Thinking of becoming a Parish Councillor?

Have you ever thought about becoming a town or parish councillor? Would you like to find out more about the role?
Workshops will take place in the New Year in Alnwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Choppington and Hexham to provide information and advice. 
At each session county council and Northumberland Association of Local Councils officers and parish/town councillors will be attending to give presentations and advice.

Sessions will cover the following:
· What are parish and town councils?
· What powers and freedoms do they have?
· How do they relate to the County Council?
· How can you apply or stand to become a parish or town councillor?


The sessions will take place as follows:
· Monday 21 January 2013 - Council Chamber, Clayport Street, Alnwick
· Thursday 24 January 2013 - Prospect House, Hexham
· Monday 28 January 2013 – William Elder Building, Berwick-upon-Tweed 
· Wednesday 30 January 2013 - Jamieson Room, Choppington Social Welfare Centre, Scotland Gate, Choppington.


Light refreshments will be provided at 6pm before each workshop begins at 6.30pm. The sessions will be chaired by the area chairman for the area: Councillor Pat Scott in Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, Councillor Colin Horncastle in Hexham and Councillor Ian Swithenbank in Choppington. There will be opportunities to ask questions throughout each session.

Paddy Gascoigne, service manager for democratic services at Northumberland County Council said: “Councils depend on the energy, enthusiasm and the commitment of local people. It can be immensely rewarding joining your local council and you can really improve local life. If you would like to know more about becoming a town or parish councillor, I would urge you to get in touch.” 

If you are interested in attending, please telephone Mike Bird in democratic services on 01670 622616 or email demserv.ar@northumberland.gov.uk so that numbers for each event can be confirmed.

Parish News - November 2012

There will be no Parish Council meeting in December – the next one is scheduled for Thursday, January 17^th 2013 at 7.15pm in the Reading Room.

A problem has arisen in respect of the proposed parking bays behind the Church. This is due to not knowing whom the land belongs to! Northumberland County Council advise that it is not theirs, and it does not appear to belong to either the Church or the Parish Council. Further enquiries are therefore necessary.

Councillor Jordon has been busy planting throughout the village and we all hope that 2013 will be a much better year as regards the weather. Various other tidy up jobs have been undertaken too. The Action Plan in response to the Village Questionnaire is also updated on the website.

There will be Parish Council elections in May this year when all Councillors will be eligible for re-election. More news on this later as I expect the County Council will soon be sending me an awful lot of literature (mainly be email to save their costs but it still needs reading and/or printing).

Margaret Davenport
Clerk to Ovingham Parish Council

NCC Online Magazine

Northumberland County Council publish a free quarterly online magazine containing lots of information about what's happening in the county.

You can sign up for a copy by following this link:

www.northumberland.gov.uk/extra

New Notice Boards

Just today, the two parish council notice boards have been replaced with new ones. The old ones have served their time well but inevitably, age had got the better of them.
In readiness for the possible installation of a bench behind the church, this new one has been moved further to the right.

In this photo, Wil the joiner and his mate Matty put the finishing touches to the new one on Castle View.

Parish Council News - October 2012

Councillors agreed to fund the balance to improve the BMX track at the playing field. Councillor Holden reported that he has obtained grants for the bulk of the project. It is also hoped that the windows at the Pavilion can be replaced shortly.

It has been a long drawn out process to obtain views from the County Council regarding the possibility of having a seat by the bus stop at the Church. This is still ongoing and hopefully there will be news about this soon.

A dropped kerb has been placed by the Reading Room, allowing better access from the western approach, and this has been funded out of County Councillor Kelly’s budget. At the request of the Parish Council, he has also been liaising with the County Council looking into the possibility of parking bays behind the Church. The Parish Council are keen to preserve the historical element but would like the area tidied up and feel that parking bays could minimise access problems.  

At the time of writing this, it is very likely that there will be no meeting in December, which is always a busy time for most people. However, this cannot be confirmed for definite so do please check Notice Boards and the website nearer the time.

It has been a hectic year for the Council, as ever, and on their behalf, I wish you all a Happy Christmas and Best wishes for 2013.

Margaret Davenport
Clerk to Ovingham Parish Council

Country Park - Half Term Activities

Click on the image to find details of the activities on offer at the Riverside Park during half term.

Parking at the back of the Church

On Tuesday 23rd of October, we met on the North side of the Church to discuss the problems with vehicles that arise there. Paul Kelly (Northumberland County Counsellor) would like to channel some funds towards getting the parking in this area sorted out. He was there, along with a roads Engineer, three parish counsellors and a representative of the Church.

A new surface is badly needed. Apart from the obvious puddles that form, a lack of marked parking bays causes haphazard parking that blocks not just residents and visitor cars, but bin collections, ambulances and fire appliances. All these services have encountered problems...when a fire was started in a cottage in the Dene, the fire service were unable to get to it and it burned to the ground.

Unfortunately, this isn't an easy nut to crack. Further investigations are required to establish who actually owns the land. The parish council, the Church or the County Highways. Further complications arise from the foundations of old cottages that used to stand on the site. Currently the stones are at ground level and provide a nice historical feature that adds character to Ovingham and a link to the past. It would be a pity to loose these, but tarmac is costly and costs more when it has to be spread in and out of old stoneworks.

Further problems emerged...the length and width of a standard parking bay, plus the space needed to enter and exit, is far larger than the space available. The engineer will make detailed measurements and attempt to come up with a layout that fits, and leaves room for passing.

There will no doubt be more discussion on this subject at Parish meetings in the next few months.

At last, a new youth club session!

It's taken a long time but at last we have now managed to get a new session set up for youngsters based on the playing field.
Ashley and Sarah are pitching up every Thursday from 5pm to 7pm with their newly kitted out mobile youth centre . WNYS (West Northumberland Youth Service) is the NCC youth service that now covers our area.

The bus has state-of-the-art video games, heating, games equipment and much, much more. They will use it in conjunction with the pavilion where pool, toast and soft drinks will be available. As the word goes round, it's hoped that more and more youngsters will come along and enjoy the activities on offer.
The parish council has funded several visits and it is hoped to secure more funding to extend these visits even further.

Parish Council News - September 2012

September brought a lively meeting with many issues being discussed.

Cllr Jordon gave an update on the impact on the flooding in the Village but unfortunately, since the meeting, further heavy rain has led to flooding down Horsley Road and by the Schools. The latter problem has been confirmed as arising from a drainage pipe on St. Andrews Lane that has caused run off down the fields. This has been reported to Northumberland County Council. The stepping-stones have been damaged and this has also been reported.  

The results of the parish plan questionnaire are available on the website. The Action plan is also available to view. [Ed: See previous post on where to find the links].

Expenditure was a main topic and figures are being obtained for next year’s precept allowance. In the meantime, it is hoped that the windows in the Pavilion can be replaced soon and possibly improvements made to the BMX track. The Community Officer for Northumbria Police has requested a donation for a mobile speeding device and he has been invited to the next meeting to give the Councillors more details.  

The November meeting has been put back a week due to elections being held on 15^th November in the Reading Room (for the Police & Crime Commissioner) and therefore the next meeting will take place on 22^nd November at 7.15pm.

Margaret Davenport

Village Questionnaire

The response to the village questionnaire was excellent with nearly 200 being returned. It's taken us quite some time to collate the responses and formulate an action plan but you can now see the results.
If you go to the 'What We Do' page on the website, there are three links which (providing you've got Adobe Reader or similar) will download (a) the collated results from the questionnaires (b) the analysis and commentary and (c) the action plan which the council has drawn up.

The exercise is important to the parish council as it enables us to focus on issues which are of general concern to residents.

Parish Council News 2 - August 2012

Due to there being no meeting in August, and as I am writing this before the September meeting it has been a fairly quiet period for the Parish Council.

The standard of grass cutting or lack of it, in the village continues to be closely monitored. The Councillors know this is one area which causes more complaints from the residents than anything and there have been letters, emails, meetings and phone calls made to both ISOS and Northumberland County Council as a result.  

Following on from the recent flood in Castle View Estate, Northumbrian Water has discovered some of the drains were blocked. Once these have been cleared, which should help minimise risk of flooding in future, it is hoped that a similar operation will be carried out in the Dene Garth Area. Thanks to those residents who have put the time and effort in assisting with the Councillors and authorities.

Having marvelled at the Olympics and the Paralympics, one of our brave Councillors took part in the recent Ovington Water Races, representing the Parish of Ovingham. Despite a hard fought race, the victor was the Parish of Ovington. Training will start early for next year.

Margaret Davenport

Parish Council News - August 2012

There was no Parish Council meeting in August but the next meeting is on 20^th September.

Following the recent floods, meetings have been held, on site, between some of our Councillors, residents and representatives from the authorities concerned such as NWater, Northumberland County Council and the Environment Agency. Progress appears to have been made for Dene Garth area with local landowners agreeing to carry out some recommendations made by the environment agency.

Following on from the recent success of the Ovilympics, it is hoped that this can be repeated next year. Ovingham Parish Council is extremely grateful for all the hard work by Councillor Holden and his large group of volunteers and appreciates that the event could not have taken place without them. Well done to everyone concerned!

Work is to be started soon on addressing some of the untidy areas of the village such as strimming back brambles etc at the top of Horsley Road and by Piper Road and also repairing fencing by North Meadows and Sunningdale Bungalow area. The Churchyard also needs tidying up and ivy removed from the walls.

Margaret Davenport

Wylam Road Closure

Northumberland County Council have just informed us that the C254 road to Wylam will be closed for possibly three days sometime between 6 August until 13 September.
This is due to Northumbrian Water installing a new water main.

You will have noticed that there are serious earthworks going on in the field to the north of the road close to the Hermitage. Looks like Northumbrian Water need to link this up with the extraction plant on the riverbank.
Diversion signs will be put in place.

Ovilympics - how it went.

After several months of planning and fund raising and with the weather being very kind on the day, the Ovilympics 2012 took place on the playing field on 14th July.

The afternoon's activities included Space Hopper, sack, egg and spoon and mini-sprint track races, wellie wanging and a tug o' war. Tynedale Harriers kindly organised and sponsored four serious one-mile perimeter races. The winners' achievements were celebrated with gold, silver and bronze medals on a specially built podium. Medals were presented by Bill Jordon, a 2012 Olympic Relay torch runner and Kevin Forster, 1988 Seoul Olympics marathon runner.

Stamina was maintained with the provision of refreshments from the pavilion, Rea's ice cream and the Hungry Elephant with their spectacular tent. Competitions alternated with entertainment by the Electric Band, Floralprint, Dean, a yet-to-be-named band from Ovingham Middle School and dance routines by Energize. All young and all so talented. Stalls provided a mixture of fun and information. You could make your own health drink on The Smoothy Bike, slide down the bouncy castle, get your face painted, make crafty things and even get your blood pressure checked. The Beat-the-Goalie goalie was still saving penalties three hours after the event had finished!

The event was very well attended and feedback has been very positive and encouraging. It wouldn't have been possible were it not for the tremendous amount of preparation done by the twenty plus volunteers on the planning team. The Reading Room committee has also been very supportive both with practical help and by providing marquees, gazebos and loads of other equipment needed for the event.

After a short break to catch their breath, the planning team aim to get together in a few weeks to make a start thinking about next year.
Now the bunting is down and the marquees packed away, the field looks very bare ... except for the youngsters happily playing there.

Ovilympics - 14 July 2012

Plans are just about finalised to ensure that the Ovilympics will be a great, fun, inexpensive, family afternoon out.
We have loads of competitions and entertainment lined up. There are loads of medals and trophies to be won and photo opportunities with an Olympic marathon athlete and an Olympic Torch Relay runner complete with torch.

We hope you can be there.

Wylam Road - Closure

N'land County Council have just informed us that a Traffic Order has been taken out to close the Wylam Road - the C254.
Northumbrian Water need to install a new water main near 'The Hermitage' and although they only expect the road to be closed for three days, the Traffic Order is from 6 August to 13 September.
Signs will be put in place earlier to advise motorists of the closure and diversion signs will also be installed.

28th June 2012 - Flooding

The county council is trying to collect and collate detailed information about the effects of last Thursday's downpour. The parish council has been asked to collect and pass on this information.
Did the water get into your house? Did it come close to getting into your house? Please let us know. Our contact details are on our website.
In the meantime, meetings are being arranged between our parish council, the county council, the Environment Agency and Northumberland Estates to discuss the impact of this deluge and what if anything can be done to minimise the risk of it happening again. We'll keep you informed about the outcomes of these meetings.

Parish Council News - July 2012

For those who kindly completed and return the Village Plan Questionnaire last September, results are still being analysed. However, there will soon be initial information available to view on our website (www.ovinghamparishcouncil.co.uk). Apologies for the delay in collating the information but there are many ideas to think about.

Planning permission is required for the proposed seat by the Bus Stop (at the Church) so unfortunately things are moving here more slowly than hoped.

As you all know the weather has been horrendous and our thoughts are with those who have particularly suffered during the recent flooding in Piper Road and Dene Garth. A letter of complaint has been sent to the Northumberland Estates (the owner of the Playing Field) about the drainage (or lack of it), as well as a phone call that has resulted in a site visit by one of their officers. However, further discussions will take place with them as well as Northumberland County Council. Many culverts were blocked throughout the village as well as evidence of subsidence.

As is customary, there is no meeting of the Parish Council in August and the next scheduled meeting will be on Thursday, 20^th September at 7.15 pm in the Reading Room.

Margaret Davenport

Border Reiver Archers

Border Reiver Archers is a target archery club based at Ovingham Middle School. Our main club shoot is on Sundays from 10:30 and we have practice sessions on Tuesday and Friday evenings from 17:30 until dusk.
We welcome new members - whether experienced archers or absolute beginners - and have three coaches who will be running a four week beginners course from 24.06.12. If anyone fancies 'having-a-go' without committing themselves, the club will be doing free one hour taster sessions at Wentworth Leisure Centre on 22 July. Taster sessions must be booked through the leisure centre.
For more info on the club we can be contacted by e mail at borderreiverarchers@yahoo.com or by 'phone on 01434 681002.
The club is open to anyone aged 14 years and over. Archery is a very inclusive sport and is practiced by people of all ages and is very disability-friendly.

Parish Council Notes - June 2012

Following the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council in May, Councillor Turnbull was re-elected Chair, and Councillor Jordon, Vice Chair. In her report, Councillor Turnbull thanked all the Councillors for the hard work throughout the year as well as that of County Councillor Kelly and the villagers who contribute on a regular basis.

Complaints have been made to both Northumberland County Council and ISOS about the state of the grass cutting in the village. The Councillors are closely monitoring this and it is hoped that improvements will be seen by the time you read this.

All three interactive speed units are up and running throughout the village, which should prove an extra deterrent against speeding.

The Ovilympics will be taking place on July 14^th to which everyone is welcome. Do come and support this event and join in some of the many activities planned.

Margaret Davenport

Grasscutting in the Village

The grassed areas of amenity land around Ovingham are cut by two separate teams. Most of these areas are cut by the county council though the parish council pay them for additional areas to be cut.
The areas around Windsor Crescent and Tyne Gardens however, are the responsibility of ISOS Housing Ltd who subcontract the grasscutting to Vale Contract Services.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the state of these amenity areas is a disgrace. These areas have never been in such a bad state in thirty years or more.  ISOS is clearly aware of the widespread dissatisfaction and you can click here to see what they have to say about it.

The parish council has already registered its profound disgust at the quality of service. However, it will be even more persuasive if lots of individual residents also contact them with their personal comments and observations.
ISOS Customer Services can be contacted on 0300 300 1505 or you can email them at info@isoshousing.co.uk. 

Digital Switchover

The switch from analogue to digital will begin on 12 September in our area when BBC2 analogue transmissions will cease. On 26 September, all other analogue transmissions will cease.

'Digitaluk' is an organisation set up to help with information and advice about what's involved.
A switchover Drop-In Clinic is being held in the new Spetchells Centre in Prudhoe on 24 May between 10am and 5pm for anyone wanting to find out more. Alternatively, you might want to phone the Digital UK Advice Line on 08456 50 50 50 or look up their website at www.digitaluk.co.uk .

Canvassers Needed

Northumberland County Council Elections Office requires canvassers to help with the compilation of the 2013 Electoral Register.
Due to the Police and Crime Commissioners Elections to be held in November, the Electoral Registration Canvass will be earlier than usual this year, commencing in mid August and must be completed by 24 September.
The work is to visit properties to deliver forms and collect responses from those addresses where no reply has yet been received, up to 2 visits per property. Canvassers must also attend a briefing session at County Hall as part of the appointment, on 13 August 2012 at 6pm.
Anyone aged 18 or over may apply for a canvassing position, so if interested, or you have family members, friends or know of retired people who may be interested please let them know.
Payment will be £1-50 per form collected in urban areas, and £2-50 in very rural areas. (There is no mileage payable).
If you are interested or need further information, please contact the Elections Office on 01670 624811 or email: elections@northumberland.gov.uk

Parish Council Notes - May 2012

The April meeting saw an informative talk from Adam Keen, Recycling Officer, Northumberland County Council Local Services. Adam talked about the options available for a bottle bank that the Councillors are considering. This can be made available on a trial basis but further discussions will take place, especially about the locality, before a decision is made.

The new garden bench is now sited in the Churchyard and a commemorative plaque will soon be ordered. This has been a joint donation from Ovingham and Ovington Parish Councils and it is hoped that much use will be made of the bench although the weather needs to improve considerably first!

The Councillors are also awaiting a response from Northumberland County Council to see if planning application is needed for the proposed seat by the Church bus stop.

Further to the written complaint about the route of the 686 Bus service to Prudhoe, a reply has been received confirming that there are no plans to change or review the service.

Margaret Davenport

Parish Council Notes - April 2012

Since a letter of complaint was sent to Northumberland County Council regarding the route of bus service 686 to Prudhoe, a reply has been received by the parish Council. Unfortunately, there are no plans to review the service or make further changes.

Re-surfacing work is due along Castle View starting mid to late April. It is hoped that it won't cause too much of a disruption. [Ed. See the earlier post for more details].

The Councillors have decide that due to other events in the village, such as the Goose Fair and the Roses Festival, and surrounding areas, there will not be a separate celebration for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The “Ovilympics” will be the focus on July 14^th. Again, if anyone can offer help, please contact one of the councillors.

The next meeting of the Parish Council takes place on Thursday, 17^th May at 7.15 pm in the Reading Room and will include the Annual Meeting that will commence at 8.00 pm.

Margaret Davenport

Road Resurfacing

We've just got news that the County Council are to refurbish and resurface Main Road and Castle View - from Horsley Road to beyond the 30mph signs on the Wylam Road.
Work will probably start mid-April and will involve replacing inspection covers, realigning kerbstones and resurfacing the footpaths. Areas of subsidence will be dealt with. Residents will be kept informed directly by NCC but it will inevitably involve some disruption and inconvenience until the end of the month when work is expected to be complete.
This stretch of road has needed attention for some years now so it's good that at last it's going to be dealt with.

Parish Council Notes - March 2012

Following some recent complaints by villagers, a letter has been sent regarding the bus service 686 to Prudhoe, which does not go along Front Street, Prudhoe. We shall wait and see the outcome.

Both Wylam and Ovingham Parish Councils have been told about the recent work that has been undertaken by the Countryside Management Team at Northumberland County Council. A section of the footpath has become more available to the public in the area by the Old Pumping Station Buildings. It means that a path can now be used instead of using the road. The path is clearly marked and it is hoped to be added to the definitive map in the future as a public footpath.

Plans are well under way for a “mini Ovilympics” to be held on 14^th July. As well as this, the Council are keen to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in early June. If anyone can help in anyway, for either event, please contact one of the Councillors for more information.

Two new interactive speeding units are to be put in place in the village soon in addition to the existing unit which is moved from one location to another every six months or so. The poles are already in place and it is hoped that they will be in operation before the end of May. The Council managed to get a discount too!

Margaret Davenport

Ovingham to Wylam Road

Good news for walkers between Ovingham and Wylam.
For years getting past the old pumping station on foot has been hazardous to say the least.
Blind bends, no footpath, overgrown hedges, telegraph poles hard up against the road, fast traffic.
Thanks to work recently completed work by the county council, pedestrians can now safely circumvent this corner by using a newly formed footpath. The path follows a route which takes you south of the pumping station. It's not hard surfaced, it's not got street lights ... but hey ... there are no vehicles whizzing past within millimetres at great speed.

Click on the image to see it full size.

Broadband Services in Northumberland

Our county council is hoping to secure a £7M government grant to improve broadband services in the county. If secured, this grant would have to be matched by Northumberland County Council. They are hoping that the company that wins the contract to deliver the first phase of improvements will match both grants. This would mean that £28M would be available for the scheme.
For more information, go to www.iNorthumberland.org.uk

Parish Council Notes - Feb 2012

The Councillors are working on the recent parish plan questionnaires, each concentrating on specific areas/questions. The interim results are available to view on the website www.ovinghamparishcouncil.org.uk. The report and plan will be finalised as soon as possible.

Progress continues with the proposal of a seat by the bus stop at the church. However, before any more work is carried out with quotes etc. enquiries are being made to see if planning application is required.

P.C. Cross, our local community officer attended the meeting in January when the problems of cyclists on the footbridge was discussed. There is a possibility of erecting a physical barrier as both the Police and Highways Department feel that no matter what signs are erected, there will always be those who choose to ignore them. Speeding through the village was also an issue and later in the meeting, the Councillors agreed to look at the possibility of a further interactive light.

The next meeting is due to be held on Thursday, 15^th March at 7.15pm, in the Reading Room, but please check either the website or the notice boards for confirmation.

Margaret Davenport

Village Plan 2011

Many thanks to over 200 residents who returned their Village Plan Questionnaire - a great result. Your responses have been collated and councillors are now working on analysing the results. We will be putting together an action plan based on your responses and this will be the focus of the council's work over coming years.

You can see the summary of the responses by clicking the link on the 'What We Do' page on the website.

Parish Council Notes - Jan 2012

Unfortunately, the December meeting of the Parish Council had to be cancelled at short notice and by the time you read this, the next meeting on 19^th January will have been held. Luckily, there were no matters deemed as urgent.

2012 is seen as an important year for the country with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics and the Councillors are keen to organise events to coincide. No firm plans have been agreed on as yet regarding the Diamond Jubilee, but hopefully a “mini” Olympics will be held in Ovingham before the main event! Watch this space.

Both Ovingham and Ovington Parish Councils have agreed to fund the purchase of a wooden bench to be placed in the churchyard, by the entrance. It is hoped it will be used by both residents and visitors alike as a place for quiet reflection.

A reminder that more news as well as minutes of previous meetings etc. can be obtained from the Parish Council website on www.ovinghamparishcouncil.org.uk and you can e-mail them on ovinghamparishcouncil@yahoo.co.uk .

Margaret Davenport

Ovingham Allotments Association

An association of villagers was formed in about 1980 by Ian Heslop to acquire land for allotment gardening. Over the next two years negotiations were entered into with the Parish Council. There were many problems and obstacles to overcome but in April 1982, the Council acquired land near the 'Goose Fair' field and a tenancy agreement was signed. Since these early days more land has been acquired to meet the rising popularity and demand for allotments.


At present there are 36 plots with 9 members on the waiting list. Members are of all ages and come from all parts of the village. In 1982 there was only one lady member but today ladies are in the majority. Just as the composition of the membership has changed so have the gardening practices. Today, raised beds are common with flowers competing with vegetables. Fruit bushes and small fruit trees are widely planted and small ponds are present on several plots.


Committee meetings take place on the second Wednesday of the month in the Bridge End Inn. All members are classed as committee members which affords them the right to vote at committee meetings. The present chairman is Godfrey Good and the treasurer is Mike Broadhurst. Jackie Scrowther is the minutes secretary. Minutes from meetings, the current waiting list and other information is regularly displayed on the notice board in the allotments.


Godfrey Good.

Recycle and Win Prizes!

As a resident of Ovingham you might win prizes worth £250 a month for simply putting a little label on the plastic bottles and aerosols that you chuck in your re-cycling bin.
Look up this site,
http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nerewards/
When you register, you will be sent a load of sticky labels. Stick one on each of the plastic bottles and aerosols you recycle. If your bottle or can gets pulled out of the junk, then you could win £250 worth of prizes - or donate the prize to your favourite charity.
Look up the site for more details and to register.