East Chevington Parish Council round-up: CCTV, Tall Ships and litter

Blyth Tall Ships 2016 takes place in August. Picture by Roy Riley

The total cost of the cameras, including VAT, will be £6,268.

County and parish councillor Scott Dickinson has agreed to contribute in the region of £2,000 from his members’ small schemes fund.

Gateshead-based letting agent Thrower Stone – site owner for Hadston Precinct – has said it will pay 20 per cent of the bill ‘if it is happy with the system’ – ie, that the company can have access to it 24/7.

However, Coun Fred Thurgood said: “They have no grounds to complain unless the work isn’t up to scratch.”

The parish council will pay the remaining cost of the scheme, to replace the current security system with a more modern one.

Clerk Rose Hudspith said she is waiting to hear from the Co-op on The Precinct about suitable times for the work to be carried out.

• A coach service will be offered to residents to take them to the opening day of the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta Blyth 2016, which runs from Friday, August 26, to Monday, August 29. The coach is £1 return and there will be a pick-up point in Hadston and Widdrington. To book a spot, call Hadston House on 01670 761537.

• Work has started on the £500,000 revamp of Druridge Bay Community Centre. Coun Dickinson said: “The refurbishment is underway on the inside and the building work (the construction of a two-storey extension) should start mid-July. We are still on for a completion date in November.”

• A representative from Isos Housing will be invited to the parish council’s September meeting. It comes after members raised a number of concerns, including large weeds to the back of Woodside Cresent, and rubbish in flowerbeds in the area of Hartside and Simonside Crescents.

• A community champion who has voluntarily litter-picked the streets of Hadston for multiple years has been honoured at the recent Love Northumberland awards. The parish council has praised the dedicated villager, who wishes to stay anonymous.