Amble Town Council news: October-November
Meeting Dates:
TOWN – 10th Nov; 8th Dec
CEMETERIES – 20th Oct; 17th Nov; 15th Dec (5.30 p.m.)
FINANCE – 27th Oct; 24th Nov; 15th Dec
Remembrance Sunday – 13th Nov. 11a.m. Wreath laying at War Memorials followed by service at St Mark’s U. R. Church
Parish Plan
How can councillors know what parishioners want for their town?
A few years ago Council wanted to produce a Parish Plan – a document to help them and other organisations see what the community’s needs, hopes and ideas for the town were. However it was too soon after Amble’s Market Town Initiative (M.T.I.) had been issued and so the idea was ‘put on hold.’
In recent meetings with Amble Development Trust, who originally facilitated the community work for the production of the M.T.I., the idea was raised again. There is now very limited outside funding available (indeed there may be none) for this type of project but Members still feel it would give valuable insight into what our people want and how they see the town’s future. It has been suggested a possible way to keep costs lower would be to use the M.T.I. as a basis, updating changes, but still hold the vitally important community meetings to see if and how people’s thoughts, ideas and hopes have altered.
This Plan will be your document and must represent the community’s idea on how they want the place they live in to be, whether staying as it is or making small or large scale changes. Its success involves not only the finance aspect but more importantly the time taken and the input given by the community itself. Council cannot do it alone, community groups can help but it is individual assistance that is vital.
So we need to know: Do you feel we need a Parish Plan? Do you think we should use the M.T.I. as a starting point? Would you attend a meeting to discuss the Plan? Would you be part of a working group to help make the Plan?
Please get in touch with your Councillor or the Clerk as everyone’s response to these questions is needed to decide if we have your backing in this project and how we move forward with it.
Update on services handover
As only minimal maintenance has been done over the years, we have asked for repairs to seats owned by county council. We have given them a copy of the condition survey which was carried out on bus shelters. We hope for a positive response to both requests.
The work must be done before we decide whether to accept responsibility from April 2012. We already administer our Cemeteries but other Parishes will soon find the heavy responsibility this will place on their parishioners.
The future of the whole of the Paddlers area is still under discussion. The area of the Braid which now has Village Green status is in Warkworth Parish and so they will be asked to take responsibility for this. Soon, after more than two years, we hope the legal paperwork to officially hand over the Percy Drive Allotments to the Council will be complete.
At present the two public toilets, Queen Street and the Harbour, will be kept open but at any time NCC could decide that only one or even none is needed. These would then be closed unless another body is prepared to become responsible for them.
Flowerbeds will have this year’s annual plants removed and perennials will be put in their place. However N.C.C. will no longer tend or replace them. If we want our town to look bright, then it will be up to the community to help. The Council and some businesses have financially supported Cllr Weir in his ‘Amble in Bloom’ venture but more volunteers are urgently needed. Is there a flowerbed near where you live? Could you get a small group to help with keeping that one neat? If a few in each place did this it would be a wonderful help.
We have been told no further Litter or Dog bins will be installed or replaced at NCC expense. Bins will be emptied by NCC but the town is expected to take on the ownership and replacement of all of these from April 2012. At a cost of £400 a time, please discourage people from vandalising them or report anyone you see doing this.
All Election costs will become the sole responsibility of the Council concerned; the recent West Ward By-Election has cost £2670 with the Central Ward predicted to be similar. However when the joint County and Parish elections are held in 2013, N.C.C. may only charge us for the elements related solely to our own elections so we may just have to pay for things such as administration, printed materials, postal vote packs and postage of polling cards.
Lots of changes afoot with the costs having to come from the Parish Precept as no finance for any of these will be passed on to us by N.C.C.
Councillor Corner
Now well over half way through my second term as Town Mayor, a privilege I hold very dear, I hope I can look back with pride next May and say I have done a reasonable job for the people of Amble.
Having been involved with the best gardens and allotments, I hope next year we could get children involved by having their own competition, the tallest sun-flower or their own little garden? Think this is a good idea? Let us know as they would need to register at the start of the year.
Congratulations Warkworth, shortlisted for the best kept village; it’s my belief we could aim for something like that in the future. I hope Council would support this and it should be possible to get some other sponsorship.
Council have taken over extra space as it was getting very cramped for full council meeting with public attendance. It’s been a very good move as when that part isn’t needed for meetings, groups can use it for short term exhibitions- Amble Local History Society and the Photography Group have already started this.
Councillor Leslie Bilboe
EAST WARD
Robert Arckless,
37 Anne Crescent, Amble NE65 0QZ
Tel: 01665 711938
Helen Lewis,
11 Kennedy Road, Amble NE65 0QH
Tel: 01665 710429
Craig Weir
76 Priory Park, Amble
NE65 0HY
Tel: 01665 712342
WEST WARD
Leslie Bilboe, (CHAIR)
10 The Close, Amble
NE65 0HZ
Tel: 01665 713364
Ian Hinson, (Vice-Chair)
11 Eastgarth Avenue, Amble. NE65 0LW
Tel: 01665 710583
Sam Palin,
40 Bisley Road, Amble. NE65 0NP
Tel: 01665 714115
CENTRAL WARD
CENTRAL WARD:
Rev. Velda Nicholson,
24 Glendale, Amble
NE65 0RG
Tel: 01665 713796
2 VACANCIES
