Council ambitious and determined
CRAMLINGTON Town Council has increased its budget this year.
At the same time it is likely Northumberland County Council will not increase its demands for more money and will set a zero tax rise for the second year in succession.
The major items for expenditure are on floral displays for roundabouts and for the improvement of children’s playgrounds.
Refurbishment of the playgrounds will cost around £150,000 undertaken over the next two years.
A low interest loan will be taken out to do this.
This makes sense because if they were done one by one, which would be done first?
And it would take well over ten years. The lucky ones would get theirs straightaway and the last ones would be married with children.
But, let me sound a word of caution.
In Eastfield, which is my ward, two playgrounds have completely disappeared over the past ten years and a recent addition has had its expensive rubberised surface ripped up.
The play equipment installed by the former Blyth Valley Borough Council has caused injury and has been removed.
Cramlington council is learning from this. We have appointed a top rate company to look at all the playgrounds in Cramlington and to provide new equipment, but they will consult with the people.
The council will replace all the signs by the playgrounds and provide up to date information.
The playground in Alderley Way carries a sign which states ‘The area is supervised by Leisurewatch trained community members and residents’.
I would be interested to know if these people still existed and what organisations exist to exercise some control.
Perhaps they would thank Cramlington Town Council for spending £5,000 to provide a secure metal fence around the playground.
Finally, the council wishes to get rid of the idea of Cramlington New Town.
There are some suggestions that it be known as a ‘Garden Town’ but first of all we need the gardens.
We need the inequality between the roundabouts of Cramlington and Blyth to be tackled.
This summer we have every hope that people will notice that the Cramlington in Bloom project is the first step for a very ambitious and determined council.
BARRIE CROWTHER
Cramlington Eastfield Town and county councillor
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Weather for Blyth
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
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Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 10 C
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Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
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billy1967
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 07:50 PMWell said, these wretched town or parish councils are self serving money grabbers looking to inflict more and more of a financial burden on the minority that actually pay council tax.
leytonrahman
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 07:54 PMWow! I am really glad that the Liberal controlled Town Council has decided to let me pay many times more for my Council services. I am so lucky. Why did they only increase the budget by 72% from £190,000 to over £300,000? Can we not be required to pay even more please. After all who needs luxuries like food on the table when we can pay for the Town Council to have a Town Clerk AND and Assistant? Why should we buy shoes for our children when we can pay for the Town Council to form a new Executive so they can have lots more meetings? I for one am sooo happy that I can forgo my holiday this year so Crowther and his cohort can have great fun being ambitious and determined with my money. I guess the Liberals at County Hall, the Liberal in the UK Government and the rest of the world who are cutting budgets must not be as determined and ambitious as our great and good burghers of Cramlington Town Council, who also happen to be Liberals also surprisingly. Cramlintonians must be glad they live in an area controlled by Liberals who are much more ambitious and determined to tackle the inequality between roundabouts. Who cares about inequality between people - pah! Rejoice! Rejoice! You will no longer live in a 'New Town' but in a 'Garden Town' instead. They really do have their priorities right!! Leyton Rahman
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