We have welcomed back Eric Dodd to the Council, he has taken on the website and represents the community of Tralllwell Woods. Recently we said goodbye to our Clerlc Damian McEnroe who has moved away from the village, he has done a sterling job over the last 3 years, and I take this opportunity to thank him for his hard worlc and dedication. We are fortunate to have found an experienced replacement in Dee Smith and look forward to working with her.
We have continued to work with Northumberland County Council to improve road safety in our villages. Speed calming measures have been installed in Tranweli Village which include extended 30mph limits, gateway features, and an interactive speed sign funded by Councillor Glen Sanderson. A similar scheme has been installed in Tranwell Woods with an interactive sign fundedl by the !Parish Council. A scheme for the east and west approaches to Mitford Village is at the design stage, and we hope to see this installed this year.
The collapse of the riverbank at Abbey Mill has resulted in 18 months of traffic restrictions, it ·will be complex repair, and we have worked with the highways team at county hall to try and minimise excessive traffic on Spital Hill during road closures and deal with wear and tear on St Leonards Lane. The repair worlc is scheduled for this summer and is expected to take at least 4 months.
Riverbank erosion behind the village hall has resulted in another significant iandslip, this is the second in two years. A layer of boulder day exposed by the 2023 slip had been expected to slow the rate of erosion, but this does not seem to have happened, we will now consider engaging a specialist consultant with a view to active interventfon. A financial provision will need to be made.
The new bus service between Morpeth and the airport is well used, and with encouragement from the Parish Council, the bus shelter at the Piramal stop has been repaired. We were also successful with an application for fundiG'lg for a new bus shelter on the westound side of the road.
We continue to improve the aesthetics and environment of the parish, we are replacing the older public benches, looking for new sites for additional ones, investting in flower tubs, planting trees, and keep the parish tidy with regular grass and hedge trimming.
We are working with the Village Hall Management Committee on a resilience project which will see solar and battery storage installed in the village hall. A £20,000 grant has been secured from the Northern Power Grid Foundation and Northumberland Community Energy ltd are currently undertaking a feasibility and scoping exercise.
Financially the Parish Council is in a relatively strong position, we have reserved £6,000 for the warm hub resilience project, set aside £1,500 for contingencies, leaving total unreserved funds of £9,933 at the end of the financial year. A smali increase in our budget for 2025 does not change the parish component of council tax due to the increase in housing stock.
Finally, I wish to thank my fellow councillors for all their hard work during the last year, our Clerk for keeping the show on the road, and our County Councillor for his continued support despite his heavy workload.
Dr MRG Sharp, Chairman
2nd May 2025