* Notice of Vacancy in Office of a Councillor *

NOTICE OF VACANCY IN OFFICE OF A COUNCILLOR

BROOMHAUGH & RIDING PARISH COUNCIL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

Pursuant to section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, that Janet Padgett formerly a Member of the above named Parish Council, has ceased to be a Member of the Parish Council, and that a vacancy now exists in the office of Councillor for the Parish.

If, within 14 days (*) after the date of this notice (i.e. no later than 6th July 2020), a request for an election to fill the vacancy is made to The Returning Officer, Elections Office, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth, NE61 2EF by TEN electors for the Parish (Ward), an election will be held to fill the vacancy, otherwise the vacancy will be filled by co-option.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

By virtue of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and The Local Government and Police and Crime Commissioner (Coronavirus (Postponement of Elections and Referendums) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 if a by election is requested this will not take place, and the vacancy will be held open until the next election takes place. The 2020 regulations provide for the by election to take place on the date of the Ordinary Election of Councilors due to be held on 6 May 2021.  However, this date may be brought forward or deferred by the Government depending upon the circumstances.  Any election that is in due course called will be duly publicised as required by law.

Dated: 16th June 2020

Catherine Harrison

Clerk to Broomhaugh & Riding Parish Council

 

(*) In computing any period of time for this purpose, a Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a bank holiday or day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning must be disregarded.

Video conference meeting of the Parish Council

It has been agreed to hold a meeting of the Parish Council via Zoom on Monday 8th June at 7.45 pm.

This will be the first formal electronic meeting so please bear with us if there are any IT problems.  Parishioners are welcome to observe although they may not ask questions either before or during the meeting. Instead, please email any questions to ridingmillclerk@gmail.com by 12 noon on Monday 8th June and these will be answered during the meeting.  Questions for County Councillor Anne Dale should also be emailed to the Clerk who will forward them to Councillor Dale and she will reply directly to the resident.

An agenda will be displayed on this site by Wednesday 3rd June which will include the link and meeting password for Zoom.

STOP PRESS – RIDING MILL – A VILLAGE HISTORY by Marion Cooke

In 1965 Women’s Institutes throughout the country made scrapbooks illustrating the life of their village that year (the beautiful book made by the Riding Mill WI is kept in the county archive at Woodhorn). Several years later Marion Cooke decided to follow up the scrapbook by writing a book about the history of Riding Mill. After years of research, with no internet to help her in those days, she published her fascinating book in 1987. The exhibition in the Parish Hall in November 2018 for the weekend of Remembrance seemed to generate interest in the Riding Mill of years ago and it was thought that there would be many people who would like to have a copy of Marion’s book.

With the permission of her daughters we have had 200 copies of Riding Mill – A Village History reprinted. They will go on sale in the Cafe in the Foyer from Monday 21st October at a cost of £8 or contact Susan Law, 682397 or Mike Bridges, 682359. Any profits made will be used for future projects of the Regeneration Group.

Outdoor Recreation Survey

Our sports pavilion is a timber hut with no heating, no electricity, no wc’s, let alone any disabled facilities. It is home to 3 cricket teams and a Sunday morning football team, but could be so much more.

Before embarking on the refurbishment of the sports pavilion, the Parish Council are keen to find out your views on how we use the sports pavilion and what we might use it in future, for the benefit of the whole village.
We would be grateful if you could complete the survey below.  Remember to indicate how many members of your family participate, if relevant.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WTJQT7Z

Yearly Newsletter

Our yearly newsletter has recently been published and we are in the process of delivering a copy to every house in the parish.

To view a copy of this year’s newsletter click on the following link: Newsletter 2019

Armistice Commemoration Weekend

The Parish Council would like to thank all those residents who ensured that Riding Mill offered a fitting tribute to those who died in the First World War.  The village looked spectacular – the poppy displays, the information boards, the silent soldiers, the exhibitions, the community bell ringing – all contributed to the occasion and honoured the memory of the men who died.

The numbers attending the Remembrance Service and rededication ceremony were exceptional and the efforts made really showed our village and community at its best.

THANK YOU

Below is a selection of photos from the weekend together with a copy of the Order of Service from the rededication ceremony.

Rededication Ceremony

 

Remembrance Day Remembered

by John Mole

For the sake of men we never knew

We trooped into the hall

Where their names in golden letters

Were written on the wall

Somebody sounded a bugle

And ghosts seemed everywhere

Until the last note softly fell

On the suddenly empty air.

Then the world filled up with living

In its own accustomed way.

With the usual busy traffic

Of the usual busy day.

But what I most remember

And know that I always will

Is how we stood utterly silent

And absolutely still.

.

Riding Mill Remembers – Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th November

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a number of events taking place this weekend in Riding Mill to commemorate the Armistice centenary.

There is an exhibition of WW1 memorabilia in the Parish Hall both Saturday and Sunday and an poppy art exhibition in St James’ Church.

On Sunday, a Service of Remembrance will be held at the War Memorial at 11 am followed by a procession past the poppy displays to the Parish Hall where the newly restored Roll of Honour to the ex-scholars of the village school will be re-dedicated by the vicar.

Attached is the Order of Service for the rededication ceremony.

Rededication Ceremony A5

 

PC Meeting – Monday 12th November

The Parish Council will next meet at 7.45 pm on Monday 12th November in the Supper Room, Parish Hall, Millfield Road (please note change to our usual venue).

County Councillor Anne Dale will be available to answer questions from the public from 7.15 pm and the Parish Council will take questions from 7.30pm.

For a copy of the agenda please click on the link below:

181112 Agenda

 

Village Handyman

The Parish Council would like to invite contractors to tender for the role of Village Handyman.

This is an outdoor role undertaking routine maintenance.  We seek someone who will be able to work on their own initiative, be able to carry out manual duties, be good at DIY and minor repairs, be able to operate machinery and use equipment, and have a good general knowledge and understanding of safe working practices. A flexible approach would be required as the Handyman would be required to respond to (occasional) call outs in an emergency.  The Handyman is required to have their own Public Liability insurance.

Contract documentation can be downloaded by clicking the links below:

Handyman – contract for services 2018-22

Handyman 2-year schedule

Handyman – map of key locations

Alternatively, please contact the Clerk, Catherine Harrison, on 01434 682348 (office hours only please) or email ridingmillclerk@gmail.com.

The closing date for the receipt of tender documentation is 4 PM on FRIDAY 31st AUGUST 2018

 

Weed Control in the Village

Below is a statement issued by Northumberland County Council regarding how they plan to tackle weeds in the village this year:

Weed Control
I am writing to inform you about improvements to the way we tackle weeds in towns and villages in Northumberland.

The county has a well-deserved reputation as a green and pleasant place to live and visit and it is important to do all we can to keep it looking its best. In recent years, most weed spraying treatments on hard landscape areas have been contracted out.
However this year, the County Council is employing ten extra staff members across our Local Area Councils to ensure the in house teams have the capacity to undertake the work themselves.

The County Council is investing £125,000 in this improvement programme which includes adding a harmless blue coloured dye to the treatment so the public can see for themselves where has been treated.  The blue dye being added is completely harmless and will allow the teams to see exactly where they have sprayed, potentially reducing wasted or overuse of spray and ensure that any areas that have been missed will be immediately apparent.  While it is not possible to prevent weed growth altogether, County Council staff know their own areas and can be more responsive to local weather conditions, ensuring improvements to the quality and coverage of the spraying operation.

The public will also be able to see where has been sprayed and as the chemical itself can take up to two weeks to kill the weeds, the addition of the blue dye will remove any uncertainty about whether or not an area has been treated. The equipment used to treat weeds in some road channels means that the blue dye cannot be added but in areas where road meets pavement there will be a white residue left instead of a blue one. The dye itself is water soluble, does not affect the environment and also breaks down in the sun so it will not be visible for more than the 10 to 14 days it takes to kill the weeds.