Growth Deal and that part of the UK Government funding which relates to Growth Deal Projects physically located in Scotland. Northumberland County Council has the role of accountable body as regards that part of the UK Government funding which relates to Growth Deal. As soon as I was aware I asked for a meeting with the lead officer at NCC for this fund. I did manage to convince her that Bedlington should be included and that we had a range of needs which could be addressed as part of this deal. She agreed and not only were we included but we should have been one of the first to benefit. https://www.youtube.com/live/Q4zZGP1LXjI... We are in the Place Programme which is a £50m initiative focusing on smaller market and coastal towns across the region. Our allocation is around £3M and we hear this mentioned time and time again by the political gentry (along with the Cycle track and train station) when they explain just how well Bedlington is doing in terms of funding! The Place Programme includes Alnwick, Bedlington, Bellingham, Dalton in Furness, Egremont, Eyemouth, Galashiels, Gretna, Haltwhistle, Hawick, Jedburgh, Kirkconnel & Kelloholm, Longtown, Newbiggin, Penrith, Prudhoe, Rothbury, Stranraer, Ulverston, Whithorn, Wigton and Wigtown. Fair enough it wasn’t a lot but better than the usual zero investments! How it ran out is something which I think should be used to demonstrate how not to do this sort of stuff!!!!!!! A local Board was formed to bring forward ideas for inclusion and in the first full year of meetings it achieved an introductory paragraph of about a dozen lines for our Place Programme. I think that could have been done in about 12 minutes not 12 months! A call for projects was made public and most of us sitting on this local Board put our own ideas in. About 35 projects were suggested and a year later at a meeting with the Leader of NCC, the Deputy Leader and head of regeneration at NCC I was told none had been forthcoming? My response was that I knew 35 had been submitted and I knew for definite 6 had been submitted because I had submitted them! Seems I was wrong? Pressing further about this and I was told there may have been half a dozen submitted. Nope still not accepting that and the total went up to 21? I knew other people who had submitted projects and again “Nope”! Finally yes 36 projects had been submitted but with no business plans. I said we didn’t ask for business plans we went out with a ‘Call for projects’ and anyway who on earth was going to write or pay to get written business plans before they knew if their projects had any legs? We are now more than half way through this initiative and what’s been delivered……….err nowt as yet! Plenty of meetings, plenty of excuses, plenty of waffle but not one spade in the ground. At one point I suggested putting it all into Keith Fitzsimons project for the Town Centre because that would give us a USP and get people into the Town centre. Can’t really understand why he wasn’t taken more seriously but then again this is Bedlington we are talking about. We now see extra funding being allocated, as was supposed to happen originally, which frees up the strict criteria governing the fund and means other projects which don’t actually strictly qualify for this fund can now be considered. So we now have the proposed café/restaurant on the platform at the station, upgrading the roads, pavements and streets and my pet sports project at West Lea in the mix. We have seen people walk away from this Board because they just lost the will to live, people changed within the membership and some people trying like hell to get it to work. 5 Years and counting………………………..