MP’s Message

MP Aaron Bell

Here, the Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme Aaron Bell starts his regular column for the Newcastle Life Magazine:

As 2021 was dominated by Covid, the beginning of 2022 looks similar, but in the form of the new Omicron variant.

The sheer transmissibility of Omicron has led to case numbers on an unprecedented scale, but the silver linings appear to be firstly that the variant is itself milder, and secondly that it appears that infection with Omicron offers protection against Delta. This may mean that, together with our world-leading booster program, we collectively end up in a more sustainable position once this wave has passed.

Vaccines still offer excellent protection from this variant against serious illness and death. That is why it is more important than ever to get vaccinated and boosted, protecting yourself, your loved ones and the NHS.

Locally, 2021 was also dominated by the scandalous emissions from Walley’s Quarry, which rose to totally unprecedented levels in February.

Extensive capping works and new gas wells have meant far more gas is now being captured on the site. This has been reducing both the number of complaints and the amount of gas detected at the monitoring stations.

Most recently, the Environment Agency announced that they were formally investigating alleged criminal activity at sites operated by Red Industries. I know the community will welcome this step and I hope that the investigation will proceed rapidly this year. I will continue to press both for a swift resolution to this investigation and for stronger regulatory enforcement to finally ‘Stop The Stink.’ 2021 also saw the first projects funded by the £35m of Government investment into Newcastle getting under way. The WorkShop – our employment, training and skills hub – opened, and the subways were given a spruce up. Bigger projects are underway, with the demolition of buildings in the town centre, preparing the way for major construction projects in 2022.

It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as Newcastle’s MP for another year. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best for a peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2022.

If you would like to contact me, please email aaron.bell.mp@parliament.uk, call 01782 308 102, or call into my constituency office on 3 Queens Parade, directly opposite the council offices and library at Castle House.

You can also follow me on Facebook at fb.com/AaronBell4NUL, and sign up to my weekly newsletter at my website www.aaronbell.org.uk.