Amble Town Council Report #146
Meetings – Town: 13 June, 11 July at 6pm. Council Office
Amenities: 30 May, 25 July at 6pm. Council Office
Save the Day:Sat. 8 June, 80th ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY see below
Sat. 8 June, 10am: Tour of West Cemetery WWII Commemorations Noon: D-Day 80th Commemoration – Picnic in the Town Square
COUNCILLOR VACANCY
Although we all work together for our town, Council has a vacancy for Amble West ward- approximately an area going west from the top of High Street and Albert Street. You do not need to live in that area to be co-opted; those living within a three-mile radius or having a business in the town can apply. There are other criteria e.g. being registered to vote, but staff can guide you through the process. If you feel you have skills or experience which could help or simply just a real interest in your town, please do get in touch.
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PADDLERS WATER FEATURE
Many of us remember the old pools with fond nostalgia, but modern safety standards only allow this type of feature if it is constantly manned and regularly checked and filtrated. When the area fell into disrepair, it lay dormant for years until Council persuaded NCC to refurbish it. The community still wanted some type of water feature, so as part of those plans NCC advised that the water pump was the practical solution. As the running costs would be on our ratepayers, this was deemed to be a good choice as there would be no filtration, no special equipment, nor any daily manning costs. There would still be some daily and annual maintenance and water costs. However no-one envisaged the extent of the costs of ruthless vandalism! There have been minor issues in the play park and trim trail area but most problems have been to the water feature. Including the repair cost being undertaken at present, repairs to the water pump have cost almost £3.5k so far. This cost along with larger than anticipated water costs will be difficult to sustain. Another CCTV camera is being installed there to try and discourage this vandalism but if you do see anyone trying to destroy any equipment there, please report it. The area is designed for all the family to enjoy with the play park, water feature area and trim trail items – don’t let the reckless few destroy it for you!
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80th ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY
Plans are in the final stages for the town’s event to commemorate and celebrate this momentous occasion in our history. Please remember to book your place for the tour of WWII memorials at the West Cemetery at 10am. Saturday 8 June. Events in the Town Square start at noon with a short service and wreath laying, followed by entertainment from Alnwick All Stars, Bearpark and Esh Colliery Band, Boulmer Military Wives Choir, Harbour Lights Choir, and Northumberland Theatre Company. Get prepared for a memorable time by bringing something to sit on, something to eat or buy from vendors there. Why not dress in 1940’s style? See you there.
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NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN
The Steering Group for this has held their first meeting setting out the aims of the plan and how they hope to achieve it. Community views will be vital for this so look out in the months ahead for public meetings and questionnaires. The information given by YOU will form an integral part of the plan. Please start thinking about the open spaces you would like preserved and the heritage aspects of the town which you would not want to disappear.
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CEMETERY MEMORIALS
Many of you will have someone interred within our two cemeteries. Shortly after their passing, you or a family member will have chosen to place a memorial there to record their details as a lasting remembrance. To do that you will have requested Council permission and you will have been informed that the care of the memorial remains your responsibility. Council will have asked that you keep your contact details up to date so that if there is a problem, staff can get in touch. Unfortunately, many people do not do that and so cannot be told if their memorial becomes unsafe and needs repairing. Memorials are checked periodically for stability to ensure everyone’s safety. In the past, when families could not be contacted, Council has had the memorial ‘staked and banded’ to keep it upright. However current Health and Safety guidelines advise laying down or if ‘staking’ this method should be used for a maximum of 12 months or less; after this unrepaired memorials should be laid down to minimise danger. Therefore, over the next 12-18 months all such memorials in the cemeteries will be laid down. Whilst no-one wishes to upset family members, SAFETY must be our main concern. If you have not kept Council informed of your details, please do so as soon as possible so that you can make arrangements to have your memorial safely reinstalled. Council does advise people to insure memorials to provide cover for this work or any vandalism; Funeral Directors and Memorial Masons can advise about this which starts at as little as £25 for five years cover.
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MONTHLY UPDATE
Shortly after each Council meeting, a brief update is placed on the council website. Please check it to keep you aware of the work the Council is doing. You can also find minutes from the Council and Amenities meetings there as well as news, other documents and public information items.
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COUNCILLORS CORNER
By now, the North East will have elected its first regional mayor. Voting for the successful candidate will have been largely along political party lines. The County Council is a similar political entity.
In contrast, parish and town councils, including Amble Town Council, are almost exclusively run not on party lines but in an apolitical way to best serve communities at a local level.
Northumberland has over 150 councils, the majority of which are members of the Northumberland Association of Local Councils (NALC). This organisation is also non-political with a part-time paid Chief Officer and a County Committee on which I sit.
We have a role on training and retaining Councillors, and also in assisting the many parish and town clerks, of whom there is unfortunately a dwindling number, with older clerks retiring and no new clerks coming forward.
This puts the running of a council into difficulty. NALC has good connections with the County Councils’ senior officers and receives support and encouragement from Glenn Sanderson, the leader. This helps to achieve better outcomes locally for the myriad of services paid for by your Council Tax payments and which are provided by the County Council.
Cllr Paul Dancer
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TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES, FOURWAYS 2, AMBLE. NE65 0DT Tel: 01665 714 695 www.amble.gov.uk
Email: ask@amble.gov.uk Twitter: @AmbleTC Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmbleTownCouncil
Office hours: 10.30am-12noon & 1.30-3p.m. Monday to Friday Vicki Smith, Town Clerk
This page is written and paid for by Amble Town Council
