Alisdair Gibbs-Barton

Northumberland County Council have announced that the time restrictions for holders of disabled bus pass holders will be abolished from 1st April.

Currently we disabled pass holders are restricted to between 9 in the morning and 11 at night, but from April we will be able to use the passes at all times.

I’m not sure about the time restrictions in other areas, but for Northumberland residents this is great news.

I know that there has been a thaw, and that we’re basking in temperatures of 3 degrees, but the subject of the DWP cold weather payments has been raised. I can’t get any sense from them, so I’ve put my question in writing.  My point is, when the areas around here (Whitley Bay, Ashington, Bedlington and Cramlington) have received 4 payments, why has Blyth received only two.

Blyth residents have suffered just as bad weather (some would say worse) than these area, so why are we discriminated against?

 When (or should I say if?) I get a reply, I’ll let you know.   Or if you know… pass it on.

At this time of (relatively) low interest rates I’ve just seen a TV  advert for a loan company offering “Pay Day Advances”

The people that need short term loans are unfortunately the ones who will be attracted to this company (I’ll not mention its name here), but their APR is a staggering 2356% . No, I haven’t missed the decimal point, two thousand three hundred and fifty six percent!

At least Dick Turpin wore a mask!

In the worst spell of weather for 20 years (or so we are told) there have been complaints about the services of Northumberland County Council’s gritting of the roads.

But sorry, I’ll give praise where praise is due! For three weeks or so, the major  roads and the main secondary roads have been gritted twice per day every day. Today, the bin wagon arrived, as it has done throughout the holiday period, despite the weather and the road being icy.

So a large amount of praise for the workers at NCC who have done an excellent job to keep the roads open and to keep services running as close to normal as possible!

 The BBC local news yesterday aimed criticism at NCC for not gritting minor roads in the county, and “a certain politician” aimed criticism at the council leadership, but no-one, except perhaps that certain politician, can blame NCC for the weather!

I had a ‘phone call from a resdent yesterday on another matter, but in the conversation he said “The roads were always regularly gritted under Blyth Valley Borough Council”. Talk about showing your prejudices… BVBC didn’t grit the roads, NCC have always had that responsibility , BVBC never had the role!

So, a large pat on the back for the NCC workers for keeping the roads open and delivering the services, let’s not forget them!

If you are out and about tonight , for New Year’s Eve, be careful! It promises to be a cold night, with the possibility of snow, even here on the coast.

The Emergency services are stretched enough, tonight of all nights, so be good and be careful.

2010 promises to be a significant year politically , with a general election coming up.

However, have a great New Year, and may all your wishes come true!

While out and about today a couple of people asked about the bin collections this week.

The collections will be on the normal days, there will be no putting back the collections by one day for the bank holiday.

 Oh, and this week it is the green bin

Further details are on www.northumberland.co.uk

Just a quick message to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

 I’ll be available by telephone and EMail over the Christmas holiday, for any emergencies.

As usual, I’ll be making a donation to charity , and only be sending cards to close family and friends. 

This year I’ll be sending my donation to the Parkinsons Disease Society.

If you read this and haven’t got a card, it’s not because I don’t wish you all the very best for Christmas, but because I’d like to make a contribution to a worthwhile cause rather than spend what otherwise would be a thrown away after a couple of weeks.

Anyway, with the telephone, EMail, the Global interwebby thing, I can pass on Christmas wishes by other methods.

I’ll probably be on this site again before Christmas,  but in the meanwhile can I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

I’m sorry that I haven’t updated this site in the last couple of weeks.

This post is just a brief one to keep you informed on progress.

The Town Council Finance Committee has started to look at next year’s budget. There is a range of services that the County Council are looking to devolve down to the parish (and town) councils.

We need to look at them and decide which, if any, we are taking on and how this will affect the precept. There is an argument that goes…. we paid for these under BVBC so by paying the Town Council to do them we are paying twice. But that is the simple position, by not having to do them the County Council can reduce the base budget by £400,000 over the county and therefore limit their council tax rise.

But the main point has been missed. It is a Labour government that has cut the payment to Northumberland County Council (among all local authorities) and it was a Labour government that imposed a single unitary council on Northumberland against opposition from all councils, political parties and members of the public.

Yet who are the main critics of the situation that the County Council finds itself in? I’ll let you guess!

Anyway, on what should have been a lighter note.

On Sunday I attended the Salvation Army Toy Service at Bedlington, and on Saturday I opened the Isabella Christmas Fayre.

These events should be above party politics, I was there in my Civic role as Deputy Mayor.

Yet on Saturday I received adverse comments from a Labour Party activist (not a councillor) about my presence, being a Liberal Democrat councillor.

So much for the season of goodwill !!

A BIG thank you to all those involved in the switch on of the Christmas lights yesterday.

Without meaning to exclude anyone, I must give special thanks to the staff of Northumberland Council, Blyth Valley Arts & Leisure, to 1000 Squadron ATC, to certain Blyth Town councillors, to Sue Noddings our new town clerk,  and to Pudsey Bear for being the guest of honour.

 But special mention must go to those members of the public who braved the cold weather and came to see the switch-on.

I didn’t actually see the switch on, as I was working behind the scenes, but I had a look around when it was all over. The lights , and the Market Place features, looked really effective. I may have criticised the Market Place features in the past, but when they work they look fine.