Cllr Richard Ross - Reform UK North Tyneside

21/10/2026

A follow up to a story in Cramlington - long before I was elected.

Shame the local authority handled this so badly and i had to step in, supporting a fantastic community asset.

20/10/2026

Please take some time and respond to how your 3 x Weetslade NTC councillors are performing for you.

That's myself Reform Cllr Richard Ross, Labour Cllr's Anthony McMullan and Cllr Sarah Burtemshaw.

🗣️ 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗥, 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗬

Let’s be honest: many people have lost faith in local politics. Some feel politicians don’t listen, that nothing changes, or that it’s difficult to know what their elected representatives actually do.

But a lot of them do a lot of really good work.

For the past couple of months, we’ve been digging into the work of North Tyneside’s councillors - looking at the data, asking questions and trying to build a clearer picture of what our elected representatives do.

As many of you will know, we’ve been working on this for a while now, and we’re nearly at the end of our data gathering.

We’ve now received figures on Member Enquiries submitted by councillors, alongside data showing their attendance at council meetings.

The numbers make for an interesting picture, but they don’t tell the whole story.

Member Enquiries are just one way councillors help residents, and attendance figures don’t explain the circumstances behind every absence.

We’re now giving the councillors featured in our data the opportunity to speak to us, explain the figures and put their side of the story.

📩 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗛𝗔𝗗 𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗥?

Has a North Tyneside councillor helped you sort out a problem, get an answer from the council or make a difference in your community?

We’d love to hear about it.

Email [email protected] with a brief description of what happened and which councillor helped you.

We’re specifically looking for positive experiences for this piece, not complaints about councillors. We believe hearing from residents who have been helped is an important part of the overall picture.

This is 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗿, 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘆 - a ShoutAbout Local initiative to look beyond the numbers, hear both sides and give local people a voice.

Because rebuilding trust starts with asking questions, listening and being willing to look at the full picture.

📩 Get in touch and have your say.

PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS REQUEST IS FOR POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLY. THE COUNCIL HAVE A COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR ANYONE WHO IS UNHAPPY WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY THEIR COUNCILLOR.

20/10/2026

📰 YOUR WEEKLY UPDATE: WEETSLADE & NORTH TYNESIDE 📰

(Here's you delayed Friday’s news, our full attention was rightly focused on Hazlewood Primary)

🚨 LOCAL CHOICE UPDATES & WARD ACTION
🤝 Community Power Against Anti-Social Behaviour
Following our urgent appeal regarding the targeted attacks at the Canterbury Way shop, the response from residents was immediate. Thanks to information and names sent to me in confidence, Northumbria Police (Log 1081) are now fully aware of those involved and are progressing the investigation. This proves what we can achieve when Weetslade stands united behind local businesses.

🏫 Hazlewood Primary: Council Emergency Legal Meetings Held
North Tyneside Council has now formally acknowledged our pre-action High Court legal challenge. Following our dossier submission, council leadership held emergency legal meetings on Friday and refused to comment to regional journalists who have been served with the same irrefutable evidence. We continue to take barrister advice to protect our top-performing school.

🏛️ Draft Local Plan: Packed Surgery in Dudley
Thank you to everyone who packed out my Friday surgery at Dudley! The community response to the Council’s Draft Local Plan (and its impact on Weetslade, Wideopen, and Seaton Burn) has been incredible. Local knowledge is being shared, petitions are underway, and residents are even self-funding independent ecology reports to protect our local green spaces and demand real infrastructure first.

🚌 Wideopen Bus Stop Vandalism Reported
Following reports from residents regarding a smashed bus stop shelter on Great North Road in Wideopen, I have formally reported the damage to Nexus and Council teams for urgent glass clearance and repairs.

📰 BOROUGH & REGIONAL NEWS ROUNDUP
💷 £14m Schools Budget Deficit: The Cost of Mismanagement at Monkseaton
BBC and Local Democracy reports have confirmed that North Tyneside Council is facing a staggering £14 million deficit in its school budgets. But let’s look at why: over £8.6 million (more than half of the entire borough's school debt) stems directly from Monkseaton High School. This £8.6m black hole isn't an accident, it is the direct result of years of administrative drift, falling pupil numbers, and a total lack of strategic vision from the Labour council leadership before they ultimately closed the school in August. Rather than stepping in early with a viable plan, to sustain local secondary education, the Council allowed debts to accumulate until closure was forced. Imagine if a proactive council created dedicated SEND centre, for example, saving more money. Now taxpayers across North Tyneside are left picking up a multi-million-pound tab while our remaining schools face an avoidable financial squeeze.

🚲 E-Bike & E-Scooter Safety Crackdowns:
Regional police and council teams have stepped up action following safety concerns, with over 800 illegal bikes/scooters seized across the force area. North Tyneside Council has also updated its prohibited activities policy on council land to tackle dangerous or anti-social riding.

💰 £1.5m Regional Community & Charity Boost:
The North East Mayor has pledged £1.5 million in funding for local charities and community initiatives across the region, while local projects like Chirton Dene Park in North Shields have secured dedicated transformation funds. We will monitor this as a lot of questions surround the giving away of money historically.

🛍️ Town Centre & High Street Changes:
While STACK has officially scrapped its plans for a Whitley Bay venue, town centre regeneration continues elsewhere across North Tyneside, including the former Wilko store in North Shields being transformed into a vibrant new indoor market space.

💍 North Tyneside Register Office Makeover:
The Register Office in North Tyneside has unveiled a fresh new look following a complete interior makeover for local wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships.

📲 GET IN TOUCH:
Whether it's planning, highways, anti-social behaviour, or council services, I am here to represent you. If something is affecting your street or neighborhood, please send me a Direct Message or drop by my regular ward surgeries.

19/10/2026

🙌 POLICE ASB UPDATE: THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY! 🤝

Following my appeal regarding the targeted anti-social behaviour (ASB) at the shop on Canterbury Way, I want to say a massive thank you to our local residents.

The response from our community was immediate. Thanks to the information, names, and messages sent directly to me in confidence, Northumbria Police (Incident Log 1081) are now fully aware of those involved and are actively progressing the investigation.

This shows the true power of our community when we stand together. Local family businesses serve our area every day, and harassment or intimidation will never be accepted or ignored in Weetslade.

I would ask you all show your support and go to the shop in question, say some words and enjoy the business, as i know many of you have today.

Thank you again to everyone who shared the appeal and reached out privately. Let’s keep looking out for one another!

19/10/2026

Our Labour run Council...

Shocking.

Council official David Mason says school funding is largely driven by pupil numbers.

18/10/2026

🚨 TARGETED HARASSMENT ON CANTERBURY WAY: COMMUNITY HELP NEEDED 🚨

This week, a local family-run business and home on Canterbury Way, run by a hardworking Indian couple in our community, has been subjected to repeated, targeted attacks by a group of hooded youths.

These youths are arriving under cover of darkness (around 8:00 PM on weekdays and 9:30 PM on this Saturday night), pelting their home windows with eggs, and violently kicking front doors. Given the persistent targeting, there is a strong suspicion that this harassment is racially motivated.

Frustratingly the Council’s ASB team only operates between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday to Friday... Mke of that what you will, therefore, out-of-hours coverage falls entirely to Northumbria Police. I am re-escalating this directly with senior Council managers and Police leadership first thing on Monday morning. In the meantime, I am turning to our community to help identify those involved and protect this family.

🔍 KEY INFORMATION & HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Official Police Log: Northumbria Police Incident Reference 1081.

Recognise the Clothing: While facial features are redacted on this public clip to protect legal proceedings, relatives, parents, and neighbours will easily recognise these distinctive coats, hoodies, footwear, builds, and movements.

Suspected Exit Route: Based on the direction they run after attacking the door, it is strongly suspected they are heading back towards Brunswick Green and Hazlerigg.
Full CCTV Handed Over: Complete, unredacted HD CCTV has been handed directly to Northumbria Police and Council Community Protection Officers for formal criminal investigation.

⚠️ A DIRECT NOTE TO PARENTS: If you recognise the clothing or build of any of these young men and suspect your child may be involved, please reach out to me directly in confidence. I am more than willing to mediate between you, your child, and the victims to de-escalate this, ensure the behaviour stops immediately, and resolve this before formal police arrests and criminal records become inevitable.

⚠️ IMPORTANT PAGE INSTRUCTION:
Please DO NOT post any names, addresses, or personal tags in the comments section below.

If you recognise the clothing or have any information, please send me a private Direct Message (DM) or contact Northumbria Police on 101 quoting Incident 1081.

Let’s stand together, support our local shopkeepers, and stamp this out. 🤝

16/10/2026

As promised- please get on and comment now portal open.

🏫 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗦: 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗫 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗬 𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗔𝗭𝗟𝗘𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘

Parents, staff and residents have six weeks to share their views on a proposal to close Hazlewood Primary School in September 2028.

North Tyneside Council's consultation opened today, with responses invited until 26 November.

The proposal would see the school stop admitting Reception pupils from September 2027 before closing completely the following year.

The council says structural problems affecting the main school building mean a permanent solution is needed, with a replacement estimated to cost at least £7 million. It says funding has not been secured.

Falling pupil numbers and the availability of places at nearby schools are also part of the council's assessment.

No decision has been made. The council says responses will be considered before it decides whether to move to the next stage of the closure process.

Parents, carers, staff and residents can take part through the council's online consultation before the deadline on 26 November.

We have loads more coming on this - we'll be exploring it in detail.

16/10/2026

As promised - media coverage now explaining the situation.

𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 - 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘

North Tyneside Council is pressing ahead with consultation on plans to close a popular primary school after rejecting calls for a pause.

The council has earmarked Hazelwood Primary School for closure and has now opened up the formal consultation process that will allow local residents to have their say on the proposals that will see the school close in September 2028. No decision has yet been made to close the school.

Council chief executive Jacqueline Laughton has rejected appeals from opposition Reform and Conversative councillors for the council to pause the process and has decided to move ahead with consultation.

Weetslade councillor Richard Ross claims that the council has rushed the decision to get to the consultation process as it didn't give the required 28 days notice, has shared what he considers to be out of date information and hasn't appropriately considered all the available options.

Ross says that the correct process hasn't been followed in response to his 'call in' request which would have seen the consultation paused and passed to a council committee to review.

But the council have rejected this with their position being that the criteria for a valid call in was not met, they believe that all procedures were followed and the consultation will go ahead as planned. The council also disagrees that the consultation contains out of date information.

Cllr Ross said: "Throughout this process, we have treated council officers with the utmost professional respect. We followed every constitutional channel available and repeatedly offered constructive, sensible opportunities to pause, de-escalate, and correct these procedural errors before they spiralled.

He continued: "This matter is now heading to external legal challenge and the High Court. That escalation, and the significant public cost that comes with it, was completely avoidable had the Council listened to early warnings, adhered to its own rules, and learned the lessons from its earlier defeat before the independent Schools Adjudicator."

"Our school communities, our children, and local taxpayers deserve a local authority that respects due process and bases life changing decisions on verified facts, not administrative shortcuts."

The council is not aware of any current legal action by campaigners.

Rebecca Wall, Director of Children's Services at North Tyneside Council, said: “The future of Hazlewood Primary School is an important issue for pupils, families, staff and the wider community, and we want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to have their say.

"We have launched this consultation because we need to consider the long-term future of education on a site affected by significant structural challenges, alongside wider changes in pupil numbers and demand for school places across the borough.

"Since these issues were identified, we have worked with specialist engineers and the Department for Education to explore potential solutions and have invested in measures that have enabled education to continue safely. However, temporary accommodation was never intended to be a permanent solution and does not address the underlying condition of the building.

"We recognise that uncertainty is difficult for pupils, families and staff. This consultation is a genuine opportunity for people to share their views and help inform the Council's consideration of the options.

"We are committed to considering all feedback received before determining the next steps, and no decision has been made at this stage."

The consultation process is now open and will close on 26th November, with a final decision expected about whether to close the school in early 2027.

16/10/2026

🚨 URGENT UPDATE: HAZLEWOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL (WATCH VIDEO) 🚨

Today, North Tyneside Council officially opened their second consultation to close Hazlewood Primary after brushing aside our formal cross-party Call-In behind closed doors. We believe this is a major procedural failure, and I have notified the Council that we are taking barrister advice and preparing to challenge this in the High Court.

(apologies for the back ground noise - the bairn wanted to get involved!)

📌 A Quick Note on Today’s usual News & Updates:

Normally today is our Friday weekly news roundup. Because Hazlewood is the urgent breaking news of the day, our focus is 100% here today. The rest of our weekly ward news and community updates will follow over the weekend instead.

Draft Local Plan: A lot more information is coming shortly regarding the Local Plan consultation, Seaton Burn, and how to submit formal objections—stay tuned for full guidance over the coming days.

Please watch the video, share it with fellow parents, and let’s stay united. 🤝



Reform UK Cramlington and Killingworth Branch .newcastle ShoutAbout Local - Killingworth, Wideopen & Benton Save Hazlewood Community Primary School

15/10/2026

🎓 DEBATING AT RGS NEWCASTLE & BACKING LOCAL YOUTH ACTION 🤝

Fantastic day returning to the Royal Grammar School Newcastle to take on around 100 sharp students in rapid-fire 5-minute debate rounds!

You know when you turn up and they are forcing students away as full that it's going to be a good time...

We tackled the big issues head-on, the economy, NHS staffing, immigration, unemployment, and tax reform. We didn’t agree on everything, but that’s healthy debate. My core messages to them was simple: look past the 30-second clips and online spin, 'always check the actual data and research the real policies for yourselves.' Then I explained Reform policies—common sense (nearly) always prevails!

Maybe next time they can open a window please! wow was it hot - maybe that was the pressure!... Although public speaking, after 23 years in military, gotta be the room! 🔥😅

🥫 BACKING ADI’S FOODBANK APPEAL
While visiting, I also met an inspiring 16-year-old student, Adi, who is taking real community action by aiming to collect 1,000 donation items for Newcastle Foodbank.
Our local foodbanks do vital, tireless work across the North East, and seeing our next generation step up with genuine community spirit is brilliant.

(📸 Note: Adi’s photo is blurred purely for safeguarding and privacy).

If you’d like to support his efforts or get involved locally, please check out:
👉 Volunteer with Newcastle Foodbank:

https://newcastlewestend.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/volunteer/

Huge thanks to RGS Newcastle for the warm welcome and lively debate, our future is in good hands! 👏