Hesleden pit heap removal plans to be heard by committee in the New Year

We have been notified today that the planning application submitted by Hargreaves plc to remove the pit heap at Hesleden is to be submitted to the county council's planning committee for deliberation and decision on Tuesday 5 January 2016 (please see posts dated 12 December 2013, 2 April 2014, 9 April 2014, 29 April 2014 & 31 May 2014 for background information).

We attach below the link for the planning committee papers:

http://mgov:9070/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=318&MId=8062&Ver=4

Council services over the Christmas period

We have received a circular today which sets out details of how council services will continue to operate over the festive period.

It also includes details of contact numbers to be used in the event of an emergency so we have reproduced the circular in full below (for more information on bin collections please see the post dated Tuesday 15 December 2015 on this site):

During the festive period Durham County Council’s customer access points and most council buildings will be closed.

The closures will begin on Christmas Eve and buildings will re-open on Monday 4 January.

Anyone who needs to contact the council in an emergency can do so by calling 03000 26 0000, or by reporting issues online at www.durham.gov.uk.

 Also, people can use the 24/7 automated payments line on 03000 456 2771.

Customer access points will close at 12.45pm on Christmas Eve and will re-open at 8.30am on Monday 4 January 2016.

Leisure centres, libraries and children centres opening times will vary over the festive period so people are advised to contact their local leisure centre, library or children’s centre before Christmas, to check their opening times.

Day centres for adults will remain open over Christmas, except on bank holidays.

Register offices will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day and will close at 12.45pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Bishop Auckland, Aykley Heads (Durham), Barnard Castle and Chester-le-Street register offices will be open between Christmas and New Year but will operate on an appointments basis only.  To make an appointment, people can phone 03000 266 000.

As part of the Travel Response Centre, the pre-bookable transport service to hospital appointments will remain open for telephone bookings. Other booking services are closed from 12.00pm on Christmas Eve until 8.30am Monday 4 January. For more information, contact 03000 269 999.

Household waste recycling centres (tips) will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

There will also be some changes to those bin collections which normally take place on Fridays. 

Collections which would have been due on Friday 25 December will instead take place on Monday 28 December. And collections due on Friday 1 January will be carried out on Monday 4 January.

All other collections, including those due on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, will not be affected.

Durham Park and Ride will be closed on 25, 26, 27 December and 1 January.

For more information visit http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/5070/Festive-period-closures

Community Computers in the Blackhall area

Earlier this year, working alongside Monk Hesleden Parish Council and a number of community groups in our area, we secured funding for computers to be installed at a number of community venues in Blackhall Colliery and Blackhall Rocks.

New community-use computers in Blackhall Community Centre

Recently the project came to fruition when new community-use computers were unveiled at Blackhall Community Centre and Blackhall Resource Centre in Blackhall Colliery and also at Kasko House, home to the Blackhall Rocks Residents' Association.

Given the success of this scheme we have decided to seek further funding to extend it from the springtime of next year into other community venues in the villages of the Blackhall ward, providing certain criteria can be met (ie relating to supply and demand and also the compatibility of individual community facilities).

Please get in touch if you think that your community venue might benefit and we'll make the necessary arrangements at the appropriate time.

Changes to some bin collections over the Christmas period

We have received a circular from the county council giving advice on alterations to some bin collections over the Christmas and New Year period.

Changes will be made mainly to collection rounds made on a Friday, which covers a significant number of the villages in our county ward. We have reproduced the information in full below:

Bin collections during the festive period

Title

There will be changes to some bin collections over the festive period in County Durham.

The changes, during Christmas and New Year weeks only, affect rubbish and recycling bins which are normally emptied on a Friday.

Collections which would have been due on Friday 25 December will instead take place on Monday 28 December.

And collections due on Friday 1 January will be carried out on Monday 4 January.

All other collections, including those due on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, will not be affected.

Normal collections will resume on Tuesday 5 January.

Residents are also advised that Durham County Council’s bulky waste collection service will not operate between Monday 21 December and Monday 4 January.

People can arrange to have their real Christmas tree collected free of charge by contacting the council on 03000 261 000 before Friday 8 January.

People can check their bin collection dates by entering their postcode on the My Durham section of the council’s website – www.durham.gov.uk

Northern Powergrid update on the A1086/B1281 blackout in Blackhall

For some weeks we have been contacting Northern Powergrid on a regular basis to impress on them the urgency needed for repair works to the long-term street lighting outage on the B1281 between St Joseph's RC church and the Yohden care complex (please see posts dated 20 November & 4 December 2015 for background information). 

We have repeatedly told them of the danger to residents, motorists and pedestrians alike of continued darkness on this stretch of road.

The junction of the A1086 and B1281 at St Joseph's RC church in Blackhall Colliery

Following continued pressure this week, particularly from the parish clerk, Northern Powergrid has now confirmed that repair works in this area should be completed on or before Wednesday 16 December which is their response time period for repairs of this nature (this follows an email we received just yesterday from Northern Powergrid suggesting that all "non-urgent" works would be suspended until repair works to storm damaged lines in Cumbria had been completed).

However, it now appears that we might at last see some real progress within the next week. We will keep you updated with developments as they arise.

Discussions on future plans for the DLI museum continue

Please see below a press release issued this afternoon by Durham County Council which relates to its intentions on the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) museum:

Council pledges to continue meetings over DLI future

Durham County Council had pledged to keep meeting with veterans and campaigners as it develops how best to continue to honour the Durham Light Infantry.

Speaking at a meeting of full council on Wednesday morning, the council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration and culture, Cllr Neil Foster, said meetings have already taken place with many who share strong views on the future of the DLI collection.

And he said the council will continue to listen to people who want to help bring the story of the men and women who served to the audience it deserves.

Cllr Foster said: “In adopting this report the Cabinet members recognised the heritage of the DLI regiment must not only be maintained and preserved for future generations, but honoured as widely as possible.

“We also recognise, as a city containing a World Heritage Site, that it is also important to provide an excellent cultural offer, both for the benefit of our own residents and the many thousands of tourists who come to visit us each year.

“However, we must also recognise that what we have done before may no longer be appropriate or sustainable, and we must therefore look for opportunities for how we can make the most of what we have.

“In consultation with the DLI Trustees, whose role is to do what is best for the collection, and in partnership with Durham University, we have sought to find a new way of telling the DLI story - a way that will take it to the heart of the World Heritage Site, with its more than 600,000 visitors a year, and give it the far greater audience it rightly deserves.

“In addition we have been working with Army Museums Ogilby Trust the recognised authority in this area.

“We have already met with many of those who have strong views on the future of this museum and welcome the opportunity to meet others in order that this can help shape the future of the collection and how we exhibit the many important artefacts it contains.

“We understand there has been significant public concern about the proposed changes, particularly with the idea that we are seeking to lock much of the collection away from public view, but that is simply not true.

“Durham County Council – as one of the few local authorities still funding a regimental museum - is committed to multiple exhibitions over the next five years to showcase much of what is currently on display, as well as many items, photos and stories which aren’t.

“At the same time we want to provide a new more suitable home for those items not included in exhibitions, with a publicly accessible research facility at Spennymoor at which curators, conservators and volunteers will be able to study and work on items.

“Both of those are longer term commitments to the DLI. Work is well underway on an exciting programme of events for 2016 that further explore and commemorate the role of Durham men and women at war.

“Rest assured that we are very aware of the importance of the DLI both to the history and people of the county and beyond.

“And we believe our plans which we are developing with the input of many will offer both a fitting tribute to those who served with the regiment, and ensure the continuation of the collection for many years to come.”

The DLI collection is set to move from its current home at Aykley Heads in April, by which time the first of the exhibitions on Palace Green, looking at the involvement of Durham people in the Battle of the Somme, will be open to the public.

A five year exhibition on the History of the DLI will follow later in the year, with further temporary exhibitions on different topics related to the regiment, and a linked programme of events marking the World War One centenary also planned.

To discover more about the county’s involvement in the 1914 to 1918 conflict visit the council’s archive, museum and archaeology services’ Durham at War website, www.durhamatwar.org.uk.

The impact of continued austerity measures in County Durham

We have received the following press release from county hall outlining the potential impact of continued central government funding cuts on services provided by the council, along with details of a series of public consultation events to engage the county's residents in helping to set their spending priorities:

Austerity to deepen in County Durham

An update on budget planning for the North East’s largest council, including the impact of the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), will reveal a total savings target of close to £290m by 2020. Members will also hear that whilst austerity will continue, much remains uncertain at this stage as Durham County Council will not receive its financial settlement from Whitehall until mid-December.

However, an action plan, the potential use of an additional £25m from reserves and a continuation of the sound financial management approach adopted by the council means that despite the toughest of times, every effort will be made to minimise the impact of the cuts on the county’s residents.

The budget planning paper before the authority’s Cabinet next week (December 16) sets out a four year plan which will see continued consultation with the public on spending priorities, and also on the impact of proposed changes. Final decisions will be made on 74 proposals for savings outlined in the report by Cabinet and Full Council in February.

Alongside these measures continuing efforts will be made to highlight and support the ‘Durham Ask’, a programme which sees the council support communities and the voluntary sector to take over some council buildings and services.

The council Leader is Cllr Simon Henig: “We have done our best to protect frontline services and to respond to the priorities set by the public and we are committed to maintaining this approach.

“Continuing spending cuts on this scale inevitably mean making tremendously difficult decisions including changes to services, altering how we deliver those services and reducing our own costs at the same time.

“As we manage this we will use a potential further £25m in reserves to mitigate the impact on frontline services as best we can.

“We are also committed to ongoing consultation with residents so that we understand how proposed changes may affect people and we will pay special attention to those who are most vulnerable as well as people living in rural more remote areas.”

The continuing austerity also means there will be a further impact on jobs at the council. In 2010, then facing budget reductions of £123m, Durham announced workforce reductions, of 1,950 posts. That figure remained, despite austerity continuing and a revised savings target of £260m earlier this year. However, facing additional savings the council may have to reduce the number of posts by a further 400. The freezing of vacant posts and redeployment, as well as skills training and the introduction of more efficient ways of working, will be used to reduce the impact.

Cllr Henig again: “We recognise our staff are our biggest asset, which is why we have strived so hard to protect as many jobs as possible, while making greater cuts to management and support costs. Sadly, like many public sector organisations, we may have to reduce our workforce further to prioritise spending on services wherever we can. Again, we will delete vacant posts and use redeployment to minimise the impact.”

The council’s financial planning is based on a 2 per cent increase in council tax over the next four years. However the CSR offered local authorities the chance to help replace lost central Government funds by adding a further 2 per cent social care precept to council tax bills – with income from this ring-fenced for spending on adult social care. This option will be part of the upcoming budget consultation exercise.

Earlier in the autumn of 2015 the council’s 14 Area Action Partnerships took part in the latest round of consultation on how the council should manage its reducing budget. Feedback from this, and an online consultation option, revealed the public’s spending priorities had not changed. However, residents will continue to have their say via a second phase of consultation, starting December 16 and running until January 12, 2016. As well as an online option at www.durham.gov.uk/haveyoursay there will be three special events:

December 16, 2015 – St Johns RC, Bishop Auckland      6pm – 7.30pm

December 17, 2015 – Shotton Hall, Peterlee                    1pm – 2.30pm

December 17, 2015 – County Hall, Durham                      6pm – 7.30pm

The full Cabinet report can be viewed here http://democracy.durham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=154&MId=7926&Ver=4

Members will note the report’s recommendations when they meet at Durham Town Hall on December 16. 

Northern Powergrid fails to respond to Blackhall streetlight repair request

Two weeks ago we reported that street lights were out on the B1281, a stretch of road in Blackhall Colliery connecting the A1086 junction at St Joseph's church with the Yohden care complex (please see post dated Friday 20 November 2015 for further information).

The A1086/B1281 junction in darkness at St Joseph's, Blackhall Colliery

We reported at the time that due to a particular fault Northern Powergrid, and not the county council, was responsible for streetlight repairs at this location. 

Once again we have contacted Northern Powergrid to encourage them to carry out repairs in this area. We have told them that this is a very busy stretch of road, well used by motorists and pedestrians alike, and we have made them aware of our concerns over the real risk of accidents if repairs are not completed urgently.

We will continue to press Northern Powergrid to fulfill their obligation to make this road safe and we will keep you updated with progress.