Issues from the latest PACT meeting for Blackhall

I went along to the latest monthly Police & Communities Together (PACT) meeting held on Wednesday night in the parish council offices.

A number of the usual issues were covered, including reports of untidy properties and back yards in some streets, and one or two parking issues at a couple of locations in Blackhall Colliery. These matters are to be addressed jointly by the police and local authority.

On behalf of residents I raised concerns about off-road bikes riding along the Black Path between Blackhall Colliery and High Hesleden. These latest reports from residents follow others raised recently about off-road bikes and quads riding around open public spaces at a number of locations along the coast. 

Naturally residents have genuine concerns about the risk to public safety of these incidents, especially when vehicles are trespassing on public footpaths and putting pedestrians and others in danger. With that in mind I’ve suggested that anti-bike devices should be installed at either side of the Black Path. These structures allow access to pushchairs and wheelchairs but restrict access to bikes and other vehicles that have no right to be on a public footpath. Similar measures were adopted a couple of years ago to prevent unauthorised access to Chicken’s Green: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2021/01/first-phase-of-safety-measures-at.html

With incidents like this, wherever there’s a risk of an accident happening, the general consensus has always been that taking preventative measures in advance is better than doing nothing and waiting for an accident to happen first. So with that in mind the police are to consider the measures proposed above for their suitability in preventing illegal access to the public footpath at the Black Path.

UPDATE: From the council’s public rights of way team, Friday 12 May:

I’ve looked into measures here before but nothing ever progressed as I don’t think we had enough evidence of ASB on the path at the time. Given that it’s been brought up at the PACT meeting I am happy to revisit to see what measures can be put in place. Although ideal to stop the issues, I don’t think we can authorise an A-frame but a chicane wouldn’t be out of the question I don’t think. Given that the path is tarmac it’s probably better used and for this reason we need to ensure that pushchairs etc can still get through.

Leave it with me and I’ll see if its something we can fund, if so I’ll get our contractors to go out and see what’s feasible with the space we have. Looking at each side of the path I think a chicane is potentially the only feasible at the Mickle Hill Road end of the path.

At last night’s meeting residents also raised concerns about continued parking issues at two separate locations in Blackhall Colliery. The police and neighbourhood wardens have confirmed that they’re aware of these problems and are taking measures to address them.

Earlier in the week I raised a number of highways issues with the relevant section at DCC. These are mainly associated with residents’ reports of potholes in several locations in Shaftesbury Road and a report of potholes and uneven road surface in the back lane between Park Avenue and School Avenue. Along with a report of damaged kerbstones on the Gray Avenue and B1281 junction in Hesleden these issues have been passed to the highways team for inspection and repair where necessary.

In addition, following residents' concerns, I contacted the pest control department at county hall earlier this week to report sightings of vermin at Blackhall Rocks. I'll update on progress in due course.

**Stacey and I will be taking part in our next street walkabout on Tuesday next week (2 May), this time in Blackhall Colliery. If there are any issues you would like us to know about in advance please get in touch with us at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk

Update on the streetlighting cable fault in Castle Eden

Earlier this year I reported a streetlighting cable fault on the B1281 in Castle Eden. Since then I’ve posted updates on any significant developments, with the last update posted a few weeks ago confirming that the problem was a more deep-seated, structural fault, rather than a straightforward streetlighting column issue.

Background details can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/streetlight-cable-fault-in-castle-eden.html

I’ve now received a further update from the streetlighting service which confirms that there have been complications because of a gas main in the vicinity, but which also confirms that joint investigations between the gas board and the local authority are ongoing and ‘progressing towards a repair’

Spoke to the manager again for this one. There will be a site meeting with someone from the gas board and our engineer to discuss an approach for restoring these lights due to high pressure gas main in the vicinity. Appreciate and apologies that this is a lengthy repair but unfortunately there are extenuating reasons that this is taking a little longer to repair but is progressing towards a repair.

I’ll continue to monitor progress with the investigations, and I’ll publish updates on any significant developments as soon as I have more information from either the gas board or the local authority. 

Letter of Objection to Hesleden Pit Heap planning application DM/22/00010/MIN

Stacey and I have submitted our formal letter of objection to the planning application DM/22/00010/MIN seeking consent to extend the time allowed to remove spoil from the former pit heap in Hesleden. 

As you’ll note this is simply a summary of our primary ‘material’ objections, and is not intended to be exhaustive. We will update and elaborate on the details of each point of contention when we address the planning committee on behalf of our residents and their representatives.

Letter of Objection re: Hesleden Pit Heap - planning application DM/22/00010/MIN

Submitted on behalf of county councillors Cllr Rob Crute & Cllr Stacey Deinali

 

A letter of objection to a previous planning application at this location (DM/14/00519/FPA) was submitted to the council in 2014. Many points of contention recorded in that document remain unresolved and form the basis of our objections to the current planning application.

 

Our objections to the current planning application (DM/22/00010/MIN) can be summarised in the following material planning considerations. At this stage this is simply a list of objections with a brief outline of our objections and is not intended to be exhaustive:

 

·       Loss of amenity for residents in Hesleden and Castle Eden

·       Impact on health of dust emissions from the site

·       Impact of noise and nuisance from the site

·       Traffic generation and associated safety concerns

·       Environmental impact on the surrounding area 

 

The comments in the following submission are based on our own personal observations and follow regular contact over several years with residents in both Hesleden and Castle Eden.

 

The works to remove spoil from the former pit heap in Hesleden began on site in 2018 and since then residents in both Hesleden and Castle Eden have had to contend with its impact. 

 

Traffic Generation: 

 

This includes the cumulative impact of several wagons (both empty and full, and occasionally unsheeted) passing through both villages leaving behind dust, mud and other debris on roads and pavements, noise from the engines, and damage to highway surfaces and kerbstones at junctions at Gray Avenue and at the Castle Eden war memorial on the B1281. 

 

In addition, the increased volume of traffic continues to cause concern to residents and visitors travelling between Blackhall Colliery, Blackhall Rocks, The Hesledens and a nationally recognised holiday resort and SSSI at Crimdon in the east and the A19/Wellfield interchange in the west.

 

Dust Emissions: 

 

Residents have reported frequent dust emissions which have an impact all year round. This is reported to be particularly bad during the spring, summer and autumn months when dust is blown across the whole settlement of Hesleden, with dust accumulating on vehicles, drying clothes and window/door ledges. Residents report that during these times they are not able to leave their doors and windows open, nor are they able sit outside their homes or enjoy their usual outdoor activities.

 

In terms of health deprivation Hesleden is ranked in the lower quartile nationally. It is a particular concern that frequent dust emissions from the site are having an additional adverse impact on residents’ health, and also on their quality of life.

 

Environmental Impact: 

 

It is noted that the development site encroaches onto Hesleden Dene. Images show a sheer drop from the working site, down what appears to be a limestone cliff and into the Dene itself. For many years this area has thrived as a natural habitat for birds, insects and flora and there are concerns that this development has had a negative environmental impact at these locations. An extension of time allowed to remove spoil from the former pit heap will continue to erode the natural habitat.

 

Site Restoration: 

 

From speaking to residents we know that one of their major concerns, notwithstanding the issues mentioned above, is the management and restoration of the site after works have been completed.

 

Before the initial planning consent was granted back in 2016 the developer had assured the council and residents that the works would be completed within 20 months and that site restoration works would return it in a better condition than it was before works commenced. Images of the site today raise concerns that those promises are unlikely to be met. This has eroded trust in the development and the developer.

 

It should be noted that we have not yet seen the planning case officer’s report so our objections are likely to be extended prior to the date of the planning committee meeting.

 

In that regard we would ask the council to take this document as a formal OBJECTION to the above named planning application. We will expand on our comments when we have the opportunity to address members at the forthcoming planning committee meeting.

Cllr Rob Crute & Cllr Stacey Deinali

Blackhalls Ward

Hesleden Pit Heap: Moving the campaign on to the next stage

Earlier this month I posted an article on these pages updating on progress with the community-led campaign against any further redevelopment of the former pit heap in Hesleden. In that post I confirmed that Stacey and I would be meeting with the formally organised local groups in our area soon to make preparations for how we intend to work together to move the campaign forward to the next level. Background details can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/04/update-on-environmental-issues.html

The local organisations we mentioned in the article are all well established, and over the years they have put down deep roots in our villages. Because of those community-based foundations they’ve been effective in representing residents’ interests whenever necessary - and they’ve been particularly strong in keeping residents up to date with developments and maintaining unity throughout the community-based campaign against the further development of the former pit heap in Hesleden. 

Those groups include Monk Hesleden Parish Council, Castle Eden Parish Council and The Hesledens Residents' Association, and over the past week or so we’ve met in person with residents' representatives to update on progress with the campaign, and we’ve contacted those organisations directly for comment. We have also spoken with residents’ representatives recently about how we can work together to make the most of our opportunity at the planning committee to speak on behalf of our residents.

From the comments we’ve received over the past week or so the general consensus is that we now have all we need to move the campaign on to the next level and coordinate the way we intend to put the case to the planning committee on behalf of our community. Details of our meeting with the committee members of the Hesledens Residents’ Association can be found in a post published earlier this week: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/04/notes-from-hesledens-residents.html

Whilst all residents who have submitted their comments on the planning portal will be made aware of the date of the planning committee, Stacey and I will continue to update residents on progress with the community-based campaign. In addition, once a date for the planning committee has been confirmed, we’ll work together with residents’ representatives from the organisations mentioned above to coordinate the community’s response to the planning report, including the way we want to present our case to members of the committee.

**If you haven’t yet contacted the planning department to let them know what you think of the planning application please make every effort to do so. I’ve included links below to all the information you’ll need to do this, including guidance on what is meant by ‘material planning considerations’.

The link to the post setting out the planning process can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/objecting-to-hesleden-pit-heap-planning.html

The link here will take you to a page setting out what is meant by material planning considerations: https://www.durham.gov.uk/media/3877/Material-planning-considerations/pdf/MaterialPlanningConsiderationsUpdatedOct2016.pdf?m=636736394121230000

Background details about objections to the planning application can be found in a post I published last month: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/objecting-to-hesleden-pit-heap-planning.html

A 10-year timeline of key stages in the community-based campaign, established in 2013 to help residents organise against the pit heap development, can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/hesleden-pit-heap-timeline-of.html

We will contact individual residents’ representatives as soon as we have more details about the planning application or the planning committee meeting, but the meantime if you have any questions, comments or queries you would like us to know about please get in touch at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or: stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk and we’ll make sure they reach the relevant people. 

Notes from the Hesledens Residents’ Association Committee

Last night Stacey and I attended a committee meeting of the Hesledens Residents' Association where a number of local matters and future events were considered. An update was also given on recent issues associated with the community campaign against the pit heap development in Hesleden, and that is the main focus of this post.

The meeting itself was very positive in outlook and equally strong on unity, which is exactly what we need at the moment. It also emphasised how effective well-organised groups like the HRA can be in bringing communities together at critical moments.

As soon as the meeting got underway concerns were raised about recent developments that could have had a disruptive impact on the campaign, and ultimately create divisions in the village itself. It was agreed that up until recently the community had stood together as one, but lately there'd been a real risk that cracks could develop in that unity if some of the negative messages on social media started to take hold. This is never a good thing at any time of course, but it's especially concerning at the moment when we're trying to face forward as a community and move on to the next phase of the campaign.

Stacey and I gave a brief update on developments so far with the campaign to oppose an extension of time allowed to extract more materials from the former pit heap. There still hasn't been a date set for the planning committee, but nevertheless it was felt that we’d reached the stage now where we should be preparing for how we take the campaign forward to the next level - which includes deciding on the most effective way of representing our community's interests at the planning committee meeting. 

By way of background to the latest developments I echoed the comments of other committee members about dark and potentially divisive comments made on social media about ‘secret meetings’ taking place, and false claims that a decision has already been made behind the scenes. I pointed out that anyone who had any experience of campaigning on local planning issues should know that it is only members of the planning committee who can make a decision on this planning application. Anyone who suggests otherwise either doesn’t understand how the planning process works, or is deliberately trying to create divisions in the community for their own purposes. 

Whatever their intentions, the clear message coming out of last night's meeting was that in the interests of unity, and for the sake of the community itself, these attempts at disruption and division must be brought to an end. It's a fact that divided communities don’t win campaigns.

In addition it was generally acknowledged that we now had as much meaningful and relevant information as we needed to start to coordinate how we move the campaign on and prepare for the planning committee meeting.

At this point Stacey gave an outline of the format of planning committee meetings - including how the time allowed for speakers is divided up between elected members and residents’ representatives. It was agreed that when the planning officer’s report is made public the relevant community representatives would coordinate the way we intend to address the committee.

It was stressed that if we are to have any influence on the outcome of the planning meeting we will have to demonstrate to committee members that our case is robust and focused on 'material' planning considerations. Arguments based on diminishing property values, individual council tax bands and the name and ownership of the company are simply irrelevant in planning terms and will be disregarded as such by the planning committee. It was acknowledged that we have only one chance to make our case, so if we don't use the right arguments that opportunity will be wasted. 

So in summary, the firm and unmistakeable message to take from last night's meeting was that we must stick together as a community and rally round a common cause. For many years residents have united around the campaign started back in 2013 to oppose the pit heap development. The last thing we need now at the 11th hour is disruption and division. Only by standing together and speaking with one voice will we stand any chance of winning through. 

That theme of solid unity was fully endorsed last night by all committee members - and that simple act showed the strength that community-based groups like the Hesledens Residents' Association have when they're well-organised and operated by and on behalf of their community.

As ever, I'll update in due course on any significant developments. In the meantime, if you have any issues you would like me or Stacey to know about please get in touch with us at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk

**Please note that this is a personal account of events

Hesleden Pit Heap: Making hand-written representations to the council

I posted an article on these pages recently, part of which updated residents on the latest developments with Hesleden pit heap issues. I’ve reproduced the relevant section below:

I suggested that now more than ever before we need to stand together as a whole community as we prepare ourselves for the planning committee stage of the campaign. This could happen as early as next month, although nothing can be certain at this point. Our preparations will include working alongside representatives from long-established local community groups to coordinate our collective approach to addressing the committee. Crucially, there will be a period at the planning committee meeting for residents to have their say, so we’ll need to consider how we can make the most of that opportunity too.

It was felt that the best chance of success would come from convincing the members of the planning committee that we had a strong case based on community cohesion and environmental concerns and focused solely on evidence and ‘material’ planning matters.

Finally, I suggested that as we move forward to the next phase of the campaign we should continue to urge everyone in the community to submit their comments to the council’s planning portal. Although numbers themselves won’t be a deciding factor, it’s a significant strength to be able to refer to strong and united community backing when it comes to addressing the planning committee. More information about how residents can submit their comments can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-to-submit-your-comments-to-planning.html

In that piece I once again urged as many residents as possible to register their comments with the planning team at county hall. This is important because we need as many people as possible backing the campaign as we make our preparations for the planning committee meeting which could be upon us soon.

It’s great to see that so many people are taking the opportunity to voice their concerns direct to the council, but from speaking to residents over the past few days I’m aware that a few people in our community might not have access to social media or the planning portal, which obviously prevents them from submitting their comments.

If you know of anyone in this position, and who isn’t able to access the planning portal, I would be happy to collect any written statements or objections and deliver them by hand to the planning office at county hall. 

Please contact me on: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk and I’ll make any necessary arrangements.

From pot holes to pit heaps: The latest update on environmental issues

For many years now I’ve been invited along to Monk Hesleden Parish Council’s monthly environment committee to look at how we can collectively tackle a range of environmental issues in the parish area. 

At the latest meeting held earlier this week we covered a lot of ground recapping on the issues we’d successfully addressed in the recent past, and those others that remain to be followed up. 

Updates were given on ongoing plans to install safety measures on Middle Street to prevent vehicles mounting the pavement when drivers are parking outside the shops. Unfortunately plans have had to be temporarily suspended due to circumstances beyond our control. 

While we were on about parking issues it was reported that there had been several additional complaints received from residents concerned about the dangers of vehicles parking at the junction of Hesleden Road and Middle Street. These additional reports have been passed to the police and the civil parking enforcement team for their attention.

A number of ongoing issues regarding damaged pathways at Blackhall Rocks and High Hesleden were raised at the meeting.

Almost all the footpaths in High Hesleden have been included in the new work programme for repair works, but there’s one particular footpath that still remains to be addressed. This is the stretch leading from The Elms to the Black Path. I was told a long time ago that this had been included in the work programme for repair, only to be told at the last minute that the wrong footpath had been scheduled in error. Along with local residents I'm anxious to see progress on this one and I’m seeking a solution with the highways team.

I received a number of reports of potholes in the road at a couple of locations in Blackhall Rocks and these have been reported for inspection and repair as necessary. I’ve also asked the council to contact the owner of the abandoned land in Middle Street to get an update on works to complete the fencing replacement works started some time ago.

Since the meeting, four separate incidents of fly-tipping in Blackhall Colliery were reported for clearance. I'm advised that as of today the rubbish and detritus at all four locations has been removed.

Finally, I updated members of the environment committee on the latest developments with the community campaign against the planning application seeking consent to extend the time allowed to remove spoil from the pit heap in Hesleden. There have been many delays over the years, much to the frustration of residents and campaigners alike. However, these are beyond the control of the community so I felt we’d be better off focusing on the next stage of our campaign. 

I suggested that now more than ever before we need to stand together as a whole community as we prepare ourselves for the planning committee stage of the campaign. This could happen as early as next month, although nothing can be certain at this point. Our preparations will include working alongside representatives from long-established local community groups to coordinate our collective approach to addressing the committee. Crucially, there will be a period at the planning committee meeting for residents to have their say, so we’ll need to consider how we can make the most of that opportunity too.

It was felt that the best chance of success would come from convincing the members of the planning committee that we had a strong case based on community cohesion and environmental concerns and focused solely on evidence and ‘material’ planning matters.

Finally, I suggested that as we move forward to the next phase of the campaign we should continue to urge everyone in the community to submit their comments to the council’s planning portal. Although numbers themselves won’t be a deciding factor, it’s a significant strength to be able to refer to strong and united community backing when it comes to addressing the planning committee. More information about how residents can submit their comments can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-to-submit-your-comments-to-planning.html

As ever I’ll update on any significant developments in due course, but 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  

Hesleden pit heap - after 10 years of campaigning it’s time to stand together as one community

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the community-led campaign to stand together against the disruption caused by the ongoing works to excavate spoil from the former pit heap in Hesleden.

Now seems as good a time as any to recap on how the local campaign has developed over the last 10 years, and use that collective experience to prepare ourselves for the committee stage of the planning process.

The initial plans to remove the pit heap were first put before residents back in 2013, and it was from that early stage that the residents of Hesleden and the surrounding villages first came together alongside their local representatives to campaign against the works going ahead: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2014/04/objections-to-removal-of-hesleden-pit.html

However, despite well-organised and well-led community opposition the company was given consent to remove spoil from the pit heap for a period of two years. These were the issues I raised on behalf of residents when the first plans were put before the planning committee back in 2016. Sadly the same issues are still facing us today: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2016/01/hesleden-pit-heap-removal-to-go-ahead.html 

Works began on site in 2018 and since that time local councillors and representatives from the residents’ association have continued to raise with the developer any ongoing concerns expressed by local residents and businesses through the community liaison group established for that purpose.

In 2022 the company submitted a second planning application seeking consent to extend the works for a further 10 years. Unsurprisingly this did not go down at all well with many of the residents in Hesleden and the surrounding communities, especially those in the immediate vicinity of the works who had suffered years of disruption, dirt and inconvenience. These impacts included both full and empty wagons thundering along Gray Avenue, traffic issues along the B1281 between Hesleden and Castle Eden and noise and dust almost everywhere in the village itself. There were also additional concerns expressed about the impact the development was having on wildlife in the dene and surrounding areas. These were all issues that I’d warned years before would happen if the development was given planning permission.

We are now approaching an important milestone in our campaign. Although nothing has yet been confirmed, we have been advised that the planning application seeking consent to extend the operation could be placed before the planning committee at county hall for a decision as soon as May.

For that reason we need to prepare for the planning committee stage, whenever it happens - and the overriding priority at this stage is that we remain united as a community in representing the views of our residents and businesses. It’s also vital that we make sure that our community voice is heard beforehand, so if you haven’t already done so please submit your comments to the council using the link at the end of this article.

When submitting your comments please remember that you should use only relevant ‘material’ planning considerations in your comments. We have only one chance at the planning committee meeting to put our case. If we spend our time raising matters that are not relevant in planning terms we risk wasting that opportunity. We’ve got to focus on convincing the planning committee that our case is strong and built on ‘material’ evidence. Full details of what is and what isn’t a ‘material’ planning concern are shown in the link at the end of this article.

Over many years members of the parish council and the local residents’ association have been integral to the campaign, so arrangements have been made to meet up with those formal, organised community representatives to update on progress. As we prepare our approach to the rest of the campaign we’ll need to look at how we want to address the planning committee. This means that we’ll need to coordinate the issues we’re going to focus on at the committee. It goes without saying that it’s essential we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet. That means we need to stick together - and that leads to the final key ingredient of any community campaign: Unity.

I’ve been contacted by several residents over the past week or so who are concerned about recent local developments. Apparently there have been moves to use our local campaign as a platform to promote a party political election candidate. If that’s true there’s a real risk that at this late stage the community will fracture and years of campaigning will be undone in a flash.

From the very start, this campaign has always been about our community, and never about party politics. It’s essential that now more than ever before we stand together around a common cause and a mutual trust built up over ten long, hard years of campaigning. 

Fractured communities don’t win campaigns. Our first priority must be to stand together. 

Please follow the links below for background information and for additional links to help you submit your comments to the planning portal:

Timeline of developments, from 2013 onwards: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/hesleden-pit-heap-timeline-of.html

Submitting your comments to the planning portal: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-to-submit-your-comments-to-planning.html

Planning process details: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/8276/View-and-comment-on-current-planning-application

Notes from the Station Town street walkabout

Earlier this week the latest in our series of regular community street walkabouts took place, this time in Station Town. Please see background details here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/street-walkabout-confirmed-for-station_24.html

As the name suggests, street walkabouts are all about bringing community-based officers from a range of organisation into our communities so they can see first-hand some of the issues affecting us. It's also a great opportunity for us to meet up with residents and have a bit craic about some of the issues affecting their neighbourhood.

Although our walkabouts tend to be focused primarily on litter, fly-tipping and other environmental matters, we also took the opportunity in Station Town to look closer at a number of issues relating to derelict properties - most of them privately-owned and rented, and which have a huge impact on our communities when abandoned or left empty for long periods of time. 

During Tuesday's session in Station Town we reported a few street-scene issues for repair, mainly things like potholes and damaged pavements. However, I’ve also been in touch with the council's empty homes team to ask officers to trace and contact the landlords and/or owners of a number of abandoned properties in Station Town. I've asked for an outline of what the council can realistically do in addressing local concerns about private-sector properties, and I'll publish an update as soon as I have more information from the team.**

Out of respect for neighbours and other residents I won't name any of the properties or streets, but if you need more information about any derelict or untidy property in your neighbourhood please get in touch.

Finally there was an abandoned property in the village that had been served with a PDPA (Prevention of Damage by Pests Act) notice. This mechanism gives the property owner an opportunity to tidy up the garden within a specified timeframe, and it also allows the council to step in and do the work themselves if the timescale isn't met. The PDPA notice on this particular property expires next week so the garden should be cleared shortly afterwards. A charge will then be put on the property, meaning that the council can recoup the money spent on it when the property is eventually sold.

If you have any issues you would like me or Stacey to know about in relation to this report please get in touch at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk

Our next scheduled street walkabout is due to take place in Blackhall Colliery next month, so if you have any issues you would like to raise in advance please get in touch using the contact details shown above.

**Although local authorities can ask the owners of derelict private buildings to carry out repairs, their powers to force them to do so are limited. However, there are quite a few private owners who are prepared to take responsibility for the condition of their property - all it takes is a gentle nudge from the council. Hopefully the owners of these properties fall into the latter category.

Hesleden pit heap planning application - What happens next?

Earlier this week I published another article on these pages updating residents on recent developments with the planning application to remove the Hesleden pit heap. Full details can be found at this link: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/04/hesleden-pit-heap-planning-application.html

In that article I urged as many people as possible to register their comments about the planning application. Although it’s always been essential that residents make their voices heard during the planning process, it’s even more important now considering that the application could be submitted to the planning committee as early as next month - potentially that’s just a few weeks time.

When a date for the planning committee has been announced the case officer’s planning report will be made public at the same time. At this point Stacey and I will be seeking to meet with key representatives from the community to see who might wish to speak at the committee - and then decide how to coordinate our comments for the maximum impact. 

In addition, if residents have any queries or issues to address we can raise them with the case officer at this stage. We can also incorporate any outstanding concerns in our comments to the planning committee. It’s important to bear in mind that the members of the planning committee are the only people we need to convince - and from this point onwards all our energies should be focused on doing precisely that.

Hopefully the committee date will be announced sooner rather than later, so in the time we have left beforehand please make every effort to register your comments on the planning portal.

UPDATE, CLC MINUTES: my most recent article included links to all the minutes of previous Community Liaison Committee meetings. By way of keeping residents up to date with all the latest information, I posted a brief outline of any significant issues arising from the most recent CLC meeting held last month. The formal minutes of that meeting will be published in full as soon as they have been approved by members.

Station Town planning application

I’ve just received advance notification of a planning application to construct three dwellings on land where the Station Hotel in Station Town used to be (shown in the centre of the image below).

Residents in the immediate area will be notified in due course, but in the meantime if you would like more information please follow the link below for full details. Once you’re in the link enter the planning code DM/23/00906/FPA into the search bar: https://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/

If you wish to submit your comments as part of the public consultation exercise you can do so via the link shown above. In addition, if you want to let us know about any  concerns or queries please get in touch at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk

Hesleden Pit Heap planning application - latest local developments

Last month I published a couple of additional articles on these pages updating residents on the latest developments with the pit heap planning application in Hesleden, including another article giving a brief update on matters discussed at the most recent Hesleden Restoration Community Liaison Committee (CLC).

By way of background I first reported on the CLC back in 2017, setting out its overall purpose of maintaining links between the company operating the site and the community (represented by its local elected county and parish councillors alongside representation from the Hesledens Residents' Association). 

To be clear about its primary purpose, the committee has operated exactly as its title suggests - as a forum for local representatives to liaise with the developer and to raise any issues, queries and concerns on behalf of the community, and also to monitor the transfer of funding from the company to the community for local use.

Since it was first established the committee has met only infrequently but, along with other community representatives from the residents' association and parish council, we’ve been able to use those meetings for their intended purpose - to raise local matters of concern with the developers and the planning team. Notably the meeting has no decision making powers and its members cannot influence the planning process one way or another.

In addition I've reported back to the community regularly on any significant and relevant issues concerning the planning process and the wider implications of the development itself. An article setting out the main issues raised at the most recent CLC meeting held last month was published immediately afterwards. I've reproduced it again here for information and comment: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/hesleden-pit-heap-update.html

Last week I was asked for more details about the committee, and in particular how local representation is ordered. As these were raised with me specifically as constitutional matters I've asked the committee administrator to include an item on the agenda for the next CLC meeting for discussion.

By way of an additional update on CLC matters, Monk Hesleden Parish Council has confirmed that all the minutes from previous committee meetings are published on the parish council's website and are also available in hard copy in the Parish Office.

As ever, I'll update on any significant developments with this issue as soon as I have more information. In the meantime please make sure you’ve submitted your comments to the planning office as suggested in one of my recent posts: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/objecting-to-hesleden-pit-heap-planning.html

Last month I noted in one of my update articles that it's possible the application could be put before the planning committee as early as next month. So whenever the planning committee report is published Stacey and I will be seeking an opportunity to meet up with key local representatives to coordinate a response on behalf of the community.

Weekly round-up of Local Issues

As ever I’ve been busy out and about across our ward over the past week or so. 

Please follow the links in the individual items below for reports and updates on just a few of the issues I’ve been dealing with in the community and at county hall:

If you would like me or Stacey to know about any issues in your patch please get in touch with us at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk

1. Road repairs at St Joseph’s primary school: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/road-repairs-scheduled-for-st-josephs.html

2. Pit Heap at Hesleden: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/objecting-to-hesleden-pit-heap-planning.html

3. Bus shelter at Blackhall Colliery: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/date-set-for-replacement-bus-shelter-at.html

4. Update on repair works at Primrose Court: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/update-on-works-at-primrose-court.html

5. Street Walkabout in Station Town: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/street-walkabout-confirmed-for-station_24.html

6. Road repairs at Hesleden: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/road-repairs-in-hesleden.html

7. Police update on Station Town accident: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/03/police-report-on-b1280-accident-in.html

Tories and the Council Tax scam - Why we need to scrap them both

The one single issue above all others that really gets under the skin of almost every one of our residents is council tax. That’s perfectly understandable given the iniquity of a system that punishes the poor at the expense of the rich, and essentially forces council tax bills to go up every year without any visible improvement in local services in return. 

That contempt hardens when people come to realise that the council tax regime is a scam. It’s nothing more than a racket designed over 30 years ago by Thatcher’s reactionary Tory government hell-bent on putting greed before need and syphoning public money out of working class areas and into the pockets of the wealthy. And it’s been sustained by successive governments ever since. This is largely because none of them can hold their nerve long enough to review property values from their 1991 benchmark prices, and partly because the council tax regime always benefits the Tory vote share in the leafy Home Counties and suburbs of southern England. 

The penny-pinching way the government funds our local councils and services each year simply entrenches those inequalities.

Let’s use an example to illustrate how the council tax scam actually works, and how it’s used to rig the system to favour wealth and prosperity in Tory areas at the expense of communities and local services in working class towns and villages:

In simplified terms, when the government carries out its annual assessment of local needs in a council area it might estimate that a particular council requires say £100m to deliver its services for the coming year. However, rather than fund the council properly by handing over the full £100m needed, the government will award it just £40m instead and tell the council that if it needs the extra money it’ll have to cover the gap at local expense by either ramping up fees and charges, slashing services or putting up council tax - or a combination of all three.

But there’s an additional factor that reinforces the unfairness and iniquity of the council tax regime in places like County Durham. By far the biggest pressure on local council budgets in our area comes from adult and children’s social care costs. So when the government slashes essential funding it’s much more harmful in areas like County Durham where more than a decade of damaging austerity and persistently high levels of deprivation, combined with health needs linked to the county’s industrial legacy, disproportionately ramps up health and social care costs. 

Compare that scenario in County Durham with somewhere like Surrey where health needs are comparatively low, or Westminster where their local authority can raise sufficient revenue from visitor and tourist parking charges alone to keep their council tax bills to an absolute minimum. 

A comparison of the examples above gives us a real insight into how council tax works, and how it’s been manipulated over the years by successive Tory governments to shore up their vote in healthier and wealthier areas, at the expense of our own here in County Durham and across the rest of the North East of England.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Along with Labour colleagues in county hall I’ve campaigned to scrap council tax altogether and replace it with a Proportional Property Tax - a system that would lift a significant number of our residents here in County Durham out of the local taxation system altogether, leaving them free to spend their own money as they wish and at the same time giving our local economy a much needed boost. Background details can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/01/durhams-tory-led-coalition-turns-its.html

Unfortunately for us though Tories much prefer the council tax regime to an alternative system that would help our own here in County Durham. They would rather see prosperous areas in their Tory heartlands prosper at our expense, as long as it helps to distort the local and national vote in their favour. After all, the iniquities of the council tax system have helped to deliver and sustain successive Tory governments in office for most of the last 40 years. 

As if to prove the point, every councillor in the Tory-led coalition* currently controlling Durham County Council voted last month to increase our council tax bills by a record high of 5%, even though they knew full well that ordinary working people and hard-pressed households across County Durham were struggling through the worst cost of living crisis in a generation that’s seen inflation and energy prices soar while wages are pegged back: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/02/tory-led-coalition-hits-residents-with.html

Until someone in government listens we’ll continue our campaign to replace the hated council tax regime with a fairer Proportional Property Tax system, but in the meantime we should demand as a minimum that any incoming government freezes council tax levels immediately and replaces the lost revenue with the proceeds of a windfall tax levied on profit-rich energy companies. 

However, this isn’t the perfect solution to the council tax con. We need to consign council tax to the dustbin of history for good if ordinary people and hard-pressed households are to get a much needed break from the persistent hardships of the last 12 years of punishing Tory rule. But at least it’s an acknowledgement that the current system is broken - and at long last it’s a step in the right direction. 

*The coalition at Durham County Council is led by the Tory Party and is made up of an overwhelming number of so-called 'Independent’ councillors, alongside every Lib Dem, Green and North East Party councillor. Each and every one of them voted in February to raise your council tax by a record 5%.