The County Council today notified councillors that planning meetings for the new council will take place at 2pm. At present in Durham District they commence at 5.30pm which allows residents time to get to the meetings after work.

Now, almost every person who works in County Durham will have to take time off work to attend planning meetings. Additionally, many residents will be picking up children from school when the meeting is on. Overall, only those who are retired or people who can afford to take the time off work will be able to attend.

This is not what the “New Era” council was supposed to be about. Quite frankly its undemocratic. If you can’t take time off work and there is a planning development opposite your house going to committee, you won’t be able to attend the meetings.

It was bad enough when Labour decided that half the councillors on the committees would have to be from outside the area. By the time they’ve finished it will not be worth bothering attending. The cynical amongst us would say that’s what Labour wants.

Our 0191 numbers are working again, please call me on 0191 372 5866 or 07500125325

The company servicing recycling in Co Durham has ceased trading. I have been given reassurances that collections will continue, although there may be some disruption over the next week or so. Please bear with this, however if you do have concerns please feel free to get in touch – 07500125325 – the 0191 number is still not working – lets see if it will be a full week or will be fixed today.

Our local Labour MP failed to turn up for the Fuel Poverty bill last week. So residents in Durham have to struggle on with their fuel bills .

The Bill, which was proposed by Liberal Democrat MP David Heath, would deliver a massive home insulation programme which would halve the energy needed to heat the average home. And it would end the scandal of those who use pre-pay meters – generally the least well-off – paying higher rates for their gas and electricity.

Campaign groups such as Consumer Focus and Age Concern have condemned the Government for blocking the Bill’s progress. Help the Aged have said that, “Millions of older people… will be devastated and dismayed by this result.

For our MP to not turn up for this debate is simply not on. More than 70% of Lib Dem MPs were there but only 7% of Labour MPs bothered to show up.

Update 24/03: The 0191 council numbers are still not working for any councillor – hopefully they will be for 1st April. in the meantime call me on 07500125325

22/03 Do not call me on the council number 0191 372 5866 this is not working – most are not working. Call 01913864238 or 07500125325

After residents had reported seeing under 16’s drinking in the area some weeks ago, I asked for more action to clamp down on sales to youngsters from off-licences. I contacted the relevant aurthorities and it is good to see that a number of outlets have been checked out and where necessary fines issued.

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable Sunday morning at Witton Dene with the Friends group raking an area where a new woodland glade/meadow is to be grown. We then seeded the whole area with grasses and wild flowers and moved on to do a second area which included clearing out leaves and pulling up some Himalayan Balsam seedlings.

Later in the spring/summer there will be a number of  days when I will be joining in pulling up the balsam which takes over the countryside drowning out our native species. I will be posting the dates on this site as and when I know them.

The whole area is being transformed by the hard work of  the friends of Witton Dene. If anyone wants to get involved please get in touch and I’ll put you on to the organiser.

At recent meetings at County Hall, off the back of the Lib Dem campaign on Small Business Rate reductions, the Council managed to put together a letter to accompany all business rates bills and inviting businesses to get in touch for a reduction – Lib dem action is starting to make a difference. Next I will be checking up how many more businesses have taken up the small business rate and look at visiting those which have not. This could potentially keep tens of thousands of pounds in our area instead of in London.

After months of bouncing down the two despressions in the car as you drive up Front St into Fram, it is great that they have been fixed, as well as the not so well done job near the Abbey Road roundabout. Looking forward now to the new road markings to try and slow everyone down a bit.

I challenged the Cabinet at County Hall today about the pathetic 13 tests they have carried out across the entire county to check if outlets selling alcohol are selling to under 18’s. How can we possibly hope to reduce underage drinking if outlets know that the chance of them getting caught out is so small. We have thousands of pubs, off licences, clubs and supermarkets selling alcohol yet we only have the time to test 13.

The portfolio holder promised me at the meeting today that the council will look at increasing the number of tests. I hope this is the case, but wish it wasn’t down to me to challenge this – it’s common sense and should have been done long ago.