A New Year’s message from Cramlington’s Town Mayor

Ten years sounds like a long time but I think the past decade has flown by and as we welcome in the 2020’s I’ve taken a moment to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.

Ten years is also a special anniversary to everyone here at Cramlington Town Council – the council has just celebrated it’s first decade following the reorganisation of local government in Northumberland.

It is my honour to be the Town Mayor of Cramlington and, like all the previous councillors over the past ten years, it is a privilege to serve our community.

Since 2009 the Town Council has set about improving services and facilities to help make Cramlington a place which is good to live in, work, and visit.  During this time Cramlington has witnessed some major changes including the building of the new cinema and the hospital.

Over the last 10 years the Council has grown in size, resources and ambition not just as a service deliverer but as a focal point for community concerns, local development and community leadership.

In fact, as the most local level of democracy and community action, our role has never been more important, with increasing ambitions to tackle national issues such as engaging young people, tackling anti -social behaviour, promoting community safety, and creating healthier communities.

And increasingly to achieve our ambitions we’re working closely with key partners. Our draft Neighbourhood Plan will be subject to a local referendum later this month and contains many policies to guide the development of Cramlington over the next 15 years. Making the plan happen will need the support of many agencies but it will be the Town Council that is the voice of local people.

We’ve come a long way over the last 10 years and next year will see Cramlington continue to change for the better with some exciting developments. Of course the town faces some challenging issues but with your support we can tackle them head on.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2020,

Loraine De Simone, Town Mayor of Cramlington