Longhoughton Parish Council round-up

An initial quote of £60,300 plus VAT has been obtained to build a multi-use games area (MUGA) at Westfield Park.

Coun Adrian Hinchcliffe told Longhoughton Parish Council that Longhoughton Community and Sports Centre Trust (LCSCT) has been discussing the project, which is set to benefit from £40,000 S106 funding. He said that the suggestion is for a 15metre by 30metre MUGA for sports like netball, basketball, football and tennis.

The initial quote was based on three-metre-high fencing, but Coun Hinchcliffe said that this might be made higher.

He said that two possible locations have been identified; the existing children’s adventure park, or down the bottom end of the car park, adjacent to the former Johnnie Johnson Housing site. Coun Hinchcliffe believes planning permission will be needed

He said that the MUGA would be open access and free, but locked at night; although the thinking is that it could also be booked for groups/clubs, possibly for a charge.

A questionnaire has been put together to gauge community feedback.

Coun Hinchcliffe said that a partnership project structure is being suggested, between LCSCT, the parish council and the RAF.

It has been suggested that the project should move forward with representatives from each of these organisations and Coun Hinchcliffe has put himself forward as project manager.

Ongoing costs have not yet been established, but he asked if the parish council would help with the maintenance.

Parish council chairman Bryan Ellis said the MUGA ‘seems like a good idea to me’.

Concerns have once again been raised about the state of the road between Longhoughton and Denwick, with one critic branding it ‘not fit for purpose’.

Local councillors have repeatedly made calls for improvements to be made along the stretcha and at the meeting, the need for action was voiced once more.

Ward councillor Kate Cairns said there had been a recent crash on a series of bends close to Denwick. She added: “It is a bad area and I have asked officers to put chevrons there to warn about the bends.”

Parish council chairman Bryan Ellis added: “That road is not fit for purpose. That is the reality. Until it is upgraded, it will only get worse, especially as the village gets bigger and the quarries get busier. We are having more and more accidents there.”

The parish council will be ‘chasing the tails’ of the county council to seek asurances that the authority will cut the grass at the former Johnnie Johnson Housing site.

Coun Ellis said: “That is an area that could look absolutely awful by the middle of August. We need the county council to reassure us that they will keep it in good order.”

Coun Adrian Hinchcliffe said that progress is being made on the development of the parish council’s new website.

He said: “The website will be handed over to us fairly soon so we can start to populate it as soon as possible.”