Getabout Northumberland
Notice Date : 1st February 2012
Do you need help with transport or would you like to be one of our Volunteer drivers?
Getabout Northumberland – “It’s a godsend. It gets you out into the community and talking to people. You can pick up your pension and bits and bobs without carrying heavy bags on and off the bus.”
Quote by Doreen from Stamfordham a getabout Northumberland Client.
WRVS getabout Northumberland Community Transport Scheme is an invaluable service which provides help to those who are unable to access local transport. Its transport is
provided on a daily bases by our volunteer drivers who give their time generously in helping the communities they live in. Our volunteers provide more than a car service, they offer help and support to our clients on various journeys throughout Northumberland like:
· Shopping trips
· Medical appointments
· Visiting family
· Local lunch clubs and groups.
Our service is not only open to the elderly; any family or young person who falls within our criteria can become a member and use the service too.
We operate a simple to use service, with a local call rate telephone number (0845 266 8906) to book
Journeys or enquiry about our transport scheme. A yearly membership of £6.00 is required or £10.00 for couples to become a member. Clients are charged at £0.50p per mile and invoiced on a monthly basis for their journeys.
Would you like to be one of our volunteer drivers?
We are always on the lookout for new volunteer drivers as the need for our service increases due to cuts in local transport and everyday challenges faced by our
communities. Do you have a valid driving licence, some spare time and feel you could help by offering your services as one of our volunteers? If so, you could help people who would benefit from more accessible transport Our volunteers are also reimbursed for journeys and full training and support is given. Read on to see what some of our volunteer drivers have to say!
“I have been a getabout driver for a few months and enjoy every minute. I meet very interesting people and can recommend the role to anyone who is interested.”
– Volunteer getabout Drive, Northumberland
“We really enjoy being volunteers with getabout Northumberland. We meet some lovely people with interesting and often entertaining stories. It’s a great way to do our bit to help in the community.”
Volunteer getabout drivers, Northumberland.
Anyone interested in accessing the service or interested how they can help their community by becoming a volunteer driver can contact either:
Kathryn Veitch on 0845 266 8906
Rachelle Atchison on: 0783 475 3387
Service Co coordinators for getabout Northumberland Community Transport Scheme.
To find out what other great services WRVS Northumberland is providing in your area, contact Locality Manager for Northumberland
Roz Tinlin on: 01669 621359 or mobile: 0771 489 8716
Please feel free to give us a call where we would be more than happy to discuss getabout and how it can help you or someone you may know.
Cornhill Parish Council
Notice Date : 24th January 2012
Minutes of Parish Council meeting held on Monday, 16th January Cornhill Parish Council
Minutes of a meeting held on Monday, 16th January 2012,
at the Village Hall
Present: Cllrs. David Buckle (Chair), Mike Smith, Marie Gillespie, Lynda Boland,
Rosemary Cott, County Cllr. Dougie Watkin, Angela Hallam-Baker (Clerk).
In attendance: Brian Watson, (Energy Efficiency & Renewal Energy Advisor),
and four members of the public.
1) Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. Margaret Mole.
2) Questions from parishioners:
i) Wind turbines - Derek Sheldrick asked Cty. Cllr. Watkin the current position regarding the application for a 78m high wind turbine at Wark Common, and two 25m turbines at East Moneylaws, which he felt would impact on Cornhill. Mr. Sheldrick felt that if these were approved, they would set a precedent. Cllr. Watkin replied that no precedent would be set, as all applications are considered on their own merits.
Cllr. Buckle stated that since these turbines are outside Cornhill Parish, the Parish Council is not being consulted, and William Carrington pointed out that there is a lack of information both on the County Council website and advice to residents. However, it was pointed out that Carham Parish Council’s website did specify details of the wind turbine applications.
Cllr. Watkin stated that he was unable to comment on individual applications, but only on general matters which referred to applications.
ii) Interaction between parish councils - Mrs. Sheldrick asked whether there was any relationship between parish councils. The Chair informed her that there had existed a Glendale Group of Parish Councils, but this had been wound up, and since then, there was no formal mechanism for interaction between parish councils.
iii) Tweed Meadows - Mr. Sheldrick said that he had been notified by Northern Heritage of the completion of Section 38 Road Adoption Agreement and Section 278 Offside Road Improvements Agreement with NCC. He asked Cllr. Watkin what was involved with regard to road markings, a pedestrian crossing on the Main Street, works to existing lamp posts, and the provision of additional lighting from the Collingwood Arms to Tweed Meadows.
The Chair stated that the Parish Council had not been informed by the County Council of these Agreements, and asked Cllr. Watkin to follow this up. He stated that the approved plans for the Tweed Meadows development contained details of the additional facilities to be put in place. These stipulated a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the Main Street across from the phone box, and a filter lane allowing for traffic to turn right into Tweed Meadows.
3) County Councillor’s Report:
Cllr. Watkin asked that as many people as possible attend the meeting at 7.00pm on Thursday, 19th January, where the proposed closure of Cornhill First School would be discussed.
Cllr. Watkin also asked the Clerk to request NCC to remove broken glass on the banking between Rickerbys and Station Gardens.
At this point Cllr. Watkin left the meeting in order to attend Norham Parish Council’s meeting.
4) Report by Brian Watson on Energy Efficiency:
Brian Watson gave a talk on energy efficiency and grant funding available to maximize this. He stated that this area of North Northumberland is the worst for fuel poverty, which was classed as households spending more than ten per cent of their income on heating.
He stated that the Northumberland Warmzone energy efficiency scheme allows loft and cavity wall insulation free of charge to people over 60, those with children under five, and people receiving certain benefits. This requires the loft to measure less than 75 square metres and have less than 100mm of existing insulation, and the cavity area to be less than 120 square metres. For areas over 75 square metres, payment would only be for the excess amount.
Mr. Watson also referred to the Green Deal, a scheme to be launched by the Government in October 2012, whereby insulation could be provided via a loan, which would be repaid through future electricity bills.
.
It was agreed by the Parish Council that a public meeting would enable the community to be advised of these grants, and Mr.Watson agreed to attend this and provide the necessary information. It was suggested that people could be asked to complete a short questionnaire in order that information might be gathered as to the individual needs of the community.
Cllrs. Boland and Cott offered to make the arrangements for a meeting to be held on a Saturday and publicise it to all residents with leaflets through their doors.
5) NEA Training Day:
Cllr. Rosemary Cott had attended a training day in Eglingham on 10th December 2011, with the intention of helping local residents with heating and insulation measures and saving on fuel bills. Since this was linked to Agenda item 4, she would be available to help with the provision of information at and following the public meeting.
6) The minutes of the meeting held on 5th December 2012 had been circulated and were taken as read. It was noted that the item under Speeding Traffic should read “.... the Police would not raise objections” to the use of flashing 30mph signs. This was amended, and the minutes were then agreed and signed.
7) Matters arising from the minutes:
• Transfer of local services – there had been no further progress in obtaining a Service Level Agreement for the inspection and maintenance of the play area. A circular letter had been received from NCC asking whether parishes are willing to take direct responsibility for play areas next year. Cornhill had already budgeted for this, but could not take on the responsibility without a written contract. The clerk was asked to write again to Terry Garnick to request this. Until such a contract had been drawn up and signed, it was assumed NCC was still carrying the responsibility.
• Filter lane at Tweed Meadows – as reported earlier in the meeting, the Offside Road Improvements Agreement had been completed, and it was therefore assumed the work would go ahead in accordance with the conditions laid down in the plans. The clerk was asked to have this clarified, and to request a formal notification of the completion of this Agreement and that of the Road Adoption.
• Grit bins – a yellow grit bin had been delivered to a site at the entrance to Tweed Meadows, agreed by the residents, and it had been confirmed that there would be no charge for this since it had been on order for over a year. However, one of the residents had subsequently contacted NCC direct and had apparently asked for the bin to be moved further down the entrance road. This would then have to be paid for by the Parish Council. The clerk was asked to investigate this.
NOTE: Following contact with NCC, the clerk has learnt that the yellow bin has been removed, and a green bin, more in keeping with the housing development, has been placed further down the entrance road to avoid residents having to walk up an icy slope to obtain the grit. The clerk has been assured that this bin has been supplied free of charge.
• Work required at St. Helen’s Gardens – Cllr. Watkin had told the clerk that he understood that the large tree had been pruned. There was still the matter of the bare patch on the green, and the clerk would ask Berwick Borough Housing again to put the matter of re-seeding this on its list of work to be done in the early Spring.
• Work required on B6350 Cornhill/East Learmouth road – the SLOW signs had still not been re-painted, and a further request would be put in to the Highways Dept.
• Speeding traffic - the cost of two flashing 30mph signs would be £7,000 plus maintenance and servicing. Alternative suggestions were the provision of yellow rumble strips on the road. The clerk would find out how much these would cost, but it was pointed out that they would be noisy as traffic drove over them.
• Road signs – the clerk had been advised that the cost of signs containing “Cornhill-on-Tweed” would be £1,000, but it was not clear whether this would be the total for five signs or just for one. She would clarify this point, and find out whether the PC would be expected to maintain these and replace them if necessary. The question as to whether the residents wanted them would be posed on the website and in the Newsletter, and also at the proposed public meeting referred to earlier in the meeting.
• 30mph signs painted on the surface of the A697 – it was reported that these were fading and needed to be repainted.
• Grass cutting – the clerk was trying to arrange a date to discuss this with a new contractor.
• Financing of Newsletter – the clerk was to discuss a fund-raising event with the Village Shop.
• Vacancy on the Parish Council – NCC Electoral Services had been advised of the vacancy, and the notices would be put on the noticeboards and website forthwith.
• Road subsidence beyond the Mill bridge – NCC had been notified of this by Carham Parish Council, but the work postponed due to a strike of Council workers in November. It had been pointed out by a Cornhill resident that this area lay within the Cornhill parish boundary which was between the Mill and burn bridges.
• Cornhill Community Website – it was agreed at the last meeting that this should appear as a standing agenda item. There was currently nothing to report on the website.
8) Financial Report:
Copies of the financial statement as at today’s date were distributed showing a bank balance of £3,689.49. The clerk went through the transactions, pointing out that the balance sum included provision for the services transferred from NCC.
9) Consultation on proposed closure of Cornhill First School:
A document had been circulated to the parish councillors stating the issues facing the School. The proposal to close it was due to the fall in numbers of pupils, which was now down to three, with only a possible two for entry in September 2012, and none in Septembers 2013, 2014 and 2015, according to a survey of the pre-school children currently living within the catchment area.
NCC is carrying out a consultation on the proposed closure and is holding a series of meetings on Thursday, 19th January, for staff, governors, and parents and public. The meeting for parents and the public is due to start at 7.00pm, and as many people as possible were urged to attend.
A questionnaire is available for completion by 20th March.
10) Social Care and Health Information points:
Cllr. Boland had attended a meeting where the provision of centres for information on social care and health was discussed. A pilot scheme with five information points has been set up, the nearest of which is Berwick, and Cllr. Boland had enquired whether it might be possible to locate another one in Cornhill. She was told that the access points had to be lodged in local authority properties, such as libraries, but that information might possibly be available for display in the Village Hall. The Chair of the Village Hall committee and the Parish Council agreed to this, and Cllr. Boland said she would be willing to keep supplies of leaflets, etc. up to date. Information could also be displayed on the Cornhill website and in the Newsletter.
It was pointed out that a high proportion of elderly residents did not have access to the internet, and it was suggested that a questionnaire might be circulated, similar to that which assisted in the compilation of the Parish Plan, to form an idea of the current requirements of parishioners. Cllr. Cott offered to help with this.
11) Northumberland Snow Squads:
NCC had circulated a document on snow clearance with advice from the Government’s Snow Code. As long as common sense was used by individuals clearing paths, etc., issues of liability would be minimized. Volunteer snow squads initiated by parish councils must have public and employers’ liability insurance cover. For further information contact Highways and Neighbourhood Services via email at Ask@northumberland.gov.uk or telephone 0845 6006400.
12) Any other business:
• Northumbria Police Authority – this will be replaced in May 2012 with a Police and Crime Commissioner, creating a new Police and Crime Panel to whom the Commissioner will be accountable. The Commissioner will be elected on 15th November 2012 and then every four years. The Police and Crime Panel will be made up of elected councillors and independent members, and will be responsible for scrutinizing decisions made by the Commissioner about the Police and Crime Plan, Chief Constable appointments, and council tax levels paid for policing.
• Public Transport Strategy – an 80-page Consultation Draft on the strategy has been sent to all stakeholders of public transport in Northumberland, with a request for comments to be lodged by 31st January 2012. The Chair had read through this long document, and was unable to detect any proposed changes for North Northumberland.
• WRVS Getabout community transport scheme – a request had been received to post details of this scheme on the Cornhill website. This was agreed, and further information was awaited.
• Blocked drain – a report of a drain from Milestone Cottage, Main Street, had been received. This was allowing dirty water to flow along the public footpath. The tenants had apparently informed their landlord, but no remedial action had yet been taken. The clerk was asked to contact the landlord direct.
13) Date of next meeting: Monday, 19th March 2012, at 7.30pm at the Village Hall.
14) Question-time on Agenda items raised by parishioners:
• Road signs – this matter had been discussed under Item 7, and Mr. Eric Bell informed the meeting that he had been in contact with Stefan Bell of Highways Dept. who had said that there should be no problem in supplying new signs bearing the name Cornhill-on-Tweed, but that there were currently no funds available for NCC to pay for these. The clerk was asked to contact Stefan Bell and obtain further information.
Mr. Eric Bell stated that his reference, at an earlier meeting, to the possibility of obtaining funds for new signs via the Community Fund, had in fact been incorrect.
• Flashing 30mph signs - Mr. Eric Bell stated that the flashing signs discussed under Item 7 would cost £300 per annum for maintenance, and this cost could possibly be met via the County Councillor’s parish council fund. Since the County Councillor was not present, this could not be confirmed.
• Possible increase in the number of parish council meetings – Mr. Bell considered that there was a need for more than six parish council meetings a year. He felt that currently contributions by parishioners were limited by the amount of time available.
This concluded the business of the meeting which was closed at 9.45pm.
2012.
Cornhill Parish Council
Notice Date : 17th January 2012
Vacancy on Cornhill Parish Council
NOTICE OF VACANCY
PARISH OF
Cornhill-on-Tweed
…………………………………………………..
1. A Vacancy has occurred on the above named Parish Council due to :-
the resignation of Mrs. Alison Malcolm
2. In order for a by-election to be held, 10 electors from the Parish (Ward), must make such a request in writing, within 14 days of the date of this notice, (not including Saturdays and Sundays and Dies Non), to the Returning Officer at the address given below.
3. If notice in writing is not forthcoming from 10 electors, then the existing Parish Council may then fill the vacancy by co-option.
4. The address of the Returning Officer, to whom all requests for an election, and all other enquiries relating to this notice and any other election issue should be directed, is :-
Elections Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF
Tel: 01670 533307
E Mail: elections@northumberland.gov.uk
Date… …17th January 2012
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Signed… A.G. Hallam-Baker
………………………………………………………………………….Parish Clerk
Address of Parish Clerk: Branxton Villa, Branxton, Cornhill-on-Tweed, TD12 4SW.
Cornhill Parish Council Meeting
Notice Date : 10th January 2012
Cornhill Parish Council
Notice of a meeting to be held on Monday, 16th January 2012,
at the Village Hall at 7.30pm.
NOTE: Any questions from parishioners should be submitted in writing to the Clerk a minimum of 3 days in advance of the meeting, and these will be dealt with under Agenda item 2. Questions raised by parishioners on any matters discussed under any of the Agenda items will be dealt with under Agenda item 14.
Agenda
1. Apologies for absence
2. Questions from parishioners (7.30pm – 7.45pm)
3. Northumberland Energy Champions – Brian Watson
4. Report on NEA (national fuel poverty charity) Training Day – Cllr. Rosemary Cott
5. Minutes of the meeting held on 5th December 2011 to be agreed and signed
6. Matters arising from the minutes:
• Transfer of local services
• Filter lane at Tweed Meadows
• Grit bins
• Work required at St. Helen’s Gardens
• Work required on Cornhill/Learmouth road
• Speeding traffic
• Road signs
• Grass cutting
• Financing of Newsletter
• Vacancy on Parish Council
• Road subsidence beyond the Old Mill bridge
7. County Councillor’s Report
8. Financial Report
9. Consultation on proposed closure of Cornhill First School
10. Social Care and Health Information Points – Lynda Boland to report
11. Northumberland Snow Squads
12. Any other business
13. Date of next meeting
14. 15 minute question-time on Agenda items raised by parishioners
Minutes of Cornhill Parish Council meeting held on 5th December 2011
Notice Date : 17th December 2011
Cornhill Parish Council
Minutes of a meeting held on Monday, 5th December 2011,
at the Village Hall
Present: Cllrs. David Buckle (Chair), Mike Smith, Marie Gillespie, Lynda Boland,
Rosemary Cott, County Cllr. Dougie Watkin, Angela Hallam-Baker (Clerk), and three members of the public.
1) Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. Margaret Mole.
2) Resignation from the Parish Council:
It was with regret that Alison Malcolm’s resignation from the Parish Council had been received due to ill health. The Chair had written to Mrs. Malcolm thanking her for her service to the Parish Council over the years, and a card expressing good wishes was signed by the members and the clerk.
This left a vacancy which would be advertised in the statutory manner. The Chair was pleased to nominate local businessman, and resident of the Parish for a number of years, William Carrington, who had expressed an interest in applying for the position. Mr. Carrington had been a member of the recently disbanded Cornhill Community Website Working Group. His company hosts the website, and his colleagues carry out a great deal of the maintenance work and are responsible for inserting the local Newsletter on to the website.
3) The minutes of the meeting held on 19th September 2011 were approved by the Parish Councillors and signed by the Chair.
4) Matters arising from the minutes:
• Cornhill First School – Cllr. Watkin updated the meeting on the current situation with the School. Three pupils are due to leave at Christmas, and only one expected to join over the next three years. It has therefore been proposed by NCC to close the school from September 2012, and mothball it for two to three years. There would be a consultation process to ascertain the view of the public. If it is finally agreed to close the school, the pupils from the Tweed Valley will go to Norham, and the Branxton children will go to Ford.
• Transfer of local services – in spite of a request by the clerk, there had been no information from NCC as to the future inspection and maintenance of the Play Area.
Cllr. Watkin was under the impression that this belongs to Berwick Borough Housing, although the Parish Council considers the land belong to NCC. Further information awaited from NCC.
• Filter lane at Tweed Meadows – no further information had been forthcoming from NCC, but they had agreed to keep in touch with any developments. Cllr. Watkin stated that the estate had as yet not been adopted by NCC.
• Grit bins – since Tweed Meadows was still privately-owned, and furthermore that NCC did not intend to pay for the supply of any more grit bins, it was proposed by the Chair and agreed unanimously that the Parish Council should purchase a new bin at a cost of £200 including two fills of grit. Cllr. Boland agreed to consult with the other residents of Tweed Meadows as to the most suitable site for the bin.
• St. Helen’s Gardens – the damaged grit bin had now been removed, but the new one was still too near to the road and needed to be moved further on to the grass.
The clerk had asked BBH to re-seed the bare patch on the green and to prune the large tree between houses nos. 10 and 11. The Chair asked Cllr. Watkin to chase up these matters.
• Pot holes and ‘slow’ signs on Cornhill/Learmouth road – the clerk would check that the potholes had been filled, and again ask NCC to repaint the ‘slow’signs.
• Bus shelters – large free-standing litter bins, which would also be suitable for dog waste, had been placed beside the bus shelters at Donaldsons Lodge.
• Speeding traffic – this was discussed with importance and the supply of flashing 30mph signs again considered. Cllr. Watkin confirmed that the Community Forum funds were designated only for small local projects not in excess of £1,000, apart from exceptional circumstances. Cllr. Gillespie stated that in 2002/2003 when the question of these signs had been considered, Highways Dept. had said that it would not be appropriate to have these in Cornhill, and that the Police would also raise objections. However, as time has moved on, the Chair suggested that the Parish Council should again address this matter and seek advice on funding. He and the clerk would pursue this and report back at the next PC meeting.
• Recycling skips – the clerk had spoken to NCC about moving these to a less obtrusive site. They had strongly advised against this, saying it would attract vandalism and illegal dumping. Since behind the Village Hall appeared to be the only possible alternative site for the skips, the Parish Council also considered that it would be inappropriate to site rubbish skips so close to the cemetery and take up car parking space.
• Road signs – a member of the public present at the meeting objected to the fact that no further debate had taken place on the matter of changing the road signs to ‘Cornhill-on-Tweed’. In response, it was stated that the village had always been called ‘Cornhill’ and that the residents liked it that way. The village was designated as ‘Cornhill’ on the OS map, and the Parish Council’s prefix was ‘Cornhill’. The reason for the website name using the ‘on-Tweed’ was that it had not been possible to register just ‘Cornhill’, and the reason for picture postcards stating the full name was presumably because they were intended to be sent away from the area.
In conclusion to this heated discussion, it was agreed that the residents should be asked via the village noticeboard whether they would wish five new road signs bearing the name ‘Cornhill-on-Tweed’ to be purchased, giving an indication of the cost to the Parish.
5) Financial Report:
The clerk distributed copies of the financial statement to date and went through the various entries. It was noted that the Parish precept for the year 2012/2013 was required to be set before the end of January, and it was agreed to retain this at £2,700.
6) Parish Council elections 2013:
The next parish council elections were to be held at the same time as the County Council elections, and consequently there would be no extra charge to the parishes, as in the case of by-elections.
All the parish councillors would resign and be eligible for re-election. If all the councillors wished to stand again, there would be no requirement for a poll. However, the Chair intimated that he would welcome a greater number of residents to put their names forward for election and face the challenge required in administering the work of the Parish Council. Residents only appeared to be interested in voicing their opinions when controversial items, such as planning applications, were to be debated.
The Chair suggested that nearer the time, an article should be included in the village Newsletter
setting out the responsibilities and opportunities which parish councillors could face.
7) Grass cutting:
The person who had been employed to cut the grass and undergrowth on the footpaths was content to hand over the job to someone who had more time. Two names of people who may be interested in taking on this were suggested, and the clerk would provide them with the required information and ask for quotations.
8) Cornhill Community Website Working Group:
At the recent meeting of the Working Group, it was decided that this body, set up in 2008, had achieved what it set out to do, and that the responsibility for the website should now be handed back to the Parish Council, provided it was agreeable to having this as a standing item on each bi-monthly meeting agenda. This was agreed.
The Chair stated that there was a need to promote the website and encourage inter-activity among the residents and visitors. This would be required to be done by someone who had a good deal of time to spend on it. The website is still getting good hit rates, particularly from outside the community, both from the UK and abroad. The day to day managing of the website is looked after by William Carrington through his web-based business, as his contribution to the community.
It was pointed out that some 46% of the community does not have a computer. There are of course computers at the Village Shop Internet Café, but the majority of users of these are visitors who also take advantage of the catering facilities. Free training in the use of the internet was offered when the computers were installed, and most people in the village know they are available for use free of charge.
Production of Newsletter – prior to the opening of the internet café, the Village Shop had sustained the cost of printing the Newsletter, but they are now using the equipment in the café and are asking for the Parish Council to supply paper and ink. This amounts to £400-£600 a year. A collection box was available for donations towards the production of the Newsletter, and an amount of £70, which had been collected during the lifetime of the Newsletter, had been handed over to the Parish Council. Various ways of raising funds were suggested including sponsorship or a coffee morning. The clerk would discuss this with the Village Shop proprietors.
9) Planning:
• Installation of roof solar panels at 2 Tweed Meadows – approved.
• Renewal of application for 40 dwelling behind Rickerbys – (Cllr. Watkin declared an interest and took no part in any discussion) – the application had been approved in October 2008 in spite of strong objections by the Parish Council and Cornhill residents. These objections still stood and would again be communicated to the Planning Committee.
10) Co-ordination 4 Age – report on a workshop held on 22nd October:
This workshop held in Wooler had been attended by Cllr. Cott who found it well received and interesting. It had been emphasised that older people should be aware of what services were available to them. The Chair pointed out that this matter was included in the Community Action Plan and that the Glendale Gateway Trust was looking to parishes to undertake the work and co-ordinate it over the whole community of Glendale by producing an audit of the vulnerable population. This would require a volunteer to engage other people in the community. Cllrs. Boland and Cott were agreeable to working together on this, and Cllr. Cott was delegated to attend a training session on Saturday, 10th December, at Eglingham to join the Northumberland Rural Energy Champions – a group of volunteers willing to help local residents in terms of pointing them towards heating and insulation measures and saving costs of fuel bills.
Cllr. Cott said that Brian Watson, who took part in the workshop, is working in Ford and Etal to improve energy efficiency in homes on the estate, and is willing to come to Cornhill and talk to the Parish Council about how they could go about providing help to older people. It was therefore agreed that Mr. Watson should be invited to the next meeting of the Parish Council on Monday, 16th January 2012.
11) Government Energy Bill and “Green Deal”:
It has been announced that the Government is introducing the Green Deal - a loan which is repaid through fuel cost savings - and it was anticipated that Mr. Brian Watson would provide more information on this at the next PC meeting.
12) Oil Clubs:
A letter had been received from the Citizens Advice Bureau about Oil Clubs. These are groups of residents who want to save money by purchasing oil collectively in bulk. These apparently save an average of 10% through reduced delivery costs by people living close to each other having oil delivered at the same time. Such a scheme would require someone to administer it, but it was noted that the Parish Council does not have the resources for funding.
To follow this up, it was suggested that it could be flagged up on the Forum page of the Cornhill website to find out how many people might be interested, and that oil companies could be asked how it would work from their points of view.
13) Freecycle/Freegle:
This is an internet-based scheme to promote the recycling of unwanted goods free of charge. All offers need, as well as being free, to be legal (Freegle), and the aim is to keep reusable items out of landfill sites, and in addition develop community networks and friendships in the process. More information is available on line at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SeahousesAndAlnwickFreegle (or Google Berwick Freecycle).
14) Any other business:
• Vacancy on the Parish Council – this was mentioned in Item 2 above, and would be notified to the Electoral Officer and the statutory notices posted in Cornhill and Donaldsons Lodge. It would also be mentioned on the website and in the next Newsletter.
• Road subsidence – it was reported that the road beyond the mill bridge was collapsing at the edge beside the river. Although is in Carham Parish, it also affects Cornhill residents. The clerk agreed to contact Carham to check that it had been reported to NCC.
• Give Way sign by the War Memorial – this was leaning at an angle. The clerk had already notified Highways, who would have to pass on the job to the relevant department as the sign had a light on the top.
15) Date of next meeting: Monday, 16th January 2012, at 7.30pm at the Village Hall.
