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!

A PACT meeting for Hesleden

Last week the Hesledens Residents’ Association held its annual meeting in Hesleden WMC, and as usual I went along as the local councillor to help out where I could and Stacey attended as a resident of the village.

During the meeting residents asked if it would be possible to hold a PACT (Police & Communities Together) meeting in Hesleden so that residents would be able to raise any local issues directly with the police.

I contacted the police the next day and they have agreed that a PACT meeting for Hesleden would be a good idea. I’ve passed them the contact details for Claire Brown from the HRA and they are making arrangements to get something off the ground as soon as possible.

I’ll update on developments as soon as I have more information from either Claire of the police.

Durham County Council urged to suspend parking charges at Crimdon

Last week I was contacted by several residents and visitors to Crimdon reporting cars parked along the access road to the sea front from the junction on the A1086 Coast Road.

Regular readers of these pages will be aware that parking charges came into force last week after the coalition in control of Durham County Council thought it would be a good idea to make people pay to visit Crimdon. This was despite my objections when I spoke against the charges at a meeting of the Highways committee in county hall last year. Full details can be found in this link: Coalition to impose parking charges at Crimdon

The problem now for the council is that visitors to Crimdon are opting to avoid the charges by parking instead along the access road, and because the road doesn’t belong to the council there’s not much they can do about it. Unfortunately this is creating a problem for someone else, someone who didn’t have a problem until the coalition decided to impose parking charges along the sea front.

I’ve contacted senior officers at Durham County Council requesting a meeting with the relevant people to see what they’re going to do to put things right. In the meantime I’ve urged the council to suspend the parking charges with immediate effect until a solution is found to this problem. Whether they'll agree to do that is to be seen, but I think something needs to be done to address a problem that is only likely to get worse now that the lighter nights are here again.

I’ll update on progress as soon as I have more information.

Another busy weekend on the streets

As most local residents will already know I'm out on the streets regularly, talking to people and spotting any local issues early before they become a problem, so I usually have a lot of issues to report every day. However, I've been out and about leafleting almost all day, every day since last Friday so I've had an extended opportunity over the weekend to talk directly with residents about the issues that affect them and their neighbourhoods.

The general feeling is that things are improving, although that doesn't conceal the fact that there's always more to do especially where litter and fly-tipping are concerned. Another key issue is the condition of some of the properties in the numbered streets in Blackhall Colliery, although many residents have acknowledged a marked improvement since the Community Action Team project went live last month. 

Residents have also commented on the number of empty properties now on the market after some of the more irresponsible absent landlords have been driven out of the village since the selective licensing scheme came into effect. The intention of the scheme is to register private-rented sector landlords and then hold them to account if their properties fall into disrepair or their tenants cause any disruption. On these issues alone there have been some significant and visible improvements.

In addition, the CAT scheme has included regular street walkabouts to identify where the main problems are identified and addressed within days, alongside a campaign to ask residents to identify their three main priorities and then encourage them to report any concerns to the council or the CAT team for their attention. The main issues identify littering, dog fouling and rubbish abandoned in the open yards of empty properties. 

I'm due to meet with the CAT team later this week to assess the impact the CAT team has had in the village, and I’ll give an update towards the end of this week. But in the meantime I've reported quite a few additional issues over the past few days for the attention of the relevant agencies (ie, the police and neighbourhood wardens etc). I’ve listed some of these issues below.

A resident has asked me to find out what happened to the public bench that used to be next to the bus shelter on the Coast Road at the top of Poplar Avenue. The seat was reported to be well-used and residents asked if it could be replaced.

Residents in Hepscott Avenue told me about litter and fly-tipping along the front of the street, along with reports of rubbish piled into the back yards of some of the empty properties.

I was also told about a number of incidents of fly-tipping and littering in some of the streets and back lanes and also on the steps between the Scheme Houses and the A1086 Coast Road. 

A number of residents also got in touch over the weekend to tell me about parked vehicles causing an obstruction on the public footpath near the community centre on Hesleden Road. This appears to be developing into a regular problem where some cases vehicles are completely blocking the footpath forcing people into the road to get past.

These issues have all been reported to the council and police over the past few days for their attention.