Mal

https://www.youtube.com/live/jn8AXLt35io... I think what happened at the end of yesterday’s full council meeting was ridiculous! I had questions to ask, if not include in debate, as was put forward by the chair but after he railed against Councillor Hill he then went straight to a vote? That’s why I felt I had to vote against, not enough explanation and cutting any debate from members about how we operate within NCC was a step too far! This is after being told not to contact officers directly and now receiving no paperwork for agendas. Looking at the proposals for the Corporate Services and Economic Growth Overview and Scrutiny committee it looks like we have had our wings firmly clipped! The red strike through are what’s been taken out! This strikes me as another example of manipulation to the deterioration of me being able to work effectively for NCC and my residents! One thing for sure now is that I will be pushing to get better transparency and accountability into this system of local government!

An honest assessment of the current legal situation surrounding the Bedlington Terriers from the MP. Bedlington Terriers FC – a deeply disappointing situation For more than two years, my office and I have worked behind the scenes with a multitude of partners to try to resolve the situation facing Bedlington Terriers Football Club. Until now, we’ve resisted making a public statement, hoping that quiet diplomacy and goodwill would prevail. Sadly, the situation is now worse than ever, and I feel it’s time to speak openly. Bedlington Terriers, a club with a proud history and deep roots in our community, has played at Dr Pit Welfare Park for more than half a century. They had secured planning permission and funding to upgrade the pitch to 3G and improve facilities, an exciting step forward. But legal and ownership complications have derailed everything. The land is governed by a charitable trust originally established for the mining community. When the club tried to move forward with improvements, it became clear that the lease they were operating under was legally invalid. This issue, which was first identified in 2012, was never acted upon and only resurfaced a decade later, when progress on re-development was being made. Northumberland County Council (NCC), which holds the land in trust, attempted a land swap to resolve covenant issues raised by the Charity Commission. However, CISWO (Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation), which has an interest in the site, refused to consent, citing concerns about preserving the site’s heritage and the community’s access. In December, I met with NCC and CISWO to try to find a solution. The council was open to compromise, but CISWO would not budge. Their position is that preserving the site means preventing any development, even if that development would allow the club to continue playing and thriving in the community. I strongly disagree. In trying to “preserve the site,” CISWO is ignoring the reality: Bedlington Terriers have played on the western portion of Dr Pit Park for five decades. They’ve maintained the ground throughout that time. The rest of the park, home to bowls, sports, play areas, and a Green Flag-rated green space, remains untouched and well-used. At the end of last season, the club was relegated from Northern League Division 2 having failed ground grading criteria. Then in the summer, the legal entity running BTFC was struck off the register because of an administrative issue, leading NCC to require the club to vacate the ground. Though the entity was later restored, the damage was done. Bedlington Terriers are now playing in the Northern Alliance at a home pitch outside of Bedlington. The ground, once secured, has since become a target for arson and vandalism. I raised CISWO’s role in this mess from the floor of the Commons last week and have further meetings planned in the coming weeks. Let me be clear: This situation helps no one. Not the mining community CISWO claims to represent. Not the park, which is now suffering from neglect and vandalism. Not the people of Bedlington, who’ve lost their senior football team. And certainly not Bedlington Terriers, who are fighting for survival outside their home town. I still believe a solution is possible, if sensible heads prevail. I will continue to urge all parties to find common ground and do what’s right for the club, the community, and the legacy of Bedlington.

Malcolm Robinson Bedlington West Ward. I’ve been told I need to expand and better explain my post about the proposed project at West Lea. (Well that makes a change from people saying I’m too verbose!) The project I’m promoting, and have been for some years now, is to see a multifunctional facility at West Lea, next to the cemetery. We need a community centre and we need some sporting facilities so why not get them both in one hit, because in all likelihood we will only get one chance at this. That’s why there are questions in the survey about both sports usage and community usage. I’m also keen to see some SEND provision so that’s why that is in too! Also outside I want the full sized pitch restored to level and with drainage, which will help with, or give access for, some drainage for the path. Beyond that two junior pitches installed. With new changing rooms etc. in the new building this will be the best pitch in Bedlington and have decent facilities for our youngsters coming through. I’ve identified a funding route and have a small group of people who are willing to manage it, namely the Bedlingtonshire Development Trust. They have even agreed to do the training necessary so NCC will consider them suitable. Big thanks to each and every one of them for their commitment! I asked a month or two ago for some ‘likes’ to a post I put out about this in an effort to gauge some public support. What came back was about double what NCC get to their consultations and that enabled me to silence the NCC doubters and press through onto the next level. This time it’s a full feasibility study because we have to prove it’s needed, wanted and sustainable. That will be based off the replies to the survey and that’s why I need as many people as possible to fill it in! This isn’t just about the West End of Town or the Top End its for the whole of Bedlington so please fill it in if you would support it wherever you live. Let’s get behind something positive for a change and let’s start to address the lack of facilities investment into the Bedlington for the past few decades! Click the link and fill the survey in......about 2-3 mins! https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx...

https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/council/ai-growth-zone-in-northumberland-welcomed-and-further-ps2bn-for-data-centre-project-5324050?fbclid=IwY2xjawM-THtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsJsgTznLOMR1tzwNWUSnfZAtJtMkfmuVS0hw9U4s5mUJzl_3qFyBrYD00mK_aem_SzugRs-PLIY6wLBcDy0peg

"So does Bedlington get a share? if so how much?" £110M is to be set up as a economic regeneration fund. Still asking questions about it.............like will Bedlingtonshire get the Lion's share seeing as its our asset being developed? Been told projects are being worked on which will use this funding but when I asked specifics they were less forthcoming. As far as I'm concerned and I've said this to them......... @worst possible usage in terms of job creations........£10B for around 200 jobs............but if the payback is this £110M then lets see if we can get the 5000 jobs BritishVolt promised out of that! Now I see the Government saying this £150B of new tec and data centre funding just announced will produce 7000 jobs??????? I only believe half of what I see these days and nothing of what I hear!

They have now got planning permission to revamp one of the old buildings on the platform there into a heritage themed café.

Vic, There is a bit of update on this.............. The last of the developments will rely on a further £40M of funding being found! NCC are being asked for £10M while the rest is coming from government and The NE Mayoral authority. Fingers crossed they all agree! The NCC meeting to agree is tomorrow and Ill be watching with some interest!

Malcolm, I like the outside the box thinking. If nothing else it usually results in the people I deal with not being able to give a reply or adequate reason why not to do something. The Terriers is a difficult case given they had been stuck off by Companies House for not filing accounts and County Council had to step in to safeguard the ground for community use! There is a lot of work being done and the only reason for my cooperation is to make sure the end result is in community use! It will probably go to litigation so there are tight lips so as not to prejudice any case!

First one: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/fury-northumberland-line-station-delay-32011486?fbclid=IwY2xjawLZ-UBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBVRDlnYnl0NVZWekc1Y3NkAR7Dd-pkV5BoAwCDM8In2oJ-nZLVQwqdJn42ln4AuB9nl9nZgnDxcCOarlsbug_aem_pxynPYlhOs_k1bJAbfj1fg Follow up: So I’m getting a bit of flack about the comments I made in the press about the rail station situation here in Bedlington and the fact that this town has been overlooked for decades! Let’s just put it in perspective: Starting with the station, about 6-7 years ago I stood on the old platform with the then Government minister when the reopening of the lines was being discussed and he said with what we already had this was going to be the easiest station to get reopened! I was at one of the original presentations about reopening the rail line and we were told in no uncertain terms that if the costs couldn’t be brought down to around the £100M mark then it wouldn’t go ahead. They were currently about £160M at the time. The Bedlington station project was estimated at around £20M One of the reasons this was wanted, as stated, was it could open up about 10,000 new housing units. Also it would kick-start economic regeneration around these new stations. I’ve asked about this fantastic economic regeneration, which I think is a no brainer, and was told oh yes you are getting a café. Fast forward a few years and the cost is around £300M, so someone somewhere made that decision! Shades of HS2 here? The new station at Newsham goes £20M+ over budget and the Bedlington station gets moth balled for a year. Coincidence? We hear about structural problems and unexpected anomalies here is Bedlington, wasn’t there a comprehensive engineering assessment done when the contract was awarded? Are there penalty clauses in the contract? We now see further delays due to……………..errm we haven’t been told but I can guess! Parking is going to be an issue but the main car park which was envisioned at the planning application stage has been ‘put on hold’ for up to 10 years to assess the need for it. In my opinion it’s as if even when we get a new station they don’t want people to come and use it? Other places get 200+ new parking places, we get something like 20 odd including electric and disabled ones. Even just this quick overview, is anyone really going to say we have been treated in the same way other places have? And that’s before we get onto the Town centre debacle and the other multitude of examples………..

This was resolved just before todays meeting! Sense has prevailed!

I was almost unable to speak today at full council and this time it was passion not being forbidden to speak! I’m used to having a fight with the Administration to get anything for Bedlington, I hope today is the last time I have to have a go at the new bunch of councillors! The motion they put forward was badly constructed but there was one bit which I couldn’t contain myself about. If it had gone through then about 6 years of my time and efforts would be wasted with Bedlington losing millions of pound of funding. I couldn’t let that happen and so I had to say something: https://www.youtube.com/live/xi5sxPcTWWI?si=rWWEKF9yA76ksl0j&t=6171

Full council meeting today and many people won’t be aware that all members have been told not to contact NCC officers directly. In fact we now have to submit any problems, concerns or suggestions we raise on behalf of residents to a generic email address which is supposed to be answered within 10 days. I don’t feel that allows me to do my ‘job’ properly on behalf of my residents! In fact I think it’s a retrograde step taken by who I don’t know. Now there might well be valid reasons behind this but as yet I haven’t been informed and even if my suspicions are correct then this really does interfere with the way I do this ‘job’. I have quite a few ‘issues’ which residents have been onto me about and I have expressed them directly to the responsible officers but it seems I haven’t had the normal relies which always used to be the case. I can only assume they have been told not to reply to any member questions either? This isn’t going to work and the Independent Group, which I’m now part of within NCC, is fighting this, what seems to me at least, to be an irrational decision! I like to get back to any of my residents who contact me as soon as possible with a reply to their concerns but this is seriously hampering that! There are other wholesale changes going through which again need to be challenged but the above is the main bone of contention for me!

You might have to explain that to our nursery age school children who are being offered gender realignment services! The world is going mad!!!!!!!

Thanks for the support guys! It is a pretty sad indictment on politics these days............even with a small 'p'. I had to see the NCC solicitor the other day to sign some forms and he said this was the worst he has even seen any threatening behaviours. Hope its all behind now and I can just get on with the job! Its difficult enough!