Tories Affordable Housing Strategy? “No help whatsoever to builders outside the South East of the County”

More than two years into a four year administration, Northumberland Conservatives gave the electorate its first glance at its affordable housing policy today, 06/08/2019. 

The Leader of Council, Peter Jackson who has been crowing about developing social housing for the last two years gave an interview to a local business publicity group. His interview has caused even more mayhem among the building trade across the County than the release of his ‘Local Plan’ the replacement for the removed core strategy that gave him the opportunity to get the Council to pay for his legal protection of almost £1M and halt all development outside of South East Northumberland.

Councillor Jackson statement was commented on by a well known builder from the West of the County who wishes to remain anonymous, believes as many of his cohorts do that the Councils Local Plan is politically driven and lacks the economic energy required for growth County-wide that builders and developers require to carry the Counties building trade workforce forward into the future.

He told us “the big statement in this interview from Councillor Farmer Jackson are the few words, ‘as part of the planning process' for builders outside the South East of Northumberland they are weasel words indeed“.

“What his statement means is most dwellings which are to be built are not going to be the much needed social housing and all the affordable homes will be built in the south east corner of the County as a percentage of new homes built. Councillor Jacksons local plan is designed around his belief there’s to be no building in the Countryside”.

“His local plan and now his affordable housing policy is politically designed to ensure projects like Dissington Garden Village, a massive infrastructure project that would have kept hundreds of tradesmen and women working for a decade and delivered twice as many affordable homes than his less than ambitious current plan would, can not raise its head again”.

“It’s another Jackson con that will shrink the rural economy and deliver Japanese levels of housing densities into Cramlington, Blyth and Bedlington yet his Local Plan doesn’t contain the infrastructure vision to manage such a population growth in a small geographical area ”.


Reference: https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2019/08/06/first-glance-at-northumberland-county-councils-new-plans-for-affordable-housing-strategy


 

 

 

Council taxpayers complain about cost of propaganda.

Council taxpayers from the west of the County have been taking to their keyboards in droves to complain on social media about the six page wraparound issued on last weeks Hexham Courant christening it ‘base propaganda’.

With the Tories losing their grip on the West of the County primarily through the wishy washy publicity clustered around their MP Guy Opperman, his attitude towards the WASPI women and his inability to appeal to the populous of the Tyne Valley at a time when the Tories have changed their PM and have the national media in their pockets while Labour has sat on the fence over BREXIT trying to coax a better deal from Ms May and her team.

The wraparound, centered on the Czar and Czarina of spin, Peter Jackson and Cath Homer who had their painted smiles on show whilst their disciples of dizziness stood rigid as their fairy tale distortion on what they are supposed to have delivered with Council taxpayers cash over the last two years was being exposed to scrutiny by an extremely doubtful public.

The expenditure, however much it cost did nothing to increase MP Opperman’s popularity. Our phone around showed that among women, (almost two thirds of the voting public in the Tyne Valley), Labours mildly eccentric Penny Grennan appealed much more than Guy, as she has shown great courage in talking up women’s issues and the family problems facing those who live in rural areas.

People also told us that the Tory popularity is being questioned in the West of the County, not through their national political position but through the hugely conflicted policies of Czar Peters Council. We were asked why is the Council proposing to invest £millions into developing new schools in the Tyne Valley for academy trusts at a time when we have the lowest birth rate down to 11.1 births per 1000 population from a high of 20.3, since 1947 and the west of the County receiving the highest level of care funding as it houses a extraordinarily large by national standards level of elderly people?.

Many of those responding pointed to the new Northumberland local plan which is geared towards no development in rural areas and asked, ‘as Peter Jackson has designed this conflicting policy and its is linked with the lack of younger families living in the Tynedale area along with the definite shortage of school age children’, when will these new schools be facing closure?.

Probably much sooner than we all think!.
 

Morpeth residents slam County Council as a ‘joke’

In one of the Councils well managed and regular fanfares of spin in May 2018, Northumberland Conservatives ran out a £10m set-aside of cash and referred to a plan drawn up by very expensive consultants to deliver town centre parking improvements across 4 Northumberland towns, Alnwick, Berwick, Hexham and Morpeth.  

The consultants found a number of common issues across all four towns and the administration coughed up more cash to have detailed plans drawn up to spend the £10m on.

 

Residents across the County are still waiting for the Councils record player to slow down the spin to halt and for the current administration to deliver on their promises to help to local residents explaining how they spent that much cash attacking their own residents by removing the opportunity to park up for more than 24hrs.

 

As the top spinning protagonist in May 2018 Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, said: “Because so many people approached us when we first took over the administration of the council about problems with car parking, and with general congestion in town centres, we have been committed to finding  workable solutions to the county’s parking issues which have the support of residents, businesses, shoppers and visitors”.
 

He went on to explain that his colleagues who run Morpeth Town Council had agreed the plan for their town. Fifteen months on and Morpeth residents are asking why their Councils have failed them?

 

Residents across the Town described to us their fear of not being able to park near their homes when they return from work in the evenings and older people have told us they feel socially isolated as they fear going out in the evenings by car in case they can’t park near to where they live on their return.

 

Residents living near Pretoria Gardens, Matthesons Gardens and Greys Yard have taken to social media to heavily criticise Glenn Sandersons dodgy plans.

 

People who have used the St James car park near their homes safely for many years told us, “now we find that St James car park has a maximum parking time of 24 hrs, where do we who dwell in the centre of town park for the weekend or when working shifts? As a working woman I can hardly ever get near my home. I used to love living in Morpeth but my street is not permit holders only, am I meant to spend my life travelling between car parks?”.

 

A gentleman locking his car at St James when we went to view the car park said, “I’ve been lucky tonight to get this space at the end of the car park near to my home, but when somethings on in town I think it would be easier for me to park in Pegswood and bus home than struggle to find a space in Morpeth. I don’t know what the Council is thinking of doing something like this to it’s own residents, their a joke.”

 

An elderly man told us, “the real losers are the cab drivers in Morpeth, I now have to go to the airport in my own car when before this disaster took place I would have parked near my home and taxied in to go on holiday. I now no longer catch the train from Morpeth for the same reason as I now take long term parking in Newcastle when I go to visit my son and his family.”

 

Residents are seeking answers from Councillor Sanderson but as usual secrecy is paramount in the Councils thinking.

 

 

Cramlington will be hardest hit by no-deal BREXIT.

It’s not often that the CBI and the TUC completely agree on matters but when it comes to the effect on towns and cities in North East England of a no-deal Brexit you would think they were joined at the hip.

Both massive and powerful organisations commissioned work in 2018 to locate the areas that will be worst hit and north east England topped the list when the outturns were revealed. Since then both sets of data have been scrutinised and expanded on by a number of data specialists.

Francis O’Grady said that “a no-deal Brexit would be devastating fo working people in the North-East”. and went on to say “employers are losing confidence in Brexit.” As Boris Johnson prepares the nation for a no-deal outcome.

The CBI reported that “North-East England would suffer the biggest decline in economic output of any U.K. regions if the country leaves the EU without a comprise agreement with Brussels. The gross value added (GVA) a measure of economic value of goods and services could be reduced by as much as 10.5% when compared against the current U.K. Arrangements”.

Exports from the region as a total of total exports is as high as 59% meaning that the region and the council areas within it are exposed to a higher risk of being affected by tariffs and trade costs.

Experts have looked at localised affects on jobs across the region and in Northumberland, where some of its most well off, formerly resilient to recession towns will be hit hardest by a Johnson no-deal scenario. Cramlington, Morpeth, Ponteland along with some towns who‘s economy is or they rely on the economic base of agricultural wealth may slip into serious recession through this process, Hexham, Rothbury, Alnwick and Berwick are possibly facing a bleak future.

This whole process manipulated by the brexiteers to suit their own and their supporters agendas is unbelievably dangerous for Northumberland who have recently joined in a combined authority with two large Scottish Councils, known as the Borderlands CA, which covers 10% of the U.K. geographically It allows Northumberland to access a share of £395m yet Brexit may remove 50% of the geographical area of the Borderlands into another country, Scotland, that is to remain part of the EU and that huge sum of money will be lost to Northumberland for ever.

With Labour now against a no-deal brexit and firmly against accepting a poor deal from the new PM and with the Tories folding up and collapsing in a number of recent elections we may see some change in the County of Northumberland for the better.
 

Residents concerned about proposed development,Tory Council dumping Homes of Multiple Occupancy on Blyth

A recent planning application being dealt with by Northumberland County Council for the empty former Pal Joey shop in Blyth, is being strongly questioned on social media by residents who are set against another home of multiple occupancy, being developed in their town.

An e-petition has started that will be considered by the council from the petitioners against the 17 bedroom home which is subject to criticism on social media due to the number of other HMO properties being used to house those on bail or awaiting sentencing.

The developer of this particular home, Holy Eagle property ltd., has a number of other similar homes in Northumberland one of which in Carlton Street, has been criticised heavily on Facebook.

The Council do have a policy to develop quality housing in It’s town centres. Those who are questioning this development do not believe this is a quality development as described in the Councils new Local Plan and are challenging it in their hundreds.

The experience of the people who live, work and shop in Blyth with Homes of Multiple Occupancy is that they are filled with those who have great social need and are asked to leave the premises during the day to wander the streets, sometimes causing problems for shoppers and visitors to the town.

Concerns that another Home of Multiple Occupancy sited in Blyth could lead to a rise in the fear of crime, drive down the shopping experience in Blyth Town Centre the profile of which the local Town Council is trying desperately to raise and decrease further the reputation of Northumberland County Council in the eyes of the general public in Blyth.

To sign the petition please click on the link below

https://www.change.org/p/northumberland-county-council-planning-permission-no-new-bedsit

 

Calls for Northumberland leader to resign Northumberland Labour Members have called for the Council Leader to resign following the emergence of serious issues with the Councils Procedures and Accounts.

By The Ed

Castle Morpeth History Repeats itself for Conservative and Council Leader Peter Jackson.
Labour Party members both on social media and at meetings across the County are calling for the resignation from office of Northumberland County Councils, Conservative Leader Peter Jackson, following release of the news that the Governments auditor for Northumberland County Council, Ernst Young,  has refused to sign off the Councils annual accounts and is investigating reports from whistleblowers.
The resignation call comes in the wake of  Coun Jackson, who became leader of Northumberland County Council in May 2017 being regularly in the press regarding the bullying of staff and the treatment of building developers in Northumberland. Labour members reminded our Ed. that Councillor Jackson forced the Council to give him a shield of £1M public indemnity to protect himself from his accusers who were workers for the Council and or its group of attached companies. The Council has been exposed for the amount of cash they have paid out to case winning ex-employees in compensation and that bill to the ratepayers of Northumberland is expanding on a regular basis.
As the leader of the council, he runs an out-of-control administration with a regeneration company in the form of Advance Northumberland which has not delivered on any major projects since May2017 and a leisure company, Active Northumberland where he decided to remove all Council control from its Board at a time period when the Council has pledged to invest £90M over the next five years into that company. 
His Council and its companies have delivered nothing to help communities since May 2017 and have adopted a completely secretive stance which Labour members believe has brought shame to Northumberland.
A Leading Labour activist said “Coun Jackson should resign as Conservative leader and as a councillor. If not, it is about time the Northumberland Conservative party removed him from office along with all those Councillors involved in the bullying of staff and County Hall spending scandals.”
 Our reports from Morpeth where members reminded us that both Councillor Jackson and his closest confidant Councillor Sanderson were leading conservative members of Castle Morpeth Council when auditors refused to sign off its accounts, and that through his own mechanisms and wishes, has led the county council screaming headlong into a multimillion-pound lawsuit from a developer, has poured millions into conserving a obviously shocking out of date monolith, County Hall on the outskirts of Morpeth and has been found guilty by taking the option of compensating victims of his bullying. It was also said he has “damaged the council’s reputation through blindly supporting the cuts his party are ladling onto the poorest in society”.

 

 

 

North East Coastal and Former Industrial Towns to Benefit as Cities and their Neighbours slip into Recession.

Whether Boris takes us out of Europe or not, as a nation we are signed up to the United Nations framework convention on climate change and as the worlds fifth richest nation we are looked upon by others to set an example and that example is set in stone through the 2018 Paris Agreement, drawing together 179 nations to ratify the treaty and accept that we all must change our habits and thinking over the next few years. The very high temperatures experienced this summer are but a small reminder of things to come.

Internationally and enshrined within the agreements are that cities, world wide must take the brunt of this change and city dwellers must pay for the privilege of taking the strain. So how will that affect us here in the UK.

For those of us who have an interest in the worlds future, our first example of how things will change is the enforced level of congestion charging that cities must face. London is being used as the prime example of how to de-vehicle a city whilst still enjoying regular growth in commerce and harvesting cash from both the motorist and delivery driver forcing people to engage with public transport to enjoy their centralised work and play.

Former Industrial Cities and large towns in the North of England which have been targeted in the first wave of out of central congestion charging are concerned that their way of life is about to go into steep decline through the potential charging regimes that are not wanted and are unaffordable in areas of lower wages and even lower business profit margins.

Newcastle Gateshead and North Tyneside are faced with charging in the first wave in the North East. Drivers have petitioned their Councils and the administrations have backed off while they think of other methods on handling the problems that beset them and how they retain business when the austerity cuts have slashed their ability to deliver services let alone find the money to invest heavily in public transport, considering they have very little control over that transport without the help of a Government whom history has shown will not invest in the North to anywhere near the same level as it does in the South.

That said, Retail businesses have been very actively looking towards the future and many have been actively investing in peripheral towns sitting just outside city congestion charging boundaries particularly those which have the potential to park an increasing number of vehicles. The building society Nationwide, is one of the companies investing heavily into its property stock outside of city centres. They have followed up their long term thinking and  have given a long term promise not to close branches to its members. Other are seriously looking to relocate into the potential growth areas.

The towns currently being eyed up for Town Centre Growth within easy commuting distance from the city are Ashington, Blyth and South Shields. South Shields is first off the stocks through the renovation of its metro station and transport hub. Ashington and Blyth will follow quickly behind with the promise from the North of Tyne Mayor to invest in the reopening of the AB&T Rail Line (which links in with the Metro service) and the fact that Blyth in particular is only a fifteen minute commute from two thirds of North Tyneside along the coast by car and its quicker by express bus from Newcastle to access Blyth than it is to visit South Shields by Metro.

In Northumberland, both Ashington and Blyth now have established partnerships between politicians and commerce with the Duke of Northumberland’s estates leading the way being heavily involved in attracting new business to its shopping centre in the heart of Blyth.

It will be great to see the improvements predicted by Government for East Coast Towns but its only now that we fully realise that growth will come at a cost to cities and heavily populated urban environments.