The Cramlington, Bedlington & Seaton Valley Community Partnership meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 24 March 2026, was set to cover updates on community funding and an informal discussion session with various local organisations. The meeting's agenda also included provisions for public questions and the receipt of petitions.

Community Chest Update

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on the Community Chest Scheme. This scheme provides funding to local community groups and projects. The report pack indicates that in a previous round, eight applications were received across the three areas covered by the partnership. Grants totalling just under £34,000 were awarded in that round, with a total of £66,200 available for the current year, a reduction from the £150,000 available in the previous year. Successful applicants were to be invited to a future meeting to share details about how the funding would be utilised.

Informal Discussion Session

An informal discussion session was planned to facilitate dialogue between the Community Partnership members and representatives from several key local organisations. These included Parish and Town Councils, the Library Service, the Community Governance Review, the NHS, and the Police. This session was intended to encourage open discussion on matters relevant to the community.

Public Question Time and Petitions

The agenda included a slot for Public Question Time, where members of the public could ask questions about issues for which the Council has responsibility. The process for submitting and rejecting questions was outlined, with a focus on ensuring questions were relevant and did not require the disclosure of confidential information. Additionally, the meeting was scheduled to receive any new petitions submitted by the public. Any petitions previously received that required a report or an update were also to be addressed.

Other Business

The agenda also made provision for the consideration of any urgent business that the Chair deemed necessary to discuss due to special circumstances. The meeting also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence and the confirmation of notes from the previous meeting held on Wednesday, 3 December 2025. The procedures for the disclosure of members' interests were also detailed, outlining the requirements for councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs) or Other Registerable Interests.