Place Standard tool trialed at Bedlington showcase event by Northumberland County Council

The Place Standard tool involves asking residents about 14 physical and social elements of the place they live, and results in a graph highlighting the aspects which work – and those which need improvement.

The tool was first developed in Scotland and has been in use by the council for the last six months.

It was used in Bedlington on Friday and Saturday during drop-in showcase sessions for the town’s development plans at West Bedlington Community Centre.

And residents will have a further opportunity to contribute on Friday, November 4 between 1.30pm and 4pm and on Saturday, November 5 between 9.30am to 12.30pm, this time at East Bedlington Community Centre.

As well as applying sticky dots to the tool’s graph, residents could talk to council officials and place sticky notes with suggestions to improve Bedlington on the tool.

Northumberland County Council public health manager Karen McCabe, who was administering the tool at the event, said: “It is going down really well.

“We ask people if they would like to take part and they are basically rolling up their sleeves and saying that they have lots to share with you and lots they want to discuss.

“It is a really visual tool. The tool itself is a framework and a start of a conversation.

“It is about really speaking to the people who live here. They are the experts in their place.

Public health manager David Turnbull added: “We don't view this as a consultation. This is more about a conversation.

“We've not really got any preconceived ideas of how we want to improve the local area; what our aim is, is just to get suggestions from a grassroots level, from communities themselves.

“It moves away from that top down approach. At a traditional consultation we will present an idea, let's get your opinions about it. Very little will change.

“But that sort of grassroots upwards approach, you tell us what you would like and then we'll try and act upon that.”