May 13, 2017
Northumberland County Council has announced that it will re-start printing Public Notices in the Hexham Courant. The Council had been printing Tynedale related notices in the Alnwick based Northumberland Gazette.
Councillor Derek Kennedy used a Freedom of Information request to expose the Council’s decision making, highlighting a unilateral decision by the Chief Executive. The public and other councillors also criticised the decision and this combined pressure has proved successful in overturning this poor decision.
Councillor Derek Kennedy “I am delighted that my campaigning and the Freedom of Information request has exposed what a poor decision was made. I know a lot of Hexham residents were very upset at the decision by the County Council. As you know, I will always fight for what is right for Hexham and Tynedale. I will not let the Council treat the people with such disrespect. I will always demand justice and I think those in power really need to reflect on their actions and decision making. When you work in public service you must honour the public not abuse your position. We all look forward to seeing the Public Notices for Tynedale in the Hexham Courant.”
Derek Kennedy was re-elected to the Northumberland County Council in May 2017 winning 57% of the Hexham West Division votes.
May 5, 2017
Hexham News – Election Result
Results of the Hexham West County Council election held on 4 May 2017 are:
1. Derek Kennedy – Independent – 1095 (57%) – ELECTED
2. Conservative – 580 (30%)
3. Labour – 161 (8%)
4. Green Party – 91 (5%)
County Councillor Derek Kennedy (Hexham West) said “Thank you to everyone for voting in this election. I will work hard to ensure Hexham has a strong voice at the County Council. I will continue to provide you with the news that effects our Town. Your support is greatly appreciated.”
The results of the Hexham Leazes Ward election held on 4 May 2017 are:
1. Derek Kennedy – Independent – 1306 – ELECTED
2. Dodds – Conservative- 793 – ELECTED
3. Gillanders – Conservative – 707 – ELECTED
4. Hare – Conservative – 634 – ELECTED
5. Stovell – Green Party – 541
6. Allan – Conservative – 521
7. Grundey – Green Party – 509
8. Grundey – Green Party – 491
Apr 21, 2017
Independent County Councillor Derek Kennedy (Hexham West) made a freedom of information request in an effort to find the real truth as to why Public Notices were not being advertised in the Hexham Courant. So many Hexham and Tynedale residents were being let down and Derek felt it was part of his civic duties to investigate on behalf of the public.
Derek said “I wanted to get down to the bottom of this issue once and for all. The findings from the email show that on 16 Nov 2016 the Chief Executive of the County Council instructed that all public notices be directed away from the Courant and to the Northumberland Gazette. There is no explanation as to why and no directive to inform the public, councillors or the Courant of the decision. In December 2016, the Courant asked the County Council about the lack of public notices coming through to their paper. County Council then informed the Courant there “….were no notices“.
“As I understand it, public notices were being sent to the Northumberland Gazette for the period November 2016 and onwards.”
“It appears in February 2017, 3 months after the redirection of the notices to the Northumberland Gazette, the Council decided to call this “………a pilot exercise looking at alternative ways of displaying and advertising.” and that cost etc would be monitored. This email was sent to all senior officers of County Council and to Northumbria Healthcare and Active Northumberland.
The FOI law requires the release of all related papers on this subject, so I make the assumption the County Council has complied with this. I am therefore rather surprised that there are only a handful of emails which make up this decision. I had expected that a meeting would have taken place with proper governance and minutes of decisions. However on the face of it, it appear the Chief Executive of the County Council took a unilateral decision with no explanation as to why. No councillors were involved in any of the email exchanges. I cannot see any legal opinion, cost benefit analysis, risk appraisal or other strategic judgements which would lend itself to a safe decision.”
Derek concluded “I do hope there is a reasonable conclusion to this unsavoury affair. In the spirit of co-operation can I suggest that the Courant and County Council get round the negotiation table soon and thrash out a solution that serves the public interest of Tynedale and be quick about it. Remember we are all public servants and this endless squabbling needs to end and now.”
Apr 18, 2017
Local business owners Lorna Paxton of Paxton’s Chippy, Trish Hannant of Studio 19, Jill Armstrong of Bobs Barbers and Gail List of Petals are backing Derek Kennedy in the local elections on 4th May.
All agreeing that Derek is a listening Councillor who understands and cares for the local business owners and regularly call in to discuss and take action for Hexham.
Derek Kennedy is standing for re-election on 4 May in the Hexham West County Council Division
Apr 10, 2017
Hexham West’s County Councillor Derek Kennedy stayed true to his word and took a motion to the Hexham Town Council demanding that the Government review the new school funding formula.
Derek pointed out that:
The unions are reporting that the following 6 Hexham schools will suffer considerable cuts by 2019 these include
- QEHS – £521,000 12% cut
- HMS – £176,000 9% cut
- Sele First – £107,000 8% cut
- Hexham East First – £32,000 6% cut
- St Joseph – £124,000 8% cut
- St Mary – £40,000 10% cut
The Government’s own review body, the National Audit Office, has stated there will be a real terms nationwide reduction of 8% by 2019 if these plans go ahead.
Derek said “In total Hexham schools will lose a combined £1 million per year by 2019. In Northumberland the total figure is £17 million per year. This will have a huge impact on our children’s education. Hexham’s youth are the forgotten children when it comes to funding.”
The Town Council agreed Derek’s motion and this will be sent to the Secretary of State for Education, calling for a fair financial settlement so no child loses out.
In another blow, Tynedale received a few crumbs from a multi-million school project. 41 schools in the region will share £34 million on school buildings however Tynedale only got one project approved, that of Hexham Middle School getting a new school roof.<br>Derek said “The QE High School is a crumbling ruin that needs urgent attention, I just cannot believe we have been ignored again.”<br>You can read more about school funding in the Hexham Courant
Derek lobbies for more school funding
Raw deal for Hexham schools
Mar 2, 2017
Northumberland County Council’s Core Strategy which documents how the county will develop over the next 15 years moved to the next stage. The Council agreed to send the Core Strategy to the Government’s Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for examination. The Inspector will then decide whether the plan is sound.
As you know the implications for Hexham West are significant with 600 dwellings potentially planned for the land running from Shaws Park to the Allendale Road.
Independent County Councillor for Hexham West Derek Kennedy made a powerful speech at the Council meeting on 22 February 2017, Derek said “Over 5 years ago I helped residents in setting up the Protect Hexham’s Green Belt group. The group has campaigned long and hard to highlight that the 600 dwellings is not the right development for the Town. The road infrastructure and the Town itself will be swamped and be unable to cope with the extra pressures of people and cars. There are other places to build within Hexham before going to the Green Belt. This is a developers charter and we suspect this will be 600 high-value executive homes and turn into a commuter belt for Newcastle. The developers and landowners will make rich profits with the Town gaining nothing other than added pressures. The local resident and I have campaigned, gathered signatures for petitions, written objections, met with planning officers but all of this effort has been ignored. Our only hope now is for the Inspector to consider this as an overdevelopment. We do need small scale developments with affordable housing for local people but this has to be in the centre of town not in the green belt.”
Unfortunately, Councillor Derek Kennedy’s final pleas were not supported and the Council agreed for the Core Strategy document including Hexham’s green belt deletion to go to Government for inspection. Derek said “We are now in the hands of national government and its inspector. But we are aware that the Government keeps calling for 100,000’s of homes to be built across the UK, with some press reports claiming 1 million homes in the next 3 years! We await the verdict which is expected later in 2017. I will of course keep you up to date of developments.”
Callum Moody of Allendale Road, Hexham is conducting his dissertation for university and interviewed Councillor Derek Kennedy on the green belt implications for Hexham and how the campaign has been conducted for the many years. Derek said “It was really interesting to explain to Callum all the activities that the campaigners have gone through including all the meetings with planners etc. I wish Callum well with his study on this subject.”
