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

Matfen Broadband update - pleased the village will get broadband in Phase 2 of rollout after long campaign

Matfen village is to benefit from broadband after a long campaign headed by local County Councillor Veronica Jones, helped by myself.

The decision that Matfen village will now be a key priority in the County Council's latest broadband roll out was made on 29th May. For far too long, Matfen has suffered from a very poor / no Internet. Whilst other towns and villages have begun to see improvements or resolution in their internet services, Matfen was effectively being cut off. That simply wasn't good enough and Cllr Jones and I pledged to work hard to deliver a solution. I am immensely pleased that such a solution has been found and BT will be bringing broadband to the village.

The problem the villagers of Matfen faced in getting online is because the village is at the end of a long connection to the local exchange ‘cabinet’ which is located in neighbouring Fenwick, rather than in Matfen itself. As a result, the County Council's first roll out of broadband upgrades had been unable to find a cost effective solution, given that the estimated cost exceeded £2000 per household. 

Councillor Veronica Jones has led the campaign locally, and said "This really is fantastic news for Matfen village. The hard work now really begins to make sure it is delivered. I will also be working hard to ensure those in more rural areas are able to benefit from the latest innovations to help improve their broadband service."


I should add that I am fully aware that there remain several villages and hamlets and not spots in the patch, which still need addressing. Several like Colwell and the Hexham Shire I am fully aware of and am working on but all information is good information.
As always please keep me and the local councillors informed. The broadband roll out is progressing and we are getting there, but all information helps because I can only act on matters that local people let me know about. 

Cheaper fuel on its way for residents of Upper North Tyne

I am delighted that our campaign for NE48 residents is a further step closer to success.
Even though fuel prices are falling across the country, they are still higher in very rural areas. Places like Kielder and Bellingham are amongst the most rural areas in the UK. For people who live in these areas cars are a necessity, not a luxury. We have battled hard to reach this major milestone, and the campaign continues.
Full story here:
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/cheaper-fuel-way-motorists-remote-8456713

Rural Fuel Duty cut for the Upper North Tyne

Really pleased that Treasury has seen sense on this issue and made the application to Brussels: we are the only region in England to qualify. This could make all the difference to motorists shopping locally or travelling down to Hexham or Newcastle, where prices can be more than 14p per litre cheaper. Although the bid covers a wide geographical area, only two local garages will benefit from the deal, if it wins approval: the garages it will help are Bellingham’s Garage Services, and the Kielder Petrol Station. More details here:
http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/rural-drivers-in-fuel-cut-bid-1.1114596#

Farming and rural action manifesto

I was lucky enough to get asked to go to Newcastle and listen in to the meeting of a large number of farmers, and key players in the rural community. We discussed at length CAP reform, Single Farm Payments, deregulation and rural housing amongst many issues over a 4 hour period. We discussed localism and its effects in many forms. Came away having learnt a lot.
Our farming and rural action manifesto is set out by Nick Herbert MP below http://www.conservatives.com/News/News_stories/2010/02/A_New_Age_of_Agriculture.aspx