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 21, 2017
County Councillor Derek Kennedy for Hexham West which includes the site of the Queen Elizabeth High School has reacted to the “funding crisis” letter issued by the Headteacher
Derek who has a daughter at the High School said “My wife Gill and I were absolutely shocked at the level of cuts the Government has planned for Hexham’s High School.
Nationally the School Funding Formula is re-allocating the same total amount of money but in a different way and because QEHS is viewed as having students from good areas, we are losing a lot of money in funding to other schools”
The website Schoolcuts indicates that the QEHS is to lose 12% of its funding by 2019 over £520,000 per year or £591 per pupil
Which equates to 14 teachers.
“I have spoken to many Hexham parents and they cannot believe the size of the cuts by the Department for Education. ”
The Trustees and Headteacher have asked parents if they would like to pay a regular contribution to the running costs of the school to make up the shortfall.
Parents cannot really afford this extra payment this is supposed to come from general taxation. Some parents have more than one child at the school, what are they to do?
“I feel sorry for the Trustees and Headteachers, who must have had a terrible dilemma to put the begging bowl out to help pay for the school. “
The Government must hang its head in shame that it has let Hexham’s schools down so badly.
Councillor Kennedy has written to the Hexham MP demanding an immediate investigation and reinstatement of funds to protect Hexham schools.
In addition Hexham Middle school is set to lose £176,000.
You can sign an e-petition calling on the government to stop school cuts
https://www.schoolcuts.org.uk/#/contact-us
You can read more in the Chronicle and the Hexham Courant
Mar 17, 2017
Councillor Derek Kennedy, Hexham West, honoured his promise of calling the NHS to account for their management of Hexham Hospital. At the end of 2016, Northumbria Healthcare announced it would introduce a “temporary measure” and reduce the 24 hour urgent care to 16 hours during the winter months.
Derek said at the time he would pursue the NHS as the winter ended. True to his word he called the NHS to come to the County Council’s West Area Committee on 14 March.
Derek grilled Clinical Director Dr Doig asking “Would the urgent care be returned to 24 hours now the winter is over and end this “temporary measure?“.
The Clinical Director made it clear that it is unlikely this would happen and they plan to extend the “temporary measure”.
Derek continued “Once again Hexham Hospital reduces its services to its local people. So if you are ill in the night you have to go to Cramlington but ill during the day its Hexham, what sort of service is this? We have an ambulance service which has to bypass Hexham’s hospital as it ferries people 25 miles to Cramlington. Ambulances are being turned into a taxi service. As I said last year it always starts with the false promise of its “only a temporary measure” which then turns into a permanent move. Hexham’s people deserves better than this.”
You can read more at Hexham Courant’s web page http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/Overnight-closure-of-hospital-urgent-care-service-likely-to-stay-in-force-9b1cc0c6-b34d-4016-9f40-52b6773dc58f-ds
————————————
Would you like a Postal Vote?
Local Council elections are on 4 May 2017, would you like a postal vote?
Email Derek Kennedy at Derekhexham@gmail.com
With your contact details and he will arrange to send you an application form
Mar 14, 2017
RESIDENTS in Tynedale have voiced their outrage over county council plans to grant an £8.5m loan for a elf-themed tourist attraction in Alnwick.
The current Labour administration’s budget for the next 12 months was agreed at last week’s full council meeting after mounting pressure from councillors to remove provision for the loan to the Duchess of Northumberland.
Her Lilidorei Play Village, which would have an “Elfic Play Structure” as its centrepiece, is aimed at boosting the county’s visitor numbers.
But Hexham West’s Coun. Derek Kennedy handed in a 60-signature petition collected by residents of Warden who are opposed to the loan.
“This is all like Alice Through the Looking Glass to me because I’m really unclear on why the council has turned into this bank,” he told leader, Coun. Grant Davey.
“I, along with a lot of residents I have spoke to, are really uncomfortable with the whole idea.
“How much debt and risk is this council willing to tolerate?”
“I do wish the Alnwick Garden good luck with this venture but they should be asking for a commercial loan from an investment bank, not from the county council.”
Read more in the Hexham Courant here
Mar 7, 2017
Derek Kennedy, County Councillor for Hexham West (Independent), has been in contact with Steven Mason, the Chief Executive of Northumberland County Council, to express his alarm at public notices not featuring in the Hexham Courant.
Derek said “The Council has a legal duty to advertise public notices. The Courant is the newspaper that covers Tynedale. I purchased a copy of the Northumberland Gazette this week to see what its coverage is and found stories about Alnwick, Amble etc but nothing about Hexham and Tynedale. The only reference to Tynedale is the public notices on page 59.”
“Its a disgrace that the Council is operating in this manner and excluding the public from knowing about major public interest items like housing and road closures. I call on the Council to immediately reinstate the public notices in the Courant. I have signed the Courant’s petition and would like to invite you to do the same. You have a right to know what is happening in your county.”
Residents can sign an electronic petition which the Courant has organised by clicking this link
Courant petition —> http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/Sign-our-petition-358ab568-133c-451f-93e5-322b5b5b8fe9-ds#/
Mar 6, 2017
INDEPENDENT county councillor for Hexham West, Derek Kennedy, has announced his plans to stand again for his current seat in the May election.
See the Hexham Courant story on the link for more details
Source: Councillor will stand again for town
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.”
Jan 23, 2017
Independent Councillor Derek Kennedy said “As the winter continues if your local grit bin is starting to get empty you can request a refill by clicking on the website below. Some of the grit bins have a reference number on them you should use this when reporting. You can also request a grit bin if you believe it would be useful for your local area.
Additionally you can report an untreated road or footpath via the website or you can contact me direct. “
Dec 6, 2016
Hexham’s famous Christmas Market begins on Friday 9th and runs until Saturday 10th December. The Town is alive with a multiple of stalls and attractions.
Independent County Councillor Derek Kennedy said “Do come along to the Market Place and Beaumont Street in the centre of Hexham for a great traditional market. The Christmas market goes from strength to strength and it would be great if you could come along and support it. I hope to see you there.”
