Coalition members give the green light to parking charges at Crimdon

Although I'm not a member of the Highways Committee I submitted a request to address committee members at its meeting this morning to consider the council's proposals to introduce parking charges along the sea front at Crimdon Dene. 

As regular readers of these pages will know I've opposed plans to introduce parking charges at Crimdon since they first came to light. I don't believe they will do anything at all to tackle the central problem of obstructive parking at a specific location to the southern edge of the sea front, and furthermore I'm convinced that the council's intention is not to manage or control traffic at Crimdon. In my opinion their only purpose in introducing parking charges is to open up a revenue stream to off-set gaping holes in the council's budget and raise cash from our communities in East Durham to fund the coalition's pet projects in Durham City. 

In truth these proposals are nothing but a cash-grab, and the proof lies in the council's own MTFP (Medium Term Financial Plan) and Budget papers published last year in which it is estimated that the council can raise almost £450k by introducing parking charges at Seaham and Crimdon. Incidentally the MTFP also refers to an additional cost burden of £600k every year to keep the new art gallery and restaurant at the former DLI building ticking over - so you can work out for yourself that we're suffering parking charges in East Durham to subsidise a high-end restaurant in Durham City!

I spoke at length this morning about the damaging impact that parking charges would have on visitor numbers and the local economy. Despite my arguments however, every coalition member on the committee supported the council’s plans to introduce parking charges at Crimdon. For the record every Labour member on the committee agreed with my position, stood by my comments and opposed the parking charges. 

In accordance with the council's constitution the committee’s recommendation to approve the charges will now be passed to the corporate director for a final decision made under delegated authority. Unfortunately the last line of local resistance fell today and the final decision is a foregone conclusion.

Finally, my thanks go to the hundreds of people and businesses who have supported the campaign, especially those who took the time to contact me directly or respond to the council’s public consultation. Although we haven’t managed to get over the line on this occasion the campaign has been a success in bringing our community together in opposition to these unfair proposals.

Background details to this complex and often confusing issue can be found in this link: Objections to revised parking charges at Crimdon

I've reproduced below an initial draft of the comments I made to the highways committee this morning:

Crimdon Dene Coastal Car Park

Comments to Highways Committee, Tuesday 17 September 2024

Committee members will have already had sight of my written response to the public consultation exercise on the introduction of parking charges at Crimdon Dene, so my comments this morning will cross reference the points I raised in that response.

It’s fair to say that there have been one or two reports of obstructive parking at Crimdon, but these are isolated to one specific location and are infrequent – and certainly nothing of the magnitude to warrant this kind of response.

To begin with, over the past year or so I’ve raised residents’ concerns about obstructive parking in one particular location along the southern edge of the sea front in Crimdon, but these incidents occur infrequently at only at one or two peak times and apply mainly to the summer months and on the occasional Bank Holiday. 

I discussed potential solutions with the highways team at the time and recommendations were made to prohibit obstructive parking at the junction to the bungalow and at the approach to the beach from the Ponyworld building at the southern edge of the site.

Critically, back then parking charges were never once suggested as part of that proposed solution, which begs the questions - why now?

I’ve noted officers’ comments this morning on their reasons behind the potential introduction of parking charges, but to me the proposals completely miss the point and fly in the face of reason and public opinion.

My main concern is that after the measures we’ve put in place to attract more visitors to Crimdon, including the council-owned Dunes café and visitor centre, the council now appears determined to drive visitors and tourists away.

Crimdon as a visitor attraction holds a fairly unusual position in our neck of the woods in that it is one of the only remaining visitor destinations where people can come to the coast and park for free. But instead of using that as a unique selling point, and promoting Crimdon as a welcoming destination, the council risks displacing visitors elsewhere for the sake of raising revenue.

To me that is a short-sighted approach that is completely at odds with the need for a long-term ambition to bring the good times back to Crimdon and at the same time attract more visitors to the Durham coast.

Without exception, every member of the public and every local business that has taken to time to contact me directly about this issue agrees with me that we should promote the coast as a tourist destination alongside a developing nature reserve, and at the same time take the opportunity to boost the local economy.

Consequently they view these parking charges as a retrograde step that will have a negative impact by repelling visitors and taking custom away from shops and other businesses in nearby villages like Blackhall Colliery – at a time when local businesses would love the opportunity to welcome more visitors through their doors.

If proof is needed on this point I would draw attention to the impact that parking charges have had recently on businesses and visitor numbers just up the road in Seaham. Once thriving businesses, and some newer enterprises, are now struggling to make ends meet as potential visitors bypass the town and go elsewhere.

Finally, I have concerns that parking charges at Crimdon Dene are being used as a cash-raising initiative, rather than an exercise in actually managing or controlling traffic flows and obstructive parking.

A look through the MTFP (14) papers published last year will show that a shortfall of over £400k is to be met by the introduction of parking charges along the Durham coast. This reinforces the point I made earlier that a regressive measure like introducing parking charges at Crimdon Dene is an ill-conceived intervention that will have a long-term impact on visitor numbers and the local economy in nearby villages like Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery, and also in others right across East Durham.

I acknowledged earlier that there are occasional incidents of obstructive parking at one specific location, but if there are persistent and widespread problems associated with over-parking at Crimdon I haven’t been made aware of them. Besides there are others means of addressing that issue. Either way, the approach recommended by the council appears to be taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. It appears to me (and many others) that this a regressive, revenue raising exercise that risks driving visitors away from Crimdon, and one that could well have dire consequences for the wider economy in East Durham.

For the reasons I’ve set out this morning I would urge members of the highways committee to reject the proposal to introduce parking charges at Crimdon Dene and recommend that the relevant director reaches the same conclusion under delegated authority.

Rob Crute

Blackhall Ward

Durham County Council

PW&S 2024 - Supporting our local horse riders in their road safety campaign

It was my pleasure to once again support our local horse riding group at their annual Pass Wide & Slow campaign event, held earlier today at South Blackhalls Farm in Blackhall Rocks.

This morning’s event was one of many held right across the country, and the intention of both local and national campaigns is to highlight the dangers horse riders face when drivers pass at speed or fail to allow sufficient space when overtaking. 

The main aims of the campaign are to promote awareness of the dangers faced by horses and their riders and to encourage drivers to reduce speed to a maximum 10mph and allow a gap of at least 2m when passing individuals or groups of horse riders. Full details can be found on the Pass Wide & Slow website here: Home | Pass Wide And Slow (passwideandslow1.wixsite.com)

More details about the local Pass Wide and Slow campaign were published by the Hartlepool Mail on Thursday evening. Their article can also be found on the Mail's online website: ‘We just want to be safe’: Blackhall horse riders organise ride to raise awareness of road safety (hartlepoolmail.co.uk)

Please take a moment to have a look at the local and national campaign material and think about how you can play your part in helping to promote better road safety for horse riders.

High Hesleden footpath abandoned once again!

Residents in High Hesleden will have noticed recently that all the footpaths throughout the village have been resurfaced. This follows an unnecessarily long and complicated campaign Stacey and I have run for years on behalf of residents.

However, residents will also be absolutely staggered to have seen that the stretch of footpath between The Elms and the Black Path has once again been by-passed by the highways team. 

Regular readers of these pages will know that I've been pressing the council for several years to get this short length of footpath resurfaced, but for a number of reasons (amongst them a farcical error a few years ago when the council included the works in their resurfacing programme, but subsequently resurfaced the wrong footpath) the works were never carried out.

Concerns over unacceptable delays to highways repairs in the Blackhall area

I've been in touch again with the highways service this afternoon to get an explanation on why this footpath has been ignored once again. I'll update on progress as soon as I have an answer. 

Update on reported highways issues

Over the past week or so I've been dealing with a number of highways-related issues after residents in Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery raised their concerns with me about the poor condition of some of the roads in their neighbourhoods.

I've published the latest known details of some of these issues below, and will update as soon as I have more information from the service:

The Crescent, Blackhall Colliery

Once again I’ve asked the highways team to carry out an inspection of the road surface at The Crescent and carry out repairs where necessary.

After two similar requests over the past year or so for some reason the inspector seems to think that there are no ‘actionable defects’ on this road. The images attached to this post tell a different story. Hopefully it’ll be third time lucky!

Shortly after I submitted the request above I submitted an additional request for the damaged footpath in the back lane between Park Avenue and The Crescent to be inspected and arrangements to be made for repairs where necessary.

I’ve now received confirmation that repair works are now in the council’s highways works programme and will be carried out within the next three months in line with council policy on the type and severity of defects.

Meadow Avenue & Maureen Avenue, Blackhall Rocks

Following contact with a resident recently I’ve asked the highways section to carry out an inspection of the road surface in the lane between Meadow Avenue and Maureen Avenue and repair any defects as necessary.

I was advised last week that repair works are now in the council’s current highways works programme.

Attlee Avenue, Blackhall Rocks

A resident from Attlee Avenue got in touch with me earlier this week to tell me about the poor condition of the grassed area in the cul-de-sac at the top of the street.

I called along there the day after to take a look for myself, and as you’ll see from the images in this post there have been quite a few of the embedded paving stones lifted out of the ground and scattered across the green.

I’ve raised residents’ concerns with the authorities with a request that the stones are either replaced or removed altogether. I’ve also asked that the open space is tidied up and that the perimeter fencing is either replaced or repaired wherever necessary.

I was advised last week that the council’s clean and green team has been issued a request to tidy up the land, replace or remove the block-paving and repair or replace the perimeter fencing where necessary.

Princess Close, Blackhall Rocks

Following a request recently from a resident at Princess Close I've asked for a salt bin to be installed in the street. The entrance and exit points at Princess Close are quite steep so I would expect a positive response from the service.

If you have any streets in your neighbourhood that don't currently have a salt bin at either end of the street but would benefit from one please send me location details, and images if possible, to rob.crute@durham.gov.uk and I'll issue a request to the highways department.

Absent private sector landlords and London Borough councils caught up in relocation scandal

An exclusive report in the Northern Echo recently exposed the 'disgusting' practice of private-sector landlords and their letting agencies collaborating with London Borough councils to transfer vulnerable people from the capital to County Durham without bothering to inform local councils or charity organisations first. I've posted a link below to the article published on Friday 6 September 2024.

MPs slam act of homeless Londoners moved to North East | The Northern Echo

The report comes at a time when a handful of people in our village are posting made-up scare stories on social media platforms about 'illegal' immigrants being offered housing in places like Blackhall Colliery because of 'official' government policy. Those claims are completely false of course, and appear to have been circulated simply to create a diversion to the real issues facing our communities, and also to distract public attention from the fact that organisations like Reform UK and their allies on the Thatcherite wing of the Tory party have nothing to offer in terms of realistic policy ideas. I responded to those claims in an article on these pages last week which highlights the actual facts of the matter:

Misleading information and ignorance of the facts is being used to generate fear and division in our communities

It'll be interesting to see the reaction of the scaremongers and fake news agents to this latest report of 'vulnerable' people being sent into our communities by private-sector landlords without even the courtesy of letting the local councils know about it in advance, especially when it's acknowledged that none of these people are either 'illegal' immigrants or that they were moved here because of any 'official' government policy. They've been abandoned purely in the interest of private profit. Meanwhile our local councils and residents will be left to pick up the tab.

It's certainly something to ponder for those who've expressed their outrage and alarm recently at non-existent 'illegal' immigrants coming into our County Durham towns and villages, yet appear to be relaxed about this deplorable practice of absent private housing landlords and their managing agencies manipulating vulnerable people and raking in the profits at the expense of our residents and hard-pressed communities still reeling from 14 years of Tory government austerity.

Misleading information and ignorance of the facts is being used to generate fear and division in our communities

A resident contacted me recently to express their concerns about a post on the Blackhall Have Your Say Facebook page in which misleading terminology was used to imply that the government had somehow come up with an ‘official’ policy to house ‘illegal’ immigrants in places like Blackhall Colliery. The person publishing the post then goes on to ask if local residents agree with a policy which doesn’t actually exist.

Given the issues raised in the post it can only be assumed that the person publishing it intended to either deliberately mislead the public and unsettle the community - or the post was published in complete ignorance of the facts.

It will be glaringly obvious of course to anyone with even the most basic grasp of politics that the content of the post itself was complete rubbish. Even if it wanted to, no government could even begin the process of establishing official policy based on something illegal - simply because it would be illegal! 

With that in mind it’s likely that the post was circulated for no purpose other than to create alarm, suspicion and division in our village - and there’s a reason why.

When organisations like Reform UK and their allies in the Thatcherite wing of the Tory party have no policies or ideas of any substance their supporters tend to go low and seek to generate discord and fear in our communities instead. It’s intended as a distraction, but it can only work when there’s a void left behind after the facts have been concealed.

Unfortunately alarmist posts about 'illegal' immigrants do tend to get traction on social media, simply because no one bothers to challenge the misleading information or question the terminology used. Perhaps worse, it also works against anyone who might have genuine concerns about community safety and cohesion. We've all heard the tale about the boy who cried wolf.

So in order to get the facts out I’ve published below a response I received to a query from a resident who had asked recently how many immigrants had been housed in Blackhall.

The fake news agents might not like what follows, but it’s factual and it stands up to scrutiny.

**** passed your query over to me as it really isn’t a straightforward one to answer unfortunately.

We can tell you from Census 2021 how many people in Blackhall were born outside of the UK.

We estimate that’s about 57 people out of a population of 2,723 (so around 2% of the resident population). Of course, that’s Census 2021 so doesn’t really answer the question about ‘immigrants moving in to the village recently’.

This is where it gets tricky as it's a really difficult one for us to answer.

I’ve spoken to our Resettlement and Humanitarian Support Manager and can say that we haven’t resettled anyone into that area.

There are publicly available statistics which are available at Immigration system statistics data tables.  But they don’t go to LA level never mind any sub LA geography (some of it is by region).

Finally, someone with a right to enter the UK and relevant status could relocate to an area and we simply wouldn't know (several people are living in the east of the County who are international students or living in the UK with a work visa, for example).

I’ve also contacted a colleague in Assessments and Awards to see if there was any way of looking at this via that route, but most would probably be claiming UC** and we wouldn’t see any immigration status on a claim. Potentially we could look at new accounts and cross reference with the Resettlement team but as I said earlier, I’ve already been in touch with them and they haven’t resettled anyone in that area recently.

I’ll keep digging to see what I can find. There is possibly a flag in GP practice medical records that relates to migrant status. I’ve asked a colleague at NECS about it. It might be useful although not all non-UK residents will be registered with a GP either.

**it should be noted that illegal immigrants cannot claim Universal Credit or any other benefits. 

Wall collapse at Coronation Avenue

Earlier this week I contacted the council to warn them that the condition of the wall on the lane between the Esso service station and Coronation Avenue appeared to have deteriorated and was at risk of collapse at any time. I asked for an urgent response to this incident and advised people to take extra precautions when in this area, at least until the wall had been made safe.

I’ve been back in touch with the council again this morning to let them know that the wall has now come down and that the area will need to be cleared and made safe.

I’ll update on progress as soon as I have more information from the authorities. In the meantime please stay away from this location until the road is made safe again.

Report of overgrowth on the Black Path

A couple of weeks ago I asked the public rights of way (PROW) team to inspect the Black Path to assess the need for overgrown grass, trees and bushes to be cut back. This followed contact from a resident who had reported overgrowth at some locations along the pathway.

I took a walk along the path myself on the same day I'd raised concerns with the PROW team on behalf of the resident, and although it was mainly passable with ease there were a few locations where overgrowth was encroaching onto the pathway, potentially causing an obstruction for people using mobility scooters and pushchairs if cutback works weren’t carried out soon. I reported this back to the PROW team for their attention.

Yesterday afternoon I received the following response:

Good Afternoon

I have been out to Monk Hesleden FP 6 following your email and have managed to cut back the entrance to the footpath and some sections where there was potential narrowing of the footpath, with the hand tools I am able to use/carry. The footpath is accessible over its entire length having a width of 1.2 to 1.5 metres of tarmac surface.

There is no specific criteria which would mean a path “need” cutting back  and we would consider a path is overgrown if it  is not accessible as the vegetation growth is so great. Monk Hesleden FP6 is not in this condition and is in fact one of the best footpaths in the area.

While I was cutting back some of the growth at the entrance to the path, I met a member of the public who informed me that he had reported  to yourself. I spent a considerable amount of time discussing the footpath with him and explained what the expectations for a public right of way are in terms of surface etc. This footpath has been urbanised and has a very good surface but, as rights of way are inherently rural, we would not want this to be the case for every right of way. While speaking he mentioned a few other paths being impossible to access. One is a permissive path which I am unable to help with as this is a path that the landowner has provided access to and this can be taken away at any time without notifying the general public. The other footpath was Monk Hesleden FP3 which he stated has crops growing on it and that it is often left in a ploughed sate., I inspected the footpath today as I was in the area and the footpath runs through a field which is currently in grass which is below ankle height and there is no evidence of ploughing at all. Therefore this path is in a good condition and no action is required. Bridleway 2 was also mentioned and, while this bridleway is narrower than normal due to summer vegetation, the width is 1.2m wide and is accessible by foot, horse or bike. The bridleway also passes through the same grass field and is accessible. I believe the reporter may be confused about the bridleway’s line and I am more than happy to chat about this with him.

In summary, the footpaths 3 and 6 are in acceptable condition with no immediate action needed. Bridleway 2 is also in an acceptable condition for the time of year and therefore no further action is needed at this time. The reporter can be informed that all the public rights of way mentioned to me today are accessible and open for use. Should he have any further comments or concerns he should let us know.

Kind regards

Road marking requests, Blackhall Colliery

A couple of weeks ago I asked the council’s highways section to reinstate the eroded road markings outside St Joseph’s RC Primary School before schools return after the summer holidays. I’ve now received confirmation that arrangements have been made for the markings to be repainted.

Over the past few weeks I’ve also requested additional line markings at a number of streets in Blackhall Colliery, including along Middle Street when the road safety scheme is installed (latest details here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/trials-give-green-light-to-safety.html) and also at the junction of First Street and Middle Street following concerns expressed by several residents that visibility at that location is severely restricted by parked vehicles.

I’ll update on progress with those additional schemes as soon as I have more information from the service. In the meantime, if you have any similar concerns about traffic safety drop me a line at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk and I’ll see what I can do to help.

Local Issues & Casework Update for July 2024

Since my most recent local issues and casework update report 3 weeks ago I’ve raised additional queries with the authorities on behalf of 38 residents and businesses across the Blackhall ward. I've also made direct contact with over 51 individual residents. These queries are largely personal and/or confidential so for obvious reasons details will not be disclosed to the public.

In addition, I’ve dealt with a number of general queries raised by members of the public. These include issues raised at ward surgeries, during street walkabouts, at the monthly Blackhall PACT meeting and through other methods, including direct contact with me via email and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

These issues range from housing concerns and access to public footpaths and open spaces to road safety and general environmental issues. I’ve selected a few for re-posting, just in case you missed them first time around.

Please follow the links below for full details - and get in touch with me direct if you have any queries or comments that require a response: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Planning Inspector cancel pit heap planning appeal hearing: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/cancelled-hesleden-pit-heap-planning.html

Traffic safety scheme for Middle Street: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/trials-give-green-light-to-safety.html

Regulating HMOs: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/tackling-problem-of-hmos-in-our.html

Blackhall Rocks residents petition for traffic safety measures: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/blackhall-rocks-residents-petition-for.html

Reports of drivers exceeding the legal speed limit on the A1086 Coast Road: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/reports-of-speeding-vehicles-on-a1086.html

My objection to revised parking charge proposals at Crimdon: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/objections-to-revised-parking-charges.html

Safety repairs carried out at Crimdon beach access steps: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/quick-response-to-make-steps-safe-at.html

Requests for parking restriction road markings: Road marking requests, Blackhall Colliery

Public Rights of Way team responds to reports of overgrowth on the Black Path: Report of overgrowth on the Black Path

Quick response to make steps safe at Crimdon beach

Earlier this week I contacted the council’s coast and countryside team with a request they make the access steps to the beach at Crimdon safe. My request came after residents got in touch with me reporting a steep drop from the last step on the beach-side of the steps.

The coast and countryside team leader contacted me on Friday afternoon to confirm that the steps had now been made safe, and that further works for the middle steps along the sea front were in the pipeline as soon as the necessary materials became available.

I’ll update on progress with any remaining works as soon as I have more information from the service. In the meantime if you have any issues to report please get in touch with me at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk and I’ll raise your concerns with the relevant authorities.

Objections to revised parking charges at Crimdon

Following considerable confusion earlier this year about whether or not the coalition in control of the council was pressing ahead with its plans to introduce parking charges at Crimdon, I've now received notification of an internal consultation exercise on revised charges. You can find background details to this issue in this link: Coalition urged to come clean about its Crimdon parking charge fiasco

I've responded to the internal consultation by reiterating my objections to any parking charges at Crimdon. I've also challenged the council to hold an open and meaningful public consultation exercise so that they can gauge first hand the overwhelming level of public opposition to the proposed charging regime. Please see full details of my letter of objection below:

Please take the following comments as my formal objection to the introduction of parking charges at Crimdon:

I support the introduction of measures to prevent obstructive parking practices at the access to the bungalow at the southern edge of Crimdon. However, I do not support the introduction of parking charges at Crimdon.

Since the proposal to introduce parking charges at Crimdon was first suggested I have been contacted by a significant number of residents and visitors who agree with me that parking charges will drive tourism away from Crimdon at a time when everything should be done to attract visitors to Crimdon and the villages along the East Durham coast. I can confirm that I have received no indication of support for parking charges at Crimdon.

Opposition to this proposal was reflected in a consultation exercise carried out at the time when parking charges at Crimdon and Seaham were first suggested as part of the council’s latest MTFP proposals earlier this year. There was an unusually high level of public engagement with the consultation exercise, with similarly huge levels of opposition expressed by members of the public to the introduction of parking charges. It is noted that there was no discernible element of support. 

Despite those objections parking charges were eventually introduced in Seaham and judging by many reports since then the charges have had a devastating impact on some local businesses in the town. I have no doubt that if residents are ignored again, and parking charges are introduced at Crimdon, there will be a similarly regressive effect on visitor numbers and local businesses.

Introducing parking charges at key tourist/visitor locations like Crimdon will have a negative impact on the resort itself, alongside the nearby villages where additional business generated by visitors is welcomed and needed now as much as it ever was. The proof that parking charges will damage the local economy and drive down visitor numbers can be seen just a few miles up the road in Seaham.

Finally, I would urge the council to carry out a thorough and meaningful public consultation exercise to gauge public feeling about this issue. Members of the public, the business sector and visitors were ignored before parking charges were introduced at Seaham, and the result has been catastrophic for the town and especially for a number local businesses. The same mistakes must not be repeated. 

The people deserve to be heard and they must be assured that their opinions on this matter will be treated with respect and taken fully into account before any final decision is reached.

For the reasons set out above I wholeheartedly oppose the introduction of parking charges at Crimdon, and I know from their representations and the outcome of an initial public consultation exercise that thousands of residents, businesses and visitors are fully supportive of my position on this matter. I urge the council to test public feeling and then respect the outcome.

Regards,

Cllr Rob Crute (Blackhall Division)

Reports of speeding vehicles on the A1086 Coast Road

Earlier today I posted an image on social media of a direction sign on the A1086 Coast Road in Blackhall Rocks that appeared to have been damaged in a traffic collision. I reported the sign for replacement or repair this morning, but since then I've been contacted by a resident reporting that the collision was caused by a vehicle travelling at excessive speed in the early hours of this morning.

Additional comments from a few other residents in Blackhall Rocks appear to confirm that there's an increase lately in incidents of vehicles breaking the legal speed limit at this particular location, and especially on a night time. 

I've now asked the authorities to look into these reports and take whichever actions are necessary where a consistent pattern of excessive speed can be confirmed**

Good morning all,

Earlier this morning I reported an illuminated road sign on a pedestrian refuse in Blackhall Rocks for repair or replacement. A resident has since contacted me to report that the sign was damaged during the night after it was hit by a vehicle whilst it was speeding.

I’ve now been contacted by other residents in Blackhall Rocks reporting an increase lately in the number of vehicles persistently exceeding the speed limit along the A1086 Coast Road in Blackhall Rocks, especially on an evening and during the night.

Please record this incident on the CRM system for the attention of the relevant authorities, with a request that residents’ reports of vehicles travelling at excessive speeds are fully investigated and that measures to address the problem at this location are considered.

Regards,

Rob.

Cllr Rob Crute (Blackhall Division)

**The results of a 24 hour/7 day speed survey taken at Broad Road in 2020 showed an average mean speed at the time of just over 30mph. Full details can be found here: Speed Survey, Blackhall Rocks 

Blackhall Rocks residents petition for improved traffic-calming measures

Last month I published a post about a road safety issue in Blackhall Rocks after it was raised with me at one of our monthly ward surgeries. When we met at the surgery in June a resident told me about the concerns he had about how speed humps on Station Road had been rendered ineffective after they were reduced in height to enable a royal visit some time ago. Full background details can be found in the article published on 21 June: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/06/highways-issues-at-station-road-in.html?m=0

After we’d discussed this issue in detail at one of the June ward surgeries in the Parish Office (formerly the Resource Centre) I submitted another request to the council asking the highways department to take remedial measures to restore the humps to their original condition. At the same time the resident I met with suggested he would organise a local petition setting out residents’ concerns and asking for improvements to the speed humps.

We met again at the latest ward surgery last week where the resident handed me a petition signed by almost 100 Blackhall Rocks residents who expressed their concerns about the increased volume of traffic using Station Road and the amount of drivers exceeding the legal speed limit for that stretch of road.

I took the petition to County Hall later that morning and handed it to the democratic services office on behalf of the petitioners. The petition was validated on the spot and sent over to the highways services office for a formal reply. 

Before I submitted the petition I attached a covering letter confirming that Stacey and I as the local members were both in full support of the petition and the residents who signed it.

As with all petitions submitted to the council there is a 28-day timeframe for a formal response from the service setting out their intentions. I’ll update on that response as soon as it’s published, and in light of the comments from the service, we’ll take a look at our options on how we want to progress the campaign to make Station Road safer for local residents and visitors.

Regulating HMOs in our communities

At the latest full meeting of Durham County Council, held on Wednesday 17 July, members discussed the cabinet's proposed new housing strategy. Following a lengthy debate the policy was voted down by Labour members who raised concerns about how effective it would be in fulfilling its potential. 

There were a number of reasons for rejecting the strategy in its current form, amongst them the almost entire absence of a plan to tackle the growing problem of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the pit villages of East Durham and other parts of the county. 

The housing strategy under consideration on Wednesday morning had been previously discussed on three separate occasions by the economy and enterprise overview and scrutiny committee, yet when the policy was introduced at the full council meeting for endorsement it was found that many comments from scrutiny committee members had either been diluted or disregarded entirely. In short, the strategy did not fully reflect the views expressed by scrutiny members.

These issues included considerable confusion about the actual number of new houses built by the local authority and a call by scrutiny members to recognise the importance of Targeted Delivery Plans (TDPs) as a way to address housing and regeneration matters in our villages. 

In addition there was barely a mention of the emerging issue of HMOs. Although this has been a problem in Durham city centre where there has been a proliferation of HMOs it is recognised that in changing times there are growing concerns expressed by our residents in villages like Blackhall Colliery that HMOs could have a regressive impact in their neighbourhoods too, primarily in terms of anti social behaviour and over-crowding. 

Clearly there is a need to nip this issue in the bud, and the only realistic way to do that is to take an overview of all the evidence, alongside the facts and figures, to develop a policy that prohibits, or at least limits, the establishment of HMOs across a defined area. It’s possible that this can be done by using existing Selective Licensing criteria, and perhaps those areas already covered by TDPs, as a template to issue pre-emptive Article 4 Directives which would essentially ban HMOs in a particular area before they become a problem. I'm sure most people would agree that prevention is better than cure.

On a separate but equally important matter, several members of the thematic scrutiny committees expressed their concerns that the cabinet appeared to have disregarded their concerns about a number of issues they’d raised in scrutiny committee meetings in the consultation phase of policy development. As chairman of the council’s Overview & Scrutiny Management Board I see this as a particularly concerning issue, not least because if the executive function (cabinet) feels comfortable in dismissing the views of scrutiny members the likely outcome is bad policy. This benefits nobody, in particular the residents of County Durham who deserve strong and effective council policies to address their concerns. 

For the reasons set out above the Labour group members on the council proposed a motion without notice that the policy be referred back to scrutiny for further consideration. The resolution was passed by 48 members to 45, with every single member of the Labour group voting in favour. On the other hand, almost every member of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat/Independent coalition running the council voted against it. So at least we know where they stand on this issue.

To be clear, the Tory/Lib Dem/Independent coalition members in control of the council voted against seeking a way to introduce effective measures to address emerging issues around HMOs in our villages - and ultimately they voted against a way of coming up with better, more effective housing policy decisions that can have a real impact in our communities in East Durham and beyond.

A named result of the vote was requested, so if you’re interested in how your local councillor voted on tackling HMOs head-on and introducing more effective housing policy look out for the published list of which way members voted.

If you want to watch the full debate at yesterday’s council meeting you’ll find a full video recording of the live coverage here: https://democracy.durham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=153&MId=15643

Trials give the green light to safety bollard scheme on Middle Street

From previous articles on this site residents will be well aware by now of a safe parking scheme under development to prevent vehicles from driving along the public footpath outside the shops in Middle Street. Background details can be found in this link: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/05/safe-parking-scheme-for-middle-street.html

The original aim of the scheme was to prevent vehicles parking on Middle Street, but from consultation carried out to gauge support for the scheme it became obvious that the problem wasn't so much to do with illegal parking, but rather that residents and business owners were more concerned about vehicles pulling onto the pavement and driving along it to park up. Several near-misses have been reported by residents who have had to avoid cars and vans as they drive onto and along the pavement looking for somewhere to park.

In the interests of public safety this practice had to be stopped so the original scheme developed into one that would primarily prevent dangerous driving practices on a public footpath, while at the same time deter illegal and careless parking in this busy shopping area. 

Without exception, everyone who has contacted me or the council about this issue agrees that vehicles driving along a public footpath is dangerous and unacceptable. Residents have also been clear that they believe this practice presents a real risk of injury (or even worse) to pedestrians and others using the shops on Middle Street. 

For that reason alone the scheme was amended to focus solely on preventing illegal and careless driving practices. In addition, in order to deter parking on the double yellow lines, the safety bollard scheme will be aligned with a more visible presence by the parking enforcement team to ensure that only those drivers permitted to park on double yellow lines are allowed to do so - thereby leaving parking spaces free for those who have a genuine need for accessibility purposes.

Unfortunately there have been a number of delays caused by factors largely beyond the council's control. Full background details of the delays can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2023/10/revised-safe-parking-scheme-for.html

However, last week I asked for an update on progress and, following a series of trial holes bored into the pavement to identify whether any underground utilities could cause a problem, the scheme is now back on track. I've published the service response below and will post additional updates as the scheme progresses.

Good Morning Rob

I have spoken with *** and the trial holes have been completed. Although there are some services present, it appears they can be worked around. 

There is a meeting scheduled with the officer who arranged the trial holes to review the findings. Following this meeting, he will provide me with the next steps as soon as possible. I will continue to push this forward and keep you updated.

Kind regards

******

CANCELLED: Hesleden Pit Heap planning appeal hearing

Within hours of publishing details of the planning appeal hearing scheduled for later this month, I’ve now received confirmation that the appeal hearing has been cancelled by the government's planning inspector:

Please see additional information below as supplied to the council. I'll update on any revised arrangements as soon as I have more information from the Planning Inspectorate.

Dear LPA, 

I write regarding the above appeal. Following a review of the case file, and notwithstanding the initial validation by the Planning Inspectorate, the Inspector is concerned this may not be a valid appeal. 

An email setting out the Inspector’s concerns and requesting responses from both main parties will follow separately. The Inspector also notes the correspondence from the Planning Inspectorate’s Environmental Services Team to the appellant regarding the submitted Environmental Statement. 

The Inspector considers that addressing the matters raised appropriately prior to the scheduled commencement on 30 July would be very difficult if not impossible to achieve. Furthermore, given the issues and the level of local interest in the appeal, and with reference to s319A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), the Inspector considers that if the appeal is found to be valid, it should be addressed by way of an Inquiry, rather than a Hearing. 

Consequently, the Council should immediately notify all interested parties that the scheduled Hearing for this appeal on 30 July 2024 will not take place, and that further details regarding this appeal will be made available in due course.

Hesleden Pit Heap planning appeal hearing details

I've received confirmed details of the planning appeal hearing for the former pit heap site at Hesleden. Please see full details below, including contact details for the case officer dealing with any queries.

Please note: The appellant is appealing against the county council’s decision to refuse planning permission. The appeal hearing falls under the jurisdiction of the government’s Planning Inspectorate, and not Durham County Council.

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (as amended) SECTION 78 – NOTIFICATION OF HEARING DATE 

Application reference: DM/22/00010/MIN 

Appeal reference: APP/X1355/W/24/3340343 

Name of appellant: Mr Robert Surtees 

Site: Former Colliery Spoil Heap Hesleden TS27 4PN 

Proposed development: Continued restoration of colliery spoil heap, including extraction, processing and export of combustible material, limestone and sand for a period of 10 years 

Appeal Start Date: 24 May 2024 

I am writing to notify you of the arrangements that have been made for the hearing to be held regarding the appeal by Mr Robert Surtees against the Councils decision to refuse planning permission. 

The hearing will start at 10 am on Tuesday 30th July 2024 at Hesleden Working Men's Club, Front Street, Hesleden. 

The hearing is expected to take 2 days. The Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State under paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 6 of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 will attend to hear representations and thereafter will decide the appeal. 

Members of the public may attend the hearing and, at the Inspector’s discretion, express their views. Hesleden Working Men’s Club has access for disabled people. However, if you, or anyone you know has a disability and is concerned about facilities at the hearing venue, you should contact the Council to confirm that suitable provisions are in place. Public parking is available. 

Copies of the questionnaire completed by the County Council, the Council’s and the appellant’s Statements and any future comments are available for inspection online at http://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/ using the reference DM/22/00010/MIN. 

The decision will be published on the link above and on https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/

Should you require any further information please contact the case officer Chris Shields:

Direct Tel: 03000 261394 email: Chris.shields@durham.gov.uk

Local Issues & Casework Update for June 2024

Over the past few weeks I’ve raised queries with the authorities on behalf of 47 residents and businesses across the Blackhall ward. I've also made direct contact with over 60 individual residents on personal matters. These queries are largely confidential so for obvious reasons details will not be disclosed to the public.

In addition, I’ve dealt with a number of general queries raised by members of the public. These include issues raised at ward surgeries, during street walkabouts, at the monthly Blackhall PACT meeting and through other methods, including direct contact with me via email and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).

These issues range from unauthorised/illegal access to public footpaths and open spaces to general environmental issues. I’ve selected just a few for re-posting, just in case you missed them first time around:

Hesleden planning appeal update: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/06/hesleden-pit-heap-planning-appeal-update.html?m=1

Notes from the Blackhall PACT meeting for June: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/06/notes-from-blackhall-pact-meeting-for.html?m=1

Highways issues at Station Road, Blackhall Rocks: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/06/highways-issues-at-station-road-in.html?m=1

Off-road bikes on the Haswell to Hart Walkway at Hesleden: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/06/improvement-measures-to-prevent-off.html?m=1

Addressing access issues at Crimdon: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/seeking-solutions-to-access-issues-at.html?m=1

Improved community safety measures: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/joining-dots-on-community-safety-issues.html?m=1

Hesleden Primary School children’s visit to county hall: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/hesleden-primary-school-children.html?m=1

Safety bollards at Park Avenue temporarily lowered: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2024/07/lockable-barrier-temporarily-lowered-in.html?m=1

Lockable bollard in Park Avenue temporarily lowered

On Monday night I was contacted by residents in Park Avenue, and a few others from nearby streets, asking why the safety bollard at the bottom of the public footpath running down the middle of the street had been lowered. I explained that the bollard had been dropped down temporarily on personal grounds.

By way of background to this issue, last Friday afternoon (5 July) I was contacted by a family member of a resident from Park Avenue asking if I could arrange temporary access to the footpath. Considering the personal circumstances I contacted the highways office at county hall immediately to ask if they could make arrangements for the bollard to be lowered on a temporary basis.

I was told on Monday that the bollard had been lowered for the time being.

In response to residents’ concerns I’ve been assured that the bollard will be raised again at the appropriate time. In the meantime please make every effort to keep the footpath in the middle of Park Avenue clear of obstruction and open to emergency access at all times.

Since last Friday I've been in direct contact with a family member dealing with this issue and I will continue to maintain direct contact with the family member until this matter is resolved. 

Given there appears to be some confusion about how and why the bollards were installed in the first place I've re-posted background details in this link. The link includes further links to additional information about this issue: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/11/drop-down-bollards-at-park-avenue.html?m=0 

If you have any comments or specific queries about this matter please contact me direct at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Hesleden Primary School children speaking up for their communities

Yesterday was perhaps one of the most uplifting days in a long time when a group of pupils from Hesleden Primary School visited county hall in Durham to meet with me, Stacey and Gemma to talk about some of the issues affecting them in their village and the wider community.

We began the afternoon with a tour around county hall, including the council chamber where the children loved talking into the microphones to amplify their voices - with most of them talking a great deal more sense than some of the regulars in county hall!

After that we met in one of the committee rooms to get down to the nitty-gritty of the day where the children spoke about some of the things they would like to see improved in their community. These issues were related mainly to community safety, public health and the environment, with many of them reflecting the priorities of the people we speak to regularly at PACT meetings, residents’ association meetings and our monthly ward surgeries.

Issues ranged from concerns about quads and off-road bikes having access to our public footpaths and open spaces and causing damage to the flora, posing a risk of injury to pedestrians and endangering wildlife, to general environmental concerns about the impact of dog fouling and littering in the streets. However, rather than just talking about the things that concerned them, the children also offered solutions - something that suggests a positivity from the children that they can make our communities better places by identifying issues and working together to put things right.   

After the discussion the children voted on which of those issues were a particular priority for them, and notably what they would like to see happen next to address their concerns. 

Apart from listening to the children talking to us about their issues and priorities, for me the most uplifting aspect of yesterday’s visit was the way the children wanted to engage in solving problems, along with the confidence they had to get their points across. 

I’m sure the parents, carers and staff at Hesleden Primary School know this already but their children are fantastic ambassadors for their school and a real benefit to their communities. They'd clearly taken the time to look around their villages to see what was good - and what needed improvement - and most importantly they made the effort to come and tell us about what they saw as their priorities to make their neighbourhoods safer and stronger. 

Finally, I’ve got to mention the impeccable behaviour of all the children. They were polite, considerate and eloquent in putting their views across - something we can all be proud of as we look to the next generation as custodians of their villages and communities.

I hope the children enjoyed their day as much as I did.