After a real battle with the council I am pleased to be able to report that the missing footpath on Porterhouse Terrace in Pity Me has now been installed.
The short stretch of missing path which I have repeatedly asked the council to intervene and fix for two years was finally done after I raised the issue to the most senior officers in the Council and logged a complaint.
As I see it if you push and push, eventually, if you are right on something you will get it fixed.
At the end of summer we attended the opening of the new sports hall at Framwellgate School Durham. It really is a fantastic facility and is available to the public for use as well.
There is an amazing climbing wall which I was one of the first to try and climb. Making it to the top without falling – although I was attached to wires!
As part of the building work we secured funding for a sculpture from s106 public art funding outside the centre. It really does look great and we would recommend taking a look.
As many of you will know, Labour councillors produced and forced through a flawed report on 20mph zones following our success in getting the Council to change its policies and agree to allowing 20mph zones. Shame on Labour for playing with Child safety. This meant that schools with fewer accidents in areas like Chester-le-Street where the council leader lives were prioritised over our area.
We secured a review and this showed that schools in our area should have been programmed in first.
The Council is now implementing this and is currently finalising consultation on the project. As part of this they did not plan to include schools in Newton Hall. We have used local funding to make sure that all the schools in our area are included.
This means that near all schools in our area from next year there will be flashing signs and 20mph zones at drop off and pick up times and at lunch times where appropriate.
We hope that this will help to bring down average speeds not just at school times but throughout the day making our area safer for pedestrians.
We are working with the Council on additional projects which will enhance the scheme and also help reduce speeds.
We have secured repairs and replacements for a number of bus shelters around the area.
Many shelters are being cleaned, and damaged perspex and glass is being replaced.
This includes the one at the entrance to Brasside on Finchale Avenue and the one near new college where we have also secured work to improve the crossing point for new college.
The one outside Vets for Pets and those near Beech Close and Priory Road on Finchale Road in Framwellgate Moor are also getting new glass installed.
The old brick shelter opposite the Newton Grange pub is also being replaced with a new clean one which should also deter people taking toilet breaks in it!
All Saint’s Christmas lights once again looks fantastic. We provided the Christmas Tree again this year, bought from Pity Me Nurseries with 200 additional trees at a super discount we negotiated. We we are planning to plant the trees around the area so if anyone has a suggestion on where they would like to see some trees we have 200 decent sized trees ready for planting after the new year, weather permitting. Big thanks to the volunteers who put up the lights and tree at the Church.
The new lighting we have secured for the underpass at the Arnison Centre has now been installed and what a difference! And its led energy saving so has cut the costs of the Council.
After a summer break, I am starting up the blog again. A lot has been going on over the summer and early autumn with plenty of good work going on by your Lib Dem councillors in the area.
We will be reporting back on many of this issues in the coming days and weeks. Please let us know about any problems or issues you would like addressing in the area.
Please support Amanda on Thursday. It’s time to end decades of Labour MPs being elected in Durham City and have a proper opposition MP to the Tories instead of one of Corbyn’s Labour MPs.
Another thank you: for electing all seven Lib Dem candidates to the parish council. Whilst this means we will have overall control of the council we aim to work for the benefit of everyone as closely as possible with the three independent and one Labour councillor also elected.
A huge thank you for re-electing us as your three Lib Dem county councillors.
We received the highest number of votes and the highest vote majority in the whole of County Durham.
As we promised we will continue to work hard to improve our area and look forward to the next four years representing you
Mark, Mamie and Amanda