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.
