Fly-tipping, untidy back yards and other environmental issues in Blackhall Colliery

I’ve been contacted by a number of residents over the weekend reporting untidy back yards in a few streets and an increase in incidents of fly tipping and littering so I took a walk around some of the numbered streets in Blackhall Colliery earlier this morning in advance of a formal walkabout scheduled to take place tomorrow. 

The following issues have been reported to the relevant officers and departments at county hall for their attention.

Fly tipping in the back lane at Second Street. From the amount of birds in the image below it’s possible that the abandoned bags could include food waste so I’ve asked for an urgent response to this incident:

Fly tipping in the back lane at Third Street. Abandoned bins at the top of the street have also been reported to the refuse collection service for removal or return to the owners: 

Fly tipping in the back lane at Eighth Street, and also several incidents of rubbish piled into back yards further down the street:

Fly tipping and untidy streets at the bottom of Eleventh Street:

A back yard at Tenth Street piled high with furniture and other detritus: 

Progress on dealing with these incidents will be followed up during tomorrow's street walkabout with the wardens and will be monitored over the longer-term at subsequent walkabouts.

Any similar incidents in your area can be reported direct to the council at: https://doitonline.durham.gov.uk/ or if you prefer you can let me know and I’ll deal with it on your behalf: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk 

Development company to reinstate footpath and verges on the B1281

Earlier this week I reported the poor condition of the footpath and embankment opposite the new Hardwicke Place housing development on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. Please see the article dated Tuesday 16 August 2022 for background details: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/08/untidy-pathway-and-embankment-on-b1281.html

This followed complaints from residents that the embankment and roadside verges were covered in weeds and the pathways were frequently caked with mud, especially after wet weather.

By way of background, I’m advised that the embankments were created to facilitate new sewer routes to serve the new housing estate currently under construction on the opposite side of the road. According to the company, the embankment would have been seeded once the initial works were completed. However, due to the dry weather the seeds have failed to germinate.

The council’s highways department got in touch with the company responsible for the development and asked them to make arrangements to reinstate the embankment, verges and footpath to an acceptable standard. 

I’m pleased to note that the company has responded immediately and confirmed last week that it intends to clear the footpath, reinstate the verges and regrade the embankment nearby as soon as possible.

Company to appeal against Sheraton Solar Farm planning decision

Regular readers of these pages will be aware that in December last year Durham County Council's planning committee refused planning permission for a company to install a solar farm on land just off the A19 at Sheraton. 

The decision by members of the committee followed a hard-fought campaign by local residents, alongside me and Stacey as the two local county councillors, that reflected the opinion of almost the entire local community. Whilst there’s a loose consensus that solar generated power is sustainable when developed in the correct context, most would agree that any infrastructure must not be installed in close proximity to settled communities, adjacent to major road networks or on ‘high-value’ land that could otherwise be put to use for local benefit - such as food production. 

A summary of the campaign and the outcome of the planning committee meeting was published on Tuesday 14 December 2021.

However, I’ve received notification this afternoon from the planning department that the company seeking permission for the solar farm has decided to appeal against the planning committee's decision and has asked the government's planning inspector to hold a public inquiry. 

I have circulated details of the appeal to the residents of Sheraton with a view to submitting any additional individual or collective representations if necessary. This part of the process lasts for five weeks from the appeal start date which is listed as 17 August. 

I will update on progress as and when there are any significant developments in advance of the public inquiry.

Update on the campaign to defend a popular local business against eviction

Last week I published an article on these pages about the plight of a popular local trader who is facing possible eviction from his plot because of an ongoing 'review' being carried out by the council. Full background details can be found here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/08/trader-at-risk-of-being-kicked-off.html 

Since then I’ve made repeated requests for the council to explain the rationale behind the review, yet so far the council has declined to provide any additional information. 

Although it’s standard practice for an authority to carry out any review it chooses to I don’t think it’s acceptable for the council to do so without explaining the reasoning behind it. In addition I’m concerned that there has been no provision for consultation to allow local councillors or members of the public to feed into the review and show their support for anyone who might be adversely affected by the final outcome - in this particular case that’s Fred Davies and his mobile hot food business on the picnic area at Blackhall Rocks.

However, despite the council’s refusal to set out the reasons for the review, or even let us know what they hope to achieve from it, the campaign to keep Fred and his business on site has really picked up pace recently. 

Local residents and visitors alike have contacted the council over the past week to express their concerns about the shabby way they feel Fred is being treated by the council. There have also been many supportive comments made on social media, and Fred has set up a petition for local people to register their support.

In addition, we heard this week that local MP Grahame Morris has thrown his support behind the campaign to keep Fred at the Blackhall Rocks picnic site. He too has submitted a letter of support to the council department dealing with the review.

Finally, I’ve been in touch today with a reporter from a local free and online newspaper who is keen to pick up on Fred’s story and raise its profile across a wider audience - so keep a look out for an article in the next edition of the East Durham Life newspaper.

We’ll persist with the campaign until we get the answers Fred deserves and members of the public demand. Until then please consider joining us in urging the council to see sense and leave Fred to continue with his business on the Blackhall Rocks picnic area. 

This campaign is about so much more than standing up for a popular local business at risk of being refused permission to trade. It’s about actively showing support for a well-respected business at a time when many are falling by the wayside. And in a broader sense it’s about attracting visitors to our beautiful coastline and sustaining our local businesses and services too - helping our communities to thrive on the visitor economy if it’s allowed to take root and grow.

Untidy pathway and embankment on the B1281

I’ve been contacted this week by residents concerned about the poor condition of the pathway and the unsightly soil embankment along its edge adjacent to the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery.

The embankment was constructed earlier this year by the the company building the new Hardwicke Place housing development on the opposite side of the road, and as the images show the soil frequently washes onto the pathway leaving it untidy and dangerous, especially in wet weather. Even under dry conditions the soil piled up by the side of the pavement has been left unseeded and has become covered in unsightly weeds, some growing into the pathway.

I’ve asked that this query is forwarded to the relevant section at DCC for their attention, with a specific request that the construction company responsible carries out remedial works as a matter of urgency. 

Environmental issues in Blackhall Colliery

Following my most recent informal walkabout this morning I’ve reported the following issues to the council for the attention of the relevant departments:

Over-filled bins and litter in the back lane between Second and Third Streets (below): 

Graffiti on the damaged and boarded-up window in Fifth Street (below): 

Damaged road surface at the cul-de-sac at the bottom of Tenth Street (below): 

Furniture abandoned in the back lane behind West Street (below):

Fly tipping in back yards in Eighth Street and

Litter in the lane along the back of Middle Street, from First to Eleventh Streets.

Trader at risk of being evicted from popular visitor site at Blackhall Rocks

Another popular business is at risk of relocation after a council 'review'

I was contacted yesterday by Fred Davies, the owner of the ice cream and hot food business on the picnic area in Blackhall Rocks, who is concerned about the possibility of losing his license to trade. His concerns came about after he received the following email from the council in response to his earlier query about renewing his licence:

We write to advise that there is currently a review of catering concessions on Durham County Council owned land. Once this review is concluded, there will be a system in place which will enable traders to register their interest and bid for a location. We hope to be able to provide further information as soon as practically possible. Once we have further information to provide, we will forward this to you.

As an alternative, have you considered other land to trade from such as land that is not owned by Durham County Council? We would remind you that you will need to obtain landowner's consent from the relevant landowner.

Corporate Property and Land provide landowner's consent for Durham County Council as landowner. Street trading licences/consent is not landowner's consent.

We cannot provide landowner's consent at Blackhall Rocks at present.

We trust this is of assistance to you, however, should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

My primary concern is of course for Fred and his business and his customers, but I also have real concerns that his current predicament is reminiscent of similar developments last year at nearby Crimdon where a couple of very popular traders were forced off site by the authorities without any reasonable or rational justification.

Please see articles dated Friday 30 July 2021: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2021/07/campaign-to-keep-traders-at-crimdon.html and Sunday 12 September 2021 https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2021/09/traders-at-blackhall-rocks-and-crimdon.html for background details.

The council’s latest ‘review’ gives the impression that they are for some unknown reason determined to drive respected and popular trade away from prime tourist and visitor sites along the Durham coast and in other popular locations throughout the county. So in order to get to the bottom of these latest developments I've been in touch with the relevant departments at county hall to try to find out exactly who is running this latest “review”, on what basis it is being undertaken and also to ask what the council hopes to gain from persistently driving traders away from popular and busy locations.

For my part I think Fred provides an excellent service for local residents and visitors to our community - not just in terms of his business but also in regularly cleaning up the picnic area and at the same time keeping it occupied and thereby deterring anti-social behaviour and vehicle break-ins which were once commonplace at this location.

I'll update on developments as soon as I have a complete response from the council. In the meantime Stacey and I will continue to do everything we can to help our local businesses when they face unfair eviction from popular visitor sites in our part of the county.

Concerns about increased traffic volumes on Hesleden Road

Residents report concerns about unsuitable traffic using Hesleden Road

I've been contacted today by residents concerned about an increase in traffic volumes on Hesleden Road in Blackhall Colliery. There is particular concern expressed about speeding vehicles at this location, alongside reports that wagons using the road may be exceeding the 18t vehicle weight restrictions in place.

Firstly, it would appear that the recent increase in vehicles is linked to drivers using Hesleden Road as an alternative route to avoid the temporary traffic lights in place at the entrance to the housing estate currently under construction on the nearby B1281. This has happened on a few occasions over the past year or so when traffic lights have been installed to facilitate roadworks on the B1281.

As a related issue I'm also aware of concerns about the new road layout at the entrance to the housing development on the B1281 and I was advised earlier this year that a Stage 3 Road Traffic Assessment would be carried out when the development is almost completed. The purpose of the assessment will be to gauge the impact of any additional traffic associated with the new estate, and also guide the authorities and developers in installing any necessary road safety measures. I published full details of this specific issue earlier this year: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/05/update-on-traffic-issues-on-b1281-at.html

As for the reports of increased traffic volumes and potential breaches of vehicle weight restrictions I've contacted the council's highways adoption engineer to ask which measures might be available to address the issues raised today by residents on Hesleden Road. 

I’ll update on progress with this matter as soon as I have more information from highways engineers.

Reporting dust emissions from the former pit heap site in Hesleden

Hesleden residents report additional incidents of dust from development site

Regular readers of these pages will be aware that the company currently removing spoil from the former pit heap in Hesleden has applied for a ten-year extension to their planning consent to enable the removal of minerals from the site. 

Following public meetings held in Hesleden WMC earlier this year with residents, company representatives and planning officers I have stated my objection to this extension. Full background details can be found in the articles published on this site in February and March: 

• Notification: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/02/hesleden-pit-heap-company-seeks-consent.html
• First public meeting: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/02/hesleden-pit-heap-planning-application.html
• Second public meeting: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/03/hesleden-residents-in-show-of-unity.html

One of our main objections is based on the unacceptable levels of noise and nuisance residents in the village have reported since works began on site almost five years ago. One of the main causes of nuisance is the frequent emission of dust reaching many parts of the village, particularly when the weather is dry and windy. 

Earlier this week I spoke to a resident from Gray Avenue who told me about the persistent problems associated with dust, often meaning that cars and window ledges have to be cleaned almost daily. He reported that when the dust is especially bad some of the residents in the worst affected areas are forced to keep their windows closed to prevent dust particles entering their homes. Although this is an inconvenience there are wider concerns about the longer-term impact on public health of dust emissions from the site.

In addition, another resident recently lodged a complaint with the council’s senior air quality officer who in response has advised residents to monitor all incidents of dust emissions and report them direct to him as soon as possible. The response received from the officer is reproduced below in full:

Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016

Further to previous correspondence, I am now able to provide an update on the measures employed by the company to control dust from the permitted activities on the site. The company have now completed a review of the dust suppression measures on site and to further reduce dust emissions from the processing of material the screen and stockpiles of material are now to be relocated to the lower section of the site. This will not only provide increased screening but also the stockpiles will be located at a greater distance from the village. It has also been emphasised to the company of the requirement to apply water suppression and/or dust suppressants to the surface of roadways on site used by heavy goods vehicles. The protective screening provided by netting on site is also to be replaced.

In addition to the above, I requested the company ensure they provide me with the dust monitoring results obtained from the dust gauges surrounding the site and these will be closely scrutinised since they provide a measure of the effectiveness of dust control measures employed on site. These will be followed up if and when required with the company.

If incidents of dust deposition on properties surrounding the site occur then a record of the dates and the times when these occur is required in the first instance. This should include details of when surfaces e.g. windowsills were cleaned and also when deposits of dust were observed. Any further photographic evidence will also assist with the date and time that the photograph and/or video was taken recorded. If there are residents experiencing such dust emissions then they should contact myself initially to discuss the incidents and the required procedure.

If you have any incidents of dust emissions to report please get in touch with the air quality officer at: david.gribben@durham.gov.uk including all necessary details as shown in the text above.

Traffic accident on the B1280 Station Road in Station Town

Stacey and I have been made aware of a potentially serious traffic accident yesterday afternoon on the B1280 on Station Road in Station Town.

I’ve contacted the highways department at county hall and the traffic management office at Durham police to ask that we are kept informed of the outcome to any investigation into the accident and that we are also made aware of any recommended safety measures to prevent any further incidents at this location. We will work with the police and local authority to do everything we can to reduce the risk of further incidents at this location.

We will update on progress as soon as we receive a response from the police and county council:

Good morning ****, ****,

I’ve just been made aware that a reportedly serious multi-vehicle collision has taken place yesterday at or near the pinch-point on the approach to Station Town from Wingate (see email thread below).

As officers in the traffic section will be aware from previous concerns expressed by residents and local members the pinch-point, and this stretch of road in particular, has been something of an issue for a number of years.

However, I don’t wish to make assumptions until the facts are known so could you confirm please that Stacey and I will be kept up to date with the outcome of investigations, and especially with regard to any potential remedial measures recommended to prevent further incidents at this location.

I’ve copied in Peterlee police and the traffic management officer for their attention and response. The clerk of HHPC is cc’d for information.