Mar 7, 2016
I have just learned that the proposed new development at the Bridge End Industrial Estate, Hexham (near the waste transfer site) has been approved. A new fuel station with 8 bays including a convenience store and a car wash will be accompanied by an additional building to be operated by Starbucks. The applicant is suggesting that up to 30 full time jobs could be created.
Newly elected Independent County Councillor Derek Kennedy said “This application has taken an awful long time to reach a conclusion. A second fuel station to serve the local area is welcome, I know a lot of people have been frustrated by the queues at Hexham’s Shell fuel station as it struggled to cope with demand. The land that is being developed upon has been wasteland for many years so this should help tidy the area up.”
Feb 21, 2016
FINES totalling more than £150,000 have been collected by Northumberland County Council since free parking was introduced in Hexham.
Following a Freedom of Information request by the , it can be revealed that the four enforcement officers in the town are issuing penalty notices amounting to an average of £1,900 a week.
The staggering revenues generated from infringements at both on-street and off-street parking bays have prompted renewed calls for the current baffling regime of restrictions to be overhauled.
Between free parking coming into force on April 1, 2014 and the end of 2015, the county council collected a total of £159,487.08p in penalties in Hexham.
Assuming everyone settles their fines early at £25 apiece, that means an average of 75 tickets are issued each week across the town.
The council is also cashing in on the confusion created by the curb on all-day parking spaces at Wentworth since September last year, and the introduction of a system of red, blue and white coloured bays.
In the last four months of 2015, penalties raked in from Wentworth alone totalled £18,475 – an average of more than £1,000 a week – an increase of 6.6 per cent on the same period the previous year.
Hexham Town Council devised the colour code system to provide more four-hour spaces for visitors, at the expense of all-day spaces used by those who work in the town.
Robbie Hutchinson, managing director of property firm YoungsRPS, launched an online campaign past year calling on the town council to create more all-day spaces.
But he said the plea on behalf of businesses, suffering because customers and clients were finding it to park and because staff had to move their cars during the day, fell on deaf ears.
“We want to bring new businesses and visitors into the town. Instead we have a system which is deterring visitors, and is penalising people who work here.
“We want a system which is fair to everyone and suits everyone, but those we have elected don’t seem to care. What we have is a complete farce.”
Hexham town councillor and recently elected independent member of Northumberland County Council, Derek Kennedy, accused his own town council of exacerbating problems with the introduction of the red, blue and white bays at Wentworth.
“It is an absolute joke. There are not enough all-day spaces. People are having to leave work half way through the day just to move their car from space A to space B. This is a massive issue that needs to be addressed.”
“We don’t want to end up with the situation where we are discouraging people coming to Hexham, persuading businesses to leave. If this continues what we will be left with are empty premises and the start of the road to decay.”
He said people were being deterred from coming into the town because of the mayhem over the availability of spaces and the zealousness of the enforcement officers.
“There is a real crackdown to try to fabricate infringements, which is totally wrong. I have heard of people getting tickets just because one of their tyres is touching a line.”
But the Mayor of Hexham defended the existing system, saying it was the best option until extra car parking areas could be found.
Coun. Trevor Cessford said the town council was due to have discussions with the county council next week to discuss whether any new areas could be designated for parking.
“We will have a problem until we get extra parking spaces. People wanted four-hour bays to make it easier for visitors to come to Hexham. An awful lot of people are happy with blue bays.
“But we are always happy to look at things again.”
Parking fines are put into the county council’s highways coffers. It insists the income contributes to the cost of providing parking services and maintaining car parks.
Source: High price of free parking
Feb 18, 2016
Since being elected two weeks ago, one of County Councillor Derek Kennedy’s key priorities has been to ascertain the position on the proposed closure of the Hexham Rail Bridge. As you may know, County Council announced the closure but provided very little detail and explanation.
Derek Kennedy said “I wrote to the Council and asked several questions. These have now been answered. The County Council inform me that:
The Rail Bridge will be closed from Monday 6 June 2016 for 6 weeks to water-proof the structure as part of the maintenance program.”
Additionally, Derek asked the Council
- could one lane on the Bridge be kept open to allow the free flow of traffic? Council response – No, due to the need for safe working the bridge will be closed for all vehicles.
- will pedestrians and cyclists be able to cross the Rail Bridge? Council response – Yes, the Rail Bridge will be open to pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
- if the businesses on the north side of the Bridge including Egger, the Mart, etc will be able to operate and move freely to the A69? Council response – Yes, businesses will be able to operate and access the A69.
- as the Fire Service is located on the northern side of the Bridge, will contingency measures be implemented? Council response – The Fire Service are looking to locate an appliance on the south side of the Bridge to assist their operations.
- what are the diversion routes for traffic heading in and out of Hexham and are there any contingency measures? Council response – Diversions will the Corbridge Road from the east and the West Road from the west. There is no other contingency arrangements.
- will the railway station from the north and south side be accessible? Council response – The railway station will be accessible and free to operate on both the north and south side.
Councillor Derek Kennedy said “I am very disappointed the Rail Bridge will be closed in its entirety for all road traffic for the whole of the 6 weeks The closure is bound to have an effect on the economy of the Town. I am also very concerned that literally hundreds of extra vehicles will now use the West Road to turn east on to the A69. This junction is very dangerous with traffic speeds at their maximum as the A69 changes from being a dual carriage into a single carriage at this point. I will be examining the Council’s plans further and pressing for safety controls.“
Feb 17, 2016
Pound stretcher opens its doors in Hexham as it becomes the fourth and final tenant at the Retail Park next to the rail station.
Feb 8, 2016
The railway line from Hexham heading east toward Newcastle re-opens on Monday 8 February. This follows the closure for one month due to significant landslides. Over 35,000 tonnes of soil and debris has been removed from the site.
At the Hexham Town Council meeting on 1 February, Councillor Derek Kennedy asked the Northern Rail representatives “If compensation would be available for those passengers affected by the landslides?” Northern Rail replied that “A scheme was being prepared and would be available very soon.”
Derek said “I have just received further information from Northern Rail and the compensation scheme is now available and I urge those affected to make their claims quickly. Any claim must be made by 13 March 2016.”
Full details for claiming are available by clicking here.
Feb 5, 2016
Results of the Hexham West County Council by-election held on 4 February are:
1. Derek Kennedy – Independent – 501 – ELECTED
2. Conservative – 454
3. Labour – 200
4. Other Independent – 125
5. Green Party – 89
County Councillor Derek Kennedy said “Thank you to everyone for voting in this by-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 result of the Hexham Leazes Town Council held on the same day was
1. Conservative
2. Green Party
3. Liberal Democrat
Feb 4, 2016
Following the announcement by Northumberland County Council that the Railway Bridge at Hexham will be closed for around 6 weeks, some time in 2016, Councillor Derek Kennedy has written to the Chief Councillor and Officers responsible and asked for more information to be given.
Derek said “A great number of people are asking for more details on the Railway Bridge closure. I have written demanding to know more. The Town will be brought to a near stand still when this takes place. Residents need to know so they can work out their travel arrangements and the Hexham businesses need to start planning and understanding the massive impact this will have on their day to day trade.”
Councillor Derek Kennedy has asked
- When will the closure start and end?
- Will the businesses, Fire Service, the Mart etc. on the north side of the railway be able to operate and move freely to the A69?
- Can passengers access the north side of the railway station?
- What routes will traffic from the south side of the railway bridge have to use to get to the A69? Is there any contingency plans? The West Road junction with the A69 is particularly dangerous when turning east, is there any controls to prevent potential accidents?
- Will pedestrians or cyclists be able to cross the Railway Bridge, if not what is the preferred option to cross the railway line?
- Is it possible for one lane on the Railway Bridge to remain open to allow the flow of traffic from the Town to the A69?
You can read the County Council notice of Hexham’s road repairs here.
Feb 1, 2016
It has just been announced by the County Council that the planning application for a small Co-operative Store on Hexham’s West Road has been approved. The store on the former Broadway Garage will bring this redundant site back into operation to serve the local community.
The planning application states there will be a demolition of the front portion of the building and the blocking up of some windows and door openings. An ATM cash machine will be installed and the creation of 9 car parking spaces including 1 disabled bay and 3 cycle stands.
Councillor Derek Kennedy did write to the Council to support this application, however there were a number of other Hexham Councillors objecting to the scheme.
Derek Kennedy said “It is pleasing that this redundant site will be put to good use. A new convenience store in this part of Hexham will be welcomed by most residents living in the nearby streets. Many people have spoken to me offering their support for a local corner shop that they can easily walk to.”
Mr and Mrs B of Burswell Avenue,Hexham said “We are delighted to have a store within easy reach, it will be a great benefit to us and our neighbours.”
The planning application can be viewed by clicking here
Jan 28, 2016
The design for the new bus station at Loosing Hill, Hexham is available to the public for comment here. The design includes an indoor waiting area for the public and explains how buses will enter and exit the site. The plans show that 49 car parking spaces are also to be designed into the site making this a very busy area.
While this may not be the site that many wanted for the new bus station (over 10,000 signed a petition to keep it on the original site) the land at the old bus station has now been sold and a developer is looking to build a shopping area and flats. Hexham now must get the best design possible at Loosing Hill.
Councillor Derek Kennedy has been reviewing the plans on behalf of local residents and said “The plans for the new bus station on the Loosing Hill site, leave a lot of questions unanswered. Particularly, I had envisaged that there would be a zebra crossing or similar to cross the Corbridge Road as you walk to M&S. You will need eyes in the back of your head to get across this road safely. I am asking the county council to re-think the plans there are a lot of old people who will use the new bus station their safety must be taken into account. Come on county council we need a better design than this. I am encouraging residents to look at the plans and provide their comments to the council as soon as possible.”
The Hexham Civic Society have criticised the design also.
Jan 27, 2016
Child Safeguarding Alert
In early December 2015 Northumbria Police contacted all Hexham Schools because there has been a report of a suspicious male in a car who has approached a 14 year old girl on Causey Hill, Hexham at 8.30am on 18 November 2015.
“The male was driving what was described as a small black Audi motorcar. He stopped the car next to the female and wound down his window saying that it was nice and warm in his car. At no point did the male attempt to physically get the female into his car. When she got her mobile phone out to use the male drove off.
The male was described as late 30’s to 40’s, white, short dark hair possibly greying and wearing half-moon type glasses. At this time we have not been able to identify the male and there have been no other similar reports.”
There has subsequently been a recent report (20 January 2016) of a further incident involving a black motorcar. The driver slowed as if to speak to a pupil, however they drove away when they realised she was talking on her mobile phone. The police are aware of this incident.
Please reinforce with your child to wherever possible walk with friends, try to stay in well-lit areas and if approached by anyone unknown do not speak to them. It is very important that students report any incidents to the school and that you report any incidents to the police.
Northumberland Police can be contacted at Hexham on 101 and extension 69191 or 999 for an emergency.
