Northumberland Water Limited Compensation
A
paper submitted by Michael Gibbs to be considered by the Parish Council
after the Craster
Community Development Trust has had an opportunity to
comment on it
1a. An agreement on what Northumberland Water Limited
(NWL) should pay the Parish Council (CPC)/Craster Community Development
Trust (CCDT) now seems to be in sight. It would seem appropriate for
the Parish Council to give proper consideration as to how to deal with
the money.
1b. Up to now, there has been an assumption (not
minuted?) that the CCDT should receive the whole compensation as it is
not clear whether or how the CPC can carry significant sums forward. It
was (and is) seen as important that the community should get the whole
benefit of the sum involved.
1c. However the CCDT is only the tenant of the land
concerned, for a peppercorn rent on a lease that is half spent.
Granting it the full amount of the compensation might leave the CPC
open to challenge that this would be far in excess of any reasonable
valuation of what the CCDT is to lose.
2a. There would seem to be little to prevent the CPC
making grants to community organisations from all or part of the NWL
compensation. The District Council made large grants from its remaining
funds before it came to an end this April.
2b. An approach that might seem fair and less open to
challenge could be for the CPC to offer the CCDT all the NWL proceeds
for Plot 10, which is to be permanently lost. Plot 11 would be returned
by the CPC to the CCDT after the land had been reinstated. The CPC
would receive the NWL license moneys for Plot 11 and pay them out to
community organisations as grants.
2c. This approach would allow the CPC to show its
accountability for ensuring that the Plot 11 moneys go to worthwhile
community needs and activities.
2d. Possible grants might include some for:
i. Children and young people – recreation
(CCDT/Craster Rovers
ii. Nature and the environment (Arnold Reserve sub-
committee/Northumberland Wildlife Trust)
iii. Village History Archive (History group)
(It will be noted that the foregoing involve
sub-groups of the CCDT but by making such grants the CPC will be
promoting desirable programmes for the community)
iv. The Craster Memorial Hall for up to £10,000 to
expedite work need to eliminate identified asbestos and woodworm
problems in its structure.
3. Recommendations:
3.1 the CPC should pass on the NWL compensation for
Plot 10 to the CCDT
3.2 It should return Plot 11 once reinstated to the
CCDT
3.3 it should retain the NWL license fees for Plot 11,
for grants to community organisations, including the CCDT and the
Craster Memorial Hall,
3.3 in doing so, the CPC should give consideration to
the detailed suggestions in 2d above.
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