Reports from our County Councillors: July/Aug 2013
New responsibilities
In May I was appointed as Lead Member for Children’s Services in the County Council. I am honoured to take on a very important responsibility. I know from experience that education is potentially life-changing. I have always worked closely with the schools in my area to give support, encouragement and challenge and now have the opportunity to do that across the county. Children’s services include family support, adoption and fostering. I know how daunting the task ahead is; I recently met the Schools Minister, but I also enjoyed visits to Amble First, Amble Links and James Calvert Spence College.
Planning for the future
Work is continuing behind the scenes in moving the Amble 2020 initiative forward. There are some potentially exciting opportunities ahead for partnership working and there are funding bids submitted. The idea is to build on Amble’s strengths and as the process develops full public consultation will follow. It is good to see the strengthening relationship between the County and Town Council, the Development Trust and a wide range of local business and community groups.
Making the best of our natural assets means getting the simple things right; clean streets, controlling weeds, grass cutting, repairs to roads and footpaths. Not so simple in times of cuts. The tremendous effort of the Pride in Amble group and others challenges all of us not to put up with falling standards or bad behaviour. We can all make a difference. I have invited the Director of Local Services to come to Amble to see the best and the worst as the Council plans to make effective use of limited resources.
Robert Arckless
Telephone: 01665 711938
Email: Robert.Arckless99@northumberland.gov.uk
I want to talk about the Welfare field and its facilities for our young people.
With the summer here I am sure you will have noticed just how many of our young people use its facilities. The skate park, the play area and the M.U.G.A. (multi use games area) are full of children and youths at this time of year simply having a good time, playing games and just being kids.
But like many of this type of facilities in the County there can be problems. Some of the users of the area just do not seem to care about litter or graffiti and show no concern for others. This attitude often spills over onto Acklington Road where children run across the road without proper attention to traffic. I hope I am wrong but I fear that one day some child will be hurt. We must impress the need for road safety on our children so that we can prevent a tragedy.
Another problem is footballs etc. coming across the road and going into residents’ gardens destroying plants and damaging cars. Steps are under way to erect netting to prevent balls from going over the fences but it seems that a few children see it as a game to get balls over the fences with all the problems that this causes.
So I am asking all parents whose children use the area to have a chat to their children and impress on them the need for care for themselves and concern for the environment and others, and ask them to help to maintain this area as the excellent facility it is.
I am available to you on
jeffrey.watson@northumberland.gov.uk
and 07802385367
Jeff Watson
