Snow & Highways Update (2)

Please note below the latest information received from the highways services section relating to gritting/salting and road clearance measures.

Also included is the latest weather forecast and emergency and non-emergency contact details:

Please find below a summary of the attached winter maintenance planned action.  

Date 30.11.17pm

All High Pennines priority 1 routes	Continued gritting duties from 1200hrs through the afternoon and into the evening
All Low Pennines priority 1 routes	Continued gritting duties from 1100hrs through the afternoon and into the evening
All Central priority 1 routes	Continued gritting duties from 0900hrs through the afternoon and into the evening
All Coastal priority 1 routes	Continued gritting duties from 0900hrs through the afternoon and into the evening

Date 01.12.17am

All High Pennines priority 1 routes	Standby 0400 hrs
All Low Pennines priority 1 routes	Standby 0400 hrs
All Central priority 1 routes	Standby 0400 hrs
All Coastal priority 1 routes	Standby 0400 hrs

Today’s Forecast

This afternoon will continue to be cold and windy with wintry showers, some heavy. Snow is possible to low levels from time to time. The odd rumble of thunder possible too.

Tonight will remain windy with clear spells and further wintry showers. However, the level to which snow will fall will tend to rise through the course of the night. Not as cold as it was last night.

Sunny intervals and a further few showers tomorrow, the showers wintry over high ground. However, it is expected to turn cloudier during the afternoon. A little less cold.

Wintry showers this afternoon and overnight will make RSTs very erratic. The snow level will tend to rise through the evening and night - see tables. A cold night with RSTs below zero. High confidence in the showery scenario, but low confidence the shower distribution and minimum RSTs.

Saturday will be a rather cloudy day, and there will be the chance of rain, mainly later in the day. There will be patchy rain for a time overnight, but it should become dry later. Sunday should be dry and bright and Sunday night will be dry with clear spells. Monday will be dry with bright spells. It will be quite a breezy day.

Next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are likely to be often dry with gentle westerly winds. There will be a risk of some local mist or fog in the nights and mornings but there should also be some bright spells too. Later in the week, it may become breezier and wetter for a time. Just a slight risk of another significant cold spell developing from the north at the end of the week.

DCC Service Requests

Non-emergency service requests should be made through our website at http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/1160 or by email at help@durham.gov.uk

All emergency service requests should be made by calling telephone number 03000 261000. This telephone number is staffed 24 hours, 7 days a week

Weather Updates

To keep up to date with the latest Met Office forecast at the following link:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/regional-forecasts/ne#?tab=map&map=SignificantWeather&zoom=8&lon=-1.44&lat=54.63&fcTime=1449273600

Useful Information

Please see our website for further useful information, including:

Winter Maintenance Policy – details the service levels of where and when the Council will provide Winter Maintenance. http://www.durham.gov.uk/winterserviceplan

 

Snow update - Durham Coast

Following the sudden outburst of snowfall in our patch this morning we've now received the following update from the highways services manager at county hall:

Snowfall in Hesleden after our ward surgery this morning

To keep you fully informed of conditions across the east of the county, there have been some quite significant snow showers across the coastal areas and these have now pushed further inland towards Durham.

Our gritters in these areas continue to plough and grit the priority network in both the coastal and central domains  

We'll update on any significant developments as we receive additional information.

Hurworth Burn planning application

We have received notification of a planning application relating to Hurworth Burn Farm (please note details below). We would be grateful for any comments which you would like us to relay to members of the planning team at county hall:

The following application for planning permission has been received:

Application Ref:            DM/17/03546/FPA

Site Address:                 Hurworth Burn Farm

Wingate

TS28 5NP

Proposed upgrade of existing poultry unit including the demolition of 12 existing poultry sheds and the erection of 4 poultry sheds.

Full details of the application are contained in the following link;

https://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=OYFTXRGDI7400

Hesleden pit heap: removal works to begin soon

We have been advised by a member of the planning section at county hall that works to remove spoil from the pit heap at Hesleden are scheduled to begin within the next week or so (please see post dated Wednesday 6 January 2016 for all background details to this development).

On-site preparatory works are drawing to a close; this includes drainage and associated schemes as detailed in the programmed work activity table we published recently in a post dated Tuesday 25 July 2017.

We have written many times about our concerns relating to road safety as a result of these works. These relate mainly to traffic generation on the already busy and dangerous B1281 between Blackhall and the A19 at Wellfield, and especially the stretch between Gray Avenue and the war memorial junction at Castle Eden (please see post dated Saturday 6 February 2016 for details of our concerns).

We are also well aware of the potential impact of heavy vehicles making repeated return journeys along Gray Avenue between the pit heap site and the B1281 junction at a rate of four wagons per hour. We acknowledge that site operators have put measures in place to mitigate the impact but concerns remain that residents will have to put up with increased noise, dirt and other nuisances which otherwise would not have happened.

If you have any concerns at all about any of the issues detailed above we are advised that you should contact Paul Davies on: 07796 446 362 or paul.davies@md2.org.uk

We will also create a log of any comments, complaints and concerns which we will raise with the site owners and developers at our regular liaison meetings, so please let us know of any particular issues relating to this development.

Road works on the A1086 at Crimdon

We have been notified of timescales relating to the road works carried out by Northern Gas on the A1086 Coast Road at Crimdon:

A1086

Coast Road, Crimdon

Gas leak investigation and repair

2 way lights (manual control at peak times)

15 November

24 November

Northern Gas Networks

Update on broadband provision in the Hesleden & Castle Eden area

Regular readers of these pages will be aware that we have been pressing BT Openreach for some time to address the poor standard of broadband provision in some of the villages in our patch, including in Hesleden, High Hesleden, Castle Eden and parts of Blackhall Colliery (please see post dated Tuesday 27 June 2017 for our most recent report).

After noticing recently that road works were scheduled to take place in Gray Avenue, Hesleden we contacted the Digital Durham team at county hall to get an update on progress with the broadband scheme, specifically as it relates to Cabinet 9 at Wellfield which supplies the locations mentioned earlier.

We have reproduced the response from Digital Durham below in full:

Good news! In line with previous updates, Openreach have advised that work is taking place on Wellfield 9, and they still estimate for the cabinet to be ready for service before the end of December.

Residents can keep track of progress via the Openreach site - the site will be updated when the service is available to order: https://www.homeandbusiness.openreach.co.uk/fibre-broadband/when-can-i-get-fibre

Interested residents will then need to place an order for fibre broadband with their chosen provider if they’re interested in obtaining better speeds – their current broadband service will not just speed up.

They will need to contact their current broadband supplier to check how long is left to run on their contract for standard broadband. They could then check what fibre broadband deals their current provider can offer if they are a provider; or they can choose to upgrade with a different internet service provider.

It is worth shopping around for deals – ensuring to look for ‘fibre broadband’. There are currently three Ofcom approved comparison sites (others are available) offering independent advice:

           

www.broadbandchoices.co.uk           0800 380 0068

www.broadband.co.uk                        0800 093 0405

www.simplifydigital.co.uk                   0800 542 4704

Proposed replacement bus shelter at Castle Eden Golf Club

The brick bus shelter directly outside the Castle Eden Golf Club has been in a poor condition for some time. To make matters worse the roof was badly damaged recently so we contacted the county council this morning to ask for an update on proposals to either rebuild or replace it.

We have reproduced the officer's response below. We will monitor progress and report any updates as we receive them.

In the meantime, if you have any comments to make please let us know and we'll pass them on to the relevant department at county hall for consideration:

Good Afternoon Councillors,

The existing brick bus shelter adjacent Castle Eden Golf Club is currently in a poor state of repair and recently lost its roof during a spell of inclement weather.

I am therefore proposing to replace the bus shelter with a new fully enclosed, fully glazed style bus shelter as shown on the attached ‘Proposed Bus Shelter Style’ photograph (please see image below).

I have checked with our Sustainable Transport Team who have confirmed that there are no plans to change the bus service currently operating past the stop and the Bus Operator have confirmed that the stop is used.

Before I progress and consult with the Golf Club, please could you let me know if you have any comments on the proposed scheme?

Scheduled road works in the Blackhall ward area

We have received advance notification of road works scheduled to take place soon in parts of our ward area. Please see below for locations and additional information:

C22	Rodridge Lane, Station Town	Drainage repairs	2 way lights	7 November	20 November	Northern Gas Networks
C24	Hurworth Burn Road, Hurworth Burn	Hurworth railway bridge repairs	Road closure (7:30am - noon)	29 November	29 November	Durham County Council

Please also note works scheduled to take place in Gray Avenue in Hesleden as reported last week:

Unclassified 28.16

Gray Avenue, Hesleden

New service

2 way lights

13 November

14 November

Northern Powergrid

County Durham Plan update

Durham County Council has issued a press release this afternoon giving details about how the County Durham Plan process is expected to continue.

Please see below for full details and links to additional information on the county plan process to date:

Councillors will be asked to agree the timetable for the County Durham Plan process to resume when they meet on 15 November.

The process was paused in December 2016 due to expected changes in the calculation of housing numbers in a forthcoming Government white paper.

Durham County Council has always been committed to bringing forward a plan as soon as possible to continue the county’s economic growth and build on the momentum seen over the past five years. This has seen several high profile investments, such as the current redevelopment of Durham City’s riverside, and a number of major employers moving to the county, including Hitachi, ResQ and Atom Bank among many others.

With some information on housing numbers having been released, the council’s Cabinet is being asked to approve a timetable to resume the process. While the council is aware that resuming the process without the full guidance in place has some risks, positive conversations continue with the Government. The council will also continue to monitor developments and has put forward a timescale to allow for further policy changes. 

A report to Cabinet also includes the council’s response to the Government’s consultation, Planning for the Right Homes in the Right Places, asking for further clarity and the need to align housing requirements with the county’s aspirations for economic growth to ensure that particular challenges in the north east are recognised.  

Cllr Carl Marshall, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “The council reluctantly took the decision to pause the County Durham Plan process while we waited for further information from the Government about fundamental changes to the way housing numbers are calculated.

“While some information has now been forthcoming it’s essential that the Government provides the certainty needed for planning on this scale with the County Durham Plan set to shape the county for decades to come.

“The plan is absolutely vital to creating a thriving county for those that live, work and visit County Durham. So it is the right decision to look to resume the process as soon as possible with a timescale that allows for future Government policy changes to be incorporated into the plan and gives us the chance to engage with residents and businesses.”

Following the council’s decision to pause the process in December 2016, the Housing White Paper was subsequently published in February 2017. However, it did not include the proposed methodology for calculating housing numbers. Instead this was part of the Government consultation document Planning for the Right Homes in the Right Places published in September.

Although the consultation document provides the baseline figure for the expected housing numbers, it does not include details of how this figure could be uplifted to consider issues vital to County Durham, such as economic growth.

With the County Durham Plan essential to the future prosperity of the county, Cabinet is being asked to agree the timeline for the plan process to resume as well as agreeing the response to the Government’s consultation requesting further clarity.

If agreed by Cabinet the plan would move forward with the Preferred Options stage in spring/summer 2018. This would build on the extensive consultation carried out in June/July 2016 on the issues and options facing the county. If approved, this would then go out to public consultation later in 2018.

The County Durham Plan will shape the county into the 2030s, guiding the amount of new development needed for housing, potential job creation and future retail spaces as well as what infrastructure is needed to support these, such as transport, schools and green spaces.

More information on the County Durham Plan process so far is available at www.durham.gov.uk/CDP
Cabinet will decide on the timeline and consultation response when it meets at County Hall at 10am on Wednesday, 15 November.

In addition, they will also be asked to agree and publish guidance on developer contributions for education provision and habitat assessment as well as the 2016/17 annual monitoring report.  

Scheduled road works in the Blackhall ward

We have received advance notification of road works scheduled to take place in our ward over the next few days and weeks:

B1280

Station Town to South Wingate

Street lighting

2 way rolling lights (9:30am - 3:30pm)

9 November

9 November

Durham County Council

Unclassified 28.16

Gray Avenue, Hesleden

New service

2 way lights

13 November

14 November

Northern Power Grid

Unclassified 29.3

Fillpoke Lane, High Hesleden

Telecom mast works

2 way lights (8:30am - 5:30pm)

8 November

8 November

O2 (WHP Telecom

Remembrance Sunday at Blackhall Welfare Park

The Service of Remembrance and Commitment for 2017 will be held on Sunday 12 November at the Memorial in Blackhall Welfare Park. Please congregate at 10.45 am.

Following the traditional service of remembrance wreaths will be laid on behalf of

• Durham County Council
• Monk Hesleden Parish Council
• Ex-Service Associations, including Blackhall Navy Club & Blackhall RAFA
• Blackhall Air Training Corps
• Blackhall Youth Group
• Wellfield School and
• St Andrew's Church

There will also be an opportunity for members of the public to mark their private respect.

As in previous years we have made arrangements for a buffet to be made available in the Cricket Club immediately following the service. Everyone will be made welcome so please come along and join us.

New funding announced for the Seascape coastal project

We met recently with the Durham Heritage Coast officer at county hall to talk about a number of issues relating to the coast in our area.

Among the issues we discussed were improved access to the coast and also our longer-term plan to attract funding to encourage more visitors to come to Crimdon. Both of these issues build on recent schemes initiated through the Crimdon Investment Plan (please see posts dated Sunday 2 April 2017 & Thursday 13 April 2017 for background information).

We were also told that a bid had been prepared by a partnership led by the Heritage Coast team and then submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for additional funding to establish the Seascape project. The aim of the scheme is to improve access to the coast and also generate a better understanding of the landscape and heritage of the North East coastal strip between South Shields and Teesside.

With this in mind we were delighted to hear yesterday that the HLF funding bid had been successful. Please follow the link below for a press release issued by the Durham Heritage Coast partnership giving further details of the project, including its broad aims and expected outcomes:

http://www.durhamheritagecoast.org/our-coast/news/

We are pleased to note that there is a fairly strong community element attached to the HLF funding so we will continue to meet with officers from the Durham Heritage Coast partnership to make sure that our patch benefits as much as possible from this funding stream.

We believe that at the very least it can generate greater interest in the Durham coast and thereby strengthen our continuing campaign to develop more and better visitor and tourism facilities at Crimdon.

Garden waste collections are coming to an end for this season

We have received the following press release from the council advising that garden waste collections are drawing to a close for this period:

Garden waste collections ending for winter

Keen gardeners may still be tending their lawns but with summer now seeming a thing of the past, this year’s garden waste collections are drawing to a close.

Residents who have taken up the service from Durham County Council will receive their final collection in the next couple of weeks, on their usual collection day from Tuesday, November 7 to Friday, November 17.

People are advised to check their collection calendar and note the date or visit the My Durham section of the council’s website and enter their postcode to ensure they don’t miss out.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and partnerships, said: “Almost 70,000 people signed up to receive garden waste collections in 2017 and we know it is popular with many residents.

“Although this is now ending over the winter months, the service will resume next spring and people should look out for further details online.”

Any garden waste which accumulates during the winter period can still be recycled at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

For more information on garden waste collections visit www.durham.gov.uk/gardenwaste