A meeting of Heddon on the Wall Parish Council was held on Wednesday, 10^th January, 2001, in Heddon Library commencing at 7.30pm.

PRESENT Dr. Selman (Chairman), Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Iley, Mr. Young, Mr Watson, Mr. Tailford, Mrs Thompson, District and County Councillor Avery. And the Clerk (Mr. T. Bates)

Visitor: Mr. David Hall, (until about 8.15pm) Mr. S. Smith, and one other, until about 8.30pm

Apologies were received from Mr. Waugh

These had been previously circulated. They were approved and signed.

There were no matters arising from the minutes

Councillor Avery brought to the attention of the Parish Council the CMBC official tourist brochure, "Gateway to Northumberland." It included a map on which Rudchester was the only part of Heddon to feature. In the body of the document there was also no reference to Heddon, its facilities or businesses. He proposed to take this matter further with the full Council at the end of the month.

There was also action on the funding front. New sources of funding were becoming available for communities such as Heddon. such as European funds and England Rural Development Programme. CMBC have explored the possibility of setting up a programme to attract these funds. There is some urgency as the fund holders are expecting proposals in April/May. There is possible funding for the arts in CMBC. A consultant has produced a stategy which requires an officer to carry it out. It is estimated that this will cost about £15,000, but it could produce funding worth £150,000.

The Kylins will be the host for the Small Business Service Office. This is the successor of Business Link. This office includes farmers as small business in the rural area.

There has been progress on the Safe Route to the proposed sports field. There are two available options and it will be possible to "cut and paste" between them to provide a viable option which will meet the planning criteria. Councillor Avery would obtain copies of the various options and the Parish Council would decide which one, or which combination, they thought most suitable.

With regard to the "Small Schemes" which had been submitted, the lay-by beside the Roman Wall was the one most likely to succeed.. It is likely that it will be big enough for only one bus.

Village Trust, Charibond £ 1.07

Village Trust, Charibond £ 57.28

Village Trust, Charifund £ 384.82

From Knott Hall, payment for "Dawn of the Firefawn" £ 295.00

Bank of Ireland Interest, November, 2000 £ 333.83 Bank of Ireland Interest, December, 2000 £ 303.99

Clerk’s Salary, Mr. T. Bates £ 241.37

These accounts were accepted for payment.

00/D/636, D. Glasper, 16, Marius Avenue. Extension to provide a front porch and extension to front of garage with pitched roof over and pitched roof in lieu of flat roof over bedroom. This was previously circulated. There were no objections.

Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, Heddon House, Heddon on the Wall. Conversion of existing dwelling house to provide 2^nd dwelling unit and extension to annexed cottages providing 1no dwelling and conversion of coach house to dwelling.

The plans for this series of conversions were examined in detail. There was a discrepancy on the plans for the Coach House insofar as the windows shown in the elevations and the floor plans did not correspond. This Application and the next one to be considered (01/D/4, Mr David Hall) were economically and physically linked but the Council decided that they were two separate applications and would be considered as such. It was decided that this was such a large and complex development it was difficult to visualise all of the implications from the plans. It was decided to arrange a site visit and this was to include access to the inside of the House if possible.

Mr David Hall, West Heddon Nurseries, Heddon on the Wall. Erection of glass house and provision of new car park and access. This was supported, but there was some discussion on the access to the new facility.

It was decided that CMBC had to hold a site meeting at which all of these points should be discussed. When such a meeting is held then the usual equipment for determining the effect of roof-line elevations on the outlook of neighbouring properties should be available. The Parish Council should be represented at any such meeting.

The CCTV camera had been malfunctioning. It has been returned to the manufacturere to be returned on Thursday, 11^th January. It will then remain until 17^th January. It will be removed and a period of assessment of the whole trial including the Corbridge camera, will begin.

This initiative will be opened in Corbridge at 11.00pm on January 16^th accompanied by a blaze of publicity. The police will circulate all of the villages concerned in this project with the necessary publicity concerning the dates and times of attendance of the Community Safety Caravan.

CMBC had sent a questionnaire regarding the Dog warden Service provided by them. The questions were answered by the Council. A visit from the Dog Warden to address the Council was suggested.

Carriage Road Bridleway No 2 (around Bays Leap Farm) was re-classified as Bridleway No. 2 to join with the current Bridleway No.2.

Carriage Road Bridleway No2 (north of the A69, continuation of Drove Road, Throckley) re-classified as Byeway No. 2. to join with the current BridlewayNo. 2.

These changes were noted.

12) COURSES FOR COUNCILLORS

N.A.L.C. were running a series of courses for Councillors.

13) PLAYGROUND INSPECTION REPORT

The Playground equipment had been inspected by the Insurers as part of the Insurance contract. There were some minor problems but these had been attended to. Some chains and shackles on one of the tyre swings needed changing within the next six months. The survey recommended replacing the bark. This was discussed as was removing some of the exposed concrete. It was decided to remove the exposed concrete and to investigate the cost of replacing the bark in-fill, although it was appreciated that this was a more difficult job than it appeared. It was also likely to be very costly. Some of the rubber tiles under the swings were also loose. It was decided to investigate the possibility of securing these As a part of this discussion the condition of the football pitch was raised.

15) TRANSFER OF LICENCE AT CLOSE HOUSE.

The Justices Licence at Close House was being transferred. There were no objections to this.

16) POLLING STATION

CMBC officers offered to meet the Parish Council to discuss this topic. It was agreed to accept this offer.

17) CORRESPONDENCE

Copies of Northumberland Community News and Charity Commission News were available. It was decided to review a letter from the Charity Commission for possible discussion at a later date.

MEMORIAL PARK SHELTER It was reported that roof was in a poor condition and it.

was steadily being vandalised. It was decided to re-consider demolishing the shelter and

re-using the stone

There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.15pm.

A meeting of Heddon on the Wall Parish Council was held on Wednesday, 14^th February 2001, in Heddon Library commencing at 7.30pm.

PRESENT Dr. Selman (Chairman), Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Iley, Mr. Waugh, Mr. Tailford, Mrs Thompson. And the Clerk (Mr. T. Bates)

Visitors: Mr and Mrs Bentham.

1) APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Avery.

These had been previously circulated. They were approved and signed.

4) AN ADDRESS BY Mr. R. DENNIS OF A.D.A.P.T. (Action by Differently Abled People in Tyndale)

Mr. Dennis explained the origins of ADAPT, and how this in turn gave rise to a realisation that there was a need for transport for people with disabilities. This in turn gave rise to what is now the Community Transport scheme. This is made up of a number of vehicles loaned from other voluntary organisations who do not use their vehicles all of the time. This obviously makes the whole system cheaper to finance. As a result there are now a number of services available. One of these is called a "Section 22". This is concerned with a ruling which was introduced by the government to enable Community Transport groups to run services to a timetabled route. The difference between these routes and the commercially operated routes was that the Section 22 routes could deviate from the scheduled route and pick up passengers on a door to door basis if required. To ensure that the service can maintain itself they are able to claim a certain amount of subsidy.

In the absence of Councillor Avery there were no District or County reports

The question of the repair of Council houses in Heddon was raised. It appears that the contractors are not local and will only come when there a number of jobs to do in the area. This obviously causes problems with urgent matters such as roof repairs. It was decided to ask CMBC about the policy on such issues.

The construction of the Coach Parking lay-by was also mentioned. It was agreed that it was necessary but it was thought strange that no one had been informed. It was also thought that it must be marked in some way so that it would not become a general car park. N.C.C. were to be contacted about this.

7) ACCOUNTS

Interest, Co-op Bank, January 2001 £ 28.20

Memorial Park Interest 2¹/₂% Consolidated January, 2001 £ 13.00

Memorial Park Bank Interest January 2001 £ 0.26

Bank of Ireland Interest, January, 2001 £ 365.32

Clerk’s Salary, Mr. T. Bates £ 241.37

Handyman, Mr. T. Evans £ 60.00

Halls of Heddon , Dressing the Cross, 2000 £ 297.27

Heddon on the Wall W.I. £ 2000.00

Northumberland County Council Libraries £ 200.00

The above accounts were accepted for payment. A cheque for £2700.00 was drawn on the Bank of Ireland

8) PLANNING

A site meeting was held at this development and the application was supported. Corrected plans had been received.

Conversion of Disused factory into a residence. CMBC were holding a site visit on 28^th February 2001 at 2.30pm.

Extensive alterations to this property. CMBC were holding a site visit on 28^th February 2001, at 3.10pm.

9) PARKING PROBLEMS

Parking problems which exist are concerned with commercial vans. The vehicle parking at the top of Heddon banks is causing most cause for concern. It was thought to be very dangerous. Contact with the driver did not show a co-operative attitude. The police have been contacted and they seem to be happy with the van in Killiebrigs, but took no action over the van in Heddon Banks. It was decided to write to the Police outlining the Council’s concerns.

The grant of £2000 to Heddon on the Wall W.I. was approved after some discussion. It was agreed to communicate to the W.I. that the Parish Council’s policy was to centralise village functions in the Knott Memorial Hall wherever possible.

11) ROAD MATTERS

It was reported that the Old Hexham Road was in a bad state of repair from Heddon to the Wylam crossroads. It would appear that there was not a single drain which was functioning. The area around Blakley Hill was particularly bad, especially in icy conditions. It was decided to communicate these concerns to appropriate authorities.

12) OVERGROWN HEDGES

The hedges on the Heddon Mill property are seriously over grown. It was decided to communicate with the N.C.C. asking them to cut this hedge.

13) TREES ON HEDDON COMMON

The trees under the pylons have been cut back.

14) NEW BUS TIMETABLES

New bus timetables have been received from N.C.C.. They were to replace the timetables in the bus shelters. This had been carried out but the replacements were also incorrect.

15) POLLING STATION IN HEDDON

A site meeting had been held on 14^th February at 2.30pm with officers from CMBC. It was learned that because the next election is likely to be a General Election in May the polling station would be the Knott Hall. This is because the polling station on this occasion is chosen by Tynedale and not CMBC. If a County Election is held on the same day then it is practical to use the same polling station for both elections. The library was examined as a potential polling station, and it was thought possible that in the future the library would be used. It was decided to write to Tyndale Council suggesting consultation on the selection of polling stations in the future.

16) NORTHUMBERLAND ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS

The N.A.L.C. had made available a Government consultation document on Standards Committees for the conduct of District and Parish Councils. So far as the Parish Council was concerned this included matters such as agendas, records, access to the public, publicity, and proceedings, how meetings were run, and relations with the public. It was the District Council which had to set up this Standards Committee. They have to have members representing Parish Councils whenever Parish matters are being discussed. There was a long questionnaire to be answered. It was decided to delegate the answering of this questionnaire to the Chairman and the Clerk

17) COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF NORTHUMBERLAND

The Community Council of Northumberland appealed for funds to maintain their services. It was decided to donate £25 to this worthy cause.

18) N.T.C. TOURING THEATRE

The N.T.C. Touring Theatre appealed for funds. It was decided to donate £25 to this organisation in recognition of the excellent shows that have been produced during the last year.

19) POLICE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY OFFICE

The regular four weekly visits by the Police and Community Safety Office have begun. It will be sited in the Knott Hall car park on every fourth Wednesday, from 5pm to 9pm. The next visit will be on Wednesday, 21^st February. The Police publicity on this matter was not very clear. Some clearer publicity had been prepared and will be displayed as soon as possible.

20) CORRESPONDENCE

Copies of Local Council Review, City and County were tabled

A copy of the new electoral register was received. Extra copies were to be requested for distribution to Councillors.

21) ANY OTHER BUSINESS

CMBC AIR QUALITY REPORT CMBC submitted an Air Quality Report for r4eview. It was taken by Mr. Armstrong for review.

NALC INVITATION TO THE ROYAL GARDEN PARTY The annual invitation to the Chairman to attend the Royal garden Party was received.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF NORTHUMBERLAND SEMINARS These were being run to inform local organisations of the sources of European funding. It was agreed that this was a useful exercise and that the Knott Hall Committee should be informed if these seminars.

WELFARE FIELD PROTECTIVE SURFACES The National Playing Fields Association had been contacted about the surfaces under the play equipment in the Welfare field. Their advice was that if Bark had been put down under this equipment then it should be replaced. This would be a very big and expensive process. It was decided to obtain estimates from contractors for the work.

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO RIGHTS OF WAY Seminars organised by N.C.C. on Rights of Way. They were to take place on 7^th. April 2001, from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at the Tyne Riverside Park.

BEYOND THE VIEW The Rural Mental Health Forum would be hosting a meeting in Haydon Bridge Village hall Thursday, 15^th March 2001, 10.30am to 12.30pm.

A PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE Organised by Learning Northumberland to develop wider participation in learning and work for adults. This was to take place at the Holiday Inn, Seaton Burn on Thursday, 22^nd march 2001, 9.30pm to 4.30pm.

WATER SUPPLY TO THE BAINBRIDGE ESTATE This had been the subject of some discussion in the past. A letter had been received by a resident detailing the action to be taken by Northumbrian Water, but there had been no correspondence with the Parish Council. It was decided to write to the Water Company requesting details of the actions they intended to take.

HEDDON CENTRED WALK The Chairman reported that a meeting had been held with an N.C.C officer to plan out a circular walk, centred on Heddon, for the Hadrians Wall Trail. A route had already been planned out using footpaths to the North. Modifications to use the north end of Heddon Common were suggested and agreed. A further meeting was planned so that this modification could be explored from the point of view of path clearing and sign posting.

A meeting of Heddon on the Wall Parish Council was held on Wednesday, 14^th March, 2001, in Heddon Library commencing at 7.30pm.

PRESENT Mr. Armstrong (Chairman), Mr. Iley, Mr. Young, Mr Watson, Mr. Tailford, Mrs Thompson, District and County Councillor Avery. And the Clerk (Mr. T. Bates)

Visitor: Mr Chambers, Heddon in Bloom

Apologies were received from Dr. Selman and Mr Waugh

These had been previously circulated. They were approved and signed.

The County budget had been set at £263million with more than half going to education, £152million. Of the education budget teachers pay rise and new responsibilities in post-16 education accounted for a significant amount. Overall there have been increases in spending on education, transport, job creation and the environment. The Settlement this year was as bad as ever, but there have been a lot of supplementary credit approvals and grants, upto about £100million. There have been £360million over the next three years from Objective 2, European money, which has been significant for job creation. This involves matched funding. £15.8million over the next three years of capital money for schools which is for repairs and new building. This will be useful considering the number of schools in the County. The 1960’s schools probably require more repair work than the older Victorian village schools. There were £12.5million for the Local Transport plan, and £20million for the next two years for road maintenance. Gullies and gutters can now be properly maintained and pot holes can be repaired to a reasonable standard and non-principal roads can also be maintained. £1.8million cuts had to be made but there were no compulsory redundancies involved. It is hoped that things might change with the government’s consultation on Local Government Finance. The County Council’s share of the Council tax was a rise of 5.9%. A scheme for "Warm Zones" involving government funding of £8million was going ahead. This deals with "Fuel Poverty". A person spending more than 10% of their income on fuel would be classed as fuel poor. In Northumberland about 80,000 people fall into this category. Pensioners, young families on benefit, people with chronic illnesses and diseases are the prime targets. They will be identified from various sources of information, and will be eligible for money to improve the heating and insulation of their homes.

Castle Morpeth received a very good budget settlemt this year. This means that there will be little change from last year, even though the Council Tax will rise by about 7%. There will be no cuts in services although no new ones will be provided. Council house rents will rise below the 2% inflation rate. The new free bus pass will now operate for the full day and not be restricted to time as it was before.

Village Trust, Charifund Dividend £ 135 80

Village Trust, Charibond Dividend £ 57.29

Village Trust, Charibond Dividend £ 1.06

Bank of Ireland Interest, February 2001 £ 281.68

From Knott Hall £ 1134.66

Clerk’s Salary, Mr. T. Bates £ 241.37

Handyman, Mr. T. Evans £ 84.00

District Audit, Audit Fee £ 258.00

North Tyneside Supplies, Chairs for Knott Hall £ 527 58

P.Edmondson, Electrical work for Knott Hall £ 685.56

The above were accepted for payment.

A cheque for £1160 was drawn on the Bank of Ireland to cover these expenses.

7) PLANNING

01/D/4, Mr D Hall, West Heddon Nurseries.Erection of new glass house and provision of new car park and access. Permitted with conditions. There was some discussion on the access which is currently being constructed. It was regarded as too acute. It was decided to contact the Planning authority and point this out.

01/D/79, Mr & Mrs Palmer. 49, Aquila Drive. Erection of a Conservatory.

95/D/441a, R & C.H. Amos, Roman Wall Forge. Demolition of workshop and erection of a Residential Home The application was circulated. This was a renewal of time expired Planning Permission. The previous objections regarding access, car parking and building finish were repeated

01/D/120. Mr. & Mrs. Tulip. 2, Keepers Cottages. Erection of a Conservatory. There were no objections.

01/D/124, Mr. Teasdale, Close Lee, Heddon on the Wall. Conversion of a garage and disused workshop into a four bedroom residence. There was some discussion on the precise location but there were no objections.

01/D/2 Mr. I Laybourne, 98, Trajan Walk. Modified plans. Mr. Iley declared his interest but did not leave the room. He took the opportunity to describe in detail what the new development entailed. After discussion it was decided that these plans did not meet the approval of the Council. A site meeting with CMBC officers was considered necessary

A letter from P.C. Wilkinson was read out. It said that the cameras had been approved and the cameras should be in place by the beginning of April. It was commented that if the Knott Hall was to be covered by the camera some major tree trimming would be necessary in the Memorial Park. It was thought to be unfortunate that the camera had such a poor trial in January, when for most of the time it was not working. It was decided to contact the police and establish how long this camera would be sited in Heddon and what action the police would take in the event of a crime occurring within the field of view of the camera. There was a general discussion on the vandalism which is occurring in the village. It was also decided to contact Horsley Parish Council about the flashing road signs they have installed.

9) NATIONAL GRID RE-BUILD OF PYLONS ON HEDDON COMMON

The National Grid was re-building the pylons at the south west end of the Common. CMBC were to hold a meeting with the National Grid to which representatives of the Parish Council were to be invited. This meeting would take place as soon as the F &M.D. restrictions allow.

A letter from Eversheds was received detailing the latest situation. CMBC were supposed to be examining the structures on the allotments but this had been postponed until the F & M D restrictions were lifted.

11) EXECUTION OF DOCUMENTS

It was resolved that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Parish Council were empowered to execute documents on behalf of the Parish Council

12) USE OF ROAD GRIT ON PRIVATE DRIVES

Grit provided for use on the road was being used for private drives. A note would be appearing in Heddon Gossip detailing the uses to which this grit may be put.

13) HEDDON VILLAGE FETE

A letter had been received inviting the Parish council to participate in Heddon Village Fete. This was to be held on Monday August 27^th 2001 and the Council was invited to take a stall to promote the Council. It was decided to accept the offer.

14) HEDDON IN BLOOM

Mr. Chambers of Heddon in Bloom gave the plans which Heddon in Bloom have for the coming year. He proposed to continue the planting schedule in the Memorial Park. Mr. Hall had provided Mr Chambers with a planting scheme with costing. Mr Hall also commented on the fact that some of the shrubs were overgrown and required maintenance. The total cost of plants for the Memorial Park would be £247. The Council approved this expenditure. Heddon in Bloom would provide the labour force. Mr Chambers also suggested planting out further areas of the village. He made various suggestions as to where these areas should be. There was a problem with land ownership, but Mr Chambers asked for the Council’s approval in principle for this plan. This was given and Mr Chambers was to pursue the land ownership problem. Mr. Armstrong brought in the topic of signs for the Hadrian’s Wall Trail. It was thought that these could fit in well with the Heddon in Bloom plans. Plans were discussed also for planting the new coach lay by but it was possible that this may be too much of a commitment. It was agreed that Mr. Chambers should proceed with the land ownership problems. At this point Mrs Thompson raised the matter of the Roman Wall signs produced by Tuesday Teas. These were now ready, and would be sited to direct the tourists and coach parties to the Roman Wall monument. Mr Chambers submitted the Heddon in Bloom accounts and these were received by the Council.

15) DATE FOR ANNUAL ELECTORS MEETING

It was resolved to hold the Annual Electors Meeting on Wednesday, May 2^nd 2001. This date would be publicised in Heddon Gossip.

16) EFFECT OF FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE OUTBREAK ON HEDDON ON THE WALL

There was considerable discussion on this topic and the media coverage featured very highly in this. It was pointed out that ancillary businesses were suffering as well as farmers. The Parish Council offered their sympathies to all local farmers and businesses suffering from the disease and the restrictions resulting from it.

17) CONDITION OF PLAYING FIELD EQUIPMENT

A resident of Heddon had complained to CMBC about the condition of the Wendy House with slide. They had complained to CMBC because they were unaware that the Playground was the responsibility of the Parish Council. The initial response was that this piece of equipment should be removed but it was decided to hold a site meeting at which the equipment as a whole would be examined. The site meeting was arranged for Monday 19^th March. at 10.00pm. It was agreed that the school should be kept informed about any changes which were proposed.

18) REPLACEMENT OF GRASS OUTSIDE THE METHODIST CHURCH WITH A PAVEMENT.

The County Highways had been requested to replace the grass outside the Methodist Church with a pavement. Planning Permission was not required but the Council’s opinion had been requested. The purpose of the development was to allow car passengers to alight onto a pavement rather than grass. The questions of how far along the pavement would stretch and how deep it would be were raised. It was thought that one width of paving stones would be sufficient. It was decided to ask the County to place a paving all the way from the Methodist Church to the W.I. Hall. There was some concern however that this might worsen the parking problems in this area.

19) RE-SCHEDULING OF SEMINARS ON EUROPEAN FUNDING

The seminars had been re-scheduled, but the new dates had passed.

20) SELECTION OF A NEW COUNCILLOR

There were three candidates for the vacant post. There was considerable discussion on the merits of each candidate. After a paper ballot, Mrs L. Cruickshank was selected.

21) KNOTT HALL ACCOUNTS

The Knott Hall accounts and auditors report were submitted and received by the Council.

22) CORRESPONDENCE

1. Seminars on Law and Order have been cancelled due to the F &M D outbreak.

2. A letter from Heddon W.I. was read out. It was agreed that the letter sent by the Council overstated the Council’s views. The W.I was to be written too to modify the position.

3. Bus Passes were to be issued on March 23^rd at the W.I. hall. These passes did not have to be paid for and they were valid all day and every day.

1. HADRIAN’S WALL INTERPRETIVE PLAN. The minutes of a meeting held on 21^st February were received. There was a Consultants brief which promised action for Heddon. Consultation on the draft LIP was promised and a public meeting in Heddon to discuss the issue was suggested

2. There was further information about Northumbrian Water’s plans to improve the water supply on the Bainbridge estate

There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 10.00pm

A site meeting was held on the Welfare Field, Heddon on the Wall on Monday19th March, 2001. The Purpose of the meeting was to survey the condition of the Play equipment and to decide on a suitable course of action with regard to the maintenance of each item.

Present: Dr Selman, Mr Armstrong, Mr Iley, Mrs Thompson, Mr Watson, Mr Tailford, and the Clerk, Mr T. Bates.

The party toured the Welfare Field Play Equipment commenting on its condition and the maintenance required.

This was the item which caused the initial complaint. The Metal sheet had been removed and straightened and replaced. It was no longer a hazard. However it was decided to replace this whole side panel with a plywood panel fixed to the frame work with round headed bolts with recessed nuts. It was also decided to remove the brackets which had been intended to support a seat which is now missing. The whole unit required painting.

This was the broad slide built into a bank of earth. There appeared to be little wrong with this but one of the large paving slabs at the top of the access stair required re-laying.

This was the only item of equipment which met with seriously adverse comment in the Insurance assessment held in December. The shackles holding the tyre to the chains were seriously worn, as were the corresponding chain links. It was decided to replace these at the earliest opportunity.

The Climbing Frame itself appeared to be in good condition and the chain climbing mesh appeared to be satisfactory. Concrete was exposed under the frame itself. The Chain walk way appeared to be a very strange design There seemed to be little point in the two upper chains which crossed at the half way point. It was decided to remove one chain and re-hang the other straight across to provide a hand rail.

The group of swings on the steel frame work were found to be in reasonable condition. However on one swing the shackle was bent and the seat was damaged at the shackle fixing point. It was decided to replace the seat and shackle

The handles were missing and there was graffiti on the horse. It was decided to replace the handles and paint the horse.

It was decided to obtain quotations for the replacement of the Bark around all of the play equipment. It was also decided to replace one of the rubbish bins which was badly damaged.

A meeting of Heddon on the wall Parish Council was held on Wednesday, 12^th April, 2000, in Heddon Library.

PRESENT Dr. Selman (Chairman), Mr.Armstrong, Mr. Iley, Mr.Young, Mr Watson, Mr. Tailford, Mrs. Thompson, District and County Councillor Avery, and the Clerk (Mr. T. Bates)

Visitor: Mrs Lockey, and one other

Mr. Waugh

These had been previously circulated. They were approved and signed.

a) The appointment of the new clerk, Mr T. Bates was accepted unanimously. The chairman expressed his thanks and the thanks of all of the Parish Council to Mrs Lockey, for all the hard work she had carried out over the past nine years. He especially mentioned the healthy financial state of the Council.

b )The reason for not making a donation to the NTC was queried. It was stated that NTC were putting up their prices and this meant that it was unlikely that they would visit Heddon in the future. It seemed that they were aiming for bigger venues.

c) Further information on the BIG BUS youth club was requested. The school headmistress was in favour of siting the BIG BUS on the school upper car park on Monday evenings. The vehicle is completely self contained and requires no external services, and has its own generator. This could be a problem in the future though the bus will be sited so that the generator faces the Common. The youth club will be running through the school holidays in the summer. It will not start until after Easter. When a date has been obtained this will be publicised by the BIG BUS organisers.

Post Code Most of Heddon has been covered by the petition. It is hoped to present the petition to the Royal Mail. Further measures include offering to meet Alan Johnson, the Minister responsible for the Royal mail, and contacting insurance companies asking how they use postcodes in assessing premiums.

Schools Extra funding was to go direct to Schools - £3000 - £5000 for small schools and £30,000 - £50,000 for large schools. Estelle Morris the Minister for Education has written suggesting Match Funding to realise a greater resource. The New Deal for schools has brought in £6.5m, which compares with £1.9m last year. The majority of this will go on a new school at Blyth. The Capital Receipt from this project will help the existing repairs programme

Administration The County Council abolished its Committee system last May. It has been replaced by a system based on executive and scrutiny functions.

Communications Every household in the County would receive a copy of the County Councils Local Performance Plan. This sets out the performance for last year and targets to improve performance this year.

Library The importance of the Library has been highlighted in the "HEDDON GOSSIP". The staff deserved praise for their efforts to ensure that so many new initiatives had come to fruition.

Administration The District Council has proposed re-organising its Officer structure. A new Strategic Services Officer has been appointed bringing the number upto four. Nine new Unit Managers had yet to be appointed because drawing up Job Descriptions has taken longer than intended.

Leisure Centres The Morpeth and Ponteland Leisure Centres are to be managed by a private company – Leisure Connection. It is hoped that this will mean less subsidies.

Recycling The contract for the new re-cycling company should be working by the summer. Once this happens it should be possible to have re-cycling back in Heddon.

Compensation for earlier rent increases The administration proposes to give every tenant one low energy light bulb.

a) Dividend, Memorial Park, £13.00

b) Parish Council Precept, for 2000 - 2001

£24,000 less election expenses of £624.45 £23,375.55

a) CCTV cameras in Heddon £600.00

b) T. Bates (clerk) -April £241.37

c) Petty Cash £100.00

d) P. Sewell, Handyman £28.80

up to and including w/c 3/4/00

e) P. Farnaby, managing web site £250.00

Cheque drawn on the Bank of Ireland for £1300

The above amounts were accepted for payment.

Dr. B. Selman, Mr. I. Armstrong, Mrs A. Lockey and Mr T. Bates of the Parish Council met Mr. K.Quinn and Mr. M. Furlonger of the Knott Hall Committee on Thursday, 6^th April. Future developments in the Hall were discussed, and it was agreed that the Parish Council and the Hall committee would work closely together on this and other matters It was agreed that the Knott Hall Committee would discuss proceeding with the upgrading of the toilets, to include a disabled toilet. The possibility of a shower was also to be considered.

The Parish Council was to work closely with the Knott Hall Committee in raising funds. and obtaining grants The Parish Council would receive a copy of the Knott Hall Committee minutes each month. It was suggested that an item should be placed on the Parish Council agenda each month and a member of the Parish Council who was also on the Knott Hall Committee could present the background to the minutes. The formulation of a programme of future events for the Hall was also discussed. This was fully supported by the Parish Council. It is possible that the Parish Council could offer to underwrite some of the items on any such programme. It was also agreed that there should be a regular (probably annual) joint Parish Council/Knott Hall Committee meeting. There was some discussion over the name of the hall. The Hall Committee were invited to give a presentation at the next village Annual Meeting.

Mr Tim Fish wrote to say that the Ramblers Association had withdrawn their objections to the proposed change in the route. It was now going forward to the Secretary of State for the Environment for approval. This will take some time. In the meantime consideration should be given to the Signing of the Trail through Heddon. It is essential that walkers on the Trail get clear directions in the village, whilst not detracting from the signing of other Rights of Way. Mr. Fish issued an invitation to those interested councillors to meet him and discus the matter further. It was decided to accept Mr. Fish’s offer.

It was decided to hold this meeting on the second Wednesday in May, i.e. May 10^th, 2000. Mr Armstrong was invited to give a presentation on the Butterfly Project.

a)Northumberland and Newcastle Society Request for payment of subscription .Payment authorised

b)Northumberland Minerals Local Plan.

Plan adopted with modifications

c)Local Transport Plan 2001 - 2006

Plan accepted

d)CMBC – Best Value Local Performance Plan 2000 – 2001

Accepted

e)Go Britain

Local website information. Passed to P Farnaby

a) Heddon Soccer School

David Newman has closed the Heddon Soccer School as a result of malicious gossip circulating in the village ( as reported in the the last edition of "HEDDON GOSSIP"). He has passed all of the financial details and monies over to the Heddon Parish Council for safekeeping. This consists of a cheque for £612.94. He would like some of the money to be used for the Church football club and the rest to be used at the Council’s discretion, for the youth of Heddon, and in particular anything to do with sports facilities. The church football club has indicated that it does not need any extra money. It has been suggested that there should be a Village youth soccer team, and this in turn leads on to progressing the Sports field. There are hopes that Mr. Newman may be prepared to form a youth team in the future.. The Parish Council will hold the funds until this happens. The Clerk is to open a special account -The Heddon Soccer School account.

b) Mayor of Castle Morpeth’s Service and Parade

No one expressed an interest in attending

c) 11, Aquila Drive.

The Parish Council has received no communication from Castle Morpeth regarding the developments at this address. Some residents have had letters from the planning department but not others. A letter to one resident was read out explaining the Planning Departments views. Approval for the larger dormer windows was given by 7 votes to six at the Planning Control Committee meeting. Approval was subject to certain restrictions with which the applicant was requested to comply. The applicant did not apply for Building Regulations approval so that CMBC did not know that construction had started until complaints arose. The addressee was assured of the CMBC’s concern for Heddon but outlining the confines in which they have to operate. The Planning Authority is to communicate with Mr. Allen expressing their displeasure at the way in which this project has proceeded. The Parish Council expressed concern at the manner in which the regulations have been flouted

d) Valerian Avenue

A complaint was received by telephone about conditions in Valerian Avenue. It was stated that businesses were being conducted from houses and that this was causing distress to other residents. After some discussion it was agreed that the running of business from a house was a very grey area, and the Parish Council could do little about it. If the main complaint was obstruction of the highway then the Police authority should be contacted.

It was observed that the sign at the top of the ramp was no longer present

There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.45pm

PRESENT Dr. Selman (Chairman), Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Young, Mr Watson, Mrs Thompson, Mrs. Cruickshank, County Councillor Bentham, and the Clerk (Mr. T. Bates)

Visitor:

These had been previously circulated. They were approved and signed.

There was a brief discussion on the position with the Knott Hall Committee

All councillors present signed Acceptance of Office Forms.

In his absence District Councillor Avery offered a written report. This is included as part of these minutes. There was a discussion on the lifting of Foot and Mouth disease restrictions. It was decided to convey to CMBC the views of the Parish Council on the unsatisfactory performance of the Street Cleansing function.

Bank Interest, Bank of Ireland £ 303.56

Handyman, Mr. T. Evans £ 66.00

Northumberland County Council, Hire of Library £ 80.00

Halls of Heddon, plants and fertiliser £ 67.00

Mr. T. Glenton, refund for plants £ 10.00

Mr. C. Rand, grass cutting, Memorial Park, 3 cuts in June/July £ 39.00

Petty Cash £ 100.00

A cheque for £520 drawn on the Bank of Ireland to cover the above expenses.

8) PAYMENT OF INVOICE FROM CLIMB AND SLIDE FOR WELFARE FIELD RESTORATION

There had been a hold up in the notification of Decisions taken by CMBC. In consequence there was a large backlog

Permitted

Permitted

Refused. This development infringes CMBC Local Plan Sects. H19 and H 20.