The Sill project is the biggest investment in Rural Northumberland +opening June 2017

Great to visit the building site for the Sill last week. This is going to transform West Northumberland in so many ways. There is going to be 80+ beds for kids and tourists to use, which will massively boost tourist numbers and the revenue spend. The architecture on its own will make the sill a destination. And as a visitor centre it is going to be something special. Full credit to the team behind it, but it is a massive project funded largely by Heritage Lottery money and it was great to bring the Heritage Minister on site on Thursday of last week.

Pleased that we have another good chair of Northumberland National Park in Glen Sanderson

Veteran councillor, farmer and magistrate Glen Sanderson has been elected to chair the body.
He replaces fellow councillor and Bellingham farmer John Riddle, who stood down after 14 years at the helm.
Coun Sanderson said: “I am very honoured to have been elected to this position and to follow John Riddle who has chaired the national park authority fantastically well over a long time.
“Our national park has rightly won numerous accolades over recent times and that is down to staff and board members who really care for the national park and the visitors that we welcome to it.
“I hope to be able to play a part in building on that success, to welcome even more people to enjoy this wonderful place, and to see The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre become a hugely important and enjoyable attraction for young and old alike.”
I am a big supporter of the Park, and the projects they are engaged in and will be looking forward to working with Glen and the team, and am looking to meet with the Glen and the team this summer when the House rises.  If you have not come to England's most beautiful park come soon.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/new-head-northumberland-national-park-9531053

Congratulations to the team behind the Sill

Tribute must be paid to the hard work of all the team behind the Sill. I am delighted that they have secured the Heritage Lottery Money to enable the project to proceed. I know the site well and have had a good look at the plans.
More details can be found here: http://www.thesill.org.uk/

I believe this project will bring jobs, extra tourist revenue and help make the National Park and Hadrian's Wall an even more attractive venue to visit.

More details of the project and my views on it can be seen on the attached You Tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyelVOpEXj0

Getting behind the Sill and Gilsland Railway Station, with support from Nick Clegg

In the House of Commons a few days ago I managed to get the DPM behind these two projects, when I raised the following at Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister:
Guy Opperman:
The North East LEP has done great work, but does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that in rural Northumberland we need the LEP to support rural connectivity and economic regeneration projects such as The Sill and the Gilsland station rebuild?

Deputy Prime Minister
If those issues are not covered by the growth deal that has already been entered into, they are precisely the kind of items that my hon. Friend and others locally may wish to push for in the successor rounds, because devolving control over transport investment decisions is emerging as one of the common themes in all the different growth deals across the whole country.
Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 14 October 2014, c152)

Events in Tynedale this weekend

The Sill has a public drop in day from 11-6 at the Once Brewed YHA and tomorrow there is the first in the new series of the Hexham Debates at 11am in St Mary's Centre in Hexham.
If you are at a loose end on Saturday you could
- take in the Book Fair at Wylam's St Oswins Church Hall from 10-noon.
- Churches Together in Stocksfield have a bring and buy sale on behalf of the Philippines Disaster Appeal from 10-noon, at the community centre.
- Greenhead Tea Room reopens today - it is a warm welcome back to the team, who provide great teas and support to many of our hikers and tourists.

The Sill Project is progressing but road improvements should happen too

In the summer a group of locals contacted me about the speeding and safety on the Military Road. As a result we held two separate meetings, including an round table at the Twice Brewed, with lots of locals, councillors, businesses, and representatives both from the Park and the County Council Highways department. To be fair NCC Highways have been very cooperative.
We managed to persuade the Northumberland County Council to team up with Northumberland National Park to conduct an assessment of the safety of the junction down to Vindolanda, and to look at improvements to safety of the Military Road, and surrounding area.
I have long taken the view that whatever happens with the Sill Project [which I fully support] the surrounding roads need improvement and safety measures. The speed in particular of drivers past the Twice Brewed is frequently in excess of 80-90mph. I have raised this with the Council and the Police and action definitely is needed.
As always I welcome further thoughts and opinions - simply email in and I will make sure that it is passed on. When I did the last blog on this issue in the summer many contacted us.    

Understanding the Sill Project in Northumberland National Park

I have been convinced this is a great plan. The architecture of a grass roof that you can walk up and on to is truly breathtaking. Well done to all the volunteers who are helping, as outlined on BBC radio recently
Full details of the Sill are here: http://www.thesill.org.uk/news/hexham-mp-backs-vision-for-northumberlands-10.5-million-landscape-discovery-centre
If you want to know what an MP looks like after a downpour then watch the video on the link! I am proud to say that I was the only one there recording that day who braved the torrential rain [aside from a very soggy cameraman / reporter!]

Traffic calming on the Military Road

Today I have further meetings at Twice Brewed to try and ensure that we have a plan in place for the safety of locals and tourists who use the Military Road, whether as drivers, cyclists or hikers. I know the area well but was struck, on a recent visit to see locals living around Twice Brewed, just how dangerous the road and the junction down to Vindolanda was. I have since met with the Northumberland County Council and I am pleased to report that they are comissioning a traffic study to evaluate the problem properly. What is clear to me is that  the road area needs to be looked at to try and slow traffic down; we also need to ensure that any future development of the Sill is carried out with proper regard for road safety. I will be discussing this further with locals today and also will be meeting the team behind the Sill project - I am a big fan of the development of greater attractions, facilities and jobs in the National Park but we need to make sure this dovetails well with neighbours and is part of traffic improvements to this area.
UPDATE: Good meeting tonight and my thanks to everyone who came along - particularly the local councillors and representatives from the Highways Department of NCC. There is an agreement to produce a traffic surey fundamnetally organised by the Council to look at road safety both on the Military Road and on the junction leading down to Vindolanda and the road beyondc leading to the A69. The hope is to get a study done within 3 months, to include the chance for local representations to be made in writing - please email or wrie to the highways Department at NCC in Morpeth or alternatively write or email me and I will forward this information / contribution on.