Request for urgent action to deter future trespass

We have again been in touch with the estates department at Durham County Council to request urgent action in dealing with the aftermath of the traveller's horse fair held illegally on the former pit site at Hackworth Road. 

Our email to the Head of Planning and Estates is reproduced below for information:

"In July 2013 we contacted the estates section at DCC to request security measures be put in place to strengthen the gate at Hackworth Road industrial estate against trespass and illegal entry. We also drew attention to health and safety concerns on behalf of the general public.

"Recent events, including an incursion of travellers last week, has proved the point we made that security at this particular point was woefully inadequate. Unfortunately however, it appears that our request has been disregarded. We would be grateful for an update on DCC actions immediately following our request.

"We would also be grateful if you would now confirm that security measures will be taken immediately to prevent illegal access to DCC land in future. We believe that a strengthened replacement gate and fencing is an absolute minimum requirement until a decision is made on the eventual use of this land.

"Further, following community concerns and complaints, we would be grateful if you would confirm the current status of this land in terms of ownership and lease arrangements. We spoke last week to the Head of Direct Services about this issue and he has full details".

Once we receive a response from the council we will post details on this site.

Reflections on the Horse Fair

Now that the dust is starting to settle on the horse fair held in Blackhall over the weekend we should now be able to take a clearer look back at the event.

First and foremost however we would like to thank the people of Blackhall for their patience and tolerance over the past few days. We acknowledge that this period has been fraught with uncertainty. This of course cranked-up the inevitable rumour mill so we are grateful to the many residents and business-owners who actually took the time and effort to talk to us to find out the facts. They acknowledge that we did everything possible to prevent this event going ahead and their support for our actions is very much appreciated. As usual however there has been a tiny handful of individual opportunists who have exploited the communities fears and insecurities to make personal or political points. Unfortunately there will always be those who refuse to let the truth get in the way of a good rumour!

The facts relating to the build up to the horse fair have been well-aired elsewhere on this site and need not be reiterated here. However we do have some comments to make on the actual response to the horse fair and also on our plans to ensure that our public spaces are adequately secured against future illegal gatherings.

Initially we should point out that although the horse fair went ahead against the wishes of the community, our actions in securing the site with boulders caused uncertainty within the travellers community about the eventual venue. This had a direct impact in reducing the numbers attending the event from the usual 200 to 250 caravans in previous years to about 50 this time around. Clearly this was reflected in the relatively low-key nature of this year's event compared to others in the recent past.

We contacted the Head of Direct Services at county hall first thing on Tuesday morning to ask that the area is cleaned up as a matter of urgency. Obviously the worst affected area is that closest to the pit site but other parts of the village have been left untidy too and these require immediate attention. We would appreciate your help in identifying any areas still in need of attention.

We have also contacted the relevant departments at the council to express our concerns at the way the authority responded to the horse fair from the time of initial rumours in July right up to the event itself. Residents and business-owners in the area have complained to us about a complete lack of communication from some parts of the council. We share those concerns and we will request that all of the authorities provide a satisfactory explanation following their post-event review.

Finally, we have already begun work with the parish council to ensure that a number of sites most at risk of trespass and illegal gatherings are made secure to prevent another event of this nature taking place again.

Please let us know if you have any comments to make about the issues raised above, especially your ideas on how we can improve security at the sites mentioned.

Table Top - Boot Sale event at Blackhall Welfare

Table Top - Boot Sale

Every last Wednesday of the month.

Whatever the weather come along and keep warm and dry as you sell or buy your wares.

Café selling lunch from 12pm

Hot drinks available.

11am - 3pm for buyers  

Sellers in from 9am

£7 for public for table

 Crafters and Traders £10.

Entry to public 50p by donation bucket.

To book a table call 0191 5867396 or pop into the centre.

Latest from Network Rail on freight complaints

We have received a number of complaints recently from businesses and residents in Blackhall Colliery and Blackhall Rocks concerned at the amount of vibration caused by rail freight and the potential for this to cause structural problems at their properties (see post dated 14 August 2013).

Following our contact with Network Rail on behalf of affected residents we have now received the following response:

Good morning Rob

I apologise for the lack of contact regarding this issue.

As you can see from the letter, a track renewals team are currently working in the area, and more specific dates are as follows;

Work stated at 23.05hrs to 06.00hrs on Thursday 25 July 2013 from the north end of Durham Station on the down main, from 66m 1720yds up to 67m 919yds, and was completed by Saturday 28 July 2013.

On the 30 July to 3 August, the team worked from Tuesday night up to the Saturday Morning from 68m 618yds to 69m 138yds. Work will be completed this week, 12 to 16 August from 69m 196yds to 70m 330yds. 

The track renewals team are currently upgrading the track, which hopefully should alleviate any vibration issues reported by trackside residents.  Again, as per the attached letter, if the residents have concerns about structural damage to property because of passing freight trains, they need to undertake a structural survey and report this to Network Rail to deal with accordingly.

If you are still receiving complaints after this week, please contact the Network Rail National Helpline on the number below, and any track issues will be investigated by our Track Engineers.

I hope you find this information useful.

Kind regards

Antonia Bailey

Community Relations Advisor

Network Rail

National Helpline: 08457 11 41 41

We intend to contact complainants again later this week to see if their problems persist and, if so, get back in touch with Network Rail to seek a solution as advised by the company. In the meantime please let us know if you have had any similar experience of vibration from rail freight in this particular area.

Castle Eden wild flower event

Please find below details of a community event to be held in Castle Eden next month, contact details attached:

Help us to create a wildflower meadow on Sunday 1 Sept Help us create a wildflower meadow Sunday 1 September 10am - 12 noon Hart-Haswell Railway Path We've been working with volunteers from the local community at Castle Eden to turn a piece of boring green grass at the side of the track into a flower-filled meadow. Last year we cut and raked the grass to reduce the level of nutrients in the soil (wildflowers prefer poor quality soil). As a result, we've already seen a massive improvement in the diversity of plants. This year we've had: orchids cowslip field scabious knapweed bladder campion marjoram St John's wort hayrattle plus others All of these plants provide a nectar source for butterflies and bees - and this in year one! Just think how good it will be in the future... But meadow creation and management is an ongoing process and we need your help. Why not join us at our next Community Conservation event and help us to improve the meadow even more? The flowers will have set seed and the meadow will have been cut. We need your help to rake the cut grass and then sow some hay-rattle seed. Hay-rattle is a semi-parasitic plant, it feeds on the roots of grass and weakens it. This gives the wildflowers an advantage and will help even more to flower next year. Anyone can come along and give us a hand, you don't need any experience. Drop by for five minutes or the full two hours - every minute helps! All tools and gloves will be provided but wear old clothes and sturdy footwear. We'll also have information about guided walks, events and volunteering so pop by if you want to pick up a leaflet. Our staff will be on hand to chat about the site and any concerns or suggestions you have. Where? Come along to the Hart-Haswell Railway Path (behind the Castle Eden Inn).   Parking is available in the Community Centre (opposite the pub), off B1281 at Castle Eden. TS27 4SD. Grid ref NZ423 375. The event will be signposted from the road. See the location on a map. Contact us If you need any more information, call us on 03000 264 589, email or check out our events page.

Blackhall Community Forum - August 2013

The monthly Community Forum meeting, which usually deals with local anti-social behaviour issues, was last night transformed into a public meeting for residents to air their concerns about the horse fair rumoured to be visiting Blackhall over the Bank Holiday weekend (for background details see posts dated 31 July & 13 August 2013 and regular updates posted at the Resource Centre in Middle Street).

The meeting was very well attended by residents worried about the impact of such an event being held in Blackhall. In response to a query about communication with the public it was reported that the issue had been made public some weeks ago, as soon as police intelligence indicated that the horse fair may be coming to Blackhall. Update reports had been posted on this site since July and regular reports were posted outside the Resource Centre for public information. Staff at the Resource Centre, both county councillors and the local police had been fielding questions and queries from concerned businesses and residents for some weeks now, showing clearly that the information had filtered through the community as intended.

An update was given on measures taken recently to secure the former pit site (identified by police intelligence as the one favoured by event organisers to hold the horse fair), along with possible future measures to secure alternative sites in the village against illegal trespass if necessary. Once again it was reported that neither the police nor the council had given permission for this event to go ahead on any site in the village.

Whilst residents and businesses remain concerned about the unnecessary public cost associated with a horse fair coming to Blackhall, it is largely accepted that all reasonable steps have been taken to secure the identified site against an illegal gathering, and that the police are well prepared to deal with any disruption if the event does eventually go ahead in the village.

Update reports are to be posted at the Resource Centre over coming days in the event there are significant developments in this matter. The police office will also remain open all day, until midnight, from the middle of next week to deal with community concerns.

Durham miners join fight to save Hartlepool hospital

Durham Miners Association members have now joined up with the Save our Hospital campaign to fight the closure of Hartlepool hospital. Click on the link below for further details:

Miners join fight to save Hartlepool hospital - Peterlee Star

Rail freight issues in Blackhall

Over recent months we have received complaints from residents near to the rail lines about intense vibrations from the track when specific types of rail freight are passing. Many believe that these vibrations are causing structural damage to their properties.

Back in April we contacted Network Rail to report residents' concerns. They have since acknowledged our complaint and have confirmed that an initial investigation into these reported incidents would be carried out. We made further contact last week and again this morning to request a preliminary update on their findings and we'll report on progress as soon as we receive a response.

If you live in a property adjacent to the rail lines please let us know if you have experienced similar problems to those reported here and we'll ensure that Network Rail are made aware.

Update on Blackhall Horse Fair Rumours

Rumours persist in the Blackhall area about a horse fair to be held on the former pit site in the village this Bank Holiday weekend (see post dated 31 July 2013 for background information). This follows police intelligence suggesting that travellers may have targeted this site, amongst others across East Durham, to hold the annual fair, held in previous years in Seaham. Horden and Easington.

In direct response to concerns expressed to us by residents and businesses the council has now carried out works, including the installation of boulders, at the site to ensure that the gated access to the pit site has been made secure against trespassers (images below show the gate area before and after the works were carried out). 

From the very outset we have both insisted that this site must remain clear to prevent any obstruction to emergency response vehicles in the event of an accident on the Durham Coast rail line running adjacent to the site. Again, because of persistent rumours, we must make it absolutely clear that no permission or consent has been given by the police or Durham County Council for this site to be used for any purpose. 

We have received an enormous number of complaints over recent weeks from residents and businesses in the area concerned about the potential cost and impact of an event of this nature going ahead. Please note that our involvement in this matter is in direct response to those concerns and is intended to allay community fears as far as possible. However, both the council and the police acknowledge that travellers tend to turn up almost anywhere they choose, so they will remain vigilant over the coming days to ensure that, wherever and whenever possible, they are prepared to take any appropriate measures to prevent illegal encampments in the area.

Before

After

Environmental improvements at Blackhall Rocks picnic area

At our ward surgery at the community centre last Friday we received complaints about the failure of the Limestone Landscapes Project to adequately consult the public about their programme to introduce environmental improvements at Blackhall Rocks.

One view expressed was that the LLP had failed to contact angling clubs in the area and another resident was concerned at the apparent delay to the start of works.

We contacted the project manager at LLP who confirmed that all groups in the Blackhall area had been contacted seeking their views about the improvement proposals. Specifically they confirmed that the secretaries of the three known angling clubs were contacted in writing between 24 September and 15 October 2012 and that no response was received. The project manager also drew attention to the inclusion of full proposals for the improvements in the Monk Hesleden Parish Council's publication "The Gazette" last year, this being delivered to all households in the parish council area.

Regarding the timescales for the improvements taking place, the project manager confirmed that they are close to appointing contractors to carry out the works.

If you have any particular concerns about the environmental improvements to be carried out, or about the consultation exercise, please contact The LLP programme manager, Tony Devos, direct on 03000 026 7151.

For information, we hold a ward surgery at Blackhall Community Centre on the first Friday morning of each month between 9.30 and 11.30.

Quad bikes in Hesleden

We have received complaints recently from residents in the Hesleden area concerned about quad bikes using public footpaths, including bridleways and the Haswell to Hart walkway.

We have passed these concerns onto the police and the neighbourhood wardens and they have confirmed that they will give this issue increased attention, especially during the summer holidays.

Please let us know if you are aware of similar incidents in our area and we'll ensure that the appropriate agencies are informed.

DCC Street lighting consultation details

You will be aware from previous posts on this site that we have campaigned long and hard to have the street lights replaced and repaired on the roads connecting Blackhall with Hesleden and Hesleden with High Hesleden and Monk Hesleden following the theft of overhead cables in this area last year.

The county council has now begun a formal consultation exercise on its street lighting policy, details of which have been reproduced below.

Now is our opportunity to let the council know that we need lighting in these areas to ensure the safety of pedestrians and road users alike, and that these roads are absolutely vital in maintaining links between our communities.

If together we fail to put the case on behalf of our villages and their residents we risk losing street lighting in this particular area. Please note that the consultation ends on Thursday 26 September 2013.

Street lighting policy consultation

This consultation gives you the chance to have your say on updates to the street lighting policy for County Durham.

Timetable

This consultation began on Thursday 18 July and ends on Thursday 26 September 2013.

How you can get involved

You can have your say in the following ways:

• Read the background information and complete the online survey below.
• Call us on the contact number at the bottom of this page for a paper copy of the survey.

Background information

The street lighting policy sets out where street lighting will be provided on the highway and to what standard.

The need for street lighting varies by location. Each locality in the county is placed into one of four environmental zones in accordance with national standards. The environmental zones are used to determine the level and type of street lighting that is required in an area.

We are updating the street lighting policy to enable us to carry out the street lighting energy reduction project which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 7,500 tonnes per year and reduce energy consumption. The project is expected to generate savings of £24 million over 25 years.

Durham County Council is required to make total savings of at least £188 million in the period from 2011 to 2017. The council is also aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by 40% between 2008 and 2015 as part of the authority’s carbon management programme.

The Street Lighting Energy Reduction Project will take place over six years and will be achieved through a combination of:

• Upgrading 41,000 street lights with light emitting diode (LED) lights which are more energy efficient.
• Dimming of LED lights overnight.
• Removal of lighting from areas where it is safe to do so (not residential areas).
• Removal of lighting of some traffic signs.

We carried out a trial of LED street lighting in Chester-le-Street and asked residents for their comments in 2012 to help us evaluate the system.

Updates to street lighting policy

The main updates to the street lighting policy are around dimming of lights, removal of lights, and lighting of traffic signs.

Dimming of lights

LED street lights which are installed as part of the street lighting energy reduction project will have the facility to be dimmed.

The updated policy proposes that, where these LED lights are installed:

• between 10.00pm and midnight, lighting levels will be dimmed by 25%
• between midnight and 5.00am, lighting levels will be dimmed by 50%

Removal of lights

As part of the street lighting energy reduction project, we are identifying street lights in the county which may be considered suitable for removal. These lights are most likely to be on traffic routes in rural areas between towns and villages. We estimate there are 7,000 street lights in County Durham that are suitable for removal.

The updated policy proposes that where it has been identified that existing street lighting is not required, we will carry out a full risk assessment to determine whether it is safe for it to be removed. The risk assessment will take account of road safety records and fear of crime issues. We will only remove street lights where it is safe to do so and will not remove street lights from residential areas.

Lighting of traffic signs

The Department for Transport recently introduced changes to its regulation which allows for lighting to be removed from certain traffic signs, provided the signs are replaced with reflective signs which are visible in headlights.

The updated policy proposes that where the Department for Transport allows, lit traffic signs will be replaced with reflective signs.

Policy and cabinet report

The policy was considered by the County Council's Cabinet on 17 July 2013. The report and policy can be viewed online -Cabinet reports for 17 July 2013.

Have your say

You can take part in this consultation by completing the Street lighting policy online survey

For further details go to the DCC website at:

www.durham.gov.uk and search for street lighting consultation.

Update on drainage works at Chicken's Green

We have recently received an update on progress in tackling flooding problems in Blackhall Colliery. This is reproduced in full below for information:

Investigations into flooding on the A1086 (at Chicken's Green and Emmerson Court, Blackhall Colliery) have uncovered 600m of highway drainage affected by the build-up of silt due to an ineffective outlet arrangement.

There was no positive outlet on the highway drainage system, the system just ended in the park area between Corry Close and Dene Road. A new outlet has been constructed to discharge in to a culverted watercourse that runs under the park area.

We will continue to monitor progress with these works to ensure an effective and lasting solution.

Update on drainage issues at Rodridge Hall

We have received an update from the DCC highways engineers on drainage investigations at Rodridge Hall between Station Town and Hutton Henry. This is reproduced in full below:

The recurring major highway flooding at Rodridge Hall has been investigated and it was found that the highway drainage system had a number of collapses, major tree root infestation, badly constructed connections and joints, buried manholes and an outlet that was buried in a heavily silted watercourse. The affected length of highway was in the order of 300m. Works are now complete and the highway system is now operational.

Clearly we won't know until the next downpour how effective the highways works have been but we'll keep a close watch on progress.