Utility Companies, Durham County Council & Emergency Services contact details over the Christmas period

Many of Durham County Council's services will be closed down from today, Friday 22 December.

In the event you have a service request or an emergency over the Christmas and New Year period please see the information below issued by the council.

**Additional contact details can be found at the bottom of this page.

In the event of an emergency, residents can still contact us on 03000 26 0000 or use the 24/7 automated payments line on 0300 456 2771.

If you are concerned about someone who is vulnerable or at risk, you should contact Social Care Direct/First Direct and the Emergency Duty Team on 03000 267 979. The service will be open across the Christmas and New Year period.

Online services will still be accessible over the festive period but requests may not be processed until our offices reopen on Tuesday 2 January.

The Housing Solutions Service will close at 12.45pm on Friday 22 December 2023 and reopen on Tuesday 2 January 2024. 

If you are being made homeless today, please contact the Emergency Duty Team on the free phone number 0808 196 8406.  The service will be open across the Christmas and New Year period for emergency calls only.

General housing advice can be accessed via Housing

**Additional emergency contact details:

Durham County Council: Christmas and New Year closures - Durham County Council

NHS: Call 111 for non-emergencies. More details at: https://111.nhs.uk/

Local Police: https://www.durham.police.uk/Contact-us/Contact-us.aspx 

Northumbrian Water: https://www.nwl.co.uk/contact

Gas emergencies: 0800 111 999

Power cuts/National Grid: 105 or 0800 6783 105

For the Emergency Services call 999 (or 101 for non-emergencies)

Update on Hesleden issues - December 2023

Over the past couple of weeks I've been dealing with a number of issues raised by residents in Hesleden. These include concerns about an effluence of potentially contaminated water close to the lines and reports of damage caused to public open spaces by off-road bikes. 

Please see below the latest developments on these matters.

Separate agencies investigating reports of contaminated water:

Following concerns raised by a resident about a potentially contaminated water course in the village I contacted the relevant agencies with a request that they carry out an investigation. The matter has now been referred to the Environments Agency, and also the Public Health and Drainage teams at DCC for their attention. 

Please see details below as recorded by the Environmental Health & Consumer Protection office at county hall, along with the initial response from the Environment Agency. I'll update on developments as soon as I have more information from the authorities:

Please refer this to the Environment Agency's incident hotline, 0800 80 70 60. Also refer it to Public Health and Housing. Also please refer it to the DCC Drainage Manger. This may be relevant to both teams but they will be able to assess that.

Any pollution to watercourses can be reported to our 24 hour Freephone Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60. The hotline is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and can deal with your report straight away. You can remain anonymous if you wish to.

Alternatively, please respond with details of what has happened and where (nearest postcode, What3words or grid reference https://gridreferencefinder.com/), including all information about the incident which may be useful so we can investigate.

Damage caused by off-road bikes on public open spaces in and around the village:

Last week a resident contacted me to report damage to the grassed areas around Station Road, Hillcrest Place and East Terrace, apparently caused by off-road bikes. 

The open land at this location is owned and maintained by Believe Housing and when I raised concerns with them on behalf of residents I was told that officers at BH have referred this issue to their Estate Management Team for their attention.

Burnt-out vehicle:

A vehicle in Church Street was damaged a few weeks ago and the burnt-out remains were parked up outside the flats nearby. Following contact from a resident I raised the matter with the police who have since confirmed that the matter is currently being dealt with by the insurance company. I have asked that the vehicle is removed at the earliest opportunity.

I have been told this morning (Thursday 21 December) that the vehicle is scheduled to be removed shortly after Christmas.

Hillcrest Place/Station Road informal open space:

The land at this location is was once under lease by the parish council. However, I'm advised by the parish clerk that this is no longer the case. A parish councillor has had told me that he will refer this matter to a future parish meeting for deliberation.

Wagons travelling through the village:

I received reports recently that wagons from the pit heap site were being driven through the village (ie, along Front Street, White Crescent and Myra Avenue) rather than via the agreed route along Gray Avenue and onto the B1281. Understandably there are concerns that this poses a risk to traffic safety in the village.

The planning officer has suggested that no such agreement is in place, but signage in the village would suggest otherwise. The planning team has been asked to look into this matter and then advise the company to ask its drivers to use the correct route into and out of the village.

Netomnia to install a telegraph pole near Dene Road in Blackhall Colliery

Fibre broadband provider Netomnia has notified the county council of their intention to install a telegraph pole opposite 1 Dene Road in Blackhall Colliery on the terms set out below. 

Please note that this matter is considered as permitted development and is entirely beyond the control of Durham County Council. As such, any observations or representations should be sent to Netomnia direct using the contact details shown in the notification statement below.

I am writing to advise you that Netomnia, as a fibre broadband provider, has given the council as planning and highway authorities notification to install a telegraph pole at side of 1 Dene Road, Blackhall Colliery. I have attached a plan indicating the proposed location of the pole.

Netomnia are permitted to install telegraph poles, within the public highway, utilising their Statutory Code Powers (granted by central government) under “The Code and the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2013”.

The installation of the telegraph poles is classified as Permitted Development under “Town and Country (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015”, therefore no formal consultation process is required under this Order.

However, although the poles are Permitted Development you may, should you wish to do so, make a representation (not objection) to Netomnia relation to this telegraph pole. This must be done by 17/01/2024 quoting reference 43301.

Should you wish to make a representation to Netomnia please send directly to joanne.heslop@mapgroupuk.com and copy the representation to streetworks@durham.gov.uk

Netomnia to install a telegraph pole opposite The Factory in Castle Eden

Durham County Council has been notified by fibre broadband provider Netomnia that they intend to install a telegraph pole opposite 1 The Factory in Castle Eden on the terms set out below. 

Please note that this matter is considered as permitted development and is entirely beyond the control of Durham County Council. As such, any observations or representations should be sent to Netomnia direct using the contact details shown in the notification statement below.

I am writing to advise you that Netomnia, as a fibre broadband provider, has given the council as planning and highway authorities notification to install a telegraph pole at Opposite 1 The Factory, Castle Eden. I have attached a plan indicating the proposed location of the pole.

Netomnia are permitted to install telegraph poles, within the public highway, utilising their Statutory Code Powers (granted by central government) under “The Code and the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2013”.

The installation of the telegraph poles is classified as Permitted Development under “Town and Country (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015”, therefore no formal consultation process is required under this Order.

However, although the poles are Permitted Development you may, should you wish to do so, make a representation (not objection) to Netomnia relation to this telegraph pole. This must be done by 16/01/2023 quoting reference 45184.

Should you wish to make a representation to Netomnia please send directly to joanne.heslop@mapgroupuk.com and copy the representation to streetworks@durham.gov.uk

Bin collections and Household Waste (skip) Centres over the Christmas period

The council has issued details of some changes to its bin collection rounds and opening hours for its Household Waste Recycling Centres over the Christmas period. Please see full details below:

Residents across County Durham are reminded of some changes to bin collections over Christmas and New Year.

Durham County Council’s collections will take place as normal up to and including Friday 22 December.

From Tuesday 26 December to Friday 29 December, collections will take place one day later than normal, starting from Wednesday 27 December to Saturday 30 December.

Normal collections will resume from Tuesday 2 January.

Residents can check their collection dates online by entering their house number and postcode into the ‘My Durham’ section of the council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk

Meanwhile, there will be no large waste (bulky) collections between Saturday 23 December and Monday 1 January.

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) across the county will be open as normal over the festive period, except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Members of the public are encouraged to check www.durham.gov.uk/hwrc before visiting a recycling centre, particularly in case of bad weather. The website includes further information about locations and opening hours.

Real Christmas tree collections will also be available in the New Year, beginning from 8 January. Residents can book a free collection online at www.durham.gov.uk/christmastreecollections or by calling 03000 26 0000 up to Sunday 7 January.

Residents can keep up to date with any changes to council services by following @durhamcouncil on twitter or @durhamcouncil on Facebook.

Monthly update for November 2023

November was another busy month in Blackhall, Hesleden, Crimdon and the surrounding area, with local issues ranging from the monthly Blackhall PACT meeting, excess water on the roads, Christmas Tree lighting services, the Remembrance Sunday commemorations and the campaign to oppose the county council cabinet's proposals to introduce parking charges at Crimdon. 

Please follow the individual links below for full details of just a few of the issues I've been dealing with over the past few weeks. As usual please contact me direct if there are any issues in your neighbourhood that you would like me to know about: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Tuesday 7 November: Highways, Housing and Footpath repairs: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/highways-housing-and-footpath-repair.html

Wednesday 8 November: Heritage Coast Partnership - Coastal Path initiative: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/heritage-coast-partnership-english.html

Thursday 9 November: Update from the November Blackhall PACT meeting: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/issues-from-blackhall-pact-meeting-for.html

Monday 13 November: Remembrance Sunday: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-blackhall-community-comes-together.html

Thursday 16 November: Concerns raised about the B1281 roundabout: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/highways-inspectors-update-on-concerns.html

Wednesday 29 November:  Local Government Boundary Review: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/local-government-boundary-review-final.html

Monday 4 December: Blackhall Christmas Tree: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/12/blackhall-lights-up-their-christmas-tree.html

Tuesday 5 December: Hesleden Christmas Tree: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-children-of-hesleden-primary-school.html

Tuesday 5 December: Station Town planning application: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/12/plans-to-build-58-dwellings-in-wingate.html

Wednesday 6 December: Excess water flow onto the B1281: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/12/addressing-problems-of-excess-water.html

Thursday 7 December: Campaign against Tory proposal to introduce parking charges at Crimdon: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/12/tory-led-cabinet-proposal-to-charge-for.html

Tory-led Cabinet proposal to charge for parking on the Durham coast will drive visitors away

Back in October this year I published an article on these pages warning of the Durham County Council Cabinet’s intentions to introduce parking charges at Crimdon. 

I said at the time that this was nothing more than a cash grab ordered by the Tory-led coalition in control of the council to force our communities to pay the price for 13 years of their own government's austerity scam which has snatched £260m every year from essential public services in County Durham.

The full article can be found in this link: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/10/say-no-to-parking-charges-at-crimdon.html

The council has now published an order formally stating its intentions to introduce charges for off-street parking in Crimdon. 

This order also constitutes a second round of public consultation on the charges, with a cut-off point of 27 December 2023 for responses.

The Durham coast is one of the last places in the region that visitors can park for free. But instead of using this benefit to promote tourism in East Durham the Coalition is actually turning visitors away by forcing them to pay to park at Crimdon. There is also a real risk that businesses in nearby communities will be adversely affected by the Coalition cabinet’s proposal to drive visitors away from East Durham.

If like me you think it's unfair to force visitors and residents to pay to park at Crimdon and elsewhere along the Durham coast please let the council know of your objections by emailing: Legal-Highways@durham.gov.uk quoting reference number 4037689 by 27/12/2023 

Addressing problems of excess water flow onto the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery

Last month I posted an update on concerns I'd raised on behalf of residents about the design and layout of the roundabout on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. You can find background details in this link: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/11/highways-inspectors-update-on-concerns.html

Towards the end of that article I mentioned that I'd also raised concerns with the authorities about excess water flowing from the fields onto the B1281 at the same location. I've now received a response from the service setting out measures the council and developer will take to resolve the problem: 

I refer to your recent service request regarding surface water issues in the vicinity of the new roundabout.

We are aware of the issues and Gleeson have reported this issue themselves, due to the impact on their development.

We accept there are a few minor issues, e.g. blocked gullies, surface irregularities, because of their works, that are contributing to matters and they have been asked to address these as a matter of priority.

However, the cause of the matter is the severe rainfall events we have recently experienced coming off already saturated fields where, due to the sheer volume of runoff, the water is cascading down the hard-paved field access, out onto the carriageway and bypassing the first gully immediately adjacent, which is no fault of the developer.

The water then returns to the southern channel where, as noted above, other matters contribute to the accumulation of water around the entrance to the development.

I have viewed videos made by Gleeson, unfortunately too large to include as attachments, which do reflect the above.

The underlying issue has been reported to our Drainage & Coastal Protection Team who will investigate this, together with many similar recent issues across the county unrelated to new development.

I hope both this investigation, and formulation of a solution, together with remediation measures by the developer on the roundabout itself, will prevent, or at least mitigate against, future events.

The children of Hesleden Primary School start the countdown to Christmas

After the Christmas tree lights were switched on in Blackhall Colliery last night it was Hesleden's turn tonight to light up their tree, and the children and residents of the village did themselves proud with another great turnout, despite the cold and damp weather.

Cllr Gaynor Crute the parish council chairman welcomed everyone to the service by introducing the staff and pupils from Hesleden Primary School who came along as usual to entertain residents gathered around the tree. An enthusiastic rendering of traditional Christmas carols by the children was followed by the Reverend Sally starting the countdown to the tree lighting.

Thanks go to the clerk, staff and members of Monk Hesleden Parish Council for organising the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, and also to the Reverend Sally who blessed the tree before it was lit up. And of course a special thank you goes to the staff and pupils of Hesleden Primary School for their magnificent carol singing which truly got everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Plans to build 58 dwellings in the Wingate and Station Town area

The council has been notified of plans to build 58 dwellings on land between Wingate and Station Town. Full details can be found in this link:

DM/23/03267/FPA | Erection of 58 no. affordable dwellings | Land To The South West Of Springfield Cottage Gladstone Terrace Station Town TS28 5DA (durham.gov.uk)

Several residents in Station Town have contacted me and Stacey expressing their concerns about this proposal so if you would like to have your say please click on the link and submit your comments as part of the statutory public consultation exercise.

We'll update on progress if there are any significant developments with this application.

Blackhall residents and school children light up their Christmas tree

Despite the blustery, cold and damp weather conditions scores of residents turned out tonight for the Carol service and the ceremony to light the parish council’s Christmas tree on Chicken's Green in Blackhall Colliery.

The parish council chairman Cllr Gaynor Crute got the event started by introducing the children of Blackhall Colliery and St Joseph's RC primary schools who sang a selection of traditional Christmas carols. Fr Kyle then blessed the tree before the children joined in the countdown to the tree lighting.

As ever, many thanks go to the clerk, chairman and members of Monk Hesleden Parish Council, the parish council staff and Fr Kyle. And of course a special thank you goes to the pupils and staff from both Blackhall Colliery and St Joseph's primary schools for coming along each year to get the Christmas period properly underway with their usual enthusiasm and lovely singing.