Everything’s Coming up Roses for Team

 Ponteland Bloom Awards Photo by Trevor Walker

 

PONTELAND’S fabulous flowers finally struck gold in a regional competition.

The town council-led team has won silver gilt certificates in the previous three Northumbria in Blooms, but this year it has gone one better.

The gold award was given to Joyce Butcher, Chairman of the authority’s Northumbria In Bloom Working Party, at the ceremony in Spennymoor Leisure Centre.

Ponteland’s special category entries also did very well as Cecil Court achieved gold in the Residential Community section and Ponteland Bowling and Tennis Club won the top award in the William Leech category.

The Diamond Inn received a silver gilt in the Whitley Bay Guardian Trophy.

Town council Clerk Kath Mavin said: “The council would like to thank all those who helped make this award possible, in particular our contractors Iain Clough, Michael Champion and Derek Sherlock.

“Appreciation is due to Northumberland County Council and the members of the Neighbourhood Environmental Team who make such a difference in Ponteland and of course the Northumbria in Bloom Working Party deserve thanks for their sterling efforts which have paid off.

“Thanks are also due to all the businesses, organisations and volunteers who helped to make our area look so special during the last few months.”

Ponteland has two entries in the Britain in Bloom – It’s Your Neighbourhood awards. They are Athol House and Friends of Ponteland Park.

Presentations will take place on Thursday, October 25, at Spennymoor Town Hall.

Mrs Mavin added: “The council is sure that these two entries will do well and very grateful to the work of Mary Short and her team of volunteers at Athol House and to the Friends of Ponteland Park who work so hard with the council to improve the park for residents.”

Source: Morpeth Herald

Ponteland United Reformed Church Christmas Fayre

Ponteland town planning chief blasts Medburn homes plans - Today's News - News

A TOWN planning chief says a proposed executive housing scheme being recommended for the green light "blatantly flies in the face of the rules".

The proposal for 14 executive homes at Medburn, near Ponteland, Northumberland, is facing major opposition ahead of Northumberland County Council’s decision-making meeting this week.

Three years ago an application to build three houses on the site next to The Nursery was turned down – and refused again on appeal.

Ponteland Town Council planning committee chair David Butler said: “It is staggering that this application is being recommended for acceptance.

“It is bizarre – it blows my mind. My colleagues on the committee all feel like me – this is a big development which is blatantly wrong.

“It breaks all the rules in the book, in that it is greenfield development in an area of Medburn where only brownfield development is permitted. And it is not sustainable, as there is no shop or church or pub or pedestrian links in Medburn. The (county) council’s own planning officers’ report admit this – yet it is being recommended for permission. I cannot believe it.”

The town council planning committee act only as consultees to the County Council, who make planning decisions.

A report to the county’s West Area Planning Committee, who meet on Wednesday, acknowledges: “Medburn in its own right is not considered to be a sustainable location for new housing development.”

However, new national planning policies introduced in March “to an extent” have shifted the position so that new development could be considered to support services in adjacent Ponteland.

Medburn was originally built as a set of single-storey smallholdings in the recovery period after World War One. But there has been a series of executive developments in recent years. Applicants’ agents GVA of Newcastle say the development would supply a niche form of executive housing of which there is a shortage in the North East.

And they have agreed a £255,000 Section 106 contribution to finance affordable housing elsewhere in the Ponteland area, as any on the development site would “undermine the intended executive nature of the scheme”.

But Coun Butler said: “Where does that mean affordable housing would go? It certainly isn’t going to be on this site.

“What also staggers me is that the county council say there are not any other relevant planning applications or decisions – but a previous application was refused, and refused again on appeal, as recently as 2009.”

The planners’ report says: “On balance it is considered that, whilst the proposal would conflict with national, regional and local planning policy insofar as new residential development is proposed on a greenfield site in an unsustainable village, such conflicts with policy would be sufficiently outweighed by the contribution that the scheme would make to executive housing provision both locally and regionally ... and affordable housing opportunities in the surrounding area through the payment of a financial contribution in lieu of on-site units.

“The development would make significant and meaningful contributions towards addressing executive housing and affordable housing shortages in the area.”

Source: Journal Live

Gold Award for Ponteland in Northumbria in Bloom Competition

Judges have awarded Ponteland a ‘Gold’ for Best Small Town as part of this year’s Northumbria in Bloom competition. 

The results were announced at a ceremony in Spennymoor, County Durham (Tuesday 11 September).
Congratulations to all concerned, particularly Iain, Michael and Derek who strive to keep the village in a first class condition and of course to Joyce Butcher who leads the Northumbria in Bloom working party, and Kath Mavin our Town Clerk for their hard work.

Also grateful thanks to our sponsors, volunteers and businesses who contributed to both Northumbria in Bloom and the Diamond Jubilee this year.

Community Joins Forces to Fight Development Plan

A COMMUNITY has formally come together to fight to protect Ponteland’s green belt.

More than 100 residents living in streets beside a proposed housing site have met to unite in a battle to protect the land from major new housing developments.

And a Ponteland Green Belt Group made its presence felt at the latest exhibition by Lugano Group, where it revealed plans for between 200 to 300 homes at Birney Hill.

The residents’ meeting was organised by householders on the eastern outskirts of Ponteland who are opposing all development on green belt land, including fields surrounding their homes where Banks Group is proposing to build up to 500 new properties.

One of the organisers, Susan Johnson, of Cheviot View, said: “We were delighted by the response from people in the area. Everyone is very concerned about the proposal for this and other areas around the village. Ponteland is the gateway to rural Northumberland and maintaining the green belt is vital.

“There is no proven need for more housing in Ponteland and developments on this scale would have a major impact on the area. Ponteland is already at saturation point. Traffic is a problem, parking in the village is difficult, the schools are already full and the village simply could not cope with developments of this nature.”

Mrs Johnson said that in a very short space of time the group had collected more than 200 responses to Northumberland County Council’s Local Development Plan Core Strategy document. These had been forwarded to the county with views on future planning.

Fellow resident Lesley Noble said residents have urged the authority not to class Ponteland as Tier One, which would make the area a ‘main focus for future development and regeneration’.

“Ponteland is not a key hub within the county for healthcare, housing, employment and retail which is what mainly defines a Tier One settlement,” she said.

“The vast majority of residents consider that Ponteland clearly meets the county’s criteria to be a Tier Two settlement with development that maintains and strengthens Ponteland as we know it.

“Being listed as a Tier One town could be seen as giving developers the green light to build what they want, where they want and without considering the wishes of the people in the area, the character of the village and its capacity to expand.”

Both Banks and Lugano claim that there are not enough brown field sites in the area to satisfy the county’s requirement for new homes.

Although the new National Planning Policy Framework allows building on the Green Belt in exceptional circumstances, the Ponteland Green Belt Group is concerned that the Government’s recent drive to boost the economy could see large housing estates being approved on the edge of the village and Darras Hall estate.

Its Protection Co-ordinator, John Blundell, said: “Communities are now faced with the loss of green belt through new legislation that is contrary to its original intention of allowing local residents to have their say on these issues because of Government demand for houses.

“This is not a small development of houses here and there, but large changes which cannot be undone.

“Communities must not look back in years to come to regret having done nothing about the loss of green areas and to have at least tried to stop the urbanisation that threatens their quality of life.

“There will always be brown field sites for building, but once a green field site is built upon, it is gone forever.”

The residents’ actions are being supported by their local MP Guy Opperman.

The number of people signing his petition, which calls for no building in the Ponteland Green Belt, is now close to 2,000.

Source: Morpeth Herald

Beat the winter freeze with the Kirkharle Autumn Fayre 2012

Beat the winter freeze with the

Kirkharle Autumn Fayre 2012

This October get ready to beat the winter freeze at the Kirkharle Lake and Courtyard Autumn Food and Craft Fayre weekend on 26th, 27th and 28h October, from 10am to 4.30pm each day (4pm Sunday).

Now in its third year, the Kirkharle Autumn Fayre has more than 40 craft, gift and food stalls, a large marquee and on-site Kirkharle craft galleries and boutique shops. The event welcomed more than 4,000 people last year and is all set to welcome more this year.

Kitty Anderson, project co-ordinator at Kirkharle, explains: "This year Kirkharle Lake and Courtyard will be transformed for our best ever Autumn Fayre weekend and we're ready to beat the winter freeze.

"The Fayre brings together stallholders of quality and craftsmanship. With an array of original gifts for everyone, visitors will have the cream of the crop for their Christmas list gifts, and find inspired gift ideas and indulge in tasty traditional treats from the food stalls."

Kirkharle Lake and Courtyard is the historic 18^th Century courtyard and birthplace of 'Capability' Brown, known as the Shakespeare of gardening.

Kitty continues: "With outstanding exhibitors from all over the region, as well as Scotland and Carlisle, we have a welcoming heated marquee, and free parking and entry for all."

"With offers at Kirkharle's galleries and boutique shops, everyone is welcome and it's also a chance to support some of the region's most talented craftspeople, there's a hoard of heavenly gifts."

Exhibitors are from Northumberland, Durham, Cumbria and Scotland. There are dozens of locally sourced Northumberland food producers offering an enormous selection of seasonal food and drink from around the region. Whether it's a sit down meal in the restaurant, a quick snack, a bite on the move or festive drinks, with family or friends – Kirkharle's winter wonderland has something for everyone.

For further information tel: 01830 540 362, email: enquiries@kirkharlecourtyard.net or visit www.kirkharlecourtyard.net

Plans for 300 new Darras Hall homes on green belt land unveiled - Today's News - News

Plans for 300 new Darras Hall homes on green belt land unveiled - Today's News - News

Lugano Planning Ideas Day

PROPOSALS for the future of Ponteland will be put forward at the second event to be held by Lugano Group.

The company, which is examining the potential of about 2,500 acres of land which it owns on the nearby Dissington Estate and is also acting on behalf of some other landowners on the edge of the area, held a planning ideas day in the Memorial Hall on June 14.

After taking on board feedback from residents, it is now ready to showcase its initial plans for the area. Representatives will say how they believe issues raised on the day have been addressed.

As well as housing provision and design, other subjects that are being looked at include transport, community facilities, countryside and ecology, flooding and drainage, jobs and business and its vision for the centre of Ponteland.

Any proposals for new homes on Green Belt land will be met with strong opposition from hundreds of local residents who believe it should not be touched by development at all.

The latest exhibition will take place on Thursday, September 6, in the Memorial Hall between 2pm and 8pm and on Saturday, September 8, in the function suite at Ponteland Leisure Centre from 10am to 2pm.

Source: Morpeth Herald