Overgrowth on the coastal footpaths to be cut back

A couple of weeks ago a resident contacted me with a query about overgrowth on sections of the coastal pathway between Blackhall Rocks and Crimdon. There were also concerns expressed about overgrowth and obstructions at the stiles along the pathway. 

In response I contacted the countryside team and officers in the public rights of way (PROW) section to ask if they could carry out an inspection of the locations where the council had maintenance responsibility and then cut back the overgrowth where necessary. I have now received confirmation that works have been scheduled to take place:

Hi Cllr Crute,

A quick update on this one.

I visited the paths last week and have today submitted a referral for strimming of the coastal path and a section of permissive path. This includes the strimming of stiles and the steps which are starting to become obscured with surface vegetation.

I hope this helps.

Local environmental issues reported

Following a walk around the streets earlier today, and in response to a few issues raised by residents, I’ve reported the following issues to the council this morning for their attention.

Disused building, Middle Street: a former retail premises on the corner of Middle Street and Seventh Street has been reported by residents nearby as unsafe, especially the damaged roof and the lamps overhanging the pavement. I’ve asked for this matter to be raised with the council’s building control team for their attention

Fly-tipping: I’ve reported two incidents of fly-tipping and rubbish dumped in the back lanes behind Middle Street

Damaged road surface: the badly damaged road surface at the bottom of the back lane between Eighth and Ninth Streets has been reported to the council’s highways section for their attention

Overflowing bins and the overhanging bushes on the B1281 and behind Orchid Court have been reported to the council for the attention of the respective departments

Overflow pipe: residents have reported an overflow pipe discharging water onto the road and pavement at the bottom of Fourth Street. I’ve forwarded this to the council with a request that the landlord/owner is made aware

Council’s building control section to deal with damaged fence query

A few weeks ago I was contacted by residents concerned about the bushes and damaged fence leaning into the pathway along the back of Bluebell Close and Primrose Court. After I contacted the council I was told that the neighbourhood wardens would contact the landowner responsible and remind them of their responsibility to maintain the fence and bushes on their land in order to prevent them obstructing the public footpath or causing injury to people using the path. 

However, it was drawn to my attention again yesterday that the fence and bushes were still in a potentially dangerous condition so today I contacted the council again to ask which options remained available to encourage the landowner to make the fence safe and cut back any obstructing bushes.

In return I've been told that the matter has been passed to the building control section at the council for their attention. I've also raised this with the neighbourhood wardens again with a request they visit the landowner to ask them again to carry out the required works. 

Hopefully this latest intervention will have a more positive impact than the last one. However I've asked to be kept updated on progress and I'll pass on any additional information as soon as it's received. 

Please note that the fence and bushes are not the responsibility of the Abbeyvale Care Home.

The latest round-up of local issues

The past week has been another busy one. As usual I’ve dealt with the many private and personal issues that affect residents on a day-to-day basis, and at the same time I’ve addressed a lot of the usual local issues that in a wider context might seem relatively unimportant but in reality make a considerable difference to individuals and their communities.

Here are just a few of the issues I’ve been dealing with over the past week or so:

Early in the week I reported a couple of issues that have concerned some of the residents in and around Sawmill Avenue in Crimdon. Some of those matters have now been resolved, and whilst others were reported previously I’ve now received updates on progress: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/crimdon-issues-update.html

Shortly before that I received a couple of complaints from residents in Kenber Hill about the poor condition of the roads and pavements in some of the streets following resurfacing works carried out recently at my request. An update received from the council’s highways department confirmed that the works were still ongoing and that any issues would be ironed out during the completion of the work cycle: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/resurfacing-roadworks-at-kenber-hill.html

Similarly residents contacted me to let me know of their concerns about the damaged and badly worn road surface at The Crescent which runs around the back of St Andrew’s church near the bottom of Hesleden Road. I asked the highways department to carry out an inspection to gauge the severity of any defects and arrange for remedial works to be carried out accordingly. Following inspection it has been confirmed that works to repair the surface have been included in the current work programme: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/road-repairs-scheduled-for-crescent.html

And finally, although the fence and bushes falling into the pavement behind Primrose Court and Bluebell Close have been reported to the landowner via the council’s neighbourhood wardens recently there have been no repairs carried out. I’ve contacted the council again this weekend to ask what options are available to make this area safe if the landowner fails to take the necessary measures themselves. I’ll update as soon as I have a response from the service. 

There has been some confusion locally about the landowner responsible so I should make it clear that the Abbeyvale Care Home bears no responsibility for maintaining the fence or the bushes.

Crimdon issues update

Last week I was contacted by residents reporting that paint had been splashed on the road and the pavement outside the southbound bus shelter at Sawmill Avenue. They also raised concerns about the bus shelter at the Lido Garage severely damaged by storms last November and also about damaged signage on the central reservation near the junction of the A1086 Coast Road and the entrance to the Parkdean holiday park.

I reported all issues to the relevant departments at county hall and I’ve now received updates on each of the issues.

The paint was removed from the road and pavement earlier this week, a demolition order has been placed to remove the bus shelter at the Lido Garage with replacement works scheduled to begin at the earliest opportunity and an order has been issued for new signage on the central reservation with a replacement to be installed as soon as it is received.

In addition to the issues raised above I’ve also asked the council if benches could be provided at both both shelters. I have yet to receives a definitive answer from the service but I’ll update on progress as soon as I have a response.

Road repairs scheduled for The Crescent

I was contacted last week by residents concerned about the poor condition of the road surface at The Crescent in Blackhall Colliery.

I assured them that I would ask the highways section at the county council to carry out an inspection of the road and arrange for repairs to be carried out where necessary. I’ve now received confirmation from the highways and traffic department at county hall confirming that remedial works have been scheduled as part of their programmed maintenance scheme.

They confirm that they’ve carried out an inspection of the road surface to identify any defects, and whilst they consider that the surface isn’t considered dangerous at the moment they acknowledge that maintenance is required so they’ve placed an order for works to be carried out under their programmed maintenance scheme.

They can’t say with any certainty when works will take place because they’re carried out across the county on a planned priority basis (according to the severity of defects) but they’ve assured me that they’ll continue to monitor the condition of the road surface at this location and bring forward any works as and when necessary.

Tory-led Coalition forced to admit the truth about the DLI collection

Many social media posts have been circulated and several press releases issued over the past year or so artfully suggesting that the Tory-led Coalition currently in control of Durham County Council is about to deliver on its promise to ‘reopen the DLI’ museum. In addition there have been a lot of misleading claims made by the Coalition in the local press lately about the DLI ‘re-opening’. 

As it turns out none of the claims are true. They are nothing more than deliberately misleading background noise created by the Coalition and its dwindling band of Lib Dem and so-called ‘Independent’ supporters in county hall who have already run out of ideas just one year into their chaotic administration and have now resorted to low tactics to try and cling on to what rapidly diminishing credibility they have left.

The truth was finally revealed at a full meeting of Durham County Council held in county hall on Wednesday 22 June 2022. At the meeting the Coalition had been promoting their new council plan which is intended to deliver the council’s vision over the next few years. On page 21 of the plan the Coalition makes a bold statement that the DLI is to be ‘refurbished and reopened’. 

However, this misleading narrative completely contradicts the council’s actual position on the DLI collection which, as confirmed in a council press release recently, will be placed on permanent display in the new History Centre at Mount Oswald on the other side of the city. I published an article on these pages at the time, just in case it had been forgotten about by Coalition members and their Lib Dem and so-called ‘Independent’ supporters in county hall: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-county-durham-history-centre-and.html 

As soon as the DLI collection was mentioned at Wednesday morning’s meeting I put a straightforward question to the Coalition; because there had been so much confusion recently as a result of mixed-messages and deliberately misleading claims I asked outright where the DLI collection is going to be put on display permanently. Will it be at the former DLI building as promised by the Coalition? Or would it be put on display, along with the DLI archives, under one roof in the new History Centre at Mount Oswald as intended by the previous Labour administration?

After much waffling, contradiction and confusion amongst Coalition members the truth eventually emerged. The DLI collection will be placed on permanent display at the Mount Oswald History Centre when it opens to the public next year. In addition this initiative will reunite the DLI exhibits and archives under one roof for the first time since the 1990s.

At Wednesday’s meeting I also pointed out that I’d attended a meeting of the county council’s corporate overview and scrutiny management board on the previous Friday (17 June) where the minutes of the last board meeting had been endorsed by all members present. To drive the point home the minutes of that previous meeting had also confirmed that the DLI collection would be reunited with the archives at the new Mount Oswald History Centre. This is the relevant section from the minutes:

The point wasn’t pursued any further by Coalition members because they know the cat is at last out of the bag - and to make matters worse for them they also know that the new History Centre at Mount Oswald was conceived, commissioned and built by the previous Labour-run administration with the intention all along of accommodating the DLI collection and archive in a prestige setting more appropriate to the image and memory of the DLI regiment.

So next time you see or hear any reference to the DLI ‘reopening’, please bear in mind that the building where the DLI was once displayed is being converted into a high-end, silver service restaurant and art gallery. The DLI collection and archives themselves will be brought together under one roof at the new Mount Oswald History Centre as intended all along by the previous administration. 

It has always been in the Coalition's political interests to create confusion and stoke division over the DLI collection and display. But their deceit has been revealed for all to see. And another Coalition promise has been broken.

County Durham Tories reveal hidden socialist agenda!

Although the Labour Party is in opposition to the Tory-led Coalition in county hall these days, it looks like we’re making steady progress in the battle to win over hearts and minds.

As regular readers of these pages will know I’m a member of the county council’s corporate overview and scrutiny management board which oversees the running of the council’s scrutiny function and coordinates the work of the five individual thematic scrutiny committees. There are often interesting debates in board meetings, but none as surprising as one that took place last week.

I attended the latest meeting of the board, held last Friday morning in county hall, and took an active part in the most surreal debate in recent years. Members of the board were discussing the council’s latest policy approach to poverty, which as everyone knows has engulfed many of our communities over the past few months and years as the cost of living crisis, the impact of ongoing government cuts and soaring inflation have diminished household budgets across County Durham and the country as a whole. 

As part of the discussions on Friday morning one of the Tory councillors raised the subject of free school meals and expressed concern at how many families and children were failing to take advantage of the free school meals on offer. Although this was down to a number of contributory factors the Tory councillor felt that there was ‘enough out there for everyone, so the issue must now be to make sure it goes where it’s needed most’.

I replied by agreeing with that analysis (perhaps the first time I’ve ever concurred with a Tory councillor), and I said I agreed because what she was proposing was actually redistribution - a central tenet of socialism! Whether we’re talking about free school meals or wealth in general the problem is always rooted in the unfair distribution of that commodity to the detriment of those who need it most. I argued that if we as a council truly wanted to ensure that all school children received free school meals we should press the government to extend the eligibility for free school meals to all children on the school roll. This would have a number of positive impacts; most importantly it would ensure that all children received at least one hot meal a day, but it would also ensure the school receives additional funding through the pupil premium formula which distributes funding to schools based on the number of children on free school meals. In addition, it would eliminate the stigma attached to free school meals - one of the main reasons for the low take-up figures - and it would also boost household disposable income which is particularly low in County Durham. When families have more to spend it also revives the local economy, creates jobs and returns more revenue to the exchequer in the form of income tax and VAT receipts - and all because of one simple adjustment to the qualification criteria for free school meals.

In conclusion, I urged members of the management board to write to the government to let them know about the dreadful deal County Durham receives as a direct result of political choices made in Westminster. It’s notable that my suggestion was agreed unanimously by all board members present - including Tories and Lib Dems!

It just goes to show that when individuals actually stop to consider the reasoning behind the issues they’re talking about it can often reveal a deeper meaning - in this case a Tory councillor who frequently berates the Labour Party for being ‘far left’ has unwittingly emerged as one of its unexpected champions - and in doing so confirmed that there’s nothing at all ‘far left’ about wanting a fair deal for those most in need.

So as the slogans on our Blackhall DMA banner say, let’s put ‘need before greed’.

Or let’s stand up ‘for the many, not the few’ as they say these days in the most unexpected circles!

False claims and a disjointed response: Concerns expressed about an unacceptable approach to rat infestations

Following complaints from residents about infestations of vermin in Blackhall Colliery, Hesleden and some other locations in our area, and the painfully slow response from the authorities and private sector landlords and property owners Stacey and I wrote last week to the responsible Director at Durham County Council setting out our concerns.

In the letter, published in full below, we’ve expressed on behalf of residents our concerns about how the reports we submitted last month were initially dealt with. In particular we’ve outlined the authority’s failure to coordinate a response that could have allayed residents’ fears of a spread of the infestation to other

We’ve also asked for clarification about claims by the Tory-led Coalition in control of the county council that pest control services have been adequately funded. We’ve also questioned the validity of adverts published by the Coalition claiming that the council now offered a free pest control service - claims since proved to be false.

Dear ****

 

Re: Durham County Council’s response to vermin infestations:

 

I write to you on behalf of both county councillors for the Blackhalls Division seeking your assistance in addressing a series of vermin infestations recently in a number of locations within our ward. In particular we have concerns about how separate sections of the county council have responded to this issue and how it has potentially allowed an isolated incident to spread further beyond its original source.

 

I first reported a rat infestation at ** Fourth Street in Blackhall Colliery to the council on 6 May 2022, with a request that the relevant sections at the council (including the neighbourhood wardens and the empty homes office) coordinate a response to my concerns. This initial report followed complaints made by several residents in and around the affected area who told me they had previously reported infestations to the council without there being any effective response.

 

Almost three weeks later, after requesting an update on progress, I received a response from the empty homes team and a day later I was contacted by the pest control team confirming that they hadn’t been made aware of the issue until the previous day. It was also confirmed in correspondence from the pest control team that staffing issues and a backlog of similar complaints from across the county meant there would be a delay of ‘several weeks’ in responding formally to this particular problem in Blackhall Colliery. 

However, following my request for an immediate response, an operative was sent out to the site of the infestation to carry out an investigation to determine whether there had been an external source for the infestation. That initial inspection confirmed the source of the problem was in the property at ** Fourth Street, with a potential additional source in the yards of two private properties in the same street. I was advised at this point that the landlord/owner of the privately-owned and rented property at the site of the infestation had been contacted, and that the landlords/owners of the two other properties would be similarly contacted.

 

Since then there’s been precious little evidence of a coordinated response to this problem, to the point where residents in parts of Blackhall Colliery are driven almost to distraction by the continuing fear of a spread of infestation into their homes. However, this letter isn’t intended as a criticism of the pest control team who have been helpful when requested and who have assured me they’re working at full capacity. Rather it’s an expression of concern that there’s a capacity issue in the first place, and that the separate departments responsible are failing to work together towards a common resolution. As a result, despite confirmation from the council that other private sector landlords in the street were aware of the problem, were sympathetic to the plight of residents nearby and were seeking ways to address the problem at their properties it seems that we as a community are no further forward.

 

My purpose in writing to you is to first ask for an investigation to be carried out into what went wrong at the outset of this specific issue when I asked for a collective, coordinated approach to residents’ concerns. In addition I would be grateful if you could let me know which measures will be put in place to address this particular incident and also infestations reported in other affected communities across the county. 

 

Finally, residents have told me they’ve seen reports on social media platforms that last year the Coalition administration at DCC had invested heavily in the council’s pest control service with the intention of addressing this problem. One year on from this promise residents are asking me how the service has changed and when an improvement in the service will actually be seen on our streets. In addition several residents have also reported seeing graphics and comments from a number of Coalition members advising that the council was now providing a free pest control service. Understandably residents across our towns and villages felt quite angry and somewhat short-changed when they called the number given only to find out that this pledge wasn’t only misleading - it was false. There is no free pest control service at DCC. To make matters worse, residents have now been told there’s a delay of ‘several weeks’ in the council’s response time to vermin infestations.

 

It’s accepted that rats are essentially a part of day-to-day life, and that infestation will occur from time to time in specific locations. However, residents in the villages of the Blackhalls Division and beyond are reporting infestations on a scale never before seen in their communities, and they want an assurance from the authority that everything possible is being done to tackle infestations in good time, and certainly before they spread even further into our communities.

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

 

Cllr Rob Crute (Blackhall Division)

Deputy Leader of the Labour Group

Durham County Council

Resurfacing roadworks at Kenber Hill

In March this year, following complaints from residents about the worn and damaged road surfaces at a few locations at the Kenber Hill estate in Blackhall Colliery, I asked the council’s highways department to inspect the roads for potholes and carry out remedial works where required. In response the council confirmed that the roads had been inspected and that they warranted micro-asphalt surfacing works which were completed a couple of weeks ago.

The entrance to Kenber Hill from the B1281

However, I was contacted again recently by residents concerned about the uneven and untidy appearance of the road surface at some locations. I raised this matter with the highways service on residents’ behalf and received a response confirming that the works are only partially completed at this stage and will be finalised as soon as the initial surface application ‘beds-in’. I’ve published the response here in full:

Thank you for your correspondence in regards to the Micro Asphalt surfacing in Hall Close, Blackhall Colliery.

To confirm I arranged for a DCC Contract Supervisor to assess the site and the report I have received is that the current condition of the surface is exactly as it should be at this stage of its life. However it was noted that there was a little bit of loose material on the surface and the contractor has been instructed to return and sweep the site asap.

 

To address the residents’ concerns this type of surfacing is an established, proven process and is used nationwide, it is also an extremely cost effective preventive highway surface maintenance treatment. The main benefit is that it seals the surface eliminating water penetration, which is known to be a major cause of potholes, therefore extending the life expectancy of the road by slowing the deterioration.

Micro Asphalt is applied at a depth of approximately 15mm, the application is made up with a mixture of water, polymer asphalt emulsion, aggregate and chemical additives. The material when first applied to the existing surface is in a fluent state, the hardening of the material occurs through the evaporation of the water with the chemical additives assisting in this process by allowing the surface to harden without relying on the sun or heat. Finally the overrunning of the surface by vehicles then aid in the bedding in of the material.

Micro Asphalt is a 3 stage process, the first stage is to try and establish the correct profile of the carriageway, this is achieved by applying a regulation course. The second stage is to then to apply the running surface, at this stage the surface will look un-finished with the texture of the material appearing a little untidy. These are normal characteristics of the process and the appearance of the surface will improve considerably once the surface has had time to settle down, this is addressed by the passing of traffic which helps with the embedment of the aggregate and in addition to this the site will also be swept to help clear any excess aggregate. The third stage is the adjustment of the ironwork, this procedure is as follows: Before the site is surfaced all ironwork within the carriageway is masked with tape, on completion the tape is removed unless the cover is very low and would create a hazard if the tape was removed at this stage. Once the surfacing has had time to bed-in a separate crew returns to the site who then uncover and reset all the ironwork to the new carriageway level.

Working together to tackle local issues

As local county councillors both Stacey and I are co-opted onto the Parish Council's Environment Committee which meets monthly at the Resource Centre to monitor developments on local environmental issues and also acts as a conduit for sharing information and reporting any issues raised by members of the public - either through the parish council or through me and Stacey as the local county councillors.

The committee held it's latest monthly meeting on Wednesday evening and these are some of the issues we discussed, along with links to associated published articles where necessary: 

Overgrowth on the Gray Avenue/B1281 junction at Hesleden: 

Following concerns expressed by residents that overgrown trees and bushes were obscuring the view of drivers pulling into the B1281 I contacted the council to request that the overgrowth is cut back on either side of the junction.

B1281 junction with Gray Avenue in Hesleden

Parking in Middle Street: 

This is a long-running issue concerning drivers parking outside the shops on Middle Street and pulling into the pavement to do so. The design team has drawn up a scheme ready for installation as part of the council’s Town & Villages Fund which has been held up since last year when the Tory-led Coalition took control of the county council. I’ll update on progress as soon as I have more information from the council.

Footpaths (High Hesleden & Blackhall Rocks): 

The section of damaged pathway between The Elms and the Black Path at High Hesleden is included in the current works programme for repair. And the worn and damaged footpath at Station Road in Blackhall Rocks has been reported for inspection and repair where necessary: 

Damaged footpath at Station Road, Blackhall Rocks

Pathway on B1281 at St Joseph's: 

Soil piled up against the boundary fence behind Orchid Court on the B1281 is reported to have slipped into the pavement causing a slipping hazard. This has been reported to the authorities for their attention:

Untidy pavement on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery

Seagull PH: 

Having fallen into a state of disrepair the site of the former Seagull public house in Crimdon was reported to the council’s planning enforcement team for investigation. I received an update from the team earlier this week that the owners of the building had carried out repairs to make it secure against trespass.

Hedge/Fence behind Bluebell Close & Primrose Court: 

The leaning fence and tree branches overhanging the pathway been reported to the authorities for their attention. It is understood the landowner has been made aware and will arrange for the overgrown bushes to be cut back as soon as possible:

Overhanging bushes at the pathway behind Bluebell Close

Land opposite Blackhall Library: 

The derelict land on Middle Street has been an issue for some years. Following high winds last year the planning enforcement team was asked to contact the landowner with a request they make the perimeter fencing secure. Work has now started on site and the fencing along the Middle Street side has been made secure. 

Bollards on Middle Street: 

The damaged bollards were reported for replacement earlier this year, and following additional damage shortly afterwards I asked for additional replacement bollards. I am advised that the highways section is awaiting a supply of bollards before replacement works are carried out:

Bollards on Middle Street, Blackhall Colliery

Trees at Coronation Avenue: 

Following complaints that overhanging trees and bushes at the front of Coronation Avenue were damaging vehicles as they passed by the authorities have contacted the owner/operator of the Esso service station with a request that the overhanging branches are cut back:

Trees and bushes growing over the road at Coronation Avenue

Pavement at Blackhall Rocks picnic area: 

I’ve asked the highways and clean and green teams to inspect the pathway between the Blackhall Rocks picnic area and the railway bridge at the bottom of Station Road and carry out repairs where required. Full details here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/damaged-pathway-at-blackhall-rocks.html

Damaged pathway at the Blackhall Rocks picnic area

Update on reports of vermin in Blackhall Colliery and Hesleden: 

Stacey is dealing with reports of vermin spotted by residents in the lane behind Front Street in Hesleden, and I’ve been dealing with a rat infestation at Fourth Street in Blackhall Colliery. Full details and background story can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/weekly-round-up-sunday-29-may-saturday_5.html

Food waste left in the street where residents reported a rat infestation

In relation to the infestation problem mentioned above I also received several complaints from residents about bins abandoned in the streets, often for weeks and months at a time. It seemed likely that rubbish in these bins was attracting vermin so the authority was asked to remove bins where necessary, and return others to their owners where possible:

Bins abandoned in the lane between Sixth and Seventh Streets

Streets cleared of abandoned bins

Regular readers of these pages will be well aware of recent problems with a rat infestation in Fourth Street, Blackhall Colliery. Full details and background story can be found at this links: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/progress-with-vermin-issue-in-fourth.html and here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/vermin-infestations-and-private-sector.html

One of the main causes of infestation of course is rubbish left out in the street in back lanes and yards - and particularly the type of rubbish that is edible or contains food waste. With this in mind I was asked by residents to see what I could do to have abandoned bins removed in the hope that this would prevent rat infestations in future.

I had already started the process a few weeks ago when residents reported bins left in the street for weeks and often months on end in certain locations, but mainly in the back lanes between Third & Fourth and Sixth & Seventh Streets. 

In addition to those incidents I also asked the waste collection service to remove abandoned bins in other locations where it was obvious they were either badly damaged or had been left out for a lengthy period of time.

Fourth Street after the abandoned bins were removed earlier this week

I received confirmation yesterday that most of the bins reported had either been removed or had been returned to their owners. Hopefully this will address some of the problems associated with vermin, and also keep the streets looking a bit tidier.

Any associated problems can be dealt with by the council at: https://doitonline.durham.gov.uk/ or if you prefer you can get in touch with me at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk and I’ll see what I can do to help.

Damaged pathway at Blackhall Rocks

A couple of years ago I asked for the overgrowth covering the pathway running between the railway bridge at the bottom of Station Road and the picnic area at Blackhall Rocks to be cut back. 

Residents and visitors to the coast had reported that the pathway was obstructed by weeds and grass growing from the sides, and was actually concealed in many parts leaving it unusable. Please see article dated for details: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2020/10/footpath-work-programme-updates.html

I visited the area earlier this morning as part of my regular rounds to check how the pathway had been maintained since then and I found that although the overgrowth had been cut back at regular intervals as requested the pathway itself had become badly worn and quite dangerous in several parts. 

Consequently I’ve asked the highways and the clean and green teams to inspect the entire pathway to gauge the extent of damage and then carry out repairs where necessary. I’ll update on progress as soon as I have a response from the services involved.

Potholes and Pavements reported for repair

I’ve reported the potholes in the road directly outside St Jospeh’s RC primary school in Blackhall Colliery to the council’s highways teams for inspection and repair where necessary. 

And following contact over the weekend from a concerned resident I’ve also asked for the badly worn and damaged pavement at Station Road in Blackhall Rocks to be inspected and repaired.

Weekly Round-up: Sunday 29 May - Saturday 4 June 2022

The past week has been another busy one, dominated in the main by responses to a rat infestation in a private property in Fourth Street and associated environmental issues in Blackhall Colliery.

Initial attempts to address to the vermin infestation began over three weeks ago when I first contacted the council’s private sector housing office, neighbourhood wardens and pest control team on Friday 6 May following reports from concerned residents about rats coming from an empty property in Fourth Street. 

Unfortunately there was a delay to the council’s initial collective response meaning I had to spend days on end talking to the separate sections until it was finally confirmed that the owner of the property in Fourth Street had been contacted and reminded of their responsibility to maintain the property to an acceptable standard.

Things picked up pace considerably over last weekend when I insisted that pest control officers respond to the plight of residents, even though the infested property was in private ownership and thereby the responsibility of the owner (the article published on Thursday 2 June has more details on the legal process involved in holding private sector landlords to account for their properties - please see below).

Thankfully pest control officers called out on site first thing on Monday morning to inspect the area for traces of vermin infestation in the street and potentially in other properties nearby. Please see details in the articles dated Sunday 29 May: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/05/vermin-in-fourth-street.html and Monday 30 May: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/05/update-report-on-vermin-in-fourth-street.html

By mid-week it was confirmed that pest control officers had been successful in persuading the landlord/owner of the infested property to take remedial action to eliminate the infestation problem. See details in the article dated Wednesday 1 June: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/progress-with-vermin-issue-in-fourth.html 

It’s hoped that the property owner delivers on his assurance that works will be carried out without further delay. Long-suffering neighbours deserve nothing less.

The process of dealing with infestations in privately owned and rented properties caused some considerable confusion and misunderstanding locally and on social media about who and where responsibility fell with these types of problems. I published an article on Thursday 2 June setting out the legal process followed when private properties fall into disrepair or when owners/landlords fail to take remedial action when requested by the authorities: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/vermin-infestations-and-private-sector.html

In addition to the guidelines set out above it is expected that the council’s Selective Licensing Scheme (SLS) - given consent by the Secretary of State last year to proceed following four years of campaigning - will help to hold absent private sector landlords and property owners to account for the condition of their properties and the behaviour of their tenants. Full details of the SLS and additional links can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-selective-licensing-scheme-for-county.html

Following my regular street walkabouts held during the week I raised a number of separate but related issues about bins abandoned in the back streets in several parts of the village - often with food waste left out on the pavement too. Along with the pest control team earlier in the week I also reported accumulations of rubbish and furniture in the rear yards of private properties. Full details can be found in the articles published on Friday 3 June: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/street-walkabout-environmental-issues.html and https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/abandoned-bins-and-other-environmental.html

Following an additional informal walk around the streets on Saturday morning I asked the clean and green team to give more attention to the back lanes either side of Middle Street, and I’ve contacted the community safety team to suggest that the more formal monthly walkabouts are reinstated as soon as possible: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/06/tackling-untidy-streets-and-untidy-back.html

I’ll monitor progress with the issues mentioned above and continue to maintain pressure on the authorities to take whichever measures are necessary to keep our village clean and tidy. This will include a number of initiatives to be included in the Targeted Delivery Plan (TDP) scheduled to begin soon - and there’ll be more of that in a future round-up report.

Until then if you have anything you would like me to know about please get in touch at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk and I’ll do whatever I can to help. If you prefer you can contact the council direct at: https://www.durham.gov.uk/

Monthly street walkabouts to be brought back

Following an informal walk around the streets earlier this morning I’ve contacted the local authority with a request that the council’s Clean & Green team pay increased attention to the streets in and around Middle Street - particularly the back streets either side and also the back lanes between First and Eleventh Street.

I’ve also contacted the council’s community protection team this morning with a suggestion that we reinstate the more formally structured street walkabouts that were suspended during the pandemic.

These walkabouts take place either monthly or quarterly as demand requires, and they consist of me and Stacey as the local county councillors, the clerk of the parish council, DCC’s clean and green team, police, street wardens, environmental health and community protection team, pest control officers and representatives from the council’s private sector housing section - along with anyone else who might be able to help with a particular issue.

I’ve suggested that walkabouts initially focus on the issues raised above and also on the works carried out as part of the Community Action Team initiative last year. I’ve also suggested that they could feed into and react to the council’s forthcoming Targeted Delivery Plan and Towns & Villages initiatives scheduled to begin later this year.

I’ll update on progress in due course, but in the meantime if you have anything you want me to know about please get in touch at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk 

Abandoned bins, untidy back yards and other environmental issues

Bins abandoned in the back lanes at 3rd/4th Street and 6th/7th Street have been reported again for collection. For some reason known only to themselves there appears to be a problem with the council removing these bins - and as we know from recent experience in streets nearby they’re a prime site for harbouring rats and other vermin.

In addition, the incident of fly-tipping in the back lane between 4th/5th Street, reported last week for collection, has now been cleared and the owners of five separate properties in Fourth and Fifth Streets have been contacted by the neighbourhood wardens and pest control officers with a request that the rubbish accumulations in their back yards are cleared without delay. 

Hopefully the landlords/owners of these properties will respond quickly to this request because the last thing we need at this location is another site where rats and vermin can flourish.

I’ll keep a close watch on developments with these issues until they’ve been fully dealt with and I’ll update on progress as soon as I have more information from the authorities.

Street Walkabout & Environmental issues in Blackhall Colliery

Following a street walkabout in Blackhall Colliery this morning the following issues have been raised with the authorities for their attention:

The side waste in the back lane between Fourth and Fifth Streets has been reported this morning for collection. Given the ongoing vermin infestation at a private property near this location it’s probably best that residents don’t leave food waste in the street.

Fly-tipping in the back lane between Second and Third Streets has also been reported for collection.

The worn and badly damaged road surface at the top of the back lane between Fourth and Fifth Streets (directly behind the Hardwick) has been reported to the highways department at Durham County Council for inspection and repair.

Given this weekend is an extended Bank Holiday there may be some delays in addressing these issues but I’ll update on progress as soon as I have more information. 

In the meantime, if you have any issues you would like me to know about please get in touch at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk