Northumberland County Council Area Committee – North: Feedback Form Cabinet 11 January 2016 22 February 2016

Attendance Officers present

26 members of the public Councillor R Arckless – Chair, Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority Councillor D Ledger M Hardy – Chief Executive, Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority C Dance – Natural England

A Bennett, K Bartlett, M Bird, D Brown, G Bucknall, G Davies, B Hodgson, M Jeffrey, G McMorran, A Thompson

Agenda Items and Resolutions Actions

Apologies for absence – received from Councillors H Cairns, Castle, Hunter, Murray and Woodman.

Minutes, 9 November 2015 – agreed.

Declarations of Interest – Councillor Watkin declared a personal interest as he was a member of both the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA) and Lindisfarne Trust Limited.

Noted Agreed

Public Question Time

The Chair indicated that if residents had any questions about the fire service consultation, they would be taken after the presentation due later on the agenda. No other questions were asked.

Petitions Actions

a) To receive any new petitions: no new petitions were received.

b) To consider reports on petitions previously received:

A report responding to a petition received on 4 December 2015 signed by 104 residents, in relation to the request to reduce the speed limit to 30mph in Harbottle was consider. In response to a question about whether it was possible to implement a 20mph restriction when there was no existing 30mph limit, members were advised that it would probably require a step from a 40mph restriction to a 20mph one; officers would attend the site and assess. Members were also advised that it was legal to implement a 20mph zone on an A road, but it

Support given for inclusion in 20pmh Speed Limits at Schools Programme, and

A

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would be the police’s responsibility to enforce any speed limits. Replying to a further question, it was expected that the 20mph restriction would be permanent rather than only apply during school hours, but a temporary one had been introduced in Hexham.

c) To consider updates on petitions previously considered: An update was provided about work to Alnmouth station following the petition previously considered by the committee about the matter. It was reported that after lengthy discussions with Network Rail, the land owner, an agreement had been reached to grant Northumberland County Council a licence to start work on the extension of the car park at Alnmouth Station. Before works could start on the ground, a safety briefing with Network Rail had to take place. This took place on Wednesday 6 January 2016, which enabled work to start on site on Monday 11 January 2016. When completed, the Council would operate the car park under a leasehold arrangement with Network Rail. (Full details of update in the minutes of the meeting.)

for looking at gateway to the village Update welcomed

Local Services Issues

The agenda item enabled members to raise Local Services issues for example concerning highways, neighbourhood services, refuse collection, street cleansing and grounds maintenance, all within the geographic boundaries of the area committee. Discussion followed of which the key points raised by members/answered by officers were:

Issue Actioned/comments from officers

Morwick Road in Warkworth was designated as a secondary gritting route, so would get gritted if conditions were icy or there was snow on the ground

Responding to concern expressed about problems in the Chatton area resulting from recent flooding and the difficult for the village to function whilst areas were fenced off, members were advised that the bridge at Redscar had reopened that day and Chatton’s would the following day. Bridges at Hetton, Thornberry and Lyham would reopen once inspections had taken place

Problems with flooding at the Follodon crossing, the diverted route through Christon Bank, and at Powburn – these would be looked into; Powburn had trouble with leaves blocking gulleys and water pouring off fields flooded the road there was a similar situation at Bamburgh with flooded field overflowing and closing main road

Concern about water continuing to stand on the Tillmouth Bridge on the A698 and on the east side of Norham on the River Tweed Bridge

Concern that the barrier on the slipway at Tweedmouth had not been put in by Christmas Eve, as there had been water over the road on Boxing Day. The next high tide was on 13 January so it was hoped that the barrier would be in place on time then

Neighbourhood Services and Technical Services follow up the issues identified

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Flooding at Longhoughton at the site for 60 new houses to be built

Concern about the depth of water at the entrance to the site of 57 new houses in Rothbury

Reference to the saturation of land and resulting pooling of water in areas from the run off from hills

A request for a solution to the problem of standing water on the footpath at North Road in Berwick

Issues regarding the closing of floodgates by the Environment Agency; one example of support for closing gates overnight to reassure residents, but also another example of unnecessarily closing gates when not required, leaving no access to a riverside area

A request for possibly moving the recycling bins at Rothbury from the Cowhaugh site to the Beggars’ Rig car park

Clarification that this committee did not have any powers to recommend/input into planning matters, which had their own quasi-judicial process.

Request for 20mph Speed Limit at U34, Detchant The report responded to a request from local residents at November’s Area Committee meeting for a permanent 20mph limit to be introduced on the U34 Detchant. Discussion followed about the appliance of 40mph limits to rural roads, applying for 40mph limits to the exits to/from the A1, reference to the impact of the introduction of the Sandstone Way, how local residents could volunteer to operate speed guns but could only report their findings to the police; and the possibility of writing to the Secretary of State requesting that the temporary 20mph speed limit be retained with supporting reasons for doing so.

Survey proposals welcomed. Councillor Woodman be advised of option of raising request for temporary 20mph to continue

DISCUSSION ITEMS – CORPORATE

Fire and Rescue Service Consultation: Retained Review – Working Towards 2020 A presentation was received from Alex Bennett, Chief Fire Officer, about Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service’s current consultation. This consultation was about a number of proposed changes to the Service, in part to meet budget cuts of £500,000 by 2016/17. (Fuller details of update in the minutes of the meeting.). Councillor Ledger introduced the item with details of achieved/required budgetary cuts over 2015/16 and 2016/17 with details for each council directorate. He also referred to the further £95m that the Council would need to save. Discussion followed of which the key points/questions were as follows:

a resident had not been able to access the email address for the consultation – to be followed up after the meeting

reference was made to how the Fire Service’s main role in some areas was responding to flooding

a member stated that NFRS should not underestimate the respect and faith that local residents had in the service

reference to the changes in political responsibility of fire services from the DCLG to the Home Office

Noted and comments to be submitted into the consultation process

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a member referred to the seamless cross border working between NFRS and the Tweed Valley service.

Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority – Update An update was received about the work of the Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA). NIFCA’s Chief Executive, Mike Hardy, and Chair, Councillor Robert Arckless attended to present and answer any questions. (Further details of the presentation in the minutes of the meeting.) In response to a question, members were advised that NIFCA had close links with Newcastle University. Students were involved with work on the vessels and helped gather data and assist with Mussel surveys. Councillors were also involved with some of these activities. A member expressed concern about the impact on Razorfish at low tide if sand was not put back into holes dug on beaches. Members were advised that the Lindisfarne Trust regulated this at Holy Island, and there was a byelaw covering this at Boulmer also. People were responsible for this and not following requirements could have damaging consequences. NIFCA officers could assist in arranging guidance.

Noted

Implementation of the England Coast Path and Coastal Access in Northumberland A report was considered about the roll out of the new England coastal path along the Northumberland coast. Mike Jeffrey, Countryside and Green Spaces Manager, presented the report at the meeting. Issues raised included (details of answers included in the official minutes of the meeting):

how some areas with special scientific interest would be protected, as for example dogs could cause disruption

the arrangements for future maintenance of the path, given that the government funded 75% of it and the County Council 25%

the need for officers to monitor if parts of the path area needing to be conserved. Some species could benefit when areas were fenced off, for example nesting birds

what would be done to limit the spread of kiri kiri weed

how consultation was taking place with some land owners and powers were available to put in place.

Noted

Tour of Britain – Feedback and Economic Feedback The report provided members with an assessment of the economic impact of the Tour of Britain in Northumberland, with some highlights of feedback from residents and partners, and an overview of some of the lessons learned in relation to future events. Gareth Davies, Engagement Manager attended to present and answer questions. A member congratulated everybody who had been involved with the event, and suggested that a future version of the tour could visit Berwick.

Noted

Mobile Infrastructure Project Councillor Bridgett

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The Chair explained how the Chancellor had allocated £150m for the installation of mobile infrastructure masts across the country. However only seven out of the proposed 600 had been erected, and the18 proposed for Northumberland were now no longer going ahead, despite being agreed by the three main mobile phone operators. An invite had been issued to the DCLG to attend and discuss but they had sent apologies for this meeting. The Chair requested that he ask the Leader and Cabinet for agreement to write to Anne Marie Trevelyan MP and Guy Opperman MP, as it was mostly a rural issue, to investigate on Northumberland’s behalf, where the funding went and what was planned for the future. The committee supported the request but considered that the letter be instead sent to all of Northumberland’s MPs.

request at the Cabinet/Area Chairs Working Group meeting that support be given to writing to all four of Northumberland’s MPs to look into the position with the funding and what was planned for the future

INFORMATION ITEMS

Future Meeting It was noted that the next meeting would take place on Monday 14 March 2016 at 6pm at East Ord Village Hall.

Democratic Services

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Northumberland County Council West Area Committee - Feedback Form Cabinet 12 January 2016 22 February 2016

Attendance Officers present

155 members of the public (approx.) 5 members of the press Councillor D Ledger

R Bendell, A Bennett, M Bracken, D Brown, L Buckingham, G Davies, M McCarty, R Powell, N Turnbull, R Wealleans, K Westerby

Agenda Items and Resolutions Actions

Minutes 10 November 2015 – agreed.

Agreed

DISCUSSION ITEMS – CORPORATE Actions

Fire and Rescue Service Consultation: Retained Review – Working Towards 2020 Councillor David Ledger introduced the item and gave a breakdown of the savings that were required by all Council’s services in 2015/16 and 2016/17. A further £95 million was required to be saved by 2019/20 as stated in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Alex Bennett, Chief Fire Officer, outlined the consultation exercise being conducted by the Fire and Rescue Service to deliver £500k savings required in 2016/17. The presentation included an overview of savings since 2010, details of improved performance, reduced demand and proposed changes to achieve the latest savings. The review focussed on retained firefighters and had aimed to minimise front-line impact.

Petition: Claire Hunter, NE47 6AA presented a petition with over 2,500 signatures to demonstrate residents’ opposition to the loss of Fire and Rescue services from Haydon Bridge Fire Station and expressed concern regarding the implications for residents in Haydon Bridge and the surrounding area.

Public Questions: The following questions / issues were raised by members of the public:

Why did officers believe a fire station was no longer required in Haydon Bridge and what evidence did they have to support this?

A breakdown was requested of the callouts attended by the Haydon Bridge and Hexham fire stations. Concern was expressed that more data had not been included in the original documentation.

Noted Noted The petition was acknowledged by the Committee.

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There was disappointment that the consultation had not been extended given the flooding in the town prior to the Christmas period. There was also frustration at the length of time taken to receive replies

Why was there no analysis of flood risk or road traffic collisions in respect of Haydon Bridge fire station given its close proximity to the A69?

Concern was expressed that given global warming and the increasing frequency of flooding incidents that fire engines at Hexham and Allendale would first respond to incidents in their immediate vicinity.

What support would be given to residents in Haydon Bridge if there was a flood?

Reference was made to the statement in paragraph 1.10 and the provision of a fire appliance to all life risk fires within 10 minutes on at least 75% of occasions. It was queried whether the risk map would be re-designated for Haydon Bridge and surrounding areas as it would not be possible for fire engines to travel from Hexham, Allendale and Haltwhistle given the suggested times given by the RAC website.

It was suggested that the retained crew at Haydon Bridge had attended more incidents outside their area than crews at Hexham, Allendale and Bellingham combined and therefore the resilience of the service was questioned.

The local representative for the Fire Brigade Union made reference to the regular meetings held with neighbouring services and their concerns regarding the cover they provided in Northumberland thereby not being available for incidents in their own areas.

Was there a case for Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service to become independent?

The biggest concern to residents of Haydon Bridge was flooding and this needed to be taken account. They were also worried about the loss of educational input in local schools. What provision would be made for sure start and baby clinics currently held at the fire station? Reference was made to the 3 local landslips and impact on the Tyne railway line. The figures for the number of residential and commercial properties was disputed and believed to be double that quoted.

Reference was made to the proposals and cost of the new county hall headquarters.

Comparison was made to the provision for taxpayers who were flood victims to delay payment of their taxes and it was enquired whether the consultation could be delayed following the flooding in the village? Reference was made to the floods in 2005 and 2011 and the risks of flooding in the area being higher than those from fire incidents.

Had any account had been taken of the additional 200 homes proposed to be built in Haydon Bridge in the Core Strategy and the risks of flooding?

Reference was made to the Fire Service Co-Responder Scheme and how this would impact on residents in Haydon Bridge.

Why was a new fire station proposed in Hexham?

Why had land been purchased in the west of Hexham for a new fire station but not utilised?

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It was understood that the retained fire fighter service was stretched around the county and that all crews were ‘off run’ on occasions. There were difficulties recruiting retained fire fighters in rural areas due to the requirements of being available within a certain period of time and some crews were aging, therefore why was it proposed that a station be closed contrary to assurances given by the Chief Fire Officer in the past?

Dissatisfaction was expressed by one resident regarding the day, time and venue of the meeting. She also enquired about the original reason for a fire station being built in the village. Whilst the fire risk was reduced, flooding in the area was a serious concern and they were in close vicinity to the busy A69.

If the fire station at Haydon Bridge was closed, would the fire engine be moved to Hexham?

Reference was made to the plans to increase housing in the area and the expected increase in numbers using the Military Road following the completion of The Sill. Concern was expressed regarding response rates to road traffic incidents by drivers who were unused to rural roads.

Would there be further cuts to the service? The resident volunteered at the library but she didn’t think she would be capable if required as a volunteer fire fighter.

Councillor Sharp addressed the meeting thanking members of the public for attending to show their opposition to the closure of the Haydon Bridge fire station. He queried the number of incidents attended by the local fire stations, sought clarification of the savings figure of £113k and referred to the significant number of incidents attended in the previous 6 weeks. He wished to fight on their behalf to retain the fire station in Haydon Bridge and confirmed that the committee had agreed to oppose the closure at its meeting in November.

Several members praised the fire service for their hard work in the west of the county in recent weeks. Difficult decisions had to be made to achieve savings. Some concern was expressed regarding the expenditure levels at some of the fire stations and it was proposed that these reviewed. It was also suggested that clarification be obtained from the Environment Agency on the risk of future flooding before a decision was reached.

Petitions Actions

a) To receive any new petitions:

i) Safety Crossing, Allendale A petition was presented by Councillor Horncastle on behalf of the residents of Allendale requesting installation of safety crossings on the main road (B6295) through Allendale. He explained that the road was extremely wide and that most dwellings were located on the east side, including sheltered housing, aged persons bungalows and young families with children and residents needed to cross to access the shops and services on the west side of the road. He thought a refuge would be beneficial to enable pedestrians to cross safely.

The petition was acknowledged by the Committee and a report requested for March’s meeting.

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b) To consider reports on petitions previously received: Updates on the petitions received in November 2015 were to be considered at the meeting in March 2016 (Road Safety at A695, Mickley Square; Parking Hexham).

c) To consider updates on petitions previously considered: no updates were available.

LOCAL SERVICES ISSUES

The agenda item enabled members to raise Local Services issues within the geographic boundaries of the area committee. The following issues were raised by Members:

An update was requested on Ovingham Bridge. Regular updates containing detailed information about the impact of the flooding and progress to reopen the bridge were available on the Council’s website. Updates had also been shared with town and parish councils and a press release was also expected to be included in the Hexham Courant later in the week. It was believed that the scaffolding had prevented structural damage to the bridge, however, a diver survey of the foundations was due to be carried out the following day. Previous high water levels had prevented this being carried out sooner.

It was noted that staff were currently operating from porta cabins due to the flooding at the Tyne Mills depot. It was hoped that their accommodation was temporary and that they continued to operate from a location in Hexham.

It was confirmed that sandbags were provided by the Council where there was a risk to life and reference was made to locations designated within the Risk Management Action Plan.

Several Members expressed their appreciation and gratitude on behalf of themselves and residents for the work that had been carried out by the local services teams in the west area in recent weeks. They were most impressed at the work that had continued to be carried out in difficult weather conditions and at the speed of response to problems that had been reported which had ensured that the access for residents and businesses in small hamlets had not been cut off. It was also noted that much of the ditching and gulley work had prevented flooding problems in many areas although it was suggested that more proactive work was needed, especially with landowners and advance notification of work in areas to ensure that areas /drains were accessible. Officers agreed to pass on the comments to their teams including those that had volunteered to assist in the bad weather from other areas.

Road Safety at Whitfield / Allendale Kris Westerby gave an update on the push tests that had been carried out on the verge before Christmas. As they had failed, he advised it would be necessary to construct a concrete slab crash barrier. The work was

Neighbourhood Services / Technical Services

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programmed to be carried out before the end of the financial year but could be impacted by the problems caused by the recent bad weather, flooding and landslips.

DISCUSSION ITEMS – CORPORATE

Tour of Britain 2015 – Feedback & Economic Impact Assessment The report provided members with an assessment of the economic impact of the Tour of Britain in Northumberland, with some feedback from residents and partners and an overview of some of the lessons learned in relation to future events. Gareth Davies, Engagement Manager, briefly outlined the report and stated that the experience gained from the Tour of Britain would be applied to future events to enable them to be delivered more innovatively and cost effectively. He was grateful to the coverage given by the press and the participation by the people of Northumberland which had helped make the event such a success. All targets had been achieved.

The Committee reiterated their support for the event and commented that the only disappointing aspect had been the lack of coverage along Hadrian’s Wall. It was noted that broadcasting schedules had been an issue that officers had been unaware of and would be taken into account at future events.

Noted

DISCUSSION ITEMS – LOCAL

Location of Speed Signs adjacent to The Sill The Chair and a member reported that the location of the speeds signs had been raised at a number of meetings. It was considered that the sign for vehicles travelling west needed to be relocated closer to the junction at Twice Brewed.

Ruth Bendell, Infrastructure Manager, reported that signs had been installed in accordance with guidance from the Department of Transport and had taken into account the rural nature of the area. She confirmed that officers had noted the requests to relocate the signs and added that their visibility could be increased by replacing them with signs on yellow backing boards.

Technical Services

INFORMATION ITEMS

Future Meetings The next meeting was scheduled to be held on 15 March 2016 at 6.00 pm at Corbridge First School.

Democratic Services

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Urgent Business The Chair was congratulated on the award of his OBE in the New Year’s Honours List following his service to the community of Bellingham for over 30 years and his role as chair at the Northumberland National Park Authority. The Chair was both humbled and honoured to receive the award.

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Northumberland County Council Area Committee – South: Feedback Form Cabinet 13 January 2016 22 February 2016

Attendance Officers present

Members of the public: 72 Councillor A Sambrook H Botting – Natural England

A Bennett, D Brown, M Carle, G Davies, T Garnick, I Hedley, M Jeffrey, P Hedley, P Jones, K Norris, N Snowdon

Agenda Items and Resolutions Actions

Apologies for absence – received from Councillors Dickinson, Dungworth, Foster, Graham, Lang, Richards, Swithenbank, Webb.

Minutes, 11 November 2015 – agreed.

Noted Noted

Public Question Time

Paul Hedley, Hartford Bridge Referred to a meeting of Plessey Woods country park where concerns had been raised about the condition of footpaths from the A192 to the river and from Bedlington to the country park. The Area Manager said the area had previously been looked at and there were no defects. However, he acknowledged that the footpaths were deteriorating and agreed to have them inspected again. Blyth resident Referred to the general state of Blyth Town Centre and the lack of street cleaners particularly around the Prince of Wales public house and Nat West Bank where the pavements were covered in chewing gum. He also queried why funding had been cut for cctv in Blyth Town Centre. The Chair gave assurance that street cleaners did operate in Blyth and commented that it was the public causing the problems around the area mentioned. The Local Member agreed to arrange for Enforcement Officers to speak to the proprietors of the pub and have the area patrolled. With regard to cctv the Business Manager advised that a report was being prepared for the Community and Local Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 27 January but added that here was no legal requirement for the Council to provide cctv anywhere in the County. In response to comments regarding cctv in a Blyth play area, it was noted that the Town Council had paid for that to deter vandalism.

DISCUSSION ITEM - CORPORATE

The Chair re-ordered the agenda to discuss the following item next. Fire and Rescue Service Consultation: Retained Review – Working Towards 2020

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Councillor Ledger introduced the above item stating that the following presentation was to explain the rationale behind Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service’s current consultation which was being carried out due to the Government’s budget cuts of £500,000. He provided details of achieved/required budgetary cuts over 2015/16 and 2016/17 with details of each Council directorate. He also referred to the further £95m that the Council would need to save and said it was a case of getting the best fit possible to address the situation. Alex Bennett, Chief Fire Officer, provided the presentation about Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service’s current consultation . The presentation gave details of previous savings/budget cuts, improved performance/reduced demand, retained firefighters, retained review 2015, and proposed changes. It was stated that the Government’s comprehensive review cuts would have further impact and the aim was to minimise front-line impact and minimise community risk although that could never be fully eradicated. The Fire Service would continue to utilise prevention, protection and response to protect communities. (A copy of the presentation is attached to the signed Minutes.) After the presentation, questions were invited and elected members and the public raised the following issues:

Cramlington was a growing town, it was on the flight path to the airport, had pharmaceutical factories and the new hospital. Would there be capacity to deliver?

Population was growing, there were a lot of new housing developments proposed in Cramlington. The plan looked to 2019, What were the projected population growth figures and had they been considered?

If these Government cuts had not been imposed would the plans look the same?

There was a perception that the new Biomass facility in Cramlington was a fire risk. What was the Chief Fire Officer’s opinion?

Twenty four fire fighter posts would be lost. Would the new system be equally as good in terms of risk? There would be more drivers on the road as figures showed there were now more young drivers aged 17.

If there would still be an effective system why had the cuts not been made sooner?

It was acknowledged that the County Council was under severe pressure to save money but it was important to fight the cuts to the Fire and Rescue Service.

The consultation document stated that West Hartford’s retained fire appliance had attended less than 10% of incidents from 2011/12 to 2014/15 so from that the public would assume that it was not getting used a great deal. However, last year West Hartford’s retained service was involved with 29% of accidents and this year they had been even busier.

The last thing the public would want was to have one fire engine turn up to a house fire with only 4 firefighters on board.

It would be wrong to get rid of the West Hartford appliance which was in the vicinity of the East Coast mainline, factories and many road traffic collisions.

Was the recommendation to have 3 appliances due to the findings of the peer review?

Concerns were raised that the new hospital had increased fire risk substantially, there was a lot of emergency services equipment and extra traffic.

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Cramlington had moved from being a small town to a huge metropolis which was continuing to grow.

The Fire Officer had stated that cuts of 30% had already been made and services could only be maintained by using retained Fire Fighters to fulfil the gap. If that service was also taken away there would be trouble.

People who lived nearby were aware how often the appliances were called out, they provided backstop and it was worrying that it would be taken away.

Concerns were raised about breathing apparatus control.

If the number of retained fire fighters was reduced that would cause problems but if appliances were reduced that would be life threatening as breathing apparatus control was vital to keep the public and fire fighters safe.

The Fire Brigade did not receive any funding for floods, had the Council approached ministers? They should receive funding from the Government.

What was the critical response time for a house fire?

If so much money had to be cut from the budget why was the Council spending so much money on relocating County Hall?

Nobody in the room would want to see a reduction in the Fire Service but decisions had to be made due to imposed Government cuts.

Not one Cramlington resident said anything when five sixths of Police Officers based in Cramlington moved out of Cramlington and were based elsewhere. There was no consultation.

Details of the responses provided are set out in the minutes of the meeting.

The Chair thanked the Chief Fire Officer for his presentation. Councillor Grimshaw thanked the members of the Fire Brigade on behalf of the Council for all of the excellent work they had done during the floods.

Petitions Actions

a) To receive any new petitions: No new petitions were received.

b) To consider reports on petitions previously received:

(i) Request for the speed limit to be reduced on the C121 Road, Linton. Janet Robson, lead petitioner, presented the above petition highlighting the dangers of increased traffic and the location of the vehicle hire company. She said there were now more children in the village and residents were concerned there would be an accident due to speeding traffic. Councillor Sambrook was in attendance and stated that, although he covered the Pegswood Ward from the railway crossings towards Linton which fell within the Longhirst Division, he would support measures to reduce speeding. He had discussed this with Councillor Douglas and they had agreed to contribute funding from their small schemes budget. Councillor

Noted. Agreed

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Douglas referred to the report which stated that there should be a minimum of 20 houses on one or both sides of the road. He stated that there were 28 houses on the frontage, it was an accident waiting to happen and he hoped members would support the inclusion of the scheme in the Local Transport Plan Programme in 2016/17. RESOLVED – that consideration be given to the implementation of a reduced speed limit at that location. A 30 mph speed limit may not meet the necessary Department for Transport criteria but, if that was the case, then other speed limits could be considered. A proposal to look at the feasibility of such a scheme would be considered for inclusion in the Local Transport Plan programme in 2016/17.

(ii) Request for a public footpath to be laid between East Moor Farm and Ellington Village via the old A1068 road Ms J Tipple, lead petitioner, presented the above petition and expressed her disappointment that when the by-pass to Ellington was built in the 1980’s no footpath or cycle track was provided from East Moor Farm to Ellington village. She stated that a car was required in order to go for a walk, it was impossible to walk to the local pub without wearing wellies and trespassing was required in order to do so. The old road was so overgrown it was now even avoided by dog walkers. Councillor Douglas stated that in reality the old C110 was still there and could be accessed if overgrowth was cut away. He stated that the third option stated in paragraph 5 of the report seemed to be the obvious choice. He was looking at this with the Senior Programmes Officer and the Parish Council and he would be prepared to contribute to costs from his community fund. He hoped that members would support this. RESOLVED – That the concerns expressed by the petitioners be assessed for possible inclusion in the 2016-17 Local Transport Plan Programme.

(iii) Request for parking restrictions and 20 mph speed limits at Whitelea Glade and Whitelea Dale, Cramlington Mr M Swinburn, lead petitioner, presented the above petition which he said was raised to introduce a suitable parking solution and 20 mph speed limit to the current area of un-restricted on street parking around Hareside School, Cramlington not Whitelea Glade and Whitelea Dale, as stated in the report, and this would need to be amended. He said it was an on-going concern, residents’ driveways were constantly blocked, they were subject to abusive language and parking opposite prevented them from leaving their properties. Despite writing to the headteacher of the school no improvement had been seen. The request was not only about improving residents’ convenience it was also about safety. In response the Leader stated that Councillor Graham, the Ward Member, had held a meeting with local people and was committed to providing funding from her small

Agreed

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schemes’ fund. Questions were raised regarding the current consultation. The Senior Programmes Officer referred to the 3 different options which had been considered and stated that, given the concerns raised by the petition, a 20 mph speed limit at Whitelea Glade and Whitelea Dale would be considered for inclusion in the 2016/17 Local Transport Plan Programme. RESOLVED – That the information be noted.

c) Receive any updates on petitions previously considered – No updates received.

LOCAL SERVICES ISSUES

The agenda item enabled members to raise Local Services issues within the geographic boundaries of the area committee. A member asked if it was possible to provide a list of grit bins in each area to members and the Head of Neighbourhood Services confirmed that it was.

The Head of Neighbourhood Services to provide a list of grit bins to Cllr Flux for his area.

DISCUSSION ITEMS – CORPORATE

Implementation of the England Coast Path and Coastal Access in Northumberland Mike Jeffrey, Countryside and Green Spaces Manager, presented the report about the roll out of the new England coastal path along the Northumberland Coast. Howard Botting, Natural England, was also in attendance. Details of the timetable and creation of the path were provided and a final report for submission to the Secretary of State would be led by Natural England but the Council would be involved in assisting with the process. Issues raised included:

Parish/Town Councils should be included in the consultation and it was important to engage with the local community;

The Amble coastal plan should be factored in;

To increase the benefit of the coastal path and boost tourism, it would be of benefit to have pedestrian and cycle bridges over the river Blyth (Bates’ site) to Cambois and over the river Wansbeck to Sandy Bay.

The land from Church Point at Newbiggin belonged to freeholders, would that make any difference?

People should be made aware that the coast path is not dual purpose and provides public access for pedestrians only. No new rights of access will be created for cyclists, however, the path may on occasions follow an existing cycle route.

Noted.

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Responses are provided in the minutes of the meeting. The Chair thanked Mr Jeffrey and Mr Botting for the presentation.

Tour of Britain 2015 – Feedback and Economic Impact Assessment The report provided members with an assessment of the economic impact of the Tour of Britain in Northumberland, with some highlights of feedback from residents and partners, and an overview of some of the lessons learned in relation to future events. Gareth Davies, Engagement Manager attended to present the report answer questions. The Leader praised Mr Davies and officers for the whole event and the way in which it had been organised. The Chair also thanked the Head of Neighbourhood Services and his team for background work and said the event had put Blyth on the map. It was noted that the route had been determined by the event organisers and, if the event was to come back, different areas could be looked at for inclusion.

Noted.

INFORMATION ITEMS

Future Meetings The next meeting would take place on Wednesday, 16 March 2016 at 6:00 pm at Hareside Primary School, Cramlington. Holocaust Memorial Day Civic Event Tickets would be available the next day for the above event which was being held on 27 January at 6:30 pm. Admission was by ticket only and were on a first come first served basis.

Noted. Noted.

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Northumberland County Council Area Committee – Central: Feedback Form Cabinet 22 February 2016 14 January 2016

Attendance Officers present

100 members of the public D Clark – Environment Agency P Weldon – Environment Agency Councillor D Ledger – Deputy Leader

H Bowers, A Bennett, G Davies, P Jones, M King, D Laux, P Leo, R Powell

Agenda Items and Resolutions Actions

Apologies for absence – received from Councillors Armstrong and Lindley

Minutes of the meeting held on 12 November 2015

Declarations of Interest – Councillors Dodd, Kelly, Sanderson, Tebbutt and T Reid declared a personal interest for agenda item 5 – Petitions – Save the Willows as they were members of planning committees in the event of a planning application being submitted.

Noted Agreed with the addition of Councillor V Jones’ attendance

Public Question Time

Councillor D Parker, Morpeth Town Council, NE61 2BJ

1) Requested if NCC could block up the hole in the hedge on the east side of the A192 road towards Hepscott to stop members of the public using this as a shortcut and also review the position of the 30 mph speed limit sign on the A192 coming into Morpeth. Councillor Sanderson referred to the 30 mph speed limit and advised that there had been some speed monitoring and speed reduction measures near Hepscott would be introduced shortly. Councillor Parker requested a written response.

Actions

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d) To receive any new petitions: No petitions were received e) To consider reports on petitions previously received:

(i) Save the Willows.

David Clark, lead petitioner gave a brief history of the building and made the following points:

The Willows was part of Morpeth’s local heritage

The heritage of Morpeth had been eroded

The town was ripe for development and could attract tourists travelling to Edinburgh which would help the local economy

He requested that the building not be demolished and be used for heritage purposes

He also referred to the lead which had been stripped from the roof and not been repaired

Paul Leo, Head of Strategic Estates gave information of available sites, proposals for the building and options available.

Councillor David Bawn welcomed the petition and requested that the preferred option of the people of Morpeth be

taken forward to the Council. c) To consider updates on petitions previously considered: Road safety at Ingoe – the report would be

considered at the March Committee.

Noted and the preferred options be noted by Council. Noted

LOCAL SERVICES ISSUES

The agenda item was for Members to raise Local Services issues for example concerning highways, neighbourhood services, refuse collection, street cleansing and grounds maintenance, all within the geographic boundaries of the area committee. Flooding Issues The following questions were raised:

The capacity/storage volume of the dam and the level of the river

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Ovingham bridge being closed again

The delay in opening the gates at High Stanners

What training had EA staff been given in terms of closing the gates

Why were the keys for the gates not kept in Morpeth, e.g., Morpeth Town Hall?

Appreciation was expressed that the dam system worked

It had taken staff a considerable amount of time to come from Tyneside

The role of the wardens

The amount of water at the car park opposite Morpeth Leisure Centre

Lack of information given to residents on the night

The amount of money spent on the flood defences which nearly did not work

The possibility of planting trees upstream in Corbridge and other parts of the Tyne Valley

The surface water and drainage in Mitford Road

Global warming and resources

The problem with surface water and non-return valves in Middle Greens

Culverts not being cleaned

A member praised the scheme although there had been some problems and thanked Paul Jones and staff for their tremendous service

A full report be brought back to the Area Committee in May. Meeting to be held in Morpeth Town Hall in May.

DISCUSSION ITEMS – CORPORATE

Fire and Rescue Service Consultation: Retained Review – Working Towards 2020 Councillor Dave Ledger, Deputy Leader and Chairman of the Fire & Rescue Services Board explained the reason and rationale behind the consultation and the previous savings and budget cuts. Alex Bennett, Chief Fire Officer introduced the item and explained that Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service had delivered £3 million previous savings since 2010. Areas which had been reviewed were cuts imposed for whole time firefighters, managers, community safety, training, fire control and civil contingencies. £500k savings was required in 2016/17. The remaining area to be reviewed was retained (on call) firefighters. Information was given on the improved/reduced demand of incidents and the role of retained firefighters, the retained review of 2015 and the proposed changes for 2015 which included smaller fire appliances for rural areas. Questions on the consultation could be found on the Council’s website. Discussion followed which included the following:

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How many appliances were on the run at any one time? Mr Bennett gave information on the savings since local government re-organisation and the review of the service. Tour of Britain – Feedback and Economic Feedback The report provided members with an assessment of the economic impact of the Tour of Britain in Northumberland, with some highlights of feedback from residents and partners, and an overview of some of the lessons learned in relation to future events. Gareth Davies, Engagement Manager attended to present and answer questions.

Noted Noted

INFORMATION ITEMS

Future Meetings It was confirmed that the next meeting of the Central Area Committee would take place at The Spetchells Centre, Prudhoe on Thursday 17 March 2016.

Noted

Urgent Business

The Chair referred to the membership of the Greater Morpeth Development Trust and it was agreed that Councillor Bawn be appointed as the representative from the Authority

Noted