We met recently with the head of the estates section at county hall to discuss security breaches last August at the DCC-owned former pit site at
Blackhall, and particularly the issues to be addressed if we are to avoid a
recurrence.
At the meeting we outlined our intention to take whichever measures are necessary
to prevent any future illegal access onto the Hackworth
Road site. We also expressed our concerns about the council's initial proposals to lease the
land and the potential impact it could have on the community if leased to an
inappropriate party. As a result the estates section has agreed to defer the proposal
to lease the land and they have also confirmed that they are willing to allow sufficient
time for both of us, and other agencies, to work up our own plans for the site.
Last week we met with a business representative along with officers from the countryside section of the council to discuss our next steps and we have now agreed a scheme which, amongst other things, would see the removal of the existing gate to be replaced by continuous metal fencing to take away the opportunity for unauthorised access to the site. We also propose to carry out security works at the alternative point of access from Station Road at Blackhall Rocks.
We are currently waiting for an estimate of the costs involved before we can get started on the security works which will ensure that the site is made sufficiently secure to prevent illegal access in future.
