Community Action Team in Blackhall Colliery until October

Last month I published an article on these pages giving an update on the latest developments with the county council’s Community Action Team (CAT) scheme, which had been delayed from earlier this year because of restrictions imposed in response to the current Covid-19 lockdown (please see posts dated Friday 6 March 2020 and Wednesday 25 June 2020 for background details). Although the lockdown continues, the government has relaxed a number of social restrictions sufficiently to allow the CAT scheme to go ahead.

Late last week letters were circulated to residents in those streets in Blackhall Colliery that will be taking part in the scheme. I’ve listed these below, alongside brief details of what happens next and how residents will be able to shape the scheme by taking part in a series of online surgery sessions:

The Community Action Scheme's current project is in Blackhall Colliery. Beginning Monday 13 July, it will run until Sunday 4 October.

The streets we will be concentrating on are: Aged Miners Homes, Aspatria Avenue, Coast Road, Coronation Avenue, Corry Close, Dene Road, East Street, Eighth Street, Eleventh Street, Enid Gardens, Fifth Street, First Street, Fourth Street, Hardwick Court, Hepscott Avenue, Middle Street, Ninth Street, Park Avenue, School Avenue, Second Street, Seventh Street, Sixth Street, Tenth Street, The Bungalows, Third Street, Thornton Terrace, West Avenue, West Street Cottages and West Street.

We deal with a range of issues including:

• improving housing standards and the management of privately rented property
• dealing with empty properties
• ensuring that rubbish that has been dumped in gardens, on streets and on waste ground is removed
• assisting with improvements to buildings and abandoned land
• investigating noise issues
• challenging under-age sales of alcohol and tobacco
• implementing energy efficiency schemes
• advising on consumer rights and dealing with cold callers

Information from those involved with the community informs the main priorities chosen by residents during a residents' engagement event at the start of the CAT programme. We then focus on these during our seven weeks of action.

Due to Covid-19, we will be running Teams Online virtual meetings. They are a great way for us to hear your views. They are open to everyone but will be of most interest to those living and working in the Blackhall Colliery area.

They will take place on:

• Thursday 16 July, 1.00pm to 2.00pm
• Tuesday 21 July, 5.00pm to 6.00pm
• Friday 24 July, 10.30am to 11.30am
• Thursday 30 July, 1.00pm to 2.00pm

Full details of this current scheme and links to others carried out in recent years can be found at: http://www.durham.gov.uk/cat