Monthly Update for April 2025: Raising local issues. Getting things done.

Since my most recent local issues and casework update report last month I’ve raised over 145 queries with the authorities on behalf of residents and businesses across the Blackhall ward. I've also been in direct contact with more than 140 individual residents. Almost all of these queries are personal and/or confidential so for obvious reasons details cannot and 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 telephone, email and my social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky).

The main issues covered this month include environmental improvement schemes at a number of prominent locations, full fibre broadband delivery, addressing residents' reports of fly-tipping and tackling irresponsible driving practices. I’ve selected a few of the articles about these issues for re-posting, just in case you missed them first time around. 

You'll also find many more day-to-day updates on my Facebook page at: Facebook

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

Fence repairs on Middle Street: Fence repairs on Middle Street

Police response to reports of irresponsible driving practices on the B1281: Concerns raised with police and highways authority about dangerous driving practices on the B1281

Broadband provision in Hesleden: Full fibre broadband provision in Hesleden

Environmental improvements in Blackhall: Residents welcome recent improvements in the Blackhall street scene

Damaged gate to be replaced at High Hesleden: Boom gate replacement at High Hesleden

Boom gate replacement at High Hesleden

Earlier this month a resident contacted me to report a damaged boom gate on the Haswell to Hart walkway near the point where it crosses the road between High Hesleden and Monk Hesleden. 

I raised this issue on the same day with the countryside team at county hall who have confirmed that temporary measures will be put in place to prevent access to off-road bikes until a more effective permanent gate can be installed. 

I've published below the full response received from the service team leader:

Staff have been on site and report that the perpetrators have been targeting this boom gate for a while and has been repaired previously.

After speaking with colleagues, we have agreed that we will put boulders in place of the boom gate, as a temporary measure, till we investigate the use of more robust gates, although this will come with a higher cost.

This part of the railway path now has a section 59 notice in place, due to increased off road vehicle ASB,  meaning the police can apply stronger measures. Hopefully, assistance from the Police together with more robust measures, may reduce this anti-social behaviour.

Residents welcome recent improvements in the Blackhall street scene

Earlier this week I published an article on these pages about improvements in Middle Street, including a new replacement fence installed by Monk Hesleden Parish Council working alongside the Community Action Team. Full details can be found in this link: Fence repairs on Middle Street

An update on that post mentioned that further works were to be carried out which would see further improvements to the seating area in front of the new fence. This would include a new bench and fresh shrubs and bedding plants at either side.

Anyone passing this prominent and popular location over the past day or so will have noticed the improvement brought about by local agencies working together to make our villages look and feel better.

Well done to the members and the estates team at the parish council for showing the real benefits of working together to improve our villages.

In addition to the improvement scheme on Middle Street, residents have also been in touch to say how impressed they are with similar projects along the A1086 Coast Road between Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery.

While I’ve been out and about on the streets over the past few weeks residents told me about two individual things they felt would improve the street scene along the Coast Road.

First residents asked if the public seat at the top of Poplar Avenue could be reinstalled. They told me this had been a well-used location which was popular with people walking between Blackhall Rocks and Blackhall Colliery, and also with people waiting for a bus. 

I was then told about a damaged fence between the top of Beech Avenue and the Phoenix Service Station which made the area look untidy.

I raised both issues with the council on the same day, with a request that the seat near the bus stop could be reinstated and also a request for the fence to be repaired.

I’m pleased to report that the seat was installed within a few weeks and the fence at Beech Avenue was replaced entirely shortly afterwards.

Full fibre broadband provision in Hesleden

Earlier this month I raised a query with the council's IT department on behalf of residents in Hesleden who had contacted me to ask about if and when fibre broadband provision would be available in the village.

This week I received a response from the Digital Durham Team at county hall confirming that full fibre broadband is scheduled to be available in the village by the end of next year. Please see the team's response below in full which includes alternative options residents might want to take up in the meantime:

Dear Cllr Crute

Thank you for your patience whilst we have made enquiries with government department Building Digital UK (BDUK) regarding fibre broadband provision to Hesleden.

BDUK have advised Hesleden village is currently included in Openreach commercial full fibre plans for delivery by the end of 2026.

BDUK proactively monitor infrastructure providers future delivery plans, and should these plans change, BDUK will then consider alternative interventions to bring about gigabit-capable broadband as part of Project Gigabit.

Project Gigabit is the government's programme to enable hard to reach communities to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband that are outside of any future commercial plans. This work is part of the ongoing effort towards the government’s target of 99% of UK premises being able to access gigabit-capable broadband by 2030.

If residents need faster speeds now, they could consider an interim alternative broadband solution such as Starlink satellite broadband that can offer high speed connectivity virtually anywhere in the world. However, it is more expensive than fixed line solutions and may not be affordable for some. 

I hope you find this information useful. Please get in touch if you have any further questions.

Blackhall Banner Group fundraiser celebrates our history and heritage

Blackhall Banner Group members held their latest fundraising event in Blackhall Community Centre last Saturday afternoon and evening with the aim of raising funds to pay for subsidised transport to *Durham Big Meeting. 

The fantastic Hartlepool duo Jonny & Joanie topped the bill at the event and were supported by Blackhall's own Emma Crute who performed in front of a local Blackhall audience for the very first time. 

Anyone who came along to the banner group's event last year will tell you that Jonny & Joanie are a huge attraction to any event and never fail to get the crowd going with their mix of working-class folk songs, ska classics and many other well known and much-loved songs.

To get the event of to a flying start Emma hit the ground running in her first performance on home soil with renditions of hits by Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Bonnie Tyler and many more. The reception from the audience on the night showed that both acts went down a storm.

The evening also included a quiz and raffle which attracted some great prizes - with the star prize being a unique hand-crafted table lamp which was kindly donated by Sharon Bell, a hugely talented local lass who comes up with some fantastic ideas for home furnishings. Once again food was provided during the event by fantastic local company Star Bakes run by Stacey and Omide who kindly donated profits to the Banner Group. 

Members of the Blackhall Banner Group would like to thank Alison and the staff at Blackhall Community Centre for hosting our event at a first-class local venue. We also give our thanks to Jonny & Joanie for their fantastic entertainment and continued support for the group - and thanks also go to Emma for a great set-list and a performance which really hit home with the audience at her first local function.

But most of all the gratitude of the Blackhall Banner Group members goes to the members of the public who came along from far and wide to support our fundraiser. We recognise that times are hard for many people, so to see such generosity on the night was heart-warming. We hope they enjoyed the show as much as we did.

Finally we must acknowledge the community spirit that filled the hall last Saturday evening. It gives us hope that as long as our residents hold so much pride in our community, and are prepared to come along to celebrate its proud working class history and mining heritage, we will remain strong and resilient for years to come. 

That community solidarity is our strength, and it shows we all have more in common than will ever divide us. That sense of togetherness has served us well for over 100 years and it'll see us through the next 100 years too. As our DMA banners tell us: Unity is Strength - and last weekend we proved that to be a fitting epithet for Blackhall, Hesleden and the rest of our County Durham mining communities. 

*The Big Meeting this year will be held on Saturday 12 July. We look forward to seeing you there!

Concerns raised with police and highways authority about dangerous driving practices on the B1281

Yesterday I contacted officers in the police traffic management team to raise concerns on behalf of residents about vehicles driving the wrong way round the roundabout adjacent to the ongoing housing development on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. Full background details can be found in this link: Stamping out dangerous driving on the B1281 roundabout

I have now received a response from the police in which drivers and cyclists are advised they can now forward any footage of dangerous or irresponsible driving to the police direct. I've published their response here, where details of *OPERATION SNAP be found:

Because there appears to be no specific times of day or days of the week when contravention occurs regularly, regretfully it is a difficult matter for us to enforce without having officers stationed there on a regular basis which realistically isn’t achievable due to the many and varied demands on officers and as mentioned above we can’t use ANPR cameras for enforcement of traffic offences.

In recognising that we can’t be everywhere at once and wanting to do more for our communities,  to assist in our quest to identify dangerous drivers and deal with them appropriately, we are looking to the public to assist us.

We have therefore developed a process, in line with other forces nationally, under the label “OPERATION SNAP” whereby road users can submit dashcam/video or head cam footage of road traffic incidents, including drivers travelling on the wrong side of a roundabout, to our Roads and Armed Policing Unit through our online portal contained within the Durham Constabulary website.  This would need to be done within 7 days of the alleged offence. Any footage uploaded will be reviewed by a team of specialist officers who can take follow up enforcement action where necessary.

So, we would encourage anyone with video footage of dangerous driving practices including this driving concern, where a clear registration is shown, to report it to us so we can consider follow up attention.

I would assure you though, if a driver is seen by an officer travelling on the wrong side of the roundabout during routine patrols in the area then they would look to take action as appropriate.

I hope this goes some way to addressing the matter you have raised.

To be on the safe side I've also written again to the council's highways department to alert the to these recent concerns of local residents about the potential risk of injury caused by confusion of irresponsible and dangerous driving on the B1281. 

I'm aware that modifications to the road and roundabout were carried out last year after I'd raised similar concerns with them on behalf of residents, but I've asked them to consider which additional measures might be installed to improve road safety and reduce the risk of accidents at this location. 

*Full details about OPERATION SNAP can be found in this link: Operation Snap | Durham Constabulary

Stamping out dangerous driving on the B1281 roundabout

A resident raised concerns on social media today about dangerous driving practices at the roundabout on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. It was reported that vehicles driving westwards out of Blackhall towards Hesleden and the A19 at Castle Eden were deliberately being driven the wrong way round the roundabout and putting lives at risk.

Most of the comments on the social media post referred to 'idiots', 'a***holes' and 'stupid people' so clearly residents are calling out irresponsible drivers who are deliberately driving the wrong way round the roundabout. That fits with just about every comment and complaint I've received about this matter too, so residents are pretty clear that dangerous driving is entirely to blame for this senseless practice.

However, regardless of where the blame lies, the risk of serious injury or worse from people driving dangerously at this location is a problem that faces every one of us, so we need a collective response if we are to stamp it out. We can all play our part.

As we all know dangerous driving is a criminal offence, so whenever residents see drivers deliberately taking this roundabout on the wrong side of the road it should be reported to the police. In the meantime I'll raise these latest reported incidents with the police directly for their attention, with a request for CCTV or ANPR cameras to be installed if it will help stop this dangerous practice.

If you see someone driving dangerously at this location please contact the police on 101 or 999 depending on the urgency or seriousness of the incident. Full details about dangerous driving and how to report it can be found in this link: How to report dangerous driving | The AA

Fence repairs on Middle Street

For some time residents have reported the damaged and unsightly fence on Middle. Street for repair. The fence has been broken, repaired and broken again many times, and after recent stormy weather it was left in a precarious position near the edge of the footpath.

When the Community Action Team was in the village for a time-limited project recently, the Parish Council took the opportunity to carry out full replacement works, which has left the place looking much more attractive. The new fence is also safer and secure against further damage.

The works were carried out after the fence was relocated just a few inches towards the pavement, which then placed it on publicly-owned land on the council’s seating area. Several residents have been in touch since the works were completed last week to say how much the area has improved in appearance.

The parish council’s estates manager has also told me that additional works are currently being carried out at the site in front of the council’s new fence. These include a new bin and bench to be installed later this week, alongside new shrubs and bedding plants.

Well done to all at Monk Hesleden Parish Council and the Community Action Team for a great piece of work that has had a hugely positive impact on our streetscene.

Local Issues and Casework Update for March 2025

Since my most recent local issues and casework update report last month I’ve raised over 120 queries with the authorities on behalf of residents and businesses across the Blackhall ward. I've also been in direct contact with more than 124 individual residents. Almost all of these queries are personal and/or confidential so for obvious reasons details cannot and 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 telephone, email and my social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky).

The main issues covered this month include plans for an exciting new play area at Blackhall Welfare Park, Durham County Council urged to suspend parking charges at Crimdon to avoid traffic chaos this summer and plans for a PACT meeting in Hesleden. I’ve selected just a few of the articles about these issues for re-posting, just in case you missed them first time around.

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

Blackhall Banner Group Fundraiser The 2025 Blackhall Banner Group Fundraiser

Restoration works at Hesleden Pit Heap Restoration works at the former pit heap site in Hesleden

Exciting new play area at Blackhall Welfare Park Children reveal exciting new plans for Blackhall Welfare Park play area

Residents deserve a level playing field in fight against Benridge Solar Farm Residents deserve a level playing field in fight against Benridge Solar Farm

Local issues update Another busy weekend on the streets

PACT meeting for Hesleden A PACT meeting for Hesleden

Durham County Council warned of traffic chaos this summer Durham County Council urged to suspend parking charges at Crimdon

On the streets, meeting residents and addressing local issues Meeting residents and dealing with local issues

Making the most of the spring weather Lighter nights and warmer weather mean more community engagement

Lighter nights and warmer weather mean more community engagement

As residents will know already I’ve been active in our community for many years. By living here and being visible on the streets regularly I have the perfect opportunity to meet with residents and talk to them face to face about any issues they might have.

Over the past week or so we’ve seen a marked improvement in the weather, and along with the return of the lighter nights that means I’ve been able to get out and about a bit more than usual.

In that time alone I’ve met with dozens of residents and I’ve reported almost 40 individual local issues to the relevant authorities for their attention. These include fly-tipping, litter and potholes in a number of streets, abandoned bins at the Scheme Houses, a blocked drain at the Aged Miners’ Homes, vermin at one or two empty properties and a couple of incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Mattress abandoned at Corry Close was removed within 24 hours

Television set dumped at the Scheme Houses, and now removed

Broken glass was cleared from the steps at the Scheme Houses

Road defects at The Crescent, reported for repair and included in the work programme

Long-term empty property at the Scheme Houses reported to the empty homes team

Watch out for my full monthly update on local issues and casework post which I’ll publish on these pages in the next day or so.

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

Meeting residents and dealing with local issues

It was another fine day yesterday to get out on the streets again to talk with lots of residents about local issues and the things that affect them in our community.

It was especially good to meet up with old friends I hadn’t seen for a while and also to talk with quite a few residents I met for the first time.

Almost all the craic we had was positive about local matters, and there were also lots of issues to report, ranging from long-term empty properties and a few incidents of littering and fly-tipping to abandoned bins and a few highways issues.

All the issues raised yesterday have now been reported for the attention of the council and the other agencies who work alongside them in the community.

I’m now looking forward to another few days out and about - and hopefully with more warm and sunny weather!