Dignity plc: putting profit before people

We have been notified of Dignity plc's intention to lodge an appeal against the county council's decision to refuse consent to build a crematorium on land opposite the former brewery site at Castle Eden.

Dignity plc are well aware that their plans to build a crematorium in close proximity to the golf course pose a real risk to public health and safety, and they know that their proposals do not stand up to public scrutiny. They have been refused twice by the county council's planning committee in the past two years and they have already been dismissed on appeal by the national planning inspector (please see post dated Wednesday 3 February 2016 for background details).

The former brewery at Castle Eden, with the golf course and site of the proposed crematorium, directly opposite

However, Dignity plc, knowing that several suitable alternative sites are available within County Durham, appear to consider that their profit margin is more important to them than the wishes of the people of Castle Eden, or even the safety and general well-being of their own customers and staff.

Given Dignity plc's persistent intransigence we believe it is essential to once more bring together the entire community and coordinate a response strong enough to make sure that this unwanted and unneeded facility is dismissed once and for all by the planning inspector. 

We are determined to defeat Dignity plc's plans so we will meet over the next week or so with residents, businesses, members of the parish council and county planners to discuss a way forward.

Further details of the campaign will be published on this site in due course:

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended)

SECTION 78 – NOTIFICATION OF PLANNING APPEAL

Application reference:              DM/15/01841/FPA

Appeal reference:                      APP/X1355/W/16/3148225

Name of appellant:                    Dignity Plc

Site:                                             Land To North  Of Castle Eden Brewery Castle Eden

Proposed development:         Erection of new cremation facility comprising a crematorium building, new access road, car parking facilities, ancillary external areas including gardens and pond

Appeal Start Date:                      20 April 2016

The Local Planning Authority has received notification that the above named appellant has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against the Local Planning Authority’s decision to refuse planning permission.

The appellant has requested that the appeal be dealt with by the  written representations procedure. 

Any representations previously made to the Local Planning Authority prior to the planning application being decided, other than representations which the maker has asked to be treated as confidential, will be sent to the Inspectorate and the appellant. These representations will be considered by the Inspector when determining the appeal unless, within 28 days of the starting date, the authority or person who made the representations asks the Inspector to disregard them.

Any new representations that you would like to make in relation to this appeal should be made online via https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ or in writing, quoting the appeal reference above, and forwarded directly to the Planning Inspectorate at the address given below.

Representations should be received by the Inspectorate within 5 weeks of the ‘Appeal Start Date’ given above. If responding in writing it is important that 3 copies of your representations are sent to the Inspectorate.  Any representations received after the deadline will not normally be seen by the Inspector and will be returned.

The Planning Inspectorate will not acknowledge representations but will ensure that letters received by the deadline are passed to the Inspector dealing with the appeal.

The Planning Inspectorate

3/01B

Temple Quay House

2 The Square

Temple Quay

Bristol

BS1 6PN

The appeal documents are available for viewing online at http://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/ or at the appropriate Area Planning Office between the hours below:-

Monday – Thursday: 8.30am - 5.00pm and

Friday: 8.30am – 4.30pm

For further advice on taking part in the appeal process you may be interested in obtaining a copy of one of the Planning Inspectorate’s booklets available on-line at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/taking-part-in-a-planning-listed-building-or-enforcement-appealor by contacting the case officer listed above.   

The decision will be published on https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/.

Should you require any further information please contact the Development Control section on the above telephone number.

Fly-tipping at Monk Hesleden

Once again we have received reports of fly-tipping in the open countryside, this time along the road between High Hesleden and Monk Hesleden.

An old couch dumped in the bushes at the side of the Haswell to Hart walkway at Monk Hesleden

For some reason beyond our understanding somebody thought it acceptable to dump an old red leather couch in the bushes beside the small car park at the Haswell to Hart walkway at Monk Hesleden, where it can be seen by local walkers and in full view of the many visitors to our area.

Apart from making our countryside look like a landfill site, people are understandably angry that during these times of central government cut-backs the cost of addressing such thoughtless acts falls on the county council, and ultimately on already hard-pressed council tax payers.

We have reported the couch for collection. Please remain vigilant and let us know of any other incidents of fly-tipping or accumulations of rubbish in your area.

Capital Works Programme (minor works) 2016/17

We have received details of the capital works programme for the villages in our ward over the next financial year.

Take a look at the table below for further details, and please let us know if there are any minor highway or pavement issues in your street in need of attention.

Cllrs Crute and Pounder

Capital Works Programme 2016/17 - Blackhall

Please find below the list of highway works which are programmed to be carried out within the Blackhall division this financial year. I would like to point out that this list may be subject to change throughout the year without notice, but we will keep you informed of progress in the quarterly updates.

Scheme Type	Road No	Location	Contractor	Status
Surface Dressing	C22	Station Town to Hutton Henry	Kiely Bros.	Committed
Carriageways	A1086	Coast Road, Horden	Highway Services	Committed
Carriageways	A1086	Middle St, Blackhall Colliery	Highway Services	Committed
Carriageways	B1280	Milbank Tce, Station Town	Highway Services	Committed
Footways	U36.7	Sheraton	Highway Services	Committed
Footways	Unc	Corry Close, Blackhall	Highway Services	Committed
Street Lighting		229 Coast Road, Blackhall Colliery	Highway Services	Committed
Street Lighting		262 Ferndale Close Area, Station Town	Highway Services	Committed
Street Lighting		274 Church Street, Station Town	Highway Services	Committed
Street Lighting		329 cols 410 & 423 Coast Rd, Crimdon Dene	Highway Services	Committed

Surface water at Hardwick Court, Blackhall Colliery

Last month we reported persistent problems caused by surface water on the corner of Fifth Street and Hardwick Court in Blackhall Colliery (please see post dated Sunday 13 March 2016 for background information).

Surface water on the corner of Fifth Street and Hardwick Court

We received an update earlier this week from the drainage department at county hall telling us that initial investigations point to a gully problem at the top of Fifth Street.

We have been assured that the council's gully motor will be in the area next week and will take a closer look at the problem.

Public involvement in the planning process

We have received the following press release from county hall giving information on how members of the public can get involved in the planning process:

Have your say on getting involved in planning

A consultation on how people can get involved in Durham County Council’s planning process starts today (15 April).

The Statement of Community Involvement sets out how individuals, local communities and other interested parties can play a part in all aspects of planning, from commenting on applications to being part of a neighbourhood planning forum for their area.

It also explains how the council will consult on the County Durham Plan as well as providing advice to town and parish councils on involving local people and groups in the preparation of neighbourhood plans.

People can find out more and take part at www.durham.gov.uk/consultation.

Copies of the consultation will also available at all council libraries and customer access points with members of the public able to send comments to FREEPOST Spatial Policy or spatialpolicy@durham.gov.uk.

The consultation is part of the council’s responsibility to regularly review how residents, businesses and other stakeholders play a part in planning issues. Anyone wishing to take part can submit comments until 5pm on Friday, 13 May.

Appeal lodged against Dene Leazes Farm wind turbine decision

Towards the end of last year we reported on this site that a planning application to erect a wind turbine on land to the east of Dene Leazes Farm, between Blackhall Colliery and Hesleden, had been refused by the planning committee at county hall (please see our post dated Wednesday 2 September 2015 for background information, along with full details of our reasons for objecting to the development).

The proposed site of the wind turbine at Dene Leazes Farm, looking east from the B1281 at Hesleden toward Blackhall Colliery

We received notification this week that the applicant has now lodged an appeal with the national planning inspector against that decision.

We feel strongly that the decision made by the county council's planning committee last year was the correct one. It was made democratically by members of the planning committee having had all relevant facts, figures and opinions put before them. We also feel that the decision truly reflected the wishes of the local community who, along with us, made strong and valid representations to the planning committee objecting to the proposed development.

As part of the appeal process all representations made by members of the public and others during the planning application stage will now be passed by the council to the planning inspector based in Bristol. 

However, even though this information will give the inspector a clear indication of local opposition to this development, we feel it is vital that as many people as possible again contact the inspector as part of the appeal process to let him or her know of any additional or new information which would reinforce the strength of public opinion in support of the council's decision to refuse consent for a wind turbine at this location.

Everyone who made representations as part of the planning application process will be notified of the appeal, and will also receive information about the appeal process and details of how to make their additional representations. However, just to be sure, we have published this information below:

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended)

SECTION 78 – NOTIFICATION OF PLANNING APPEAL

Application reference:               CE/13/01502/FPA

Appeal reference:                       APP/X1355/W/16/3146228

Name of appellant:                     Eden Farm Ltd

Site:                                             Land East Of Dene Leazes Farm Hesleden Durham TS27 4PD

Proposed development:            Erection of wind turbine (500kw), 50.9m to hub and 77.9m to tip. Installation of associated equipment and infrastructure including access track

Appeal Start Date:                      8 April 2016

The Local Planning Authority has received notification that the above named appellant has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate against the Local Planning Authority’s decision to refuse planning permission.

The appellant has requested that the appeal be dealt with by the  written representations procedure. 

Any representations previously made to the Local Planning Authority prior to the planning application being decided, other than representations which the maker has asked to be treated as confidential, will be sent to the Inspectorate and the appellant. These representations will be considered by the Inspector when determining the appeal unless, within 28 days of the starting date, the authority or person who made the representations asks the Inspector to disregard them.

Any new representations that you would like to make in relation to this appeal should be made online via https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ or in writing, quoting the appeal reference above, and forwarded directly to the Planning Inspectorate at the address given below.

Representations should be received by the Inspectorate within 5 weeks of the ‘Appeal Start Date’ given above. If responding in writing it is important that 3 copies of your representations are sent to the Inspectorate.  Any representations received after the deadline will not normally be seen by the Inspector and will be returned.

The Planning Inspectorate will not acknowledge representations but will ensure that letters received by the deadline are passed to the Inspector dealing with the appeal.

The Planning Inspectorate

3/01B

Temple Quay House

2 The Square

Temple Quay

Bristol

BS1 6PN

The appeal documents are available for viewing online at http://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/ or at the appropriate Area Planning Office between the hours below:-

Monday – Thursday 8.30am - 5.00pm and

Friday -                       8.30am – 4.30pm

For further advice on taking part in the appeal process you may be interested in obtaining a copy of one of the Planning Inspectorate’s booklets available on-line at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/taking-part-in-a-planning-listed-building-or-enforcement-appeal or by contacting the case officer listed above.   

The decision will be published on https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/.

Works scheduled to tackle standing water at Blackhall Co-op

We wrote on this site recently about works carried out so far aimed at tackling persistent problems of standing water in the road at the entrance to the Co-op in Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery (please see post dated Friday 8 April 2016 for background information).

Unfortunately those works were not successful. However, following our latest representations to highways officers at county hall last week, we have now received a response from the highway maintenance department confirming that works to address this problem are scheduled to be carried out within the next two months.

We have reproduced the highways officer's comments below:

The work that was carried out has improved things but its acknowledged that there is some residual ponding.

The road in this area is quite flat with no road gullies in the vicinity of the residual ponding – this limits options.

A length of the road channel in the vicinity of the entrance will be patched and reshaped in order keep this area clear of standing water.

It is anticipated that the work will be done within the next 2 months.

Colin Hodgson (Highways Inspection Maintenance Manager)

Surface water at Blackhall Co-op

Following considerable rainfall recently we again contacted highways engineers at county hall earlier this week to ask for an urgent investigation into the persistent problem of surface water at the entrance to the Co-op store in Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery.

Remedial works were carried out at this location earlier this year but unfortunately they were not successful. We reported just a few weeks ago that the works had failed to eliminate the problem and we were assured then that a further investigation would be carried out. We are still awaiting the outcome of that investigatory work (please see post dated 13 March 2016 for background information).


We will report on progress with this matter as soon as we receive further information from highways engineers.

Hutton Henry Community Association Spring Event

Members of the Hutton Henry Community Association have been in touch to let us know that they will be holding a Spring event later this month at St Francis' Village Hall.

Please see below for full details:

With the weather warming we thought we would celebrate by having a 'Spring Thing' in the Village Hall on Saturday 23rd April 2016.

A chance to get together, have a coffee (or tea) and a chance for our wonderful local traders to show off and sell their spring wares.  We have a fabulous mixture of various crafts including home made and recycled, cosmetics, plants, knit-ware, jewelry, ornaments and of course CAKES!!

Truly something for all of the family, so please spread the word and we hope to see you there :) 

Damaged chicane at High Hesleden

The extensively damaged chicane at the western side of High Hesleden has been reported this morning for repair:

The damaged chicane on Mickle Hill Road at the western entrance to High Hesleden

National Churches Trust - funding opportunities for churches

Graham Morris MP has recently received the following information from the National Churches Trust, which may be of use to church groups in our villages who may be seeking funding for building repairs, adaptations or maintenance.

Please note the links included in the article below for further information on community and church repair grants:

We noticed that you recently posed a question to the Rt Hon Caroline Spellman MP in parliament on a topic relating to church building repairs. I thought you might be interested to hear a little about our charity, The National Churches Trust, as well as our grants programmes which support churches of all Christian denominations with funds towards building repair work and adaptations to church buildings to encourage their community use.

The National Churches Trust supports and promotes church buildings of historic, architectural and community value through support, advice and grant-giving. We are the independent, UK-wide charity supporting all 42,000 churches, chapels and meeting houses of all Christian denominations. We believe that places of worship are an integral part of our nation’s architectural heritage and play a vital part in building and sustaining local communities. You can find out more about us on your website www.nationalchurchestrust.org.

This year the North-East of England is an area we are interested in supporting further. If you are aware of churches that are looking for financial support, please do forward the details below to them, or contact me for any further information you think would be useful.

Below is a summary of our main grants programmes for your use and interest. More detailed information is available on our web pages.

The National Churches Trust's 2016 community and repair grants programmes.

If you need funding for a church repair project or want to install a toilet, kitchen and improve community facilities in your place of worship, then the National Churches Trust grant schemes can help you. This year, there is also a chance to obtain additional funding to set up a social action project, in partnership with the Cinnamon Network, to meet the needs of local people.

Repair Grants
The National Churches Trust's Repair Grants programme offers funds of £10,000 and above towards the cost of urgent and essential structural repair projects. A small number of grants are available at £40,000 and above. Projects must have an estimated cost of at least £100,000 (including VAT and fees) to qualify.

Community Grants
The National Churches Trust's Community Grants programme offers the opportunity to apply for grants of £10,000 and above for projects which introduce facilities to enable increased community use of places of worship. All types of community projects will be considered, but should include toilets or catering facilities. To qualify, projects must have an estimated cost of at least £25,000 (including VAT and fees).

How to apply
Churches, chapels and meeting houses in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland open for worship and which are part of a denomination belonging to Churches Together in Britain and Ireland are eligible to apply. Applications from both listed and unlisted places of worship are welcomed. The 1st deadline for applications is 31^st March. Applications can continue to be submitted until 12^th September 2016.

For further information and to apply online for a grant: click here 

http://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/our-grants

I hope this information will be helpful and look forward to hearing from you, and/or potential applicants in your area.