Following the recent public consultation exercise, including the drop-in session at Hesleden Community Centre last night (see post dated 8 October 2012), a decision has been reached on how best to tackle the safety problems at the former garage site at Hillcrest Place.
I received no objections from the public to works being carried out at the site to address safety concerns raised by nearby residents. Everyone who contacted me regarding the proposals agreed that the favoured option was to reduce the height of the wall to about 3 feet and erect a railing across the top to prevent climbing or jumping. It is proposed that the rest of the grassed area will be graded off to a less severe slope. This option will remove the damaged wall and also reduce the risk of danger to children playing in the area.
I have now asked the East Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) to finalise the paperwork for the funding of the scheme and arrange for an offer letter to be sent to the workforce to enable works to begin as soon as possible.
I will keep residents up to date with developments as and when they arise.
