Amble Town Council report #127
All meetings at 6pm via Zoom until further notice – details on website
Elections: 6th May
Town: 8th April, 13th May Amenities: 27th May (tbc)
ELECTIONS
Latest updates from government are that local elections for County and Town will be held in May. By now every household should have been asked to verify those eligible; if you have not then please contact NCC Elections department to ensure you have a vote. All are being given the opportunity to apply for a postal vote rather than attend a polling station in person in the hope that numbers attending will be reduced so it will be easier to uphold Covid guidelines.
All present council membership ceases and those who wish to can then stand again. County Councillors receive attendance allowance but your town councillors are not paid and merely receive some small recompense towards paper and ink if they choose to claim this.
While you may not always agree with their decisions, a love of their town or county and what happens to it is the driving force behind those who stand. If you are considering joining either council, we encourage you to get as much information about the roles as soon as you can. All town councillors and staff will be pleased to answer any queries you have. The usual doorstep conversations will be discouraged but candidates can carry out a leaflet drop to introduce themselves to voters.
WEST CEMETERY
We are delighted to accept some saplings from Friends of the Earth and also hope to have some from NCC soon. These will be planted on the furthest border of the cemetery- and if the wildlife leave them alone- so that in future years they can mature to a magnificent tree line. All the trees already in the cemetery have been inspected by a specialist and any maintenance work will soon be completed.
Plans are now being made for the new section for future interments as it is anticipated this will be needed within the next 2-3 years. The recent heavy rains and snow have shown that the water does not drain well from here and therefore we have had contractors assessing the problem for solutions on how best to drain the land.
Due to an expected large cost, we will carry out the work in stages so that funds can be budgeted each year. As this section is not in use, no-one should be traversing it, but please be careful if you are in the vicinity while work is taking place.
NEXT AMBLER
Due to election regulations there will be no town council page in the next edition.
WWII
Check out Amble Remembers WWII on www.amble.gov.uk
FLORAL DISPLAYS
Soon NCC will be planting at Dilston Terrace and the Wynd. Two Dilston Terrace beds will represent the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion; the Wynd bed will be dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the foundation of a national fire service.
PADDLERS PARK
Another area where flooding is an issue! Despite voicing our concerns in the beginning and all the work which went into refurbishing this area, there remains a problem at the path near the picnic tables. Following investigations there, it has been decided to jointly fund (NCC and Amble Town Council) some trial work on new field drainage to try and alleviate the lying water. If the first phase is successful, then more work will be needed- but we will need to wait and see…
PRECEPT
All parish and town councils have to inform NCC of the precept – the amount the parish will require for the next financial year, by the end of January so it can be factored into the council tax figures for the next year. The individual household figure is always dependent on the number of properties eligible to pay. However while costs continue to rise and the town wants more, councillors were all aware of how difficult this year has been and how people’s finances will still be affected next year and have therefore kept the figure as low as possible.
EAST CEMETERY WALL REPAIR
Unfortunately this is taking a little longer than we expected as it is the subject of an insurance claim due to the damage being caused by a vehicle. However by the time you read this, NCC should have a new lamppost in place and the repair, will be carried out as soon as possible.
GRITTING
During the last icy weather there was a query about gritting of footpaths and grit bins. The central area footpaths, Queen Street/Leazes Street, are attended to first and then as time and manpower permit, NCC go on to areas such as school entrances and bus stops. Individual estate paths are rarely reached unless there is a prolonged spell of winter weather. NCC place grit bins in places they feel vital for safety but do operate a scheme whereby individuals can ‘lease’ a bin with grit should they feel their area needs one. Unfortunately your local council cannot subsidise these.
COUNCILLOR’S CORNER
I regret to say that I am getting very annoyed about the growing number of potholes that we seem to have in and around Amble. Whilst not a cyclist myself, I am a supporter of cycling and yet the state of the edges of our narrow roads where cyclists normally are forced to ride are dangerous, with uneven tarmac and potholes.
Cars fare no better as the holes over the recent months in Amble have been getting deeper and therefore more dangerous for vehicles.
We constantly hear that the government has given county councils money to repair the potholes.
I wonder how much NCC has spent on making Amble roads safer? Hopefully Amble residents can expect NCC to give urgent attention to this problem before the end of lockdown and also our annual influx of holiday makers.
Cllr Kate Morrison
TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES, FOURWAYS 2, AMBLE. NE65 0DT Tel: 01665 714 695 www.amble.gov.uk
