Project at risk of heading back to square one

PLANS to regenerate the centre of Ponteland may have to go back to the drawing board.

Following long delays to the Merton Way project, with the future of the library a major sticking point, Northumberland County Council has set the proposed developer – MKP Ponteland – a May 1 deadline.

This has been criticised by the Ponteland Community Partnership (PCP) and Ponteland Town Council, which has issued an open letter urging both parties to sort out the issues and move things forward.

It is now five years since the PCP’s design brief for the area, which is in need of re-development, was supported by a large majority of residents.

MKP Ponteland unveiled its initial plans in February 2009, but progress has stalled over the last three years.

In the letter, the two organisations say: “The county council, during financial discussions with the developer and separately during meetings at which community representatives were present, stated that the library was not going to be included in the overall development area. This was in direct contravention with the original brief.

“The developer requires the library to be part of the scheme, for financial viability reasons, but the county council has stated that it has no long-term plan in place for moving the library.

“For negotiations in respect of such a major project, developed initially by the community, to have reached such a depth displays a disastrous state of affairs. The town centre regeneration scheme is to be lost as a result of the inability to reach agreement by negotiation.

“This is totally unacceptable and we request the withdrawal of the ultimatum, confirmation that the library remains within the scheme and a sense of real purpose is devoted by both parties towards moving the project forward to the next stage.”

PCP Chairman Brian Prickett said residents have been asking him for many months what is happening with the scheme.

“It has been a long and frustrating process, but we believe that issuing a unilateral deadline and ultimatum is beyond the pale and so we felt it was necessary to issue an open letter,” he added.

MKP Ponteland’s initial plans included the building of new retail units, office space and residential accommodation, improved car parking and an increase in green space.

The central hub would provide a focal point – offering public space for markets, flower shows and other events – and sympathetic architecture would be used to retain the ‘village’ feel.

Under the proposals, the works would be carried out in four stages.

A spokeswoman for the county council said: “The viability and as such the deliverability of proposals to regenerate Ponteland town centre are key issues, and we therefore have to be assured that there is a sound scheme and business case in place.

“We have been waiting to see details of these for some time now, and as soon as we are presented with a viable funded plan we will consider it.”

Source: Morpeth Herald

Council goes back to the drawing board as long-term plans spark complaints - Local News - Morpeth Herald

PONTELAND Town Council will go back to the drawing board for its long-term future vision after receiving complaints from residents.

A three-stage bypass scheme, the extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro system to Ponteland and moving most or all of the schools to a campus off Rotary Way were among the ideas put forward in the authority’s 53-page Local Plan, which was put together over eight months.

But householders told councillors at a recent event in the Memorial Hall that they should have been involved in drawing up the document, rather than being consulted after it was finished in draft form.

As a result, members decided not to proceed with it and instead look into a neighbourhood community plan.

One of the residents who attended the Memorial Hall session, Muriel Sobo, said: “The credibility of the Local Plan was questioned because the authority had not engaged with the residents during the period of its gestation.

“In fact, there were people at the meeting who have specialised expertise which could have helped the town council in its deliberations, but the councillors’ attitude, oft repeated, is that they were elected to do a job and that is what they are doing. They need to listen more and begin to do what they were elected to do – reflect the views of the electorate.

“The proposed bypass, a subject in Ponteland for more than 50 years, was discussed with many reasons against, not least because it was routed through the flood defences on Eland Lane and across the flood plain and about 50 feet from one speaker’s house.”

Pilot neighbourhood planning areas, which include Morpeth, are being set up to see how new powers under the Localism Act can be used by communities. Residents, businesses and landowners are encouraged to have an input as to where development should go, along with the type and design that would be acceptable.

At a special meeting of the town council, members unanimously agreed to withdraw the Local Plan, although Coun David Butler said that some of its ideas could be useful in helping to draw up the new document.

Ponteland Mayor Peter Cowey said: “We accept that the best way forward is to involve the community in a neighbourhood plan.

“Now we need to investigate the whys and wherefores of this process before making any decisions on how to proceed.”

The authority also agreed its response to the various questions asked in Northumberland County Council’s Issues and Options section of the core strategy.

Among its comments was that the protection of the green belt is essential, but the majority of members said that they were unable to choose one of the settlement criteria laid down by the county council as they believe Ponteland is between tiers one and two.

Tier one locations are described as ‘Key hubs for education, healthcare, housing, employment and retail. Extensive range of services and facilities and good transport links’.

The tier two places are ‘Key service centres to their resident communities and in some cases a wider network of villages and hamlets. They also provide a wide range of services and facilities’.

Coun Robin Ramsay said: “Being in tier two reduces the pressure on us for developments, but we would miss out on the extra support that the county council will give to tier one locations.”

Source: Morpeth Herald

Residents have their say on Planning

PONTELAND residents can have their say about the area’s development at a planning ideas day.

The event in the Memorial Hall on Thursday has been organised by the Lugano Group on behalf of investors.

It will include workshops, a presentation and the chance to explore design ideas and suggestions for change in housing, shops, businesses, leisure and green areas.
Planners, engineers and ecologists will be on hand from 10am to discuss people’s concerns and future hopes for Ponteland. It will run all day, with the presentation of findings starting at 7pm.

Mayor Peter Cowey said: “It’s important that as many residents as possible go along to put forward their views.

“The night before this event we hope to pass our draft local plan, which fits in with Northumberland County Council’s Local Development Framework process. This would allow councillors to discuss openly with the Lugano Group about our long-term aspirations for the town. We will also be holding our own meeting at the Memorial Hall about the document, which will form part of our consultation with the public. People’s comments will help us to come up with the final plan.”


Source: Morpeth Herald

Town Revamp Scheme is 'too Slow'

ANOTHER call has been made for Ponteland's £20million regeneration scheme to be progressed without further delay.

Ponteland Community Partnership (PCP) has written to Northumberland County Council to express its concerns about the hold-up in the project.

The organisation became involved in the process in 2007 after a previous regeneration masterplan by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners was opposed by a large majority of residents.

It produced a design brief which, after public consultation in August 2007, received community approval the following February.

Two schemes working to the document were presented in February 2009 and, after its proposal was the most popular among local residents, investment property firm MKP Ponteland became the county council's preferred developer.

The first project meeting, at which representatives of the community group and Ponteland Town Council were present, took place in September of that year.

But the process has stalled and in the letter to the unitary authority's leader Jeff Reid, PCP Chairman Brian Prickett asks him to say why it has taken so long.

He says: "Over two years have passed (since the first project meeting) and we are still waiting to see any significant progress.

"There have been changes in personnel at NCC and many unanswered questions.

"The 12-month exclusivity agreement with the preferred developer has overrun by some nine months and the development agreement has yet to be agreed and approved by the NCC Executive.

"Apparently, there are many details to be settled about how a new library and One Stop Shop facility could be incorporated in the proposed community hub in the new development."

The town council is the other organisation to write to the county council about the situation in recent weeks.

The final chance for the Executive to make a decision before the end of the year is its meeting on December 19.

Source: Morpeth Herald

Village Regeneration Consultation Events

Ponteland Community Partnership is pleased to invite the people of Ponteland to a Public Consultation on the plans and information put forward by developers ‘A’ and ‘C’ for the Regeneration of Ponteland Village Centre.

The venue for this public consultation is Ponteland Memorial Hall on the 12th, 13th, and 14th February 2009. Opening hours for the public being as follows:
Thursday February 12th from 11am until 7pm
Friday February 13th from 11am until 5pm
Saturday February 14th from 11am until 4pm

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet representatives of both developers and will be able to ascertain for themselves how each developer interpreted the principles and requirements of the Design Brief prepared by the Ponteland Community Partnership Regeneration Sub-Group.