In a meeting of the Finance and General Services Committee held on Tuesday, 9th July, Ashington Town councillors approved a series of small grants to support local community groups and initiatives.

Ashington Town Council is pleased to share the ongoing efforts of the Northumberland County Council Neighbourhood Services Team, funded through a significant Partnership Agreement. This agreement, underpinned by Ashington Town Council, supports a dedicated workforce of five operatives, including the essential vehicles and machinery required to maintain and enhance our community environment.

The primary responsibilities of this workforce include emptying public litter bins, street cleansing, and responding to incidents of fly-tipping. However, these dedicated operatives have on occasion been redirected to tackle other pressing issues such as weed spraying, clearances, hedge maintenance, and strimming. This adaptability ensures that they can provide comprehensive support to the core workforce, addressing a wide range of environmental issues in Ashington. We have included various before and after photographs shared at our last two Partnership board meetings.

Northumberland County Council is preparing to submit a Full Planning Application for the proposed development of the Portland Park Cinema in Ashington. Residents are invited to view the proposal and provide feedback on the scheme.

The town of Ashington has embarked on an inspiring new project titled ‘Ashington to the Future,’ inviting the young minds of the community to delve into the rich history of their hometown and imagine its future.

Ashington Town Council has announced the allocation of £66,000 in grants to local organisations as part of its annual funding initiative.

Ashington residents are invited to attend the upcoming Finance and General Services Committee on Tuesday, July 9thth, 2024 at the Town Hall (65 Station Road, Ashington, NE63 8RX) at 6:00pm.

Ashington marked Armed Forces Day 2024 with a heartfelt tribute, honouring the brave men and women who serve in the British Armed Forces.

Ashington Town Council is pleased to announce the re-election of key leadership positions within the Finance and General Services Committee, as decided at the committee meeting held on 25th June 2024.

As the Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) of Ashington Town Council, I am pleased to announce the conclusion of our financial year and the approval of our end-of-year finances at last night’s council meeting.

Our council has diligently adhered to the Accounts and Audit Regulations, ensuring that our financial affairs are properly administered and aligned with legal standards. This commitment to good governance, accountability, and transparency is fundamental to our mission of providing efficient and effective public services to the Ashington community. Our Annual Governance and Accountability Return, for year ending March 2024 will be sent to the external auditor today.

We invite Ashington residents to exercise their right to inspect the Council’s accounts during the designated period Thursday 27th June 2024 and ending on Wednesday 7th August 2024.

The results of our External Audit, in the form of an Annual Return, will be made available on our website and upon request once completed, typically in September.

As always, we remain committed to financial responsibility and transparency. Residents are welcome to direct any questions about council spending to my office at any time.

We are plesed to commend the swift response of our Neighbourhood Services Officers (NSOs) when faced with vandalism to several Haydon ward litter bins. Our team demonstrated that we won’t be deterred from maintaining our town’s cleanliness and despite the sweltering heat sprang into action, swiftly reinstalling and upgrading litter bins in the Haydon Ward. Their quick response ensures that these isolated incidents of vandalism do not impact our services for long.

Despite the hot weather, our NSO team worked efficiently to replace the affected bins. The new installations are now secured on concrete plinths for improved durability.