Choppington Parish Council
Chairman’s Report
Annual Assembly
This marks my final Chairman’s Report to the Annual Assembly, and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for the support you have shown to both me and the Parish Council. I have had the privilege of serving as a Parish Councillor following Local Government reorganisation in 2009, and it has been a great honour to act as Chairman for eight of those years. Our first Chairman, Ray Butler, set a clear and lasting direction for this Council—one rooted in the principles of working with the community, for the community, and by the community. That spirit continues to guide us today.
I am very proud to have been part of a council that has remained true to the strategic priorities established in those early days;
- the environment
- opportunities for the elderly and the young and
- strengthening of community infrastructure.
Since formation, all rundown bus shelters have been replaced, and our streets now feature new litter bins, seating, flower towers, and planters. We offer a range of sports and play activities for children under 12, including extended programs during school holidays. We support older residents with dedicated activities, and we’ve also provided a village hall in West Sleekburn. We work in close partnership with schools, community groups, and organisations, as well as with Northumberland County Council – being recognised nationally in 2018 by the Local Government Association and the National Association of Local Councils as one of 11 exemplar councils in the country for our collaboration with Principal Authorities to engage communities and reshape local services.
Report for 2024-25
In 2024-25, the Parish Council has continued to build upon its past achievements, delivering a wide range of services and initiatives that reflect its ongoing commitment to improving the community.
Activities for families, young and old
The Parish Council continues to promote and provide activities for younger and older people. We work in partnership with several local organisations including schools, youth groups, sports clubs, community groups, and Stakeford and Bomarsund Welfare to deliver a programme of activities.
One of the far-reaching initiatives is offering weekly lunchtime or evening football support into primary schools in the area. Schools tell us that this is a valuable addition to their weekly curriculum.
Parish Council is pleased to provide grant support to the youth section of Bedlington Brass Bank, and a parent and toddlers group towards running costs.
The Parish Council’s youth club at the Holy family Church runs every Thursday at 5pm for those 9 – 11-year-olds in years 5 and 6 with a mix of activities, games and crafts. Led by local youth worker Maria Oliver, it continues to grow in numbers and activities. As well as their weekly sessions, they had a trip to Airbox Bounce at Cramlington and arranged a very successful Christmas Party.
Last summer we provided holiday youth activities through AB sports and Control and Movement and this summer we intend to repeat commissions for sports, however we are still on the lookout a provider of non-sports related activities for the holiday play during the summer.
A wide range of activities for older people are supported by the Parish Council through grant funding and we are open to supporting new activities. This year the Council supported the line dancers of Stakeford and Bomarsund Welfare, 3 vets league snooker teams and the Ashington and District Male Voice choir.
Annual grants are made to the Wansbeck Food Bank and CVS.
West Sleekburn Village Hall
The Parish Council installed the existing village hall at West Sleekburn in 2019, and it is run by a group of Trustees including 3 of our Parish Councillors, Cllr Lynne Watson, Cllr Hilary Allsopp and Cllr Kath Burn. The building is available for private hire and is situated in a large green and paved area ideally suited for outside games or a barbecue. This year has seen increased activity in there due to the opening of their FareShare pantry running alongside its Social Saturdays. Social Saturdays and FareShare are open every Saturday morning from 10.30am-12.30pm – join in the fun.
Cleaswell Park and Playzone
The Parish Council has successfully refurbished all six play areas under its responsibility, however the main park Cleaswell was managed by Northumberland County Council and required a major facelift.
Residents were rightly disappointed that this feature park had fallen into disrepair, a concern that was echoed by Parish and County Councillors when pressing the case for funding with Northumberland County Council. In last year’s report we announced the news from Northumberland County Council that Cleaswell Park was to receive £200,000 as part of the fund to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II. Current investment is now £320,000 provided by gap-funding by the Parish Council, a Lottery grant a grant from the Barbour Trust, and funds directed from County Councillor small schemes monies.
From the beginning this project was shaped by the local community. The Parish Council invited residents to share their views on how the park should be developed and received over 100 responses to the consultation. These ideas helped guide the plans for improvement. NCC began work in March 2024 with the thinning of the woodland area. Previously unmanaged for decades, the woodland was in urgent need of attention. Thinning the trees has enhanced safety and visibility, allowing natural light to reach the undergrowth and encouraging regeneration. Visitors can now clearly see through the wooded area from the play area, and new steps and surfacing have created a safer and more accessible route through the park. The installation of new play equipment is almost completed.
In a separate initiative, the existing hard-surfaced basketball/football area will be replaced with a new PlayZone—a modern, multi-sport, fenced facility with an all-weather surface and floodlights, enabling year-round play into the evening. This £270,000 project is funded by the Football Foundation and delivered by the County Council, with additional gap funding provided by the Parish Council. The Parish Council will also manage the facility once completed.
As a condition of the Football Foundation grant, the PlayZone must include a locking system to allow for private bookings. However, it is the Parish Council’s intention to make it open access for the vast majority of the time. Construction is scheduled to begin in June, but we are currently awaiting final confirmation of the start date from the Football Foundation.
Assuming long-term responsibility for Cleaswell Park from the County Council is a significant step for the Parish Council. We are committed to making the park a vibrant community hub, and we invite residents to support this ambition. Suggestions already received include the development of a car park and a small refreshment kiosk.
To support this wider vision, a Friends of Cleaswell Park group has been established. The Parish Council will work closely with this group to help shape future developments and community events. The Friends group is actively seeking new members—so if you would like to share your ideas, volunteer your time, or simply stay informed, we warmly invite you to get involved.
Ashington Drive safety initiatives
This year brought to fruition a long-held ambition of residents and the Parish Council to continue the verge hardening along Ashington Drive. A major stretch along Ashington Drive is benefited by hard verges, however in the remaining stretch the verges are grassed, which in bad weather becomes rutted, unsightly and a potential trip hazard for pedestrians. For some time, residents have called for the completion of verge hardening along Ashington Drive and the Parish Council has made repeated requests for it to be included in Northumberland County Council highways plans. This year the Parish Council was pleased to approve a project funded provided jointly by the Parish Council and NCC, which included verge hardening as part of a scheme which also replaces paving with tarmac. This scheme started in March and will continue throughout May.
We reported previously that a proposal to place speed interactive signs along Ashington Drive had been welcomed by residents attending a pop-up consultation by the Parish Council. Consequently, these signs provided as a road safety measure by retiring County Councillors Julie Foster and Mary Murphy have been in place now for a several weeks providing a reminder to drivers that a 20mph speed limit is in place throughout Wansbeck Estate.
Neighbourhood Plan
The Neighbourhood Plan steering group continues to gather information to strengthen our Neighbourhood plan. There are two emerging themes:
- Land that is valued and that people wish to protect from unnecessary or inappropriate development.
- Encouragement of good design to enhance the area.
The neighbourhood plan is an important tool in our drive to improve where we live.
Through the Neighbourhood Plan, land can be designated as ‘Local Green Space’ or ‘Protected Open Space. The local green space (LGS) designation is a way to protect green areas or open spaces against development where they are of particular importance to local communities.
Protected Open Space (POS) designation is a way to protect other areas of open space which are valued for their local amenity and for informal or formal recreational purposes, but which do not meet the full LGS criteria. A designation of Protected Open Space does give a degree of safeguard against development.
Finally, I would like to thank outgoing Councillors Arthur Iley and Aaron Hart for their contributions during their terms of office and welcome newly elected Councillors Allan Cottrell, David Fitzgerald and Martin Jackson to the Parish Council.
I hope our new Councillors will enjoy working as part of the Parish Council team as much as I did.
Paul S Vaughan
Chairman
Choppington Parish Council
12 May 2025