Meeting with residents to tackle access issues at Sawmill Avenue, Crimdon

Yesterday we met with residents at Sawmill Avenue, Crimdon to talk about a number of ongoing issues they have with access and traffic in the area. We asked someone from the county council's highways section to come along too for advice on what might be done to address residents' concerns.

The first problem related to the difficulty residents have turning onto the drive at the front of Sawmill Avenue. This is caused in part by vehicles blocking access as they queue to pull out of Crimdon Holiday Park onto the A1086 Coast Road at The Seagull junction. 

Faded road markings at The Seagull and Coast Road junction, Sawmill Avenue, Crimdon

Road markings advising drivers to keep this area clear have become worn so we have asked that they be reinstated without delay.

Other issues included the poor current siting of the free-standing street direction sign and other signage and we have arranged for these to be relocated to a safer place. 

Finally, the area between the front of the properties at Sawmill Avenue and the public pavement is also in poor condition because of the persistent disturbance of the land by different utilities companies. As this land is in county council ownership we have asked highways officers for it to be resurfaced to restore it to a more acceptable standard.

Bank Holiday Horse Fair heading to the South Hetton area

Seaham and Easington police have issued a press release confirming that arrangements have been made to hold the 2015 annual bank holiday horse fair at a location between Easington Village and South Hetton.

We have reproduced the police press releases below for your information:

Seaham and Easington Police

A traveller’s horse fair will take place on farmland half a mile from South Hetton this August bank holiday weekend.

We have no reason to believe there will be any problems or incidents related to this but understand that members of the community may be concerned.

With this in mind there will be a policing and council presence in the area throughout the event.

At midday on the bank holiday Monday a horse drive will take place as part of the event.

This is a circular route from the site through South Hetton and Haswell then back to the site.

This drive will last for about an hour and there is no requirement for any roads to be closed.

As well as having officers on site you can ring 101 to speak with the neighbourhood policing team. A mobile police information point will also be nearby should anyone want to drop in.

Neighbourhood Wardens will be on duty and they can also be contacted on 101.

What does the NHS Trust's funding bid actually mean for local services?

We knew all along that the prospect of a shiny new, unwanted hospital at Wynyard was a sham designed to appease health campaigners. When the Wynyard mirage faded we were told that the only alternative would be to transfer services to North Tees hospital, effectively leaving Hartlepool hospital to wither on the vine.

The rally earlier this year in support of Hartlepool hospital

Now, on BBC Radio Tees this morning, the NHS Trust chief executive has admitted that the hospital at North Tees is not actually "fit for purpose" (his words). The obvious course of action now would be to return all services to the perfectly fit for purpose hospital at Hartlepool, right? No wrong! Instead the Trust has decided to go cap in hand to the government asking for £25m to invest in North Tees hospital to bring it up to a standard already surpassed by the one at Hartlepool (and remember, this is the same government that is using austerity as a political tool to strangle North East services and communities). 

Would it be overly cynical to think that the government will refuse to stump up the cash, leaving the NHS Trust to close both Hartlepool and North Tees hospitals? Watch this space....

Proposed residential development at the former Station Town Community Centre site

We have received notification from Durham County Council's planning department that a planning application has been received relating to a proposed residential development at the site of the former community centre in Station Town.

The former community centre in Station Town

Please click on the link below for full details of the proposal and advice on how to contact the planning department with any representations you might like to make on this matter. As ever, please feel free to contact us with your views:

Change of use of former community centre to two residential dwellings. - Community Hall Station Town TS28 5HD