Local Organisation Submissions to the Newcastle City Council Electoral Review

Local Organisation submissions to the Newcastle City Council electoral review This PDF document contains submissions from Local Organisations. Some versions of Adobe allow the viewer to move quickly between bookmarks. Friends of the Valley and the Little Dene Chairperson: Audrey Kingham, Secretary: John Stephenson, To: The Review Officer (Newcastle upon Tyne), Local Government Boundary Commission for England, 14th Floor Millbank Tower, 21-24 Millbank, London SW1P 4QP 3rd April 2016 Dear Sir/Madam Consultation on Ward Arrangement – Newcastle Upon Tyne I am responding to the above consultation as the secretary of Friends of the Valley and the Little Dene (FOVALD), an organisation based in High West Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne. We adopted a local open space in our neighbourhood in 2000 and we have been maintaining it, improving it and holding community events on it since then. The space provides recreational opportunities mainly for residents and families living in our neighbourhood (see attached plan). FOVALD is open to all neighbourhood residents. We were consulted by the City Council on the proposals to adjust the ward boundaries in February last. Our neighbourhood is currently in East Gosforth ward and the initial proposal was to take our community out of the Gosforth ward and attach it to communities further east, i.e. towards High Heaton & Benton. In terms of general services, our community links are north-south – we have strong links with Gosforth as well as Jesmond. Therefore, we commented that, from a community perspective, we thought the proposal would have a negative impact and suggested that High West Jesmond be included in either the Gosforth or Jesmond wards. We have not received a response from the Council, but we have seen the report to the Constitutional Committee and the revised maps and options. We were quite astounded to see that the proposed ward boundaries have been further adjusted and that our neighbourhood is now completely split into two. The proposed boundary between Gosforth ward (ward 18) and Haddricks Mill/Jesmond Dene ward (ward 12) now runs along Lodore Road, before it hits the metro line and turns north. The consequence is that our open space, the Valley, and approx 77 households in our neighbourhood are in one ward and the rest of our households are in a different ward! Our High West Jesmond neighbourhood has been a well defined community since it was built between 1895-1910, with community activity centred around our open space (the Valley), the local shops on Newlands Road and the allotments on the south side of Moorfield (see plan). The Valley is used by residents and families from the whole neighbourhood. For our Village Green application we collected information about usage from almost 100 households who had been using the Valley for a long period of time. I’ve attached a table showing each evidence form listed by address. Many of these residents submitted statements regarding the importance of the Valley as a community resource. You will note that the current ward boundary proposal will mean that the great majority of those households would be residing in a different ward to one of our community’s main social assets, which is not only used by them but also looked after!. That does not appear to fit with the criteria for changing ward boundaries. Of course, the Valley is also very well used by residents who moved in after 2000. I’ve attached copies of our Annual Reports for 2015, 2014 and 2013 to give you a flavour of the community activity that takes place. Therefore, our view is that the proposed ward boundary along Lodore Road will divide our community. It appears to be an arbitrary boundary with no community rationale underpinning it. So what would we suggest as an alternative? Our main preference is to remain part of Gosforth ward, in that many High West Jesmond residents use the shops, GP’s, dentists and other services on Gosforth High Street, in addition to the Gosforth schools. Plus, we have been part of the wider Gosforth community (East Gosforth ward) for the last 20 years and we have established good links with other community organisations in Gosforth. To achieve this, the eastern boundary of Ward 18 Option 1 & 2 (the metro line) could be extended south to Jesmond Dene Road, thus enclosing within Gosforth ward that part of the High West Jesmond community that is west of the railway, including the Little Moor and the allotments. Please see the attached plan of our neighbourhood. However, we can also appreciate the need to achieve electoral equality and that if this part of our housing area is removed from the Haddricks Mill/Jesmond Dene ward, then, without compensating amendments, there could be electoral imbalance. Therefore, if this was deemed to be necessary, we would propose moving the suggested ward boundary from Lodore Road to the north edge of the Valley, i.e. from the west it would follow Moor Road South for a short distance, before turning east along the line of the Little Dene and then following the rear of the Rectory Road houses, before linking across to the metro line.. We have shown this on the attached neighbourhood plan. It follows the old City boundary. Of the two options that the City has submitted for Area C, we would have a preference for Option 2, i.e. the proposed Jesmond Dene ward. This is because we feel that we have a closer identity with those communities bordering Jesmond Dene rather than those situated further east. Yours sincerely John Stephenson Audrey Kingham Secretary Chairperson . List of evidence forms Form Years using the no. Addre ss Name Valley Statem ent 1 1990-2014 2 1969-2014 3 1998-2014 4 1991-2014 5 1982-2014 6 1985-2014 7 1971-2014 * 8 1992-2014 9 1976-2014 10 1950-2014 * 11 1980-2014 12 1984-2014 13 1989-2014 14 1988-2014 15 1971-2014 16 1983-2014 17 1973-2014 18 1994-2014 19 1994-2014 20 1969-2014 * 21 1980-2014 22 1970-2014 23 1976-2014 * 24 1984-2014 * 25 1996-2014 * 26 1972-2014 27 1984-2014 28 1993-2014 29 1993-2014 30 1994-2014 31 1966-2014 * 32 e 1976-2014 * 33 1948-2014 * 34 1978-2014 * 35 1986-2014 36 1988-2014 37 1987-2014 38 1886-2014 * 39 1998-2014 * 40 1991-2014 41 1992-2014 42 1977-2014 * 43 1977-2014 * 44 1970-2012 * 45 1960-2014 46 1971-2014 47 1996-2014 48 1970-2014 49 1935-2014 * 50 1985-2014 51 1996-2014 52 1970-2014 53 1983-2014 * 54 1991-2014 55 1935-2014 * 56 1965-2014 * 57 1980-2014 58 1959-2005 59 1981-2014 * 60 1994-2014 61 1978-2014 62 1991-2014 63 1997-2014 64 1986-2014 65 1985-2014 66 1980-2014 67 1999-2014 68 1996-2014 69 1998-2014 70 1992-2014 71 1995-2014 72 1950-2014 73 1988-2014 74 1992-2014 75 1996-2014 76 1963-2014 77 1976-2014 78 1984-2014 79 1951-2014 * 80 s 1976-2014 81 1990-2014 * 82 1969-1990 83 1984-2014 84 1978-2014 85 1965-2006 86 1993-2014 87 1991-2014 88 1982-2014 89 1986-2014 90 1985-2014 91 1966-2007 Friends of the Valley and the Little Dene Annual Report 2014 This has been our most difficult year so far! The application for Village Green status under the Commons Act 2006 proved to be a much more complex project than first envisaged. However, we soldered on and, with great support from many residents and from the High West Jesmond Residents Association, we managed to submit the application on 10th June. It was verified in early July. Since then we have had virtually no communication, although, as most residents will have seen, notices were placed on the Valley in early November informing people of our application and requesting people who wish to object to do so before 31st December. E.mails to the City’s contact solicitor, asking about the process for dealing with the application in the new year have failed to attract a response (at time of going to print!). All a bit frustrating after the community effort involved. Whilst HWJ residents have accessed the Valley for a long time, for the land to be registered as a Village Green a range of criteria have to be met. In particular, it has to be shown that the land was not meant to be provided for public use. In that case, public use would become “as of right”. On the other hand, if the land was provided for public use, then such use is “by right”. For a Village Green to be registered, 20 years “as of right” use has to be proved. Of course, HWJ residents have been using the Valley from around 1915. Until the 1950’s it was in private ownership and during that period “as of right” use would have become established. However, for the purposes of current legislation that is too long ago! The land was bought by Newcastle and Gosforth Councils in the 1950’s, mainly as a site for depositing spoil from housing clearance. The tipping took place in 1962 and the material was covered with a thin layer of top soil. It was subsequently managed as “general purpose” land not as public open space. Yet, despite this, use by local residents continued. Our case is that between 1975 and 1995 the residents of HWJ used the Valley “as of right”. It wasn’t until the late 1990’s that grass cutting became regular, the surrounds were improved and waste-bins provided.

Load more