Castle Eden Community Event - 28 October

I have copied below details of a forthcoming community event in Castle Eden:

SENT ON BEHALF OF MARIA MURPHY, COUNTRYSIDE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, COUNTRYSIDE SERVICE, DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

 I’m holding a community event in your area on Sunday 28 October.  I wondered if you would share the attached info with any contacts you may have or print out the posters and display in a public place?

We’re inviting people to join us and help improve a wildflower area for bees and butterflies in the future.

There’s already a small patch of wildflowers, including knapweed, toadflax and meadow cranesbill.  All of these flowers are great for bees and butterflies, which need our help more than ever after the awful summer, so we want to extend this area.

We’ll be cutting down the longer grass and brambles which threaten to dominate the shorter and slow-growing wildflowers.  We then rake the cuttings and remove them from the area so they don’t rot down and add nutrients to the soil.  Wildflowers grow much better in low nutrient soil so our aim is to get rid of as much ‘goodness’ as possible (the exact opposite of what you do in your garden!)

Anyone can come along and give us a hand, it’s fairly easy work.  Drop in for 5 minutes or the full two hours – every minute helps!   We’ll also have information about guided walks, events and volunteering so pop by if you want to pick up a leaflet or have a chat.

Thank you in advance

Maria Murphy

Countryside Development Officer

Countryside Service

Durham County Council

Sports and Leisure

Northumbria House

Aykley Heads

Durham

DH1 5TS

Tel 0191 372 9100

www.durham.gov.uk/countryside

Follow us on Twitter @durhamcouncil

Like us on Facebook.com/durhamcouncil

Please contact me or Maria if you require further details.

Rubbish in Eleventh Street, Blackhall

I have received a number of complaints this week about rubbish accumulations in the rear yard of 42 Eleventh Street, Blackhall Colliery. The property is unoccupied.

I had originally asked that the landlord of the property be contacted to clear the yard but I have noticed today that there are black bags piled inside the yard and the contents are unknown. The yard is also open allowing for young children playing in the street to gain access.

I have asked wardens to investigate the nature of the rubbish and have requested its removal as soon as possible. As you will note from other posts on this site relating to accumulations of rubbish in rear yards the council would normally issue the landlord with a 28-day notice to clear the area but in this instance I think the potential danger to young people warrants immediate removal.

Please let me know if you area aware of similar problems in your area:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Complaint against NHS Trust

I have written again today to the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) in pursuit of my complaint against the North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Trust.

My complaint relates to the failure of the Trust to consult or engage with residents in East Durham as part of their Momentum proposals to close our hospital at Hartlepool and build a new hospital at Wynyard (see posts dated 18 June, 8 August & 19 September 2012).

There is no public support for this proposal and this is confirmed in comments made by the Trust's chairman in the local papers this week in which he recognises that the lack of public support for the new hospital is "unfortunate" (see post dated 25 September 2012). 

I have reproduced below the letter I have sent today to the Ombudsman asking for my complaint against the Trust to be investigated:

Dear Sir

Re: Complaint reference EN – 136429:

Further to my previous correspondence dated 16 June 2012 regarding the North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Trust’s failure to consult with residents in East Durham on its Momentum proposals, I have pursued my concerns through the Trust as you advised and have now received a response from the Trust and have enclosed documents for your consideration.

I feel that the Trust has failed to fully answer my query in relation to its consultation exercise as it has not adequately identified a pattern of consultation in East Durham to compare with the level and format of consultation in other affected areas. My original complaint to the Trust related to its failure to demonstrate that they had consulted with East Durham residents in a realistically defined manner and failed to provide evidence of meaningful consultation. After reading documents provided by the Trust my opinion remains unchanged.

It is accepted that the Trust introduced the concept of its Momentum proposals to chosen groups in East Durham (albeit on a reduced scale compared to other areas) and that updates on progress were subsequently offered to other organisations however I insist that this cannot be defined as consultation. From the main document supplied by the Trust “NHS Joint Committee – 23 October 2008” which was “convened to oversee the consultation process and to implement the pathway to future health care” you will note for example that there was no participation by any organisation from East Durham, nor was any invited. I believe that this sums up the Trust’s approach to consultation with health service users and residents in the East Durham area.

I have enclosed a copy of the Trust’s document and I can confirm that I am not taking legal action against the Trust. I give consent to the Ombudsman to obtain any papers and records connected to the complaint.

Yours Faithfully

Rob Crute

I will update on progress with this matter in due course. In the meantime please let me know if you have any comments or concerns in relation to the Trust's actions.

Flooding at Chickens Green - again!

Following requests made yesterday for repairs to the highway at the Hardwicke Hall and at Hutton Henry (see post dated 26 September 2012) I have contacted highways engineers at county hall today to ask them to investigate the persistent flooding of the road between Chickens Green and St Joseph's Church in Blackhall Colliery.

This is a particularly troublesome spot for flooding even after fairly light rain so I have asked the engineers to come out on site to investigate the reasons for the flooding and take whatever measures are required to put right.

As ever, if you know of any problems caused by flooding in your area of the Blackhall ward please contact me on:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Bus Shelter repairs

I have received confirmation this week that repairs are to be carried out to the damaged bus shelter outside of the primary school in Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery. This follows my report to the highways department at county hall a few weeks ago.

This is a recurrent problem in our villages and this particular request for repairs follows similar incidents at Blackhall Rocks in March this year and at Hesleden during the summer. Whilst this causes considerable inconvenience for bus users in particular it affects us all by ruining the street scene and also terms of repair costs.

If you know of any similar issues in our area please let me know so that arrangements for repairs can be made as soon as possible:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Flooding Repairs

Now that the flood waters have started to recede I have had the opportunity to get out and about around our villages. It would appear that many areas have coped fairly well with the deluge and most of our roads and pavements are now passable with care. However I have passed the following two urgent repair requests to Durham County Council:

1. The entire carriageway to the west of the Hardwicke Hall Manor Hotel on the road between Blackhall Colliery and Hesleden was flooded yesterday. The pavement has deteriorated noticeably since it was submerged and is now crumbled and broken to the extent that pedestrians are having to walk into the road to get past.

2. The road immediately outside Rodridge Hall at Hutton Henry has been entirely under water since Monday evening making access to and from the village very difficult without extreme caution. This is a long running and persistent problem and I have asked that the highways section at DCC find a solution as a matter of urgency.

If you are aware of any localised problems caused by the floods in your area please let me know and I'll contact the relevant department at county hall:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Trust chairman wants YOUR support - to close YOUR hospital!

Please find below an article published in last Friday's Hartlepool Mail in which the chairman of the NHS Trust makes an impassioned plea for public support - to close Hartlepool hospital!

Hospital bosses’ plea for support - Hartlepool Mail

Now I'm making a plea - for you to contact the Trust chairman to tell him that we haven't spent the last 8 years campaigning to close our own hospital! 

If you prefer, let me know and I'll pass on your comments to the Trust: 

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Flooding & Roads Update

I have attached below an email from the communications section at Durham County Council identifying those roads in the county affected by flooding. Most of our area in East Durham appears to be moving, if slowly, but there are flooding issues in Hutton Henry, Wingate, Easington Village & Peterlee amongst others.

If you have any flooding problems or other weather related issues please let me know as soon as possible on:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Since Sunday night most of the region has had 30-50mm of rainfall with the highest being 71mm at Durham. Most parts of the NE will catch another 10-20mm of rainfall today.  Current guidance suggests the rain will clear away during the course of Tuesday evening to then leave a mostly dry night.

The Civil Contingencies Unit and Neighbourhood Services are responding to the many requests for help and support with all available resources deployed.

There are currently 4 schools closed across the County - Durham Trinity, Hutton Henry, Shield Row, Stanley and St Bedes, Lanchester

We are aware of properties being flooded in Langley Park, Coundon, Kimberley, Wingate and parts of Chester le Street and support has been provided to the residents, plus other properties which are at risk of flooding.  Riverside Park in Chester Le Street has also been closed.

The main issues are with flooded roads and listed below is the information we have on these.

If you need any help please contact HAL on 0191 370 6000, although if it is an emergency please contact the emergency services.

The following roads are closed: 

B6168 North Road, Harelaw

A167 Pity Me-Red Lion R/A

B6310 Snows Green Road, Shotley Bridge

A167 Plawsworth-Ch-Le-St

Durham City-Boathouse/Framwellgate

C60 Shadforth

A6072 Tindale to Shildon

A688 Football Ground, Bishop Auckland

Roads Affected by Flooding (Flood Warning Signs Erected)

Unc Victoria Terrace, Lanchester

A167 Honest Lawyer

A691(Various) Witton Gilbert/ Lanchester

A691  Snipley-Earls House

A182 Fallowfield Terrace, South Hetton                             A690 Brandon-Brancepth                                                        A1052 Front Street,   Fencehouses                                         B1283 Sherburn Hill - Haswell                                                  B1198 Shincliffe Mill                                                                          B6302 Stonebridge - Broom Park                                                                      B1280 Snippersgate                                                                                                   B1280 Market Crescent,  Wingate                                                                      B1320 Burnhope Way,  Peterlee                                                                         C60 Pittington-Littletown                                                                                       Unc Lord Byrons Walk

Unc Thorpe Road, Peterlee

Unc Hessewell Crecent

A688 Watling Road R/A-Tindale

A689 Rushyford-Bradbury

A689 Harperley-Wolsingham

A167 Ferryhill-Chilton

B6296 Redgate Banks

C35 Rushyford-Aycliffe

B1278 Trimdon-Trimdon Grange

Unc 22.2 Cowshill  referred to Street Scene Sand Bags

Unc Melrose Terrace Bishop Auckland

East Durham Area Action Partnership Board Meeting

I chaired the East Durham Area Action Partnership Board meeting which was held at Blackhall Community Centre last night. There was a good turnout by members of the public who came to hear about the latest regeneration developments in the East Durham area.

There were two main presentations last night the first of which dealt with the emerging County Durham Plan and the forthcoming consultation exercise which will gauge public opinion on recommended sites across our area for retail, housing and employment land development. Further details on how to contribute to the consultation can be found elsewhere on this site (blog dated 28 August 2012).

The second presentation related to the use of the ongoing Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) to identify the health needs of County Durham residents when responsibility for public health returns to local government next year. This will require a Health and Well-being Strategy which will also be guided by the JSNA. 

I raised the issue of developing relevant data to reflect the specific health needs of residents in East Durham (as opposed to county-wide statistics which may hide health inequalities left by our industrial legacy). I think it's important to identify those requirements in our area which will differ from those in more affluent communities elsewhere, so that health funding can be focused on those area more in need.

If you require further details about either of these initiatives please let me know or follow the links on the county council website:

www.durham.gov.uk

Bus routes through Hutton Henry & Station Town

I received a number of complaints earlier this week from residents in Hutton Henry regarding a bus service withdrawn without prior consultation by the Arriva bus company. I immediately contacted transport officers at county hall on their behalf to request contact with Arriva to address these concerns.

I have reproduced below an email from DCC officers giving details of a solution for residents in affected areas:

Arriva is changing many of the services they run without any funding from DCC, to coincide with the change in the contracts for subsidised service at the end of October. These make up the main core of the network, including all the busiest services.

It is unfortunate that Arriva felt that the commercially sensitive impacts of the changes on corridors where they compete with other operators meant they were not willing to put their plans into the public domain in advance.

Their Mon - Sat daytime Durham to Hartlepool service (No 22) is to run between Wheatley Hill and Hartlepool via Peterlee and Blackhall, not via Wingate. The frequency goes up to 2 per hour, so together with their new version of svc 23, overall there will be 4 per hour through Blackhall , every 15 mins.

This does leave a problem for Wingate and nearby areas. However, DCC is going to cover that by revising the current subsidised Durham - Coxhoe - Wheatley Hill - Peterlee service (No57). This is currently operated by Arriva but the new contract from 28th Oct has been won by Scarlet Band. Instead of going to Peterlee, the service will be rerouted to run from Wheatley Hill via Wingate and Station Town to Hartlepool, on the current route of the 22,  except we will be serving Hutton Henry on the buses from Hartlepool.

This maintains the link between Wingate etc and Hartlepool, very similar to the present service and provides an opportunity to continue to make a through journey to Durham albeit on a longer route. Arriva is revising service 21 to run via Wingate so with the current svc 21A there will be a half hourly service to Peterlee via Shotton Colliery. Passengers will have the alternative of using 21/21A to connect at Shotton with the Arriva services which run every 15 mins between there and Durham.

I do appreciate the change in services creates issues for people who have bought Arriva season tickets.

We have started formal discussions with Arriva and Go North East about the introduction of a comprehensive multi-operator ticket scheme covering all the buses in County Durham. This will provide a full solution to these issues, but will take some time to come to fruition. In the meantime we are seeking to make an arrangement with Arriva by which Arriva's student tickets and weekly tickets will be accepted on the subsidised service with Arriva passing on to us an appropriate amount of the fare that was paid to them. If this is not possible, we will introduce weekly tickets for use on the service 58. People who have an Arriva ticket will be able to obtain a refund from Arriva if they wish.

I do hope this provides some reassurance. Do get back in touch if I can be of any further assistance. I am copying this message to Cllr Cox for his information.

Challenging the closure of Hartlepool Hospital

You will recall that earlier this summer I lodged a complaint with the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) regarding the failure of the North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Trust to consult with the residents of East Durham over its Momentum proposals, part of which recommended the closure of Hartlepool hospital. I have argued that the failure of the Trust to carry out full consultation on its proposals renders any subsequent decision invalid (posts dated 18 June & 8 August 2012 give further details).

As part of the PHSO process I contacted the Chief Executive of the Trust to request full details of its consultation in East Durham along with its assessment of how this compared with the level and format of consultation in the rest of the Trust area.

I have now received documents from the Trust which it considers constitutes consultation. Although I remain firmly of the opinion that there was no consultation worthy of the description in our area I am currently working through these documents to make a realistic assessment of the Trust's claim. I then intend to pursue my complaint through the office of the PHSO by the end of this week, with the ultimate aim of preventing the closure of Hartlepool hospital for the reason of insufficient or inadequate consultation with those affected residents in my area.

I feel it is important to ensure the health and safety of the people I represent in my part of East Durham by doing everything within my influence to halt the proposed closure of Hartlepool hospital and also prevent the construction of a new hospital that no-one wants and no-one can afford. 

This is particularly relevant today in light of the Trust’s announcement that it intends to plough ahead with the closure of the hospitals at Hartlepool and North Tees and begin construction of a new hospital at Wynyard, regardless of the wishes of the people of East Durham and Hartlepool.

I will update this site later this week with details of my continuing correspondence with the PHSO but please feel free to pass on your comments in the meantime.

Digital Durham moves a step closer

Below is a press release from Durham County Council updating on progress with the Digital Durham programme which aims to install broadband provision across the entire county:

Digital Durham update

The Digital Durham programme took another step forward following its approval from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) to move into the procurement phase.

This phase involves finding a commercial partner to support making improvements to broadband across the county.

The BDUK have set up an assurance process for each key stage to confirm each local authority has satisfied the necessary requirements before being allowed to move onto the next phase.

This approval demonstrates our commitment to ensuring everything is in place to enable our superfast broadband plans to become a reality.

Our aim is for 100% of premises to have 30Mbps or greater by the end of 2017 with 90% by the end of 2015. 

As you’re already aware, a Government grant of £6.93m million has been match funded by the authority. That along with further European funding and commercial investment from the private sector partner should enable us to accomplish that.  

We are also working with other local authorities (Gateshead Council, Sunderland City Council, Tees Valley) to improve availability across the region.

More information can be found on the council’s website or contact the team at digital.durham@durham.gov.uk or on 03000 261 160.

Internet & Telephone connection problems

Click on the link below to see an article in the Hartlepool Mail about an attempted cable theft in High Hesleden last week which caused internet and telephone connection problems in our area:

Cable theft bid causes havoc - Hartlepool Mail

Launch of BSF at Wellfield

I was at Wellfield school this morning, in my capacity as school governor, to celebrate the official launch of the Building Schools for the Future programme which will see extensive improvements to the school building and grounds.

The threat of wet weather held off long enough to allow for a launch ceremony during which a time capsule containing contemporary school items was buried near to the newly re-dedicated memorial garden at the front of the school.

Credit is due to the headteacher, staff and students at the school who organised an excellent event and gave everyone a warm welcome on arrival. Whilst walking around the school and talking to staff and students before the event I got the clear impression that the school is moving very much in the right direction under the leadership of the recently appointed headteacher - so well done to all involved!

Station Town Neighbourhood Group

The Station Town Neighbourhood Group (STNG) met at the chapel hall in the village this evening to discuss progress on previous projects and to plan future events for the next few months.

It was reported that the trip to Whitby earlier this month, organised by members of the STNG, was a tremendous success and similar events are to be considered for next summer. Regular film nights are also expected to feature in the coming programme following the acquisition of a film projector from the former civic pride team.

Members agreed that the annual meeting will be held in mid-November and will be followed by a community event (yet to be decided) which it is hoped will attract residents - and hopefully new members - to the group. The existing group members have made good, steady progress during their first year of activity but it is recognised that new members are essential to bring fresh ideas to the group and also to strengthen the structure of the group as it strives to move into its second year.

Notices to advertise the annual meeting will be drafted soon and we will leaflet all addresses in the village nearer to the date of the meeting to ensure that as many residents as possible have the opportunity to attend and have their say on how we move forward as an organisation.

In the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me or other members of the group if you require more information or if you have any ideas or issues you would like the group to consider. Even better, drop in to the next meeting to introduce yourself and meet members of the group. 

The next STNG meeting will be held at 6pm on Thursday 4 October 2012 in the chapel hall in Station Town.

Community Forum Meeting (BT and Farmers Fields)

Last night I chaired a meeting of the Community Forum at the Resource Centre in Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery.

There was a relatively low turnout from members of the public on this occasion but this can be seen in a positive light for a number of reasons.

Firstly, September is traditionally a quiet month following the summer holidays, and many residents are still on holiday of course which frequently leads to low attendances at community meetings at this time of year. Secondly, many residents come along to the Forum meetings to check on progress with issues raised at previous meetings. All of the issues raised at the Forum meetings in July and August were dealt with quickly and effectively and updates were posted on this blog site, meaning that some residents felt it unnecessary to attend last night. Finally, people recognise that if they have an issue they wish to report they don't have to wait until the next Forum meeting to do so - they often ring me up or send an email detailing their concerns and the matter can be dealt with almost immediately in most cases.

However, two issues were raised last night relating to our area:

1. Odours and flies from farmers fields and 

2. The loss of telephone and internet connection in parts of the Hesledens and Castle Eden

The first issue about the farmers fields was almost inevitable given the events of the past week and updates on this matter appear elsewhere on this site (posts dated 10 &11 September). The issue of telephone and internet connection is currently in the hands of British Telecom. I received reports on Monday night and Tuesday morning this week of breaks in the BT lines in 3 separate locations: Hesleden, Castle Eden and on the A19. It would appear that the breaks were caused by attempted the theft of underground cables in these areas and BT engineers are currently at work restoring the network connection on the road between Castle Eden and Hesleden. I will update readers on this issue as and when I receive further information.

Although some people prefer to contact me direct as mentioned above, I would encourage everyone with an interest in our communities to come along to a future Forum meeting - even if it's just to keep up to date with developments or to listen to what is happening in our area. However if you do prefer to contact me direct about any issues or concerns you might have please feel free to get in touch with me at any time.

Update - Muck spreading issues

I have spoken today with the head of the county council's environmental health and consumer protection department who offered the following information regarding the ongoing problems associated with sludge spreading on fields in the Blackhall and Hesleden area.

I am advised that the spreading operation has been carried out on five farm fields to the south-west of Hesleden recently. It is reported that, weather permitting, this year's spreading programme is due to conclude within the next day or two and that problems of odour and flies ought to cease beyond this point.

I have also been told that the type of sludge that is causing the current problem is due to be phased out after this spreading season and that a new heated and digested product will be used in future. It is expected that this new innovation will reduce the ammonia content, which apparently causes much of the current problem, resulting in a much improved effect and impact on our communities in future. We shall see!

I have asked that next year the council, along with farmers representatives, the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water ensure that communities are kept fully informed before such operations commence and that the residents are given clear advice on how to register their complaints in the event that problems recur.

In the meantime I will follow progress closely with this season's spreading operations and ensure that if there are further problems they are dealt with quickly and effectively.

Muck spreading on fields

It's that time of year again and once more the people of our villages are forced to suffer the dual nuisance of odours and flies as a result of farmers spreading their fields and storing waste on farms.

You will no doubt be aware that this is an annual occurrence which, despite assurances, appears to become worse each year. Once again I have contacted the Environmental Health & Consumer Protection department at the council to let them know of my concerns and to ask them to contact farmers in our area to take immediate action, where appropriate, to tackle this problem.

The council has limited powers in dealing with problems of this nature in that they are not able to deal with sludge storage (this is the responsibility of the Environment Agency) but I think that they should be quicker in serving abatement notices on farmers who are proven to have flouted the law on spreading.

As a matter of interest I have attached an article from the Hartlepool Mail from two years ago relating to this subject. It's disappointing to note that nothing seems to have changed. However I will continue to pursue this issue through the correct channels and seek to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion for residents.

Assurances over smells from fields

Published on Tuesday 28 September 2010 09:28

A COUNCILLOR has assured residents complaining of problem smells from farmers' fields that manure-spreading operations have ceased for this year.

Coun Rob Crute, who represents Blackhall on Durham County Council, has also requested that more is done to combat the problem regarding sludge-spreading on fields in and around Blackhall and Hesleden.

It comes after a number of residents from Blackhall, Hesleden, Horden and Peterlee contacted the local authority to complain about the stink from human and industrial waste being used on the fields.

Coun Crute appeared in the Mail this time last year after locals had raised similar issues.

He had called for tougher waste treatment legislation and Durham County

Council's environment, health and consumer protection department said it was working to improve the situation.

Over the past two weeks, council officers have visited farmers' fields in the area and confirm that a stockpile of sludge has been spread on the land and turned into the ground, in accordance with Government guidelines.

The council has told Coun Crute that although the biosolids in the sludge are treated with lime, rendering any pathogens harmless, "regrettably this does not remove all of the smelly components".

So council officers are setting up close working relations with the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water and the supplying company, Agrivert, to try to mitigate any issues arising from the operations and to ensure that best practicable means are used at all times.

A spokesman from the council's public health team said: "Reports and investigations relating to individual farms are used to inform future operations and action plans.

"Where operations are carried out outside of these protocols, legal action can and has previously been taken to remedy the situation."

Coun Crute said: "There were similar problems in relation to smell in the area this week as we had last year.

"I am assured by the public health department at the council that the operations have now ceased for this year but I have requested that in the event of a recurrence next year a number of issues be addressed in advance.

"The previous approach has worked although a recurrence was expected sooner or later."

Coun Crute has asked that the public be made more aware of the correct way to report the problem and next year for the council to inform residents of locations and timescales required for sludge-spreading.

"Clearly this won't solve the problems of odours, but at least the public will understand that this work is required and will appreciate an indication of the estimated date for completion," he said.

Success in tackling fly-tipping in Blackhall

Last month I wrote on this site about an incident of fly-tipping in the rear yard of an empty private property in Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery (see post dated 20 August 2012). At the time I reported that the council had issued the landlord with a 28-day notice to clear the property of debris, or have the rubbish cleared by the council at the landlords expense.

I visited the area this afternoon to check on progress and I was pleasantly surprised to note that  the rear yard has now been cleared within the notice period. I intend now to follow this up with pressure on the landlord to make the property secure to prevent further incidents of this nature.

This particular incident was reported to the Community Forum which I chair and which meets every month at the Resource Centre in Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery. The next meeting will be held this coming Wednesday 12 September at 6pm. This is the perfect opportunity for members of the public to meet with me and representatives from the police and neighbourhood wardens to report incidents of any nature which affect the Blackhall area.

If you aren't able to attend the Forum and you have an issue you would like to raise with me please let me know through this blog, by email or by telephone, details of which can be found elsewhere on this site.

The rear yard at Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery, now cleared by the landlord following my intervention through the Community Forum.

Traffic-calming in High Hesleden

Following complaints from residents in High Hesleden of speeding traffic through the village I have received a request for traffic calming measures to be installed (please see post dated 26 June 2012 for further information).

I have contacted the highways section at county hall to request that highways officers meet me and residents on site to explore all options available to resolve this problem.

I understand that a number of residents are in favour of these proposed measures but I am keen to ensure that as many people as possible from the village have a say so if you have any comments to make about this matter please let me know as soon as possible.

Search for Skate Park Site

Previous posts on this site refer to a public petition requesting a skate park in our area. This petition was handed to the Blackhall Community Youth Project where it was decided to offer support to residents and petitioners in reaching this ambition (see posts dated 3 May, 11 June & 29 August 2012 for further details).

I posted earlier in the week about the ongoing search for potential sites for the proposed skate park and on Wednesday morning I met with members of the public along with representatives from Groundwork, the parish council, street wardens and police to visit a number of potential sites to assess their suitability for use as a skate park venue.

The following sites were initially considered.

• Welfare Park (3 options)
• Chicken's Green
• Field behind Total service station
• Field behind Attlee Avenue and
• Station Road, Hesleden.

Please note that these sites were initial suggestions only and their inclusion on this list by no means indicates any specific recommendation or preferred location.

These sites will now be considered by the Blackhall Regeneration Partnership who will draw up a shortlist of 3 options to be open to full public consultation at a later date.

Please note that this is a scheme run by members of the community with support from the Blackhall Community Youth Project. If you have any comments in relation to this scheme please contact the Blackhall Regeneration Partnership at the Resource Centre (0191 518 4900) or let me know and I'll ensure that your comments reach the Partnership.

Ridgeway House, Station Town

I was contacted earlier this evening by staff from the commissioning team at county hall with the news that the Ridgeway House care home in Station Town is under threat of imminent closure.

I understand that the home, owned by HC-One, is reported to have been running under capacity for some time and that an article to this effect appeared in the Northern Echo earlier today. Clearly as the home is in private ownership any proposed closure is beyond the control of Durham County Council but I do have concerns over the future of staff and residents. I am also concerned at the nature of the expected closure announcement in that it appeared in the local press before I was informed of any potential problems.

I’ve been made aware that officers from DCC are due to meet with residents and their families along with staff at Ridgeway House tomorrow and I will post details of developments as they arise. In the meantime please let me know if you require any further information in relation to this matter and I will pass your concerns to the relevant department at county hall for their immediate attention.

Peterlee Star - Glendale House re-sale article

Click on the link below for an article in this weeks Peterlee Star about the proposed re-sale of Glendale House in Blackhall Colliery (see posts on this site dated 1 & 3 September 2012)

Home to be monitored as sale falls through - Peterlee Star

Durham County Councillor Rob Crute outside of the former Glendale House care home, Rose Avenue, Blackhall

Campaign against Dog Dirt

I know from experience -and from the amount of complaints I receive- that the most irritating and persistent issue for the people in our villages is that of dog dirt on our streets.

Today was the first day of term for Blackhall Primary school and staff, children and parents alike were greeted back with the sight of piles of dog dirt on the pavements surrounding our school.

For a dog owner to allow their pets to foul any area of our villages is bad enough. However, considering that we are all aware of the link between dog waste and childhood diseases, I think it is unforgivable to allow a dog to foul the areas around our schools. Apart from being dangerous, messy and unsightly this problem is very time consuming and expensive to tackle.

I am convinced that the only effective way to deal with this problem is for everyone in our community to remain vigilant and report any instances of dog fouling to the wardens immediately and also be prepared to give a witness statement to wardens if a prosecution can be pursued.

It should be noted that the vast majority of dog owners are thoughtful and responsible people but this reputation is sullied by the few who persist in turning our streets into open, public toilets. My campaign is intended to expose this minority and hold them to account for their selfishness.

Please let me know if you are aware of any particular areas of concern in relation to this problem, or if you would like to discuss this matter further.

Council Tax Benefit- Consultation Details

Posted below is a press release from Durham County Council regarding a public consultation exercise in relation to central government cuts to grants (see post dated 3 September 2012):

Tackling changes to council tax benefits in County Durham

Members of Durham County Council’s Cabinet will hear next week (September 12) how the authority could tackle the major changes the Government is proposing regarding council tax benefits.

Like all local authorities, the county council must introduce a Local Council Tax Support System ready for April next year to coincide with the abolition of the current national council tax benefit scheme. The new system will replace benefit payments with discounts to those who qualify, but will see the Government’s grant to local authorities to fund these discounts reduced by 10 per cent.

In addition Whitehall has set out a number of criteria which include ensuring that all pensioners entitled to council tax benefit are fully protected. Currently 50 per cent of the people entitled to council tax benefit in County Durham fall within this category.

 It’s a scenario which potentially leaves the council (and its precepting bodies such as the police and fire services) with a funding shortfall of £5.5m*. One option to bridge the funding gap would be to reduce the amount of council tax benefit people of working age are entitled to. However, given the particular needs of County Durham and the areas of deprivation, Cabinet members are being recommended to look elsewhere to try and find a solution.

As a result it is proposed that, subject to consultation, members agree to protect the county’s most vulnerable residents by continuing with the current level of payment to those entitled to the benefit for an initial one year period.

The Cabinet member for resources is Cllr Alan Napier. He said: “In the current economic climate we face many extremely difficult decisions but this is potentially one of the toughest yet.

“Despite the very tight timescales considerable work has been undertaken to see how we can protect many of our most vulnerable residents. If we choose to recoup the lost grant by reducing benefit entitlement for people of working age we could leave some people even worse off and ourselves with increased difficulties in collecting council tax.

“Therefore I am suggesting we stick to the current level of support for a one year period and find other ways to generate income to bridge the spending gap.

“It could be that this approach is not sustainable in the longer term but I think it is important that we try this initially, while we learn more about the wider changes planned for Welfare Reform and learn from experiences elsewhere.”

One way the authority could potentially make up the £5.5m shortfall would be to utilise planned changes in the law regarding the right of local authorities to cut, and in some cases remove, council tax reductions on certain empty homes and unfurnished properties.

It’s estimated that these changes, to be introduced by Government in April 2013, could mean that the council could collect greater amounts of council tax from a range of long term empty and second homes, which would also help to bring these houses back into use.

Cabinet members will consider the report and its recommendations at a meeting at Green Lane in Spennymoor on September 12. The council is obliged to have designed, consulted on and agreed its Local Council Tax Support Scheme by January 31, 2013. As such members will be asked to approve the start of a public consultation exercise on the proposed scheme to start on September 13. Details on how to take part will be available from that date on the council’s website by clicking the ‘Have Your Say’ option.

The full paper is available to view on line at 

http://democracy.durham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=154&MId=4539&Ver=4