YOU CAN HELP FRAMWELLGATE MOOR COMMUNITY CENTRE BY VOTING FOR THEM TO WIN A GRANT FROM NAT WEST FOR £6000.
PLEASE CLICK HERE AND VOTE NOW:
BIG BUS CHANGES ON WAY FROM ARRIVA
For a number of weeks I have been trying to get someaction to ensure that when there are changes to bus services in our county councillors get told so that they can respond to residents concerns. I have also been trying to get some action to improve buses going to Brasside following cut backs in services.
Today councillors received details of the following big changes to services run by Arriva (good that we are finally being told in advance of it happening), however the news itself is not good at all.
The main bus companies in our county get millions of pounds in grants from the government but are still cutting back on services – some of it due to grant reductions, some to increases in fuel bills. Perhaps they should be getting more efficient buses onto routes as the number of old bangers travelling around our county is still unacceptable. Buses seem to get sent up to the North East once they are ruled too polluting to be used in London. This has to be part of the reason for cutbacks – though clearly not all. Invest in more efficient buses and it wont cost as much to run the services.
Changes:
We have just been given advanced notice by Arriva of forthcoming changes to their commercial bus services (ie services they run without subsidy from the County Council) with effect from the start of January 2012.
South west Co Durham
95/96 Middleton – Barnard Castle
To be withdrawn entirely. Currently 1 p h M-Sat daytime
84 Bishop Auckland – Cockfield – Darlington.
Cockfield – Darlington section to be withdrawn. Currently approx every 2 hrs
85 Bishop Auckland – Cockfield – Barnard Castle.
Cockfield – Barnard Castle section to be withdrawn. Currently approx every 2 hrs
86/87 Bishop A – Toft Hill – West Auckland – Bishop Auckland
Arriva still to finalise plans, but current intention is to withdraw of the Ramshaw – Toft Hill – Bishop Auckland Section. (Currently 1 ph)
19 Bishop Auckland – Woodhouse Close
To be withdrawn, but partially replaced by diversion of service 85 to run 2 ph via Woodhouse like the current eve and Sunday service.
36A Bishop Auckalnd – Coundon
To be withdrawn (currently 2 p hr)
Note the the Bishop Auckland – Ferryhill svc 35/56 continues, so Coundon will still 2 p hr to Bishop Auckland)
Spennymoor / Ferryhill / Trimdons area:
8 Spennymoor – Chilton – Darlington
Revised to include York Hill section of current svc 69; between Spennymoor and Kirk Merrington rerouted via Middlestone Moor, replacing aprt of service 56; between Kirk Merrington and Chilton rerouted to run via Ferryhill, Ferryhill Station and Chilton Lane, replacing part of service 69. Details of routing in Ferryhill to be confirmed.
55 Sedgefield – Trimdon- Cassop – Durham
To be withdrawn entirely (currently 1 p hr)
56 Bishop Auckland – Spennymoor – Ferryhill – Durham.
To be truncated to run Spennymoor – Ferryhill – Durham, and to omit Bishop Middleham; remains 1 p hr. Timetable and route in Coxhoe- Durham corridor revised to take up the slot in the 20 min frequency currently provided by service 55.
69 Tudhoe York Hill – Spennymoor – Sedgefield
To be withdrawn entirely. See service 8 for alternative local links in the Ferryhill – Spennymoor section.
Durham area:
46 Crook – Durham:
To be revised to operate as an extension of the Brandon – Durham svc 49, ie a reduction in the combined frequency in Meadowfield – Durham section by 3 ph.
LATEST COUNTY PLAN DOCUMENTS
HOUSING AND RELIEF ROAD PROPOSALS
The link in this message contains a pdf showing the information I mentioned last week regarding the more detailed proposals for development of land at various locations as part of the Councils proposals to build new housing and relief roads around Durham City. I have split it into 9 parts so the files are smaller. It is in the form of a presentation given to councillors last week. When you have opened one file, to return to this page, click back arrow/button on browser.
This information is to be made available to view on large boards at Framwellgate Moor Community Centre from 4pm to 8pm on 17th October where council officers will be on hand to answer questions. (Other locations also detailed in Part 9).
My initial views can be seen below in previous blog last week.
It is possible that the large number of people viewing this could cause the site to slow down in the next few days. Please feel free t email me if you would like the whole think sending to you by email (About 5mb).
FLYTIPPING – TYRES
Another flytipping incident I reported over the weekend. If anyone notices any flytipping, call the Highways Action Line on 01913706000 or email hal@durham.gov.uk or contact me.
POTHOLES FILLED ON WAY TO FINCHALE ABBEY
Following complaints about some pretty bad potholes – saw one for myself which must have been 6 inches deep, I have managed to get the council out to to fill a number of holes on the way to Finchale Abbey. If anyone notices any potholes around any of the villages, email me and I will see that action is taken.
Road closure advanced notice – AYKLEY HEADS TO COUNTY HALL
B6532 County Hall Roundabout to Aykley Heads Roundabout,
Durham City
Temporary Road Closure Notice
The County Council intend to close to vehicular traffic, from 00.01 hours on Sunday 9 October 2011 a 550 metre length of B6532 between its junctions with County Hall and Aykley Heads roundabouts, Durham City.
The closure, which is being effected by means of Notice under Section 14(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, is necessary to enable carriageway resurfacing, which will probably take until 06.00 hours on Monday 10 October 2011 to complete, to be carried out to that length of road.
Throughout the period of closure an alternative route will be available to vehicular traffic from the south eastern side of the closure from County Hall roundabout north westerly along A691 to A167 Sniperley Roundabout then north easterly along Dryburn Park Road to Blackie Boy roundabout then south easterly along Dryburn Road to the north western side of the closure and vice versa.
COUNTY PLAN UPDATE
Councillors in Durham City area received an update this morning on the next stage of consultation on the County Durham Plan – Greenbelt and Bypasses.
I am waiting for a copy of the presentation so I can upload it.
Key proposals for consultation from the Council are as follows. I did get some estimates on housing numbers:
Three main housing sites proposed, plus development of Mount Oswald and Aykley Heads.
Sherburn Road – Est. 500 houses on land to East of Sherburn Road.
Hag House (North of Arnison Centre) – Est. 500-800 houses, including possibly land running from Red House to Newton Grange (before going into Brasside)
Sniperley – Area increased considerably in size (more than previously consulted on), going across the Potterhouse Lane boundary formerly suggested, with est. 2000-2800 potential houses, as well as a possible community hub/centre.
Aykley Heads – Mainly redeveloped for commercial buildings, but with some housing around current police headquarters area.
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Routes of bypasses (North and Western) more clearly defined with details of potentially sensitive areas along their routes.
Northern bypass running between Brasside and Newton Hall, but closer to Newton Hall side than perhaps previously outlined. With route crossing River Wear roughly 1km south of Belmont Viaduct and joining the A690.
Western Bypass route from Sniperley Roundabout area, crossing Bearpark Road and coming out between Stonebridge and Broompark.
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INITIAL VIEW:
The increase in the size of the land to the West/North of Sniperley on the way to Witton Gilbert/Sacriston brings into question the initial rounds of consultation which did not include a big chunk of this land. Clearly if all the area being proposed was developed it would encroach even more on Sacriston.
The reduction in the proposed housing numbers on Hag House area from 2186 to 500-800 estimate appears to be partly due to the topography of the area.
The question still remains as to whether any of these sites should be opened up for development at all.
The two bypasses will pass through some very sensitive areas of countryside and the Northern Bypass will require a substantial bridge structure visible from the World heritage Site.
Plans can be viewed at Framwellgate Moor Community Centre on 17th October from 4pm to 8pm.
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I made it very clear at this mornings meeting that increasing the area of land on the Sniperley site makes a mockery of the initial rounds of consultation. I also made it clear that any development must be contingent on improvements to the existing Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor, Newton Hall and Brasside areas including such things as regeneration of existing communities, improvements to highways and footpaths and upgrading of unadopted roads, more parkland and open spaces and improvements to infrastructure (schools, doctors, etc).
The Community Infrastructure levy which could be imposed as part of these plans is capable of including this, though clearly it is time to find out what local residents feel overall about whether any development should go ahead based on these new proposals and what residents would expect to see if this did go ahead.
What it is important to remember in all of this is that it is proposals for the next 20 years, although it was mentioned that the Western Bypass would have to go ahead within 3-5 years for the rest of the development to occur.
SHERBURN CENTRE SAVED – PUSHING FOR YOUTH PROVISION AT ABBEY
Well done to everyone in Sherburn for pulling together a proposal through the Parish Council to stop Labour from bulldozing the Leisure Centre!
In Pity Me we are looking forward to more investment following discussions with the Council, so whilst the opening hours are being reduced, we are confident the centre can be turned around. I had a meeting yesterday with council youth and leisure officers to work towards getting more investment in the Newton Hall and Framwellgate Moor/Pity Me area for youth provision, as it is clear that the area doesn’t get its fair share at the moment.
In the coming months we should be able to announce some positive news following consultation with young people in the area.
ANOTHER DAY – MORE LABOUR WASTE
So now the NHS computer system is to be scrapped because it doesn’t work after Labour spent £12bn on it – more than double the original planned figure – and some say it could be even higher.
Another clear reason for not letting Labour ever touch our economy or the NHS again. Down at County Hall, the Council has already overspent by around £2m on IT and I believe they aren’t even using the right approach here in Durham.
On top of this the Private Finance Initiatives they used to fund new hospitals are bankrupting NHS Trusts across the country – how much more is there to be told about 13 years of Labour profligacy?
LABOUR FIRE CENTRE WASTE IS DISGUSTING
The waste of money by the last Labour government was truly staggering. Labour MPs in the North East should hang their heads in shame for allowing nearly half a billion pounds to be spent on Fire Control Centres which remain empty.
And no apology for her party’s failure from Durham’s MP – there’s a surprise!
Northern Echo Report:
FLAGSHIP plans to replace fire control rooms with regional command centres ended in “complete failure”, costing the taxpayer nearly half-a-billion pounds, MPs claimed today.
In a damning report, the influential Public Accounts Committee said the “FiRe- Control” shake-up, launched by the Labour government in 2004, was one of the worst project failures it had seen in many years and was “flawed from the outset”.
The redundant North-East Fire Control Centre, in Belmont, Durham City, is costing the taxpayer about £1.1m a year. Because of various legal agreements, the final bill could reach £27m.
The centre has stood idle since plans to merge the fire services of County Durham, Teesside, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland were scrapped last December.
Proposals to axe North Yorkshire’s control room, in Northallerton, for a regional centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, were also dropped, along with the national project.
Fire chiefs are in urgent talks with Whitehall to find a future emergency service use for the Belmont centre, but no deal has yet been reached.
A County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said FiRe- Control’s failure was disappointing, but it was preparing a funding bid for a new control system and was in dialogue over the future of the Belmont centre, to see if it could be used for the benefit of local people.
Redcar’s Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Swales, a Public Accounts Committee member who asked the panel to investigate FiReControl, said the project had been a “monumental waste of money” and it was “ludicrous” the North- East centre had been built three times as big as needed.
But he said its best future use could be “something completely different”.
Peter Wilcox, of the Fire Brigades Union in the North- East, said the project had been a “debacle of unimaginable scale with escalating budgets and worthless contracts” and a use should be found for the Belmont centre, recouping some of the public money wasted.
Bob Neill, the Conservative Fire Minister, said taxpayers were paying for Labour’s inability to manage risks and control costs.
However, Roberta Blackman- Woods, Labour MP for Durham City, said there were important lessons to be learned by everybody and it was vital that the Government took on board the report’s recommendations when considering all future projects.
She called for a “constructive use” to be found for the Belmont centre, in consultation with the local community.
Nationally, today’s report suggested that only five of the nine regional centres would eventually be used by fire services.
MPs also said at least £469m had been wasted and eight of the centres remained empty, costing the taxpayer £4m a month to maintain.
They slammed the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) for excluding “reluctant” fire services from helping plan the centres and said consultants made up half the management team, costing £69m by 2010.
The Government has earmarked £84.8m to meet the project’s original aim to improve efficiency, but MPs questioned this and called for a review of the nation’s emergency services to find the best uses for the redundant facilities.
They also said no one had been held responsible, despite an “extraordinary failure of leadership”.
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, the committee’s chairman, said: “The department’s ambitious vision of abolishing 46 local fire and rescue control rooms around the country and replacing them with nine state-of-the-art regional control centres ended in complete failure.
“The taxpayer has lost nearly half-a-billion pounds and eight of the completed regional control centres remain as empty and costly white elephants.”
In July, a National Audit Office report branded the project a “comprehensive failure”.