Priorities for Witton Gilbert

The current priorities for your neighbourhood are:

• Anti social use of Off Road Motor Cycles in the area around Green Lea, Rose Lea and Oak Lea.
• Speeding vehicles along Sacriston Lane. No particular times or days. Ongoing day and evening problem.
• Vehicles driving at inappropriate speeds for area between Waterson Crescent along Fyndon Avenue towards Rose Lea. Between 0600-0700hrs weekday mornings and 1700-2000hrs weekday evenings. Anytime on a weekend.

These are the policing priorities that local people have agreed with your policing team. You can have some influence on future policing priorities by attending your next PACT meeting.

Upcoming meetings:

9th March 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Drop-in Session

14th March 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

11th April 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

9th May 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

6th June 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

Priorities for Bearpark

The current priorities for your neighbourhood are:

• Anti-Social Behaviour
• Off Road Motorbikes

These are the policing priorities that local people have agreed with your policing team. You can have some influence on future policing priorities by attending your next PACT meeting.

28th March 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

25th April 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

23rd May 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

20th June 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

18th July 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

Please come along to The Science Centre on Front Street Framwellgate Moor/Pity Me to view the proposals for a new science campus on the current Framwellgate School site. The proposal is for Framwellgate Moor Pirmary School, Framwellgate School and Trinity School to federate.

The new school will be a modern, efficient building and plans can be seen from 3.30pm to 6.30pm on Monday 8th March.. Just call in, I will be attending the event along with other governors and councillors.

Priorities for Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me

The current priorities for your neighbourhood are:

• Speeding Vehicles along Front Street, Framwellgate Moor/Pity Me and Abbey Road, Pity Me.
• Woodbine Road, Pity Me – elderly people concered about Rogue Tradesmen in the area. Regular patrols between 1000-1900hrs as reassurance for local elderly residents
• Anti Social Behaviour at the underpass and walkway from Arnison Centre along Oatlands Way leading to Rosemount usually between 1600-2200hrs on Friday/Saturday eveings
• Anti Social Behaviour in Garden Avenue, North and Newcastle Terrace, during college hours but mainly between 1100-1400hrs.

The next PACT meetings:

28th March 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

25th April 2010
Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me PACT Meeting

23rd May 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

20th June 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

After a considerable amount of pressure, I have finally managed to get a grit bin installed at the end of Woodbine Road/The Anvil. The council provides bins based on a scoring system which covers things such as severity of bend, distance from another bin, and closeness to priority areas like doctors surgeries. In this case I finally managed to convince them that this site met the 150 point target they use.

New dog waste bins are now in place in Brasside and Pity Me. An additional one is ordered for Alexandra Close in Framwellgate Moor and we are looking at placing one near Taylor Avenue in Bearpark.

PACT meetings bring together the police, community wardens, councillors and local residents to look at issues in the area and to set priorities. Any resident can attend these meetings. Please come along as often as you can, even if you may not have a particular issue this week.

Below is the full list of PACT meetings being held across the villages. Over the last six months I have attended a great number of PACT meetings and we have set priorities including sorting out the parking problems in Brasside, anti-social behaviour in Framwellgate Moor and Speeding in Pity Me and Witton Gibert. the latest Bearpark PACT meeting set priorities of tackling anti-social behaviour and off-road motorbikes.

Click on the link to find the location and time.

28th February 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

28th March 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

25th April 2010
Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me PACT Meeting

23rd May 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

20th June 2010
Framwellgate Moor & Pity Me PACT Meeting

28th February 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

28th March 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

25th April 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

23rd May 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

20th June 2010
Bearpark PACT Meeting

14th February 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

14th March 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

11th April 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

9th May 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

6th June 2010
Witton Gilbert PACT Meeting

Despite the poor weather, the rebuilding of the footpath on Durham road is well underway. This comes after I asked for the whole stretch to be fixed due to the number of tree roots making it a trip hazard. the number of people using this stretch of pavement meant that it was only a matter of time before someone tripped. Thankfully the work has almost been completed now by the County Council highways department.

PRESS RELEASE ON CROSSING PATROL VACANCY

Councillors on Durham County Council are making a renewed effort to fill the role of village crossing patrol officer – a position that has stood vacant for more than 10 years.

The village of Witton Gilbert has been without a crossing patrol officer for more than a decade despite the job being advertised. A recent advert in the Parish newsletter has proved unsuccessful and Councillor Mark Wilkes is appealing for applicants to come forward.

Mark said, “We have arranged extended hours and the pay for less than ten hours a week is nearly £60. You even get half-pay during school holidays. This would make the perfect part-time job for someone.

“I have a petition from 1200 residents calling for a crossing, but this will take a long time to implement and cost upto £45,000. If we can find a crossing patrol officer, we can sort out the problem immediately.”

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Carol Woods commented “Children at Witton Gilbert Primary School currently have no safe means of crossing the busy Sacriston Lane and there have been some very close calls. The two local councillors Mark and Rev Crooks are working hard to find a solution and I certainly support their efforts to improve road safety.”

Councillor Rev Crooks added “After discussions with council officers, it is not clear that a permanent crossing would be possible, and so we desperately need someone to take on this job.”

“We have already worked with the police on community speedwatch on Sacriston Lane because of concerns over speeding, but trying to find a crossing patrol officer is proving a real difficulty.”

If anyone is interested in the position, they can contact Kelly Hailes at County Hall on 0191 383 6552 or email kelly-ann.hailes@durham.gov.uk

Lib Dem county councillors  Mark Wilkes and Rev Crooks have applauded the decision to build 21 affordable homes in Bearpark. The homes, part of government funding for the first council houses to be built for many years are to be built on land which was formerly part of the Bearpark Colliery site. Councillor Wilkes commented : 

“We have been in negotiations with council officers for many months now to ensure that as many of the proposed new homes as possible are built in Bearpark. Originally we were only going to get eight houses in the division and even that wasn’t secure. I am delighted at the outcome.  These will be high quality, efficient, two and three bedroom family homes with gardens – just what we need.”

“We have long waiting lists in Bearpark for housing and we have asked wherever possible for people within the village to be considered so that we can make sure local residents benefit.”

Fellow Councillor Rev Crooks added “ Mark and I have put a lot of work in to ensure that these homes are built in Bearpark.  Bearpark residents have been crying out for homes and I am always being contacted about waiting lists.  At the same time as this we have been working on a scheme which we expect to provide new play facilities for the village. I  know that by working with all parties involved we are really improving Bearpark for the better.”

Mark went on to say “The changes to regulations so that councils can build new council homes is a policy which the Lib Dems have been pushing for many years now.”

Councillor Crooks added “In the last year we have secured the building of council and social housing in Framwellgate Moor, Witton Gilbert and Bearpark, proving that hard work really does pay off.  We will continue to work hard to bring down housing waiting lists in our area..“