Liberal Democrats - working for Fawdon, North Kenton, Coxlodge, Red House Farm and Little Grange

From your local Lib Dems Brenda Hindmarsh, David Faulkner, Tracy Connell & the Focus team

Just not acceptable

Fields saga goes on

Anita (right) with Brenda and Tracy

At a time when Newcastle City Council is cutting jobs and services and is unwilling or unable to fundlibraries, pools, parks, street cleaning, and pavement repairs, it is plain unacceptable and inappropriate tosignificantly increase the council's debt to fund refurbishment of the Civic Centre and its offices - and it’s

madness to borrow £45 million to make £32 million in long term savings.David Faulkner says: “Many residents and council tax payers are rightly expressing their outrage at thiscrazy plan to spend millions to rent out office space. We demand that the council leadership rethink this

unnecessary, ill-considered, and out of touch plan.”If you agree then please sign our petition - go to www.facebook.com/fawdonward.libdems or

www.newcastle-libdems.org.uk and click for the petition.

CRAZY COUNCIL SPENDING MUST BE OPPOSED

Thanks for your support

Council plans to borrow £45m to “improve” the civic centre and then let half of it off to others

For those who missed it, the result of the City Council election in Fawdon Ward in May was thatLabour retained their seat and our excellent candidate TRACY CONNELL came second with 1409

votes, more than Conservative, UKIP and Green put together.Despite the very disappointing outcome for the Lib Dems nationally, this was still a result thatencourages us locally and shows strong support for the work we do on your behalf in Fawdon Ward.

Tracy says “I thank those who voted for me and I’m only sorry that we were caught out by the nationalswing and the General Election vote on the same day.”

Brenda Hindmarsh says “Tracy worked incredibly hard over many months and deserved to win; wethank her for her commitment and for her continued support here, also to Anita Lower who was an

excellent General Election candidate in Newcastle North constituency”.On Newcastle City Council, Labour won two seats and lost one. The Lib Dems still have a strong team

of 22 councillors - the only opposition party to Labour as there are still no Conservative, UKIP orGreens on the Council. “We will carry on speaking up for our area and for local services against

Labour’s neglect and inappropriate cuts” says David Faulkner.Since the General Election, the Lib Dems have come out fighting. Membership has risen by 20,000,local by-elections have been won and there’s a new, energetic and radical young Leader TIMFARRON, a Cumbrian MP and former Newcastle University student. Why not join us, offer your help

locally, or find out more? Contact www.libdems.org.uk or our local team - see overleaf.

NORTHKENTON’S

FAMILY FUNDAY

As in past years,Brenda Hindmarshhas put a lot of time

into helping theNorth KentonTenants and

ResidentsAssociation and

Kenton Park SportsCentre prepare forthis great event.

Don’t miss it-it’s Saturday 8

August. The FunDay is again funded

by your FawdonWard Committee.

It’s utterly frustrating, but five months after the Council Planning Committee considered thefencing plans of Red House Farm Football Club for the pitches on Kingston Park Road, no

progress has been made. The Council asked the club to come up with alternative plans to the9 and 15 foot fences around all the pitches and to consult with the community to see if they

would be any more acceptable. The Club has yet to begin this consultation process, and timewill tell if what they eventually consult on will command public support before they go back to

the Planning Committee.“We know that they still prefer to enclose all the pitches and will suggest some compromise”says Brenda Hindmarsh, “but we also know that there is huge opposition to any form ofenclosure of what has been public open space for the benefit of the whole community.”Brenda’s strong campaign on this issue has led to her being called “an old battleaxe” - we

think that’s spot on, and maybe she just likes the description …..

Summer 2015 edition

FOCUS

Best-ever results at North Fawdon PrimaryCongratulations to North Fawdon Primary School for achievingits best-ever Year 6 SATS results in reading, writing and maths.“In fact, performance by the pupils from reception through to

Year 6 have been the best yet” says Headteacher MrsAlison Cairns “So many of our children love to learn - it’s so

wonderful to see.”Brenda Hindmarsh, former chair of Governors at the school,says “coming on top of the huge achievement of jumping twogrades at once to become a “good” school in the OFSTED

ratings, it’s been a great year for the school.”For more information about what’s on at the school - see

http://www.northfawdon.newcastle.sch.uk/website/newsletters/94195

The Jubilee looks a treat afterits refurbishment - the building isgreat, as is the food and drink on

offer too.We love the way the history of

Coxlodge has been incorporated- see the Jubilee pit graphic on

the chimney breast.There’s also a fine print (seeoverleaf) of the pit as it was onthe wall inside, and a nice

painting of the exterior of the pubnow by Sue Cree.

CHEERS!

Councillor Brenda Hindmarsh, tel 285 1528, 4 Fawdon Lane,NE3 2AA; brenda.hindmarsh@newcastle.gov.uk

Councillor David Faulkner, tel 284 5662, 3 Bloomsbury Ct,NE3 4LW; david.faulkner@newcastle.gov.uk

Fawdon Ward Lib Dem Coordinator Tracy Connelltracy.connell@newcastle-libdems.org.uk

COUNCILLORS’ SURGERIES Second and Fourth Tuesdays5.30- 6.30pm at St Mary’s Church, Mapledene Rd, Fawdon

Useful local phone numbersEnvirocall: reporting graffiti, litter, dog fouling, bulky rubbish forcollection, bin collection and other neighbourhood maintenance

issues, also night- time noise reports : 0191 278 7828

Printed by Novo Print, 17 Denmark Street, Newcastle NE6 2XF . Published and promoted by D.Faulkner onbehalf of the Liberal Democrats, 3 Bloomsbury Court, Newcastle NE3 4LW

We’re here to help!Your Liberal Democrat Team

Liberal Democrats - making a difference in our area

PLEASE CONTACT ANY OF US IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP BYDELIVERING FOCUS NEWSLETTERS IN OR NEAR YOUR AREA.

Police non-emergency number 101

NEWS IN BRIEF

Tracy with hundreds of your survey forms

Brenda, Anita and Tracyoutside The Trap

5-STOREY BLOCKS DOWN -NEW HOMES ON THE WAY

Banbury Road in North Kenton is being transformed as the ugly old 5story apartment blocks are replaced with 65 new-build apartments intwo housing blocks. Your Homes Newcastle have commissioned

Keepmoat for this regeneration project. The old locks were demolishedrecently and a start will be made on the new, affordable homes soon.Councillor Brenda Hindmarsh said “it’s taken a long time to get to thisstage but I’m delighted to see yet another new homes project in our

ward - the seventh project over the past ten years.”

Check out the Fawdon Library

NOT A CLEVER STORY

Call in to join your local library - it’s now volunteer-run and not part of thecity’s network so you’ll need to fill in a membership form (it’s free).

The library has hundreds of new books added to the ones that the CityLibrary passed over, so there’s lots of choice for your summer reading!

There’s free access to the internet via the two People’sNetwork computers.

Opening hours are already longer than before - Mondays 11am-5pm;Tuesdays 10am-2pm; Wednesdays 10am-1pm; Thursdays 2-5pm; Fridays

10am-1pm. Come and give your support to the efforts of thevolunteers - all local residents.

Left is the print of the old Jubileepit, Coxlodge, from inside the

Jubilee pub.On the subject of nostalgia - therecent publicity about the 70thanniversary of VE Day promptsus to include a photo of a VE

Day Party that took place in ElmGrove, Fawdon - beside where

the flats are now.

NESTLE’S SWEET SUCCESSSteve Hizzitt from Nestlé talked recently to the Silver Lining Clubabout the company – its history, products and plans - and hebrought some samples! Nestle is an important local Fawdoncompany, part of a world-renowned business of course. It’sgood to know that they have been taking on extra staff recently

and now employ well over 600 on the Fawdon site.The Silver Lining Club resumes in September - every secondThursday at 10.30am for anyone over 50 who lives in Fawdon,North Kenton or Coxlodge/Red House Farm/Gosforth. It’s at

Kenton Park Sports Centre who also provide free tea and biscuits!All welcome. The Club was set up, and is run by Councillor David

Faulkner, supported by the Sports Centre team.

Nestlé submitted, and has had approved, a planning applicationfor the installation of solar panels across the roof areas of threebuildings and the erection of ground based solar panels on a

strip of land to the north of the existing buildings. Nestlé is a keymember of a new global business initiative committed to movingto 100% green energy. The Fawdon site is a world leader in

sustainable operations.

We’ve helped take up an issue in AnfieldCourt where the support for the residentsand their flats was not up to standard. The

provider, Places for People, are nowaddressing this matter.

Repairs are needed to the access road tothe bowls club at Coxlodge RecreationGround - the Fawdon and West Gosforth

ward committees have offered to help.Sadly the Sanofi factory on EdgefieldAvenue has now lost most of its staff. Aswe understand it, the company continuesto seek a partner to work with on the

redevelopment of the site, with apreference for employment purposes. If

possible this will be in the health or relatedsector, but almost certainly on a smallerscale. The Council has been giving

support and an announcement is imminent.We have been involved in discussions withthe police, fire service and council officersabout increased disorder and anti-socialbehaviour in the Kenton area – it seems

mostly in Kenton Bar and Kenton Dene butalso in North Kenton around the park andthe construction sites on Newlyn Road. The

police have used dispersal notices, arecalling on local residents and have

committed to a higher profile presence in thetrouble spots.

A suggestion that some of the HaydonClose garages be demolished and leasesre-assigned seems to have been droppedand the residents have been asked by themanagement company to refurbish those

garages that need it.A manager for the Fawdon Community

Centre has been appointed by the Tenantsand Residents Federation to develop

greater use of the building and work withthe local community.

Funding has been set aside to tidy up thefoliage on land adjoining the pub at Ancroft

Way, Red House Farm. We have beenpressing for this but it seems to be taking

the Council a long time to do the job.

PARK IMPROVEMENTS KEEP ON COMING !Your councillors David and Brenda have worked with theKenton Park Sports Centre and the North Kenton Tenants& Residents Association over several years to help draw

in funds to improve the centre and the park.

Before …..Ken Nixon and Bobby Richardson with the

scooter track plan, as the diggers start work.

Now the refurbished all-weather sports pitch is in place,and the new scooter track is under way too.

Local families recently took part in clean-up and plantingdays to brighten the park.

Pictured left- homes in

ChattonWynd with

theirscaffolding

Tenants on the Little Grange estate havehad to endure an over-running and poorly-managed modernisation programme overrecent months. The new Tenants and

Residents Association, and your councillors,have had to chase YHN and the contractorsall too often. “As always seems to happenwith modernisations, this is a saga of poorwork by sub-contractors and inadequate

communications” said Brenda.

After !

SUMMER PLAYSCHEMEThere’s a regular free summer play session for 5 to 12year olds every Wednesday and Friday between 12noon and 3pm at St Mary’s Church, Mapledene Rd,

Fawdon (behind the community centre) until 28 August.Sports and games, cooking, arts and crafts - lots to

choose from, plus a free lunch. Why not bring your kidsalong? Supported by your local Ward Committee.