Ashington Town Council and Northumberland County Council Launch Kerb Appeal Trial
Ashington Town Council and Northumberland County Council are working together on an exciting new trial aimed at improving how Ashington looks and feels for residents and visitors alike.
Since 2014, Ashington Town Council has invested directly in local neighbourhood services, using funds collected from Ashington taxpayers to enhance the frontline services delivered in our town through a Partnership Agreement with Northumberland County Council. Whilst these are statutory services delivered by NCC, the Town Council welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively on how they are delivered locally. We recognise that frontline services across local government have been affected in recent years, and the Town Council wants to be part of the discussion and part of the solution - helping where we can to maintain and improve services for Ashington residents. Whilst there is always an argument for investing more money in services, the Council wants to ensure that the funding provided delivers the best possible results for the Ashington community.
Running from 1st December 2025 to March 2026, this trial represents a fresh approach to tackling the competing demands of maintaining our town's appearance - balancing litter collection, fly-tipping removal, grounds maintenance, and the everyday visual aspects that residents see and experience.
The Partnership Agreement represents approximately 25% of Ashington Town Council's operating budget - for a Band A property, that's around £19 per year of the £77.30 annual precept going towards these enhanced neighbourhood services.
Understanding Our Partnership
It's important to note that the Partnership Agreement covers Neighbourhood Services, which includes street cleansing, litter collection, fly-tipping removal, grounds maintenance (grass cutting, hedge and shrub maintenance), weed control, and the maintenance of street furniture and public amenities. Highways matters - such as road repairs, potholes, and road surfacing - are completely separate services managed directly by Northumberland County Council and are not part of this partnership or trial. The focus of our collaboration is on keeping Ashington's public spaces clean, tidy, and well-maintained.
What's Changing?
The Council has agreed to shift focus towards kerb appeal activities - the things that make the most visible difference to how our streets and public spaces look day-to-day. Streets for the trial have been carefully chosen by ward Councillors to test this approach effectively. Whilst it isn't possible to include all streets within the trial period, we need to start somewhere to see if this works. If your street is included in the trial, you'll see the difference firsthand - and we hope those results will better inform what we do moving forward across the whole town.
From 1st December, the same dedicated team and resources will be redeployed to concentrate on:
• Edging amenity grass areas to create neat, well-defined borders
• Removing leaves, weeds, and moss from pavements and hard-standing areas
• Sweeping litter, silt, and detritus from streets
• Maintaining hedgerows and shrubs
• Cleaning road signs and street name plates
• Removing graffiti from street furniture
Working Together for Ashington
This is very much a collaborative effort between Ashington Town Council and Northumberland County Council. Weekly monitoring will take place throughout the trial, with results reviewed at Partnership Board meetings, and a full evaluation will be conducted in March 2026.
Success will be measured by visible improvements to the streets included in the trial - if we can demonstrate that this approach makes a real difference to how Ashington looks, it could be rolled out more widely after March. Alternatively, a hybrid approach combining kerb appeal with other priorities might work better - time will tell. The March review will be based on what has been achieved throughout the trial and any feedback received from residents.
"We're working closely with NCC to find out what brings the best results for Ashington," said Cllr Marjorie Chambers, Chair of the Partnership Board.
Cllr David Coyle, Vice-Chair of the Partnership Board, who championed the 'kerb appeal' approach, said, “This trial will help us understand what works best for our town's appearance and how we can make the most of the investment Ashington taxpayers make in local services."
What This Means for Residents
The focus on kerb appeal means that litter and fly-tipping will still be collected but may be left a little longer whilst other priorities are tackled. Station Road will continue to receive enhanced visits throughout the trial.
Since the Partnership became focused on cleansing and fly-tipping in 2019, the number of public litter bins in Ashington has more than doubled. The Council acknowledges that we went too far, and as part of this trial, some bins will need to be removed. These won't be destroyed - we'll reuse those that can be reused to ensure bins across the town are in the best possible condition, and in the most appropriate places. If you live beside a bin that you don't think is well used or needed, please let us know.
Councillors and Officers from both Ashington Town Council and Northumberland County Council are working together to come up with solutions that benefit our town. This trial will reveal things - both good and bad - but we want residents to understand that we are always working for the good of Ashington, within the means we have available.
We need residents to bear with us during this trial period as we work out what brings the best outcomes for Ashington. You may notice some differences - both positive and negative - as we test this new approach.
How You Can Help
Residents can play their part in keeping Ashington looking its best:
• Be more responsible - take your litter home or use the bins provided
• Report issues online through the Northumberland County Council website or https://fix.northumberland.gov.uk/
• Tell us what you notice - your feedback throughout the trial is invaluable in helping us make the right decisions for Ashington's future
• Please remove your vehicle when requested so NCC operatives can access and clean all areas effectively
Please note: There will be a temporary pause in the trial during the Christmas and New Year week due to reduced staffing levels. The trial will resume in early January.
The trial is about grappling with competing demands and finding the right balance for our community. By working together - Council and residents - we can discover what truly makes the biggest difference to how Ashington looks and feels.
For more information about the Kerb Appeal Trial, please contact Ashington Town Council on admin@ashingtontowncouncil.gov.uk or call (01670) 624521.
