Agenda item

This item is to:? 

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(a) Receive any new petitions:?to receive any new petitions. The lead petitioner is entitled to briefly introduce their petition?and a response to any petitions received will then be organised for a future meeting.  

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(b) Consider reports on petitions previously received:? 

(i)  Housing Delivery for Permanent Residents  

(ii)  Badgers in Tweedmouth Cemetery  

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

(a)      No new petitions had been received.

(b)

 i.       Housing Delivery for Permanent Residents

Rachel Douglass – lead petitioner, addressed the committee and spoke around the reasons for starting the petition. Her comments included:

·       The last shared ownership property scheme in Seahouses was 12 years ago.

·       The last social housing scheme in Beadnell was launched 10 years ago, where tenants were unable to purchase their homes. 

·       Increasingly escalating house prices in the area, with a typical 2 bed semi-detached house in Beadnell, selling for £220,000 as opposed to four years previously when those houses were £120,000.

·       There were only two, four-bedroom social homes across the Beadnell, North Sunderland and Bamburgh area.

·       Average wages were lower, long term due to seasonal jobs roles, which were needed in the area.

·       Northumberland County Council owned land which could be used for investment in affordable homes.

P. Soderquest – Service Director - Housing and Public Protection, introduced the report to the committee, stating that he recognised that there was an issue with affordable homes in the Beadnell area and the struggle needed to get the balance right between tourism and homeownership for locals, in addition to the emerging pressures in coastal towns and a shift from affordable accommodation, into holiday lets. The report addressed years of challenge and with the Planning Policy and the emerging local plan, NCC would be able to work with social providers to ensure new affordable homes.

Following questions from members, the following information was provided:

·       The process of compulsory purchasing is a difficult legal process where there would need to be sufficient evidence for grounds of compulsory purchase and would need to be addressed on a scheme-by-scheme basis.

·       The new budget would see a significant capital investment in affordable housing along with a significant sum which had been ring-fenced to support affordable housing, renting, and working with partners and housing providers.

Members thanked both the petitioner and officers for their comments expressed that they were fully in support of the report provided.

ii.       Badgers in Tweedmouth Cemetery

G. Gavin – Head of Neighbourhood Services, introduced the petition to the committee explaining that there were Badgers in Tweedmouth cemetery, and the petition was asking to protect loved ones by removing badgers safely, and gave the following updates:

·       A comment on the draft report had been received on Friday 21 January 2022, from the named ecologist and stated that “Northumberland County Council do not apply for a licence to relocate the badgers, in regards to recommendation C in the petition report, another course of action will be suggested instead of submitting an application to relocate the badgers.”

·       The named ecologist did not believe that a licence would be possible to obtain from Natural England, due to the level of damage on site, location of the sets and the level of activity, nor would a licence resolve the issues which were experienced.

·       In addition to measures taken, it had been suggested to erect badger proof fencing between where the sets were located and the new section of the cemetery.

·       A licence may still be required to erect the fencing, which would be sought from Natural England.

·       There had been a ground penetrating radar survey, to investigate whether badgers had been disturbing remains on a sub-terranean level, concluding that badgers had not been tunnelling in the area surveyed.

Councillor Hunter, the ward member for Tweedmouth, thanked the team for their work on the report and at the cemetery, and supported the proposal for a fence but stated if that did not work, then alternatives should be looked at.

Councillor Hill raised concerns that Northumberland Council had given assurances that a licence application would be submitted and supported the progression of a licence application to be submitted to relocate the badgers. 

Councillor Sanderson suggested that a licence application to move the badgers should still be submitted.

G. Gavin thanked members for their contribution.

(c)      No updates on previous petitions.