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— Bellingham Parish Council (@BellinghamPC) July 24, 2023

Bellingham Indoor Market Update

Due to ongoing difficult trading conditions we have made the decision to move our market from a monthly to a quarterly event.

Hopefully this will encourage more shoppers to turn out to support our local traders.

The current plan is to run March, June and September on the 3rd Saturday as usual, with the Town Hall running its Christmas fair in December.

Thank you for your ongoing support with the market.

You can now book your WeFibre Installation!

Anyone who has pre-ordered their new Gigabit Full Fibre Broadband service can now book their installation!

If you have already pre-ordered you will have received an email with a link to the booking site (Check your Junk folder in case it's gone in there). Once here, press the Book Now button, select WeFibre - North East from the list, choose your installation day and timeslot and complete your details. 

WeFibre's teams are currently pre-connecting customers homes and businesses ready for service but the actual "go-live" date of your new connection won't be for another few weeks. The teams are keen to get as many properties in cabled streets ready to go on the big switch-on day.

You will not be billed until the service is activated. 

We'll post the date of big activation day here when it's announced!

If you haven't claimed your Government voucher or pre booked it's not too late! Please see the post below for details on what to do.

If you have any queries with the booking process please contact WeFibre directly at helpdesk@wefibre.com or call 0330 229 0222.

It's all go from 1st August!

We're happy to be able to announce that the first homes and businesses will be connected to our new Gigabit service from Monday 1st August!

If you have already pre-ordered your new service WeFibre will reach out to you from next week to get your installation booked in.

If you haven't pre-ordered yet go to wefibre.com and enter your postcode. If you have claimed your Government grant you will see Gig Home Earlybird (with Voucher Funding) and setup will be Free. If you don't see voucher funding and your installation is showing as £49 it's not too late to claim your voucher. Head over to wefibre.com/grants and complete the form and WeFibre will be in touch. 

We've worked hard to bring Bellingham one of the fastest broadband networks in the UK at an incredible price.

It's now time to get connected and enjoy it!

Check out our dedicated Gigabit Broadband page for more information on the new service. 

We've had a number of requests over the past few months asking for cycle racks in the village centre so they have somewhere so securely put their bikes when visiting our shops.

At the moment bikes are propped against shop fronts which can block the pavement for pedestrians and against trees and the bus stop sign which can block off parking spaces.

We enquired with NCC to see where some could be put and they have arrived today and supplied and installed some for us!

The new racks are located behind the benches on King Street and beside the bins and post box outside of the newsagents.

The racks by the newsagents have the additional benefit of keeping the corner clear so it's easier for drivers turning left from Woodburn Road to see safely.

No parking spaces have been removed with the installation of the new racks.

Rivers and burns are a natural place to head for when the weather is hot over the summer months.

Make sure you take care and follow the advice below - 

It's colder than it looks

Water at open and inland sites is ofter much colder than it looks, cold water can affect your ability to swim and self-rescue.

Don't go to far

Always swim parallel to the river bank, that way you're never too far away from it.

It's stronger than it looks

Currents in the water can be very strong. If you find yourself caught in a current - don't swim against it - you'll tire yourself out. Stay calm, swim with the current and call for help. 

The water level in the North Tyne can rise quickly if water is released from Kielder Reservoir.

Know where the lifesaving equipment is

If you swim in the North Tyne next to the Jubilee Field there is a Lifebuoy on the river bank at the bottom of the field. 

Bring a friend

Always bring a friend when you go swimming so if anything goes wrong, you've got someone there to help.

Click below for more information from Lee Heard, Charity Director at the Royal Live Saving Society UK.

Huge congratulations to Bellingham’s own Fountain Cottage Cafe and B&B - Winners of the best cafe in Northumberland / Tyne & Wear for the second year running!!

We wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to make Sunday's event such a big success!

Thanks to Trevor Suckling for giving us the tent for the day, Margret Wilson & the Twisty Roads Society for supplying the medals for the kids sports and Father Jim at St Oswald's for allowing us use of the church car park. Also Jason Arnup Music who was on top form after a very busy weekend and couldn't wait to get started yesterday afternoon!

A special shout out has to go to Amy Riley for running the kids sports and to Brenda Huddleston for pulling the whole thing together as well as arranging all of the bunting around the village! Amazing Job - you did the Parish proud!!

Finally, thank you to you - our community, for coming along and celebrating the Platinum Jubilee with us. It really is great to see everyone coming together and having some fun.

The wonderful team from Bellingham in Bloom have been out in force again refreshing the planters all through the village.

The bulbs have been replaced with new summer bedding in red white and blue for the Queen's Jubilee.

We have also started hanging bunting through the centre of the village so we're ready for the long Jubilee weekend!

Due to unforseen circimstances we are unable to run our monthly market in May.

We will be back on the 18th June bigger and better tban ever.

Sorry for any disappointment caused. 

Overview

Through the Borderlands Place Programme, Northumberland County Council intend to target investment in places that will help boost economic activity across the region. Recognising the importance of our smaller rural market and coastal towns to the local economy.

Each town, including Bellingham, will be developing an investment plan to secure up to £3m of Borderlands Place Programme funding.

A series of Place Plans will be developed for both Bellingham and Northumberland's other priority towns. Towns will only enter the Place Programme should their Place Plan contain projects eligible for Borderlands investment.

Why your views matter

To develop a Town Investment Plan for Bellingham, it is vital for us to learn more about the town from your perspective. We have launched a new survey and if you live, work, study, visit, or run a business in the town we encourage you to use this to have your say on developing plans for Bellingham.

We are asking you to share your feelings on the best and worst aspects of the town and the things that you would like to see change.

Please click the link below and let us know your thoughts.

The survey is open from the 9th May 2022 and closes at midnight on the 23rd May 2022.

Survey Link

We have dedicated the bench seat between Fountain Terrace and Fountain Cottage to the memory of Graham Batey who, amongst his many contributions to the area, was a former Chairman of Bellingham Parish Council.

Platinum Jubilee Weekend in Bellingham

Are you a business planning an event over the Jubilee weekend?

The Parish Council has plans in place to decorate the village and run celebration events over the weekend. If you are a business planning an event please let us know and we will compile and promote a full what's on itinerary for the weekend so everyone can get involved.

Please let us know by emailling details of what you have planned to clerk@bellinghamparishcouncil.co.uk

We would also encourage residents and businesses to decorate your premises with bunting, flags etc to really make the village pop!

Thank You!

What Three Words Addresses

You may have noticed three word "codes" on our website for our Car Chargers (///vowed.quirky.vision), Cemetery (///news.surcharge.skews) and Public Toilets (///situates.dash.chosen).

These are What Three Words (w3w) locations.

Street addresses aren’t accurate enough to specify precise locations, such as building entrances, and don’t exist for parks and many rural areas.

This makes it hard to find places and prevents people from describing exactly where help is needed in an emergency.

w3w have divided the world into 3 metre squares and gave each square a unique combination of three words. It’s the easiest way to find and share exact location.

You can use w3w to help delivery drivers who might not be able to find your house on streets with no street signs.

You can use the w3w app to find a precise location from a w3w address that you have been given.

Visit www.what3words.com or download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store and find and share your what three words address.

The right hand car charger (Reno-Dion) situated behind the Town Hall has been repaired and is now back in service. 

https://www.bellinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk/evcharging.asp

Do you have green fingers? Would you like to manage your own allotment?

We have a couple of allotments available to rent in Bellingham.

If you are interested in taking one on please drop us a message at clerk@bellinghamparishcouncil.gov.uk.

Rental is £25 per year for a full allotment or £12.50 per year for a half plot.

We have had a number of queries into the parish regarding the new car chargers currently being installed in the village between the old Barclays Bank and the Public Toilets. 

This is not a Parish Council Project - They are an infrastructure investment by Northumberland County Council which aims to help residents without their own off-street parking transition to EV's in the coming years when the Government bans the sale of combustion cars. 

As NCC are installing the units on their own land there has not been any formal planning required. The PC have not been involved in any way.

If you have questions on the installation there is a contact number on the sign in the barriered off area (below).

Parking Suspension - Bays from Former Barclays Bank to Public Conveniences

Northumberland County Council is temporarily suspending parking in the bays from the former Barclays Bank to the Public Conveniences from Sunday 13th March to allow them to install their new Electric Car Chargers. 

Pioneer Utilities / WeFibre Letter

You may have received a letter from Pioneer Utilities today stating they are planning to dig up your road.

The teams from Pioneer Utilities and Telcom Infrastructure have been in the village for the past month and, in most cases, are using existing Openreach Ducts and Poles.

In SOME instances they may need to dig where existing ducts are either unavailable or full, or install new telephone poles where existing are full or needing replacing, but this will be the exception not the norm.

We have worked hard to ge the fastest broadband service available to the people of the Parish and it's great to see the work being completed.

If you have not expressed interest for Ultrafast Gigabit broadband for only £20 per month you can so so at wefibre.com/grants

More information on the new service can be found on our dedicated page HERE.

As discussed in February’s PC meeting we have formalised our agreement with the Town Hall committee to use the community room for tea, coffee and flask filling during major power outages in the area.

Please share the details with your friends and neighbours so everyone is aware and can benefit.

We are aware of a tree that has come down in The Croft Cemetery following last nights high winds.

We are currently working to have it removed asap and assess any damage to the surrounding area.

Following a successful grant application the Parish Council has purchased a selection of new toys for the Bellingham Toddler & Baby Group which is held in the Rede Hall.

Cllr. Amy Riley who looks after Children's Services and Youth Engagement for the Parish Council handed over the goodies to Natalie Tuck and Abbie Armstrong who run the group.

The kids were eager to get into the new toys!

We've brought the fountain back to Fountain View with the installation of a new water bottle filling station on the side of the public conveniences.

This new installation is part of Bellingham Parish Council's continuing environmental push and we hope people will use the new fountain to fill their refillable water bottles instead of single use plastic bottles.

Click HERE for more details. 

As the weather takes a colder turn and paths become slippy don't forget there are 17 Grit Bins across the village for use by residents.

These are supplied and kept filled by Northumberland County Council.

A list of bin locations and links to request refills or additional bins can be found on our website HERE.

Since launch the cost for using our EV Chargers has been set at 20p/kWh.

We have noticed a lot of users plugging in far longer than their vehicle takes to charge which prevents

others from using the service. We have asked that users move their vehicles once charged.

In order to try to stop this happening we will be changing from a per kWh fee to a time based model.

From December 1st the cost for using these chargers will be £1.50 per hour* plugged in

Full details of our chargers can be found HERE

*The current hourly cost of these 7.2kW chargers is 7.2kW x 20p = £1.44/hour

Under the new structure you will continue to be charged until your vehicle is unplugged

You will be charged on a per minute basis

Thanks to Kate Jameson for organising the bonfire and an amazing fireworks display for Bellingham!