Gosforth eFocus No 16

​POST BOXES ON GREAT PARK

On the Great Park there is a lack of post boxes. Newcastle City Council is now in discussions with Royal Mail about the possibility of introducing post boxes and is hopeful that there are now enough occupied houses to meet their criteria for installing new boxes. The Consortium are happy in principle for boxes to be installed subject to agreeing the locations.

​METRO WEEKEND WORKING

​No trains Airport - Regent Centre on Sunday 17 August until 12.40pm

To allow for modernisation work. A bus replacement service, the number 900 will be calling at or close to all stations in the affected area.

No trains North Shields - Shiremoor 6.00am - 6.00pm on Sunday 24 August

To allow for modernisation work. A bus replacement service, the number 900 will be calling at or close to all stations in the affected area.

No trains Brockley Whins - South Hylton on Sunday 14 September until 9.00am

To allow for Network Rail work. A bus replacement service, the number 901 will be calling at or close to all stations in the affected area.

No trains Brockley Whins - South Hylton on Sunday 21 September until 9.00am

To allow for Network Rail work. A bus replacement service, the number 901 will be calling at or close to all stations in the affected area.

No trains Brockley Whins - South Hylton all day on Sunday 28 September

To allow for Network Rail work. A bus replacement service, the number 901 will be calling at or close to all stations in the affected area.

PARKLANDS WARD SURGERY

Will be at the St Aidan's Community Centre on Brunton Park at 1830 hrs on Wednesday 20th August. Parklands Wrad councillors can also be found at the street surgery with councillors from East Gosforth and West Gosforth on Gosforth High Street on the first Saturday of each month, from 1000 hrs to noon, outside the shopping centre. Look for the yellow umbrella!

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

There's a third application in for the new Marks & Spencer site - relocation of an external door. There are concerns that they don't seem to have got this thing right in the first place - we'll be keeping a close eye on it. Recently there was a story in the newspaper about the noise nuisance during construction http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/gosforth-residents-kept-awake-work-7590458

The Melton Park Care Home was supposed to be on the 15th August agenda of Planning Committee but wasn't. Next site visits day is 21st August, and the next Planning Committee is 5th September. The officers obviously have more work to do than anticipated - hopefully taking notice of all the substantive points made by residents.

The Planning Committee has refused permission - against recommendation to approve - for the council's own application for a large digital screen on Northumberland Street - the second such refusal following a similar case at Cradlewell underpass. The Liberal Democrats are concerned that there is transparency around the terms of the council's commercial partnership with the advertisement company, and is seeking assurances that the perception is not created that the council is not seeking to put its own commercial interests ahead of implementing its own planning policies.

​NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

​Neighbourhood Watch would like to hear from anyone willing to help keep our neighbourhoods safe. Contact pedens@dsl.pipex.com in the first instance

VOLUNTARY GROUPS

All three Ward Committees have a small amount of funds which can be made available for suitable projects (and those that cover more than one ward can make multiple applications) Examples given multi-help in the past include Gosforth Central Park and Gosforth community minibus. Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Daft as a Brush are in the process of making applications to the Parklands Ward Committee. We're happy to have an informal chat with any voluntary group about application criteria.

LOCAL BUSINESSES

If you run a local business, the Liberal Democrats are always anxious to hear from you if you are encountering any problems within the control of the City Council. Let us know through any of the contact details at the foot of eFocus.

FOCUS (the one on paper)

We're always happy to get volunteers who can help us get Focus news of service and community action to every household in the three wards - usually a small round close to their homes. Just reply to this email to be put in touch. And do pass on eFocus, or let us have email addresses of friends and relatives you think it would interest.

​GOSFORTH CENTRAL PARK

If you'd like to find out what's going on direct, contact ​Peter Morrill of Friends of Gosforth Central Park on g.centralpark@btopenworld.com

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

So far this year around 100,000 people fleeing North Africa have landed in Italy.