A row has blown up after a council used money intended to help jobs blackspots to fund a horse show.
Blyth Valley Labour MP Ronnie Campbell (pictured) branded the summer event 'a weekend out for toffs'.
He strongly criticised Northumberland County Council - which is in the midst of making budget cuts totalling £40m over two years - for earmarking £80,000 to stage the high-profile equestrian event.
A new bridge will be built over the River Blyth as part of an ambitious £5m "active travel" project in Northumberland's most heavily-populated area.
The bridge will carry walkers and cyclists across the river under plans to create a major new network of green travel routes, cut car use and promote healthier lifestyles.
It will be built near Humford Mill as part of a £2.3m scheme to improve walking and cycling links between the towns of Bedlington and Cramlington. The new bridge is a key element of a revised package of sustainable travel initiatives, building on £1.35m of Big Lottery funding which was allocated to Northumberland in 2007.
A government minister came under fire from one of her own MPs yesterday for strongly defending the radical shake-up of town halls in Northumberland.
Rosie Winterton says she is confident that local government in Northumberland is "much better placed" under unitary status than it would have been if the old two-tier system of a county and six district councils had remained.
Her comments come in the wake of the newly-established unitary council having to make £26m in budget cuts last year and planning £20m worth of savings this year, with more pain forecast to come in 2011/12.
It's not often that people welcome the sight of graffiti in their neighbourhoods. But that was exactly the case in one community - until well-meaning officials wiped out a much-loved piece of urban art.
A 6ft mural of the 1970s comic book character Cerebus the Aardvark had brightened up a bridge near Blyth for nearly three decades until its disappearance last weekend.
Despite its popularity, Northumberland County Council blitzed the colourful design as part of a crackdown on graffiti.
Parking fees levied on drivers visiting Northumberland towns has emerged as the hottest topic in the initial stages of a major review aimed at developing a county-wide parking strategy.
A progress report on the review reveals hundreds of people have made their views known on whether parking fees should be imposed across the whole county - rather than just in selected towns.
More than 560 people have signed three separate petitions calling for an equal policy across the board, with charges being made in all principal towns.
Families in Northumberland have been spared a 25% increase in the cost of having their garden waste collected this year following a revolt by opposition county councillors.
It was planned to put up the annual charge for the service from £20 to £25 in March - to bring in an extra £60,000 and help the county council achieve tough budget savings.
Now the saving will have to be found elsewhere after Conservative and Labour councillors joined forces to defeat the move at a meeting in County Hall on Wednesday.
A political row is brewing over alleged 'empire building' amid moves to set up a formal federation of new grass roots councils in south east Northumberland.
The eight parish and town councils were established last summer to boost local democracy following the abolition of Blyth Valley and Wansbeck district councils, and the creation of a single unitary authority for Northumberland.
Now it is being suggested that the councils - covering Blyth, Ashington, Newbiggin, Cramlington, Seaton Valley and Bedlington North, East and West - should form an official federation with a joint managing board.
A veteran Labour MP has accused council bosses in Northumberland of seeking the easy way out by targeting elderly and disabled people when making tough budget cuts.
Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell is writing to Liberal Democrat leaders at County Hall and asking them to "stop hitting" the elderly population of the county.
He says the recent announcement the council is axing a scheme which provides cut-price taxi travel for hundreds of pensioners who are unable to use buses is the latest in a damaging series of cost-cutting measures affecting older people.
Northumberland County Council will not have to make a further £11m in "horrendous" budget cuts, the Government has said.
It was feared that around £30m worth of savings would be required to balance next year's budget but the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has allowed councillors to pay for some costs from the capital budget.
The authority had submitted four bids for capitalisation in respect of potential losses on Icelandic investments of £9.1m, for £6m in strain on the pension fund, £2.8m for enhanced redundancy and £1.4m for statutory redundancy.
Beleaguered council bosses in Northumberland have been left anxiously waiting for a key Government decision on whether they will have to find a further £11m in "horrendous" budget cuts.
County council leaders expected to be told yesterday whether ministers will allow them to use a financial loophole to avoid having to make almost £30m in savings this year.
But last night - as the authority revealed it has dropped plans to close a number of tourist information centres in Northumberland - there had still been no decision from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
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"Very nice, but a railway station at Bebside and/or Newsham would be of more use and of greater value..."
"It is a fact that the outgoing Labour council left a financial black-hole that can only be filled by..."
"Councillor Watson appears to betrying to build an empire, just like he and his Labour Councillors di..."
"Hello, So if the ferry plan has been "sunk" how is the Cambois and North Blyth villages going to ben..."
"So if Mr Campbell didnt say anything then would you be happy? At least he is trying!!! You must lead..."
"Here we go again with Colin Brown acting like the Anti-Christ. BLAH BLAH BLAH, Mr Campbell is trying..."
"It is now getting boring, do people not yet realise, Ronnie is again blaming the County Council for ..."
"Again ex-Labour Councillors are complaining about lack of funds, but surely if they had left Northum..."
"I have complained to Northumberland County Council since early September about the appalling roadwor..."
"It is fantastic to hear that Mr Campbell is going to do what he should have done since he was first ..."