What’s It To Me?

Your council

Northumberland: what’s happening where you live

What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.

Read on 25 September 2026. Councils publish at different rates and in different places, so “nothing found” means nothing found, not nothing happening.

Council plan · Budget · Meeting papers · Councillors · Register of interests · Consultations

Housing

Northumberland's Local Plan (Policy HOU 2) requires at least 17,700 new homes from 2016 to 2036 (about 885 a year).

“Policy HOU 2 identifies a requirement for a minimum of 17,700 net additional dwellings from 2016 to 2036 (an average of 885 dwellings per annum).”

Northumberland County Council, undated. Read 25 September 2026. Housing Delivery and Supply Summary dated May 2025 (no exact day). Same document: 12,416 delivered to date, residual requirement 5,284. The council says it is 'starting work on a new Local Plan' (https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning/planning-policy-and-local-plan).

Transport

Northumberland County Council consulted on the A193 Seafront Active Travel Scheme between Kingsway and Old Hartley (12-29 May 2026).

“The A193 Seafront Active Travel scheme will bring improvements to existing infrastructure and new infrastructure established between Kingsway to Old Hartley.”

Northumberland County Council, 12 May 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Consultation opened 12 May 2026, closed 29 May 2026. Scheme includes 'Reducing speed limits' and 'Improving bus stop facilities'. No transport consultation was open on Have Your Say at time of reading (4 open: gambling policy, social care charges, council tax support, priorities).

Council tax

Band D set by Northumberland for 2026–27: £2,279.36 of a £2,596.94 total bill in the area. MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (Open Government Licence).

Northumberland's council tax report to County Council on 18 February 2026 set a 4.99% increase for 2026-27 (including 2% adult social care precept); Band D £2,279.33 excluding police and parish.

“the Council Tax for 2026-27, excluding the Police Precept, will be increased by 4.99% (including the Adult Social Care Precept of 2.00%), equating to a charge per Band D household of £2,279.33 (excluding Special Expenses).”

Northumberland County Council, 18 February 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Read via WebFetch only (paragraph 4.1(c)); curl re-verification blocked by a Cloudflare challenge (HTTP 403) on northumberland.moderngov.co.uk. Cross-check from the council's own charges page (https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-charges): Band D Northumberland County Council 1,890.37 + Adult Social Care Precept 388.96 = 2,279.33, and 'For 2026-2027, we have applied a 2% increase' (adult social care). The quote is from the report's recommendation text.

Environment

Northumberland County Council aims to make the county carbon neutral by 2030 and reach net zero for all greenhouse gases by 2040.

“We've declared a ‘climate emergency’ - committing to halve our carbon footprint by 2025 and work with government to make the county carbon neutral by 2030, and net zero for all greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.”

Northumberland County Council, 8 May 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Date is the page's 'Last updated on 08/05/2026'.

Education

Northumberland's Cabinet approved making permanent the Specialist Support Bases at Cambois, Newsham and Seaton Sluice schools, from 13 July 2026.

“On Tuesday 7 July 2026 the Council’s Cabinet met to consider the proposal to formalise (make permanent) Specialist Support Bases at Cambois, Newsham and Seaton Sluice.”

Northumberland County Council, 9 July 2026. Read 25 September 2026. Same page: 'Cabinet approved the implementation of the proposals (subject to call-in) from 13 July 2026.' Date is the page's 'Last updated on 09/07/2026'.

What Northumberland is deciding

Every item on the agendas of Full Council and the Cabinet, as the council titled it, from about six months back to three months ahead. Left out: section headings, procedural items (apologies, minutes, declarations of interest, announcements, questions, appointments), anything about councillors’ attendance or allowances (which this site does not show), and private items the council itself withholds. Motions are shown with whoever the council’s agenda says proposed them; a councillor’s party is from Open Council Data.

Coming up

Recently

2 earlier meetings

  • Tue, 12 May 2026 · Cabinet

    • Adult Social Care - Progressing our Next Steps and Commissioning Intentions
    • Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal - Update
    • Summary of New Capital Proposals considered by Capital Strategy Group
    • Housing Enforcement and Civil penalty Policies
    • Expansion of the regionalisation of mainstream fostering and development of Regional Care Cooperatives
    • Nominations to Outside Bodies

  • Tue, 7 April 2026 · Cabinet

    • Regenerating Ashington - Project Level Business Cases
    • Energy Central Campus Phase 2: Energy Central Institute
    • Blyth Relief Road - Authority to make a Compulsory Purchase Order and Side Road Order
    • Outcomes of informal consultation to formalise (make permanent) Specialist Support Bases at Newsham, Cambois and Northburn Primary Schools and Seaton Sluice First School
    • New Northumberland Local Plan Update and Next Steps
    • Reducing Inequalities in Health in Northumberland through Employment
    • Procurement of Design & Delivery Partners for Extra Care Housing Schemes
    • Summary of New Capital Proposals considered by Capital Strategy Group
    • Northumberland Growth Fund

From the council’s own meeting papers (Modern.gov), read 25 September 2026. Refreshed weekly. Results of motions are in each meeting’s minutes, linked from the date.

Who runs the council

69 seats in 2026. Run by: Conservatives, as a minority administration. Open Council Data (public domain).

Councillors by party: Conservative and Unionist 28, Reform UK 19, Independent / Other 9, Labour Party 8, Liberal Democrats 3, Green Party (E&W) 2.

Next scheduled council election: 3 May 2029.

Elections here now: Hirst ward (1 October 2026); Amble ward (1 October 2026).

All 69 councillors, by ward
  • Gordon Castle (Conservative and Unionist) — Alnwick Castle
  • Martin Swinbank (Green Party (E&W)) — Alnwick Hotspur
  • Arty Hume (Reform UK) — Amble
  • Pauline Davidson (Reform UK) — Amble West with Warkworth
  • Caroline Ball (Labour Party) — Ashington Central
  • Guy Renner-Thompson (Conservative and Unionist) — Bamburgh
  • Denise Nicholson (Reform UK) — Bebside & Kitty Brewster
  • Christine Taylor (Independent / Other) — Bedlington Central
  • Trevor Austin (Reform UK) — Bedlington East
  • Malcolm Robinson (Independent / Other) — Bedlington West
  • John Riddle (Conservative and Unionist) — Bellingham
  • Georgina Hill (Independent / Other) — Berwick East
  • Nicole Brooke (Independent / Other) — Berwick North
  • Isabel Hunter (Liberal Democrats) — Berwick West with Ord
  • Scott Amery (Reform UK) — Bothal
  • David FitzGerald (Reform UK) — Choppington & Hepscott
  • Steven Roberts (Reform UK) — College with North Seaton
  • Nicholas Oliver (Conservative and Unionist) — Corbridge
  • Rick Baker (Reform UK) — Cowpen
  • Scott Lee (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington East & Double Row
  • Alan Smith (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington Eastfield
  • Wayne Daley (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington North
  • Mark Morris (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington North West
  • Paul Ezhilchelvan (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington South East
  • Neil Graham (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington South West
  • Mark Swinburn (Conservative and Unionist) — Cramlington Village
  • Mark Peart (Reform UK) — Croft
  • Scott Dickinson (Labour Party) — Druridge Bay
  • Rachel Mathieson (Labour Party) — Haltwhistle
  • Stephen Flower (Reform UK) — Hartley
  • Sonia Simm (Reform UK) — Haydon
  • Alan Sharp (Liberal Democrats) — Haydon & Hadrian
  • Suzanne Fairless-Aitken (Liberal Democrats) — Hexham East
  • Trevor Cessford (Conservative and Unionist) — Hexham North
  • Derek Kennedy (Independent / Other) — Hexham West
  • John Allen (Independent / Other) — Hirst
  • Les Bowman (Labour Party) — Holywell
  • Antonia Azocar-Nevin (Green Party (E&W)) — Humshaugh
  • David Johnson (Reform UK) — Isabella
  • Ed Dungait (Conservative and Unionist) — Longhirst
  • Glen Sanderson (Conservative and Unionist) — Longhorsley
  • Wendy Pattison (Conservative and Unionist) — Longhoughton
  • Elizabeth Dunn (Labour Party) — Lynemouth
  • Richard Wearmouth (Conservative and Unionist) — Morpeth Kirkhill
  • David Bawn (Conservative and Unionist) — Morpeth North
  • John Beynon (Conservative and Unionist) — Morpeth Stobhill
  • Ben Audsley (Reform UK) — Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
  • Barry Elliott (Reform UK) — Newsham
  • Patrick Lambert (Independent / Other) — Norham & Islandshires
  • Vicky Oakley (Labour Party) — Pegswood
  • David Swinhoe (Reform UK) — Plessey
  • Lyle Darwin (Conservative and Unionist) — Ponteland East & Stannington
  • Richard Dodd (Conservative and Unionist) — Ponteland North
  • Michaela Horncastle (Conservative and Unionist) — Ponteland South with Heddon
  • Veronica Jones (Conservative and Unionist) — Ponteland West
  • Lawrence O'Donnell (Labour Party) — Prudhoe North & Wylam
  • Gordon Stewart (Conservative and Unionist) — Prudhoe South
  • Angie Scott (Labour Party) — Prudhoe West & Mickley
  • Steven Bridgett (Independent / Other) — Rothbury
  • Karl Green (Reform UK) — Seaton with Spital
  • Eve Chicken (Conservative and Unionist) — Seghill with Seaton Delaval
  • Trevor Thorne (Conservative and Unionist) — Shilbottle
  • Roger Spriddell (Reform UK) — Sleekburn
  • Daniel Carr (Conservative and Unionist) — South Blyth
  • Colin Horncastle (Conservative and Unionist) — South Tynedale
  • Martin Jackson (Reform UK) — Stakeford
  • Patricia Dale (Independent / Other) — Stocksfield & Bywell
  • Natalie Rolls (Reform UK) — Wensleydale
  • Mark Mather (Conservative and Unionist) — Wooler

Each councillor’s register of interests is on the council’s own site, linked rather than summarised, because summarising means choosing. Councillors from Open Council Data as recorded after the May 2026 elections; a by-election since then may have changed one seat. Attendance and allowances are not shown.

Cite this page

Harvard style. Every figure on the page also names its original source, which is usually the better thing to cite.

Every council page has the same five headings in the same order. Sources are the council’s own publications and official statistics. Corrections: hello@whatsittome.org.