Agenda and draft minutes

Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley Local Area Committee - Wednesday, 29th May, 2024 6.00 pm

Venue: Seaton Sluice Community Centre, Albert Road, Seaton Sluice, NE26 4QX

Contact: Heather Bowers 

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Wilczek.

2.

CHAIR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

Minutes:

The Chair reminded members of the pre-election period guidelines and restrictions on political publicity.

3.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 168 KB

Minutes of the meeting of the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Local Area Committee held on 19 March 2024, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair. 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Local Area Committee held on Tuesday, 19 March 2024 as circulated, be confirmed as a true record, and be signed by the Chair.

4.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

To reply to any questions received from members of the public, which may be received in writing in advance of the meeting or asked at the meeting.  Questions can be asked about issues for which the Council has a responsibility.  If questions are received in advance of meeting it will increase the likelihood of an answer being provided at the meeting.  (Public question times take place on a bimonthly basis at Local Area Committee meetings: in January, March, May, July, September and November each year.)

 

As agreed by the County Council in February 2012, the management of local public question times is at the discretion of the Chair of the committee.

 

Please note however that a question may possibly be rejected if it requires the disclosure of any categories of confidential or exempt information, namely information:

 

  1. relating to any individual;
  1. which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual;
  1. relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person;
  1. relating to any labour relations matters/negotiations;
  1. restricted to legal proceedings;
  1. about enforcement/enacting legal orders;
  1. relating to the prevention, investigation of prosecution of crime.

 

And/or:

 

  • is defamatory, frivolous or offensive;
  • it is substantially the same as a question which has been put at a meeting of this or another County Council committee in the past six months;
  • the request repeats an identical or very similar question from the same person;
  • the cost of providing an answer is disproportionate;
  • it is being separately addressed through the Council's complaints process;
  • it is not about a matter for which the Council has a responsibility or which affects the county;
  • it relates to planning, licensing and/or other regulatory applications;
  • it is a question that town/parish councils would normally be expected to raise through other channels.

 

If the Chair is of the opinion that a question is one which, for whatever reason, cannot properly be asked in an area meeting, he/she will disallow it and inform the resident of his/her decision.

 

Copies of any written answers (without individuals' personal contact details) will be provided for members after the meeting and also be publicly available.

 

Democratic Services will confirm the status of the progress on any previously requested written answers and follow up any related actions requested by the Local Area Committee.

Minutes:

A Hogg, West Bedlington Town Council asked for a response raised at the last meeting in relation to the 20 mph speeds signs on the B1331. 

 

This would be followed up.

5.

PETITIONS pdf icon PDF 205 KB

This item is to:

 

  1. Receive any new petitions: to receive any new petitions.  The lead petitioner is entitled to briefly introduce their petition by providing a statement in writing, and a response to any petitions received will then be organised for a future meeting;

 

  1. Consider reports on petitions previously received.

 

Call for Bedlington to receive similar levels of investment as neighbouring towns – Report to follow.

 

  1. Receive any updates on petitions for which a report was previously considered: any updates will be verbally reported at the meeting.

Minutes:

Call for Bedlington to receive similar levels of investment as neighbouring towns 

 

Adam Hogg was in attendance and spoke on behalf of Mr Fox who was unable to attend the meeting. 

 

The key points referred to were as follows: - 

 

  • The fifth paragraph of the report in relation to NCC (Northumberland County Council) direct response - Since 2009 at the end of Wansbeck District Council, there had been repeated calls for direct interventions in the upgrade of Bedlington Town Centre from both Tesco and a petition calling for NCC to purchase the site after Tesco’s closure which had been presented to the former South East Area Committee, 9 years ago by Adam Hogg. 
  • The new Northumberland Line including a station at Bedlington had been talked about for many years and yet Bedlington was last to see a station.  There had been excuses that the station building was in the way, signalling issues, etc. 
  • Cycling, walking and wheeling improvements in the town had been done by Sustrans under Wansbeck District Council.  NCC was mostly following the existing routes which were not in a poor state. 
  • Direct investment in the town was supported by a wider programme in the county featuring new schools.  Residents had been told time and again that faith schools and academies were not NCCs responsibility and could not get involved, such as unsafe ways of entering schools, i.e. St Benet Biscop, so how was NCC responsible for upgrading those schools? 
  • Leisure facilities – NCC demolished Bedlington’s last leisure facility in the form of the swimming baths at St Benet Biscop’s without any discussion with the public, if there were any other leisure facilities apart from the country park, residents would be interest to know what they were. 
  • Most of Bedlington’s population worked outside of the town due to NCC decisions, such as the closure of Bedlington Council offices which had been the biggest employer in the town, with no alternatives provided. 
  • All public toilets in Bedlington had been closed by NCC without discussion.  Bedlington had always had free parking since the days of Bedlingtonshire Urban District Council and the library had been reduced to accommodate a chemist. 
  • Residents were fed up with NCC finding money for Ashington, Blyth, Ponteland, Hexham, Berwick, Morpeth, Cramlington and other areas while Bedlington only seemed to get housing estates for more people to do nothing in the town and told they were within distance of other town’s provisions. 
  • Since 2016, NCC had gained £5,065,250 on land sales in Bedlington, yet the value of those land sales had not been reinvested in the town. 
  • He summarised that residents of Bedlington felt they were a forgotten town and had been for many years, which was demonstrated when Councillor Sanderson attended a meeting and faced emotional and angry residents due to the lack of investment. 
  • Residents were asking to be treat in the same way as other towns who seemed to ask for money and get it, it was not a matter of special treatment,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

NEWCASTLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

J Barras, Environmental and Sustainability Advisor and representatives from Newcastle International Airport will be in attendance to explain the changing ways of the airport as a partner and how they are progressing with environmental demands and customer needs.

Minutes:

Members were informed that this item had been deferred to a future meeting.

7.

TRANSITION FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL LANDLINES pdf icon PDF 307 KB

John Cooper, Strategic Programmes Manager, Digital and IT, will give a presentation on the transition from analogue to digital landlines by Openreach and to address concerns around resilience in the event of power cuts and/or major storms.

Minutes:

J Cooper - Strategic Programmes Manager was in attendance to provide a presentation on the transition from analogue to digital landlines. Presentation attached to the signed minutes, uploaded to the Council’s website, and share with members of the committee. 

 

Members were informed that the switchover would only impact users with a landline telephone and for the majority of those, the transition would be straightforward.  Work was underway in the telecoms industry to try and mitigate the risks with power cuts by adding resilience within the network structure by adding backup generators at relay sites or mobile phone masts. 

 

Northumberland County Council was not directly involved in the industry led programme but had taken the decision to raise awareness with Northumberland’s residents, businesses and community groups and signpost those with concerns to the relevant organisation for support.  The Council did not have access to switchover plans and timescales and did not know when individuals would be switched across but had raised awareness with activities including adding flyers to council tax bills, attending Local Area Committee and Parish Council meetings when requested, engaging with stakeholders with a role in community resilience and working with BT to support regional roadshow campaign. 

 

In response to members’ comments, Mr Cooper stated that no additional costs would be involved, and equipment would be free of charge to vulnerable or land line dependent users.  Existing telephone numbers could be ported across, and numbers should be able to be retained.   

 

Maps with wards which identified vulnerable people relating to the broadband coverage were requested by Councillor Robinson.  

 

A supplier could install additional extension lines, but hybrid telephones were now being installed however, installation could be delayed if wanted. 

 

Mr Cooper would provide a Comms link from the website via Democratic Services for members. 

 

Members thanked Mr Cooper for the presentation and for attending.  

 

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.

8.

OUTSIDE BODIES

Members are asked to confirm if they wish to remain as appointees to the outside bodies which were agreed by the Cramlington Bedlington & Seaton Valley Local Area Committee in July 2023 as follows: - 

 

Astley Park Management Committee 

L Bowman 

Beaconhill Community Association 

B Flux 

Cramlington Community Association 

M Swinburn 

Cramlington Voluntary Youth Project 

B Flux 

W Daley 

East Hartford (and District) Community Association 

B Flux 

New Hartley Community Association 

D Ferguson 

 

 

Minutes:

Members considered the list of appointments to outside bodies for 2024/25. 

 

RESOLVED that the following list of appointments be confirmed but to query whether NCC representation was required for Cramlington Community Association and Cramlington Voluntary Youth Project. 

 

Astley Park Management Committee 

L Bowman 

Beaconhill Community Association 

B Flux 

Cramlington Community Association 

M Swinburn 

Cramlington Voluntary Youth Project 

B Flux 

W Daley 

East Hartford (and District) Community Association 

B Flux 

New Hartley Community Association 

D Ferguson 

 

9.

LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 134 KB

To note the latest version of agreed items for future Local Area Committee meetings (any suggestions for new agenda items will require confirmation by the Chairman of Council after the meeting).

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the work programme be noted. 

10.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next Local Area Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday 24 July.

Minutes:

Wednesday 24 July 2024.

11.

URGENT BUSINESS

To consider such other business, as in the opinion of the Chair, should, by reasons of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.