I have published below details of just a few of my activities in the community and at county hall during June. Some may have previously been posted on my blog and some may be a little out of date but updates are posted elsewhere on this site:
Wind Turbine Policy: Due to the proliferation of wind turbine applications
throughout county Durham, and specifically in our area in East Durham, I have
written to the planning section at Durham County Council to advise them of my
intention to seek to implement a policy of “presumption against” wind farm
planning applications. In effect this would mean that any company wishing to
submit a planning application for a wind farm in county Durham would be made
aware that the default position of the council would be to oppose such
applications. A similar policy was in place at the former Easington District
Council in relation to telecommunications masts and this proved very effective
in acting as a deterrent to prospective planning applications.
Hartlepool Hospital
Campaign: I have written to the
Hartlepool Mail outlining my concerns
about the validity of the Momentum
consultation exercise used by the Hartlepool and North Tees NHS Trust to close
the A&E department at Hartlepool hospital. This new angle in the campaign
comes after I urged the SOH group to contact the Parliamentary and Health
Service Ombudsman to seek a review of the process used by the Trust to close
A&E and transfer other vital services out of the hospital at Holdforth
Road. The letter to the Hartlepool Mail
is available elsewhere on this site.
Hillcrest, Hesleden: Following safety
concerns expressed by residents in the area around the former garage site at
Hillcrest Place and Harold Wilson Drive in Hesleden I have now received options
from Durham County Council to make the area safer for public use. One option is
to reduce the size of the perimeter wall and install replacement fencing and
another is to grade the landscape into the site itself (although the second
option may pose problems because of public utilities beneath the grass. I
intend to contact all residents in the area later this summer to seek their views
and their preferred option.
Hesleden Dene: A number of residents in Hesleden have contacted me over
many months to express their concerns over reported mineral extraction at
Hesleden Dene. I contacted the planning enforcement team at county hall last
year and had the works stopped. Subsequently the site owners contacted the
planning department and suggested that they intend to seek planning consent for
excavation at the site. The owners are currently carrying out investigatory
works in the area to compile an Environmental Impact Assessment as part of the
planning process. This would explain reports of operating plant at the site
over recent weeks. The residents of Hesleden will have the opportunity to make
their feelings known if the planning application is submitted at some point in
future. In the meantime if you have any concerns about this matter, or if you
have anything you wish to report please let me know. Updates are available elsewhere on this site.
Household Waste
Recycling Centres (HWRC): Durham County Council
is currently consulting on the future opening hours at the two HWRC’s in our
patch, Horden and Thornley. The consultation comes as part of a countywide
review of recycling facilities and the council wants to gauge public opinion
regarding local facilities. The council insists that a reduction in opening
hours is unavoidable given the extent of central government cuts to local
authorities over the next four years. At a recent focus group meeting in Horden
facilitated by the East Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) I felt that a minimum
requirement must be better than the proposed “weekend and bank holiday only”
option. I suggested that the Horden facility should be open every weekend and
each half-day (either morning or afternoon) from Tuesday to Friday with the
Thornley site offering alternative morning or afternoon access on a similar
basis. If you wish to comment on this matter please contact Durham County
Council or let me know of your concerns.
Bin Collections: Revised, alternate weekly household bin collections began in our area during the week beginning 11 June 2012. Recycling bins
will be collected one week and household waste bins the next. These
arrangements were introduced to other parts of the county recently without any
particular issues arising but
experience suggests that teething problems will occur. If you have any problems
with bin collections please contact the council hotline on: 03000 261 000.
In the unlikely event that a problem persists please let me know and I’ll do
whatever it takes to sort it out.
Digital Durham
Update: The council is
seeking support from residents, communities and businesses for a roll-out of
its superfast broadband scheme across the county. £7m in matched funding has
already been secured from the government but as a condition the council must
now demonstrate community demand for the service to take the project to the
next level. If the council is unable to prove that its residents support the
scheme for high speed broadband it is possible that 60% of the county could
miss out. If you are already online you can access further details on www.durham.gov.uk. Alternatively you
can contact the Digital Durham team on 03000 261 160 or by email on digital.durham@durham.gov.uk.
Planning Application
at High Hesleden:
The council has received a planning application for the erection of a 15 bay
stable block, detached barn, associated hard-standing and access in a field
adjacent to the road which links High Hesleden and Monk Hesleden. I have
contacted the case officer in the planning department to seek further clarity
on the application as it is not clear whether the development relates to a new
business or if it is intended as residential or other use. The case officer is
to meet soon with the applicant to make further enquiries before a decision is
made by delegated authority. In the meantime I want to ensure that as many
residents as possible are aware of the proposals in order to gauge public
opinion. If there are any contentious issues arising I will ensure that the
application is submitted to the planning committee to allow for greater public
involvement in the process. Please let me know as soon as possible if you have
any views on this matter. Updates are available elsewhere on this site.
If you would like
further information on any of these issues please contact me on:
Telephone: 07827 232 289 or
Email: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk
