Blyth bypass funding refusal shows its time to end the secrecy at County Hall and get scrutiny back on a proper footing?

 

Since 2022 scrutiny of Council decisions made by the secretive Conservative Cabinet at County Hall in Morpeth have been challenged by experienced Councillors from all directions with the Labour Leader on the Council being extremely vocal in his criticism calling the Council leaders “ a dictatorship” on several occasions in particular on the Tories failure to give true background information surrounding those decisions.

This secrecy began almost a decade ago when the Council kicked out its Conservative Leader and the Tories replaced him with a team of very illusive ‘secret society’ type regimists.

If northumberland county council made a decision previously it was always backed up with figures, copies of the Council’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and the series of Local Performance Indicators that backed up the KPI information with the KPI’s being open public documents ensuring transparency in decision making. Since 2017 this process has been gradually reduced down the ‘twelfth of never’ route with information released to the public only through well managed, non-critical press releases, in other words ‘spin’.

Following Northumberland County Council’s apparent success in this field it was picked up by a number of other Conservative led Councils and seemed under the Boris Government and later to ‘the accepted norm’.

Since the 2024 General Election and Labour entering Government to find the national coffers empty with friends of the Conservative Government sitting with pockets full of publicly funded cash things have changed, with the funding by Government of Council spending necessarily shifting to an ‘open book policy’, with the department for transport leading the field to ensure the public purse is safe in this Government’s hands.

The Department for Transport, one of the nation's big spenders who bankrolled the Northumberland rail line decided that if Council’s arent at the forefront with locally scrutinised decision making then funding will be withdrawn until Councils can show they will manage the Government's cash safely on the public’s behalf and a colour coded system of measurement of policy was devised.

Although the Council has through its spin machine blamed the Government for not funding the two Blyth bypass roads the Council weren’t clear enough why? Blaming the Labour Government and covering their backs with glory.

The reason why is, obvious Northumberland County Council is one of those who are not as open as required by Government with the Department for Transport rating them in the AMBER category showing that with its failed scrutiny policy and spin only press releases they have not reached the trusted status to handle projects on the Government’s and therefore the public’s behalf. The completion of the Northumberland Rail Line was a strategic decision made by the Mayor for the region who was backed by the DfT over the delivery, handling and scrutiny of this spend.

According to the Department for Transport framework, an Amber rating indicates that the council is successfully patching up roads and has fundamental preventative measures in place, but still has considerable room for improvement regarding overall road conditions and long-term asset strategy of Council spend, with new strategic decision making taken from the Council’s hands and given to the regional mayor's office whose strategic decision making is scrutinised by elected representatives from nine Councils along with auditors and civil servants monitoring the spend.

That long term asset strategy failure by Northumberland County Council cannot be changed until the Council can illustrate that the whole Council backs its decision making process and an ‘open book policy’ to assist Government auditors is adopted with much greater public access to knowledge regarding public spend at County Hall.

On 14th April 2026 the Government in the shape of the DfT issued documentation that stated Council’s must issue ‘Mandatory Transparent Reports’ surrounding decisions taken which affects highways spend then told affected Council’s they would hold back over half a billion pounds in pothole repair funding until councils satisfactorily changed from behind closed doors to open and transparent.

During Late October 2026 the Labour Government stated that an additional £220m would be released to ensure winter maintenance of potholes in England this is in addition to the £4,9bn spent on resurfacing 7000 miles of highway this year.

Will Northumberland ‘Open the Door’ and let opposition parties receive full and unquestionable information about what needs to improve to become a trusted Council in Government's eyes or will the Conservative’s ‘secret society’ members keep the door tightly shut?

https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/concerns-raised-over-manner-of-scrutiny-on-key-council-decisions-in-northumberland-4843683

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/how-well-does-your-council-fix-potholes-tough-new-guidance-for-councils-will-end-patch-up-fixes-and-lead-to-smoother-safer-journeys

https://www.localgov.co.uk/Councils-risk-losing-funding-under-new-pothole-performance-rules/64196

https://fixtyer.co.uk/authority-ratings

HOUSING NEWS Tory disc jockeys spinning the clock back to their former disgraced leaders times?

During September 2020 the then Leader of Northumberland County Council, Councillor Peter Jackson lost a vote of no confidence in his actions and ability to lead the Council forward following placing the then Council Chief Executive on extended leave leading to scandal being laid at the Tory leaders door. This followed a number of years of his role as a disc jockey running out inaccurate statements about the cost of relocation of the Council headquarters to Ashington and decrying the Council and social housing investments made by the Labour Party, with his party lining up behind the inaccurate slogan of ‘Labour will concrete over your county’.

The Chief Executive had claimed that her attempts to investigate "significant concerns" about the council's development arm, Advance Northumberland, had been frustrated; alleging a "possible bias" on the part of council leader Peter Jackson and accusing leaders of "failure to act in the best interests of the council".

The current Tory Group on the Council have done little regarding those concerns, in fact they have been trying to pour in £millions into Advance Northumberland to refinance the Councils own debt, luckily external auditors and advisors have slowed the process for now.

Northumberland is the least populated County in England, with only 66 people per sq.Km according to Wikipedia against a national average of 438. it is so devoid of residents that the current Tory leadership have had to and are slashing service delivery across all Council departments including the elderly and infirm due to the lack of income from any regular growth in Council tax through housing development while the cost of housing the homeless is stacking up each and every day behind the Tory groups dam of secrecy.

The Government in its wisdom to help Northumberland survive this  mismanagement of growth has allowed this Tory Council to be able to extend its spending powers in Labour's first budget in office at Westminster. This Council’s failure to absorb or deliver on this opportunity will lead to more unemployment as cuts beyond George Osborne's austerity measures are being rolled out annually.

The Council has approx. 2500 homes that have been sitting empty for more than five years and the Government’s new policy allows them to be brought into the Council’s housing stock with the new much reduced opportunity for right to buy elements sitting behind what would be a great step forward. Increasing the housing stock without laying a brick, and surely their arms length building company Advance Northumberland could manage a project like this on its owner, the Council’s behalf on a cost of repair basis without too much bother at all and prove their worth to the public whilst lowering the homeless situation across the county.

The current spinning disc is being run out by deputy leader Richard ‘fluff’ Wearmouth and his plans for the new local plan to to delivered over the next two decades

But comments apart its back to the Tory spin, ‘Fluff’s’ local plan designed as the headlines say “Northumberland residents urged not to panic over dramatic housing figures” are designed to do just that, panic the public, but as planning law and guidance currently states anyone can suggest a site be assessed - so landowners and developers can put sites into this stage of the process, even if there's little or no chance of them coming to fruition. It's a hugely speculative part of the process but it's intended to scope out how housing demand can be met. It's certainly not a reason to panic but this is social media where the two main options are always like or panic. 

The new raw figures are necessary to be delivered if the public wishes to have any services for their massive council tax payments in future and even after their delivery over the next two decades it will still leave Northumberland as the emptiest County in England.

Northumberland Labour Group have issued a great news report decrying the spin and we’ve reproduced it to help our readers understand the process without the spin.

Communities deserve facts about housing, not fear and scaremongering”

Northumberland Labour Group Leader Councillor Scott Dickinson MBE has accused the Conservatives of causing unnecessary anxiety across Northumberland by presenting potential housing development figures in a way that fails to explain the facts behind the numbers.

The comments follow the publication of figures from Northumberland’s Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA), which identifies land submitted by landowners and developers for potential development as part of the preparation of a new Local Plan.

Councillor Dickinson said:

“This is scaremongering at its worst. The Conservatives have been circulating enormous housing figures across our communities without properly explaining what those numbers actually represent.

“Let us be absolutely clear. This is part of a long-term planning process looking ahead over the next 20 years. These are sites that landowners and developers have put forward for consideration. They are not approved housing developments, they are not confirmed allocations, and in many cases the land may prove entirely unsuitable for development.

“To present these figures in a way that suggests thousands of homes are about to be built in individual towns and villages is simply not an accurate reflection of where we are in the process.

“Residents have every right to know what is being considered in their communities. They also deserve accurate information, proper consultation and the opportunity to have their say, rather than being presented with alarming figures without the necessary context.

“What makes this particularly frustrating is the Conservatives’ own record on housing in Northumberland.

“While they are busy circulating frightening figures about potential developments, the Council’s own performance figures show that just 283 affordable homes were delivered in 2025/26, against a target of 374. That’s 91 affordable homes fewer than the Council’s own target.

“That is the real housing challenge we should be talking about.

“We have families waiting for social housing, young people being priced out of the communities they grew up in, and residents struggling to find somewhere affordable to rent.

“Northumberland has seen growing pressure on housing waiting lists and homelessness services, yet too many local people still cannot access the homes they desperately need.

“The Conservatives need to explain why, despite new housing developments coming forward across Northumberland, we are still failing to deliver enough genuinely affordable homes for local people.

“Too often, our communities have seen large executive housing developments, second homes and holiday accommodation while local families struggle to find somewhere secure and affordable to call home.

“We have watched young people leave the towns and villages they have grown up in because they simply cannot afford to buy or rent locally. That should concern every elected representative in Northumberland.

“Rather than causing unnecessary anxiety over land that may never be developed, the Conservatives should be concentrating on their own housing record and what needs to change to ensure future developments actually meet the needs of Northumberland residents.

“Northumberland does need new homes. But we need the right homes, in the right places, supported by the right infrastructure.

“That means genuinely affordable homes, more council and social housing, homes for local families and young people, and developments that respect the character and identity of our towns and villages.

“It also means making sure our schools, roads, health services and other essential infrastructure can support any future growth.

“I will always stand up against inappropriate development, but I will equally stand up for those residents who desperately need somewhere affordable and secure to call home.

“We should be having a serious conversation about Northumberland’s housing future, not frightening communities with headline figures that do not represent agreed development plans.

“There will be opportunities for communities to have their say as the Local Plan progresses, and those views must be listened to and taken seriously.

“My message to residents is simple: these figures are not a list of developments that have been approved. There is a long process ahead, with further assessments, consultation and decisions still to be made.

“The Conservatives should stop treating this important issue as an opportunity to generate fear and instead join a constructive discussion about how we deliver the homes Northumberland actually needs.

“Our communities deserve better than political scaremongering. They deserve honesty, transparency and a housing strategy that puts local people first.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• The Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) considers potential sites submitted for assessment as part of the Local Plan process.

• Inclusion in the HELAA does not grant planning permission, confirm a housing allocation or guarantee future development.

• The emerging Local Plan is intended to guide development over approximately 20 years.

• Northumberland County Council’s reported performance figures for 2025/26 show 283 affordable homes delivered against a target of 374, a shortfall of 91.

• It remains to be seen whether claimed affordable housing is actually affordable with the Council often not enforcing affordable housing percentages on commercial viability arguments with developers. 

• The new rented accommodation provided by the Council in recent years is none existent and government grants have not been applied for. 

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/peter-jackson-removed-leader-northumberland-18869192

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumberland-residents-urged-not-panic-34765205?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawVCfW1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7BaBljjPAvSblyj376FoVIwlJGz9i_DLNPZ8cNCn9XB1Vj7dKPZQ-c3SmsrA_aem_s6hWWR2mp_J-7UdzfoZa5Q#Echobox=1792085527

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northumberland

https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Northumberland-population.html

https://www.ons.gov.uk/explore-local-statistics/areas/E06000057-northumberland/indicators

https://www.ca-north.org.uk/about/about-northumberland

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6257pr3q76o

https://www.thetimes.com/money/mortgages/article/end-of-right-to-buy-d7nfm67n3

Where’s Northumberland REFORM UK Ltd., on the hammering of the elderly and infirm across Blyth?

 Blyth’s elderly and infirm have been attacked by Northumberland’s Tory Led Council and Blyth County Councillors have sat on their thumbs while their residents face suffering and additional costs.

The slashing of both the Warden Service and the higher charges for the emergency call charges from Northumberland County Council has dozens of Blyth residents worried that they may die before help gets to them.

Residents who are very ill and nursed in their homes have had excellent help from the warden system set up by Blyth Valley Council for decades yet this cut has not been challenged by Councillors from Blyth who are all members of REFORM UK.

REFORM UK’s Leader lives in the Town and has not said a word about these draconian cuts at any televised Council meetings or had any response to the Tories printed in the local press.

The Council has recently announced a new committee the ‘assurance and challenge panel’ manned up and its true its all men from the Tories and one Reform member Rick Baker who happens to be the Councillor for the County’s most deprived ward, Cowpen.

Here’s a few reminders of how poor his ward is and why he needs to get his new panel to kick this attack on pensioners from his area out!

The significant disparity between Cowpen and other areas is primarily attributed to socioeconomic factors and lifestyle differences that the Council should have taken into account in its risk assessment of this decision and if they actually produced one it is not available in the public domain.

Socioeconomic Deprivation: Cowpen experiences much higher levels of income deprivation, unemployment, and child poverty compared to Cramlington North, which is a modern, affluent residential suburb.

Dietary and Lifestyle Habits: Public health studies note a higher reliance on processed foods, cigarettes, and energy drinks in Cowpen, contrasted with easier access to fresh produce and a focus on preventative wellness in Cramlington North. So Councillor Baker, when will Cowpen residents get full access to the wellness and preventative issues that the warden service helped plant into the Community you are meant to serve?

Substance Misuse: The more deprived pockets of Blyth experience significantly elevated rates of illicit drug and alcohol use, which heavily impacts overall community life expectancy which adds to the lower life expectancy but the outcome of this decision will add a great deal more!

Councillors dismiss macro-economics and social deprivation to attack Blyth Valley pensioners.

 

A fact that should sit at the heart of any decision made regarding Northumberland yet its never known to have been taken into account by Northumberland Conservatives well heeled Council Cabinet members is the differing levels of social deprivation residents from poorer areas suffer when compared with their own champagne lifestyles.

A baby girl born on the affluent Northburn estate in Cramlington has a life expectancy of up to 105 years, which is roughly 16 years longer than girls from Cowpen, Croft, Isabella, Hirst, Sleekburn and large sections of villages across the County’s rural coalfields. Yet Councillor Eve Chicken, the Northumberland Conservative cabinet member for adult social care, has announced the scrapping of the much needed OAP Warden system and forced up the costs to pensioners in some of the poorest and most deprived places in the UK.

Locals have taken to social media to give their opinions following the announcement that a consultation that few have seen has taken place cutting down the low level of pension payments that their older relatives have come to rely on.

The majority of older residents who use this service do not enjoy the new national state pension pushed by the right wing press and which REFORM;s think tank wish to abolish. Many proud pensioners receive £184.90 per week and struggle as they do not wish to be dragged through the pension credit system yet the unthinking Cabinet Member who announced this cut is classed as a standard cabinet member with a portfolio who receives a specific Special Responsibility Allowance tier on top of  base rate when combined with the index-linked basic allowance means cabinet members receive between £33,000 and £45,000 total per year, depending on their exact portfolio seniority. If on the lower rate she receives £633 per week for her part time job.

The Council has recently announced a new committee the ‘assurance and challenge panel’ manned up and its true its all men from the Tories and one Reform member Rick Baker who happens to be the Councillor for the County’s most deprived ward, Cowpen.

Here’s a few reminders of how poor his ward is and why he needs to get his new panel to kick this attack on pensioners from his area out!

The significant disparity between Cowpen and other areas is primarily attributed to socioeconomic factors and lifestyle differences that the Council should have taken into account in its risk assessment of this decision and if they actually produced one it is not available in the public domain.

Socioeconomic Deprivation: Cowpen experiences much higher levels of income deprivation, unemployment, and child poverty compared to Cramlington North, which is a modern, affluent residential suburb.

Dietary and Lifestyle Habits: Public health studies note a higher reliance on processed foods, cigarettes, and energy drinks in Cowpen, contrasted with easier access to fresh produce and a focus on preventative wellness in Cramlington North. So Councillor Baker, when will Cowpen residents get full access to the wellness and preventative issues that the warden service helped plant into the Community you are meant to serve?

Substance Misuse: The more deprived pockets of Blyth experience significantly elevated rates of illicit drug and alcohol use, which heavily impacts overall community life expectancy which adds to the lower life expectancy but the outcome of this decision will add a great deal more!

Notes

https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/politics/council/council-cabinet-agree-to-increase-telecare-charges-in-northumberland-with-warden-service-scrapped-9273336

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/life-expectancy-northumberland_uk_5bfd4251e4b0eb6d9313c450

Longest lived top 15 list

https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/people/the-northumberland-areas-where-life-expectancy-is-the-longest-for-women-3449724