Mere Drive street light repair delay due to lack of land rovers

A streetlight on a path which allows residents access to Front St from the estate in Pity Me has been on day and night for a number of months.

I raised this with an officer in September and a resident also asked for action to stop the waste of electricity on 24th October.

Usually the council will respond in 10 days, but because the light is harder to access, they need to use a 4×4 land rover hoist to carry out the repair.

I have been promised the repair will be done today, so fingers crossed.

If there is a light which is day burning or not working at night please let me know. Sadly I can’t get the council to improve the dreadfully poor LEDs they are using on the new lights and stick by my view that they are not bright enough.

Mobile Phone Saving Website by Oxford Geniuses

A while ago I was trawling the internet to try and figure out if I was getting the best deal on my mobile, and came across a site called Bill Monitor

I was a bit dubious at first, but having used the site for a while I am quite impressed with it. You tell it a bit of information about your contract and it lets you know when you can save on your current contract and how to make the best of what you currently have.

A rough calculation suggests that if every resident in County Durham used this service and acted on the suggestions, we would collectively save £30m a year!!

Dryburn Park and Holmlands Crescent Permit Scheme to commence 12th January

Residents had requested the running of a new consultation on some streets in Framwellgate Moor due to parking problems from people coming from outside the area causing inconvenience to local residents.

A consultation was carried out some time ago. Statutory consultations then occurred.

No further objections were forthcoming in respect of the extension of the residents parking zone to include Dryburn Park and Holmlands Crescent. The scheme will therefore go ahead with a target commencement date of 12th January 2015.

Barrington Close and St Cuthbert’s Avenue residents voted not to go ahead with the scheme.

Residents on Dryburn Park and Holmlands Crescent are being written to by the council this week to explain the process, the implementation date, locations of signs and how to apply for permits.

It can take up to 6 weeks for signs to be ordered and made, which is why the 12th January date has been set.

Once the scheme is expanded residents on these streets will once again be able to access their properties and park near their homes.

Newton Hall Post Office Services Saved

Our press release:
Lib Dem councillors are celebrating with residents after post office services were saved. Councillors in Newton Hall near Durham City had campaigned to stop the loss of services for their branch. In addition capacity and access concerns have been partly addressed and will be monitored.
A move into a nearby McColl’s shop will still go ahead but with many improvements. Services which would have been lost will be retained including the ability to pay in cheques. Transcash as well as Royal Mail and Parcelforce International Services are also now protected. The original plans would have seen a cut to many parcel services.
Councillor Amanda Hopgood comments “We made sure that the difficult access to Durham City was pointed out, and this has been listened to.Residents will not have to go into the City for services. Furthermore, internal access at the new branch was a big concern. We must wait to see if concerns about this have been fully addressed in the months which follow the opening of the new branch.”
External access to the branch will be improved as a planning application has now been granted by the council for a disability ramp. This will be an improvement on the existing premises. Within McColl’s, further adjustments are to be made. Fixtures and fittings will be re-aligned and removed to make sure there is proper access. This will include improved access for wheelchairs and space for queuing.
Concerns about staffing numbers are also being addressed. Staffing is to be aligned to customer demand. However there will be continual monitoring of staffing numbers with a review in three months which will be analysed by the Citizen’s Advice who are the statutory consultees on the proposals.
Records of queuing times and numbers will also be carried out and analysed following the concerns raised.
Councillor Mark Wilkes who put up the online petition to challenge the cuts to services said of the proposals. “In an ideal world we would still have a Main’s branch. However what we are now being offered is far and away better than the original proposals. Protection of services. Improved access, improved capacity and a full review over three months. The Post Office has agreed to full monitoring. We will also be personally monitoring this. Any reduction in service quality will be robustly challenged in the local community.”
Councillors now hope that after the new facility has bedded in the improved offer will mean that local residents warm to the changes. Longer opening hours should cut the risk of queuing. Cllr Wilkes added “There will still be some residents who are concerned, and we would urge them to contact us at any point during this process.”
Councillor Mamie Simmons says “Following our two and a half hour meeting with senior Post Office management we were deeply concerned. What we have achieved by way of improvements is leaps and bounds ahead of what we could have ended up with. The disability access will be particularly well received and are happy the council has supported that application. Of course the first few months of the changes will be key. We will be in touch with the Post Office, Citizen’s Advice and McColl’s if there is any drop in service quality.”
He has also contacted the Citizen’s Advice and McColl’s to request updates going forward and to ask that existing staff are approached as a matter of urgency to see if they would like to work in the new branch.
The move is likely to take place in February 2015.
You can view the consultation result letter here: newton_hall_dh15lx_decision_letter

Link to story on Northern Echo website: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/northdurham/durham/11584479.Post_Office_move_goes_ahead___with_concessions/

Disgraceful state of South Terrace Reported to Council

stateofsouthterrace

You might think that it is only the City centre which suffers from problems with overflowing residential bins. But that is not the case. As this photo of South Terrace in Framwellgate Moor shows, there are problems everywhere.

The reality is that absurd planning decisions over the years mean that terraced houses never meant for five six or seven student rooms have been converted around Durham City including in Framwellgate Moor.

Developers leave little or no space for bins which are overflowing most of the time making it an utter misery for other residents – blocking roads and pavements, causing infestations of vermin and adding further pressure on council staff who have to clear up the litter.

Enough is enough. I have reported the state of this road to the Director for Neighbourhood Services. Something must be done. If you have examples of other areas with similar problems please photo them and send to us.

 

Your Lib Dem councillors are gearing up for winter – Are you and is your street?

Sacks of grit in our area

After the mild winter last year and the recent balmy weather, we could be forgiven for thinking that winter has left the North East for good – it’s wishful thinking.

With this in mind, last year we negotiated for one ton sacks of grit to be placed around our area on streets where the council refuses to put grit bins or we feel they are necessary. But key to our negotiation was that if they were not needed, then they could be used the following year instead – saving money.

So this year, if the weather does turn nasty, many areas of Newton Hall, Framwellgate Moor, Pity Me and Brasside which don’t have a grit bin close by, will get a sack of grit delivered for residents use – thanks to your Lib Dem councillors.

We already have a list of locations. Let us know if there is a particular street or area where you think this may be necessary and we will check to see if it is on our list and consider adding it.

Existing Grit Bins and new ones

The council has very strict criteria for grit bins and this hasn’t changed in the last few years. You can find your closest grit bin by clicking here: http://www.durham.gov.uk/saltbins You can also request a grit bin at this link. If you are refused and want to challenge the decision get in touch with us.

If the grit bin on your street is empty at the moment, you can let the council know  by clicking on report it at the top of the Council’s new website and they will add it to the filling cycle. www.durham.gov.uk

Council Gritting Routes

You can see the roads which the council grits on the interactive map on the Council website:

http://www.durham.gov.uk/winterroads

Blocked drains and gullies

The council now only checks road gullies one or twice a year. This causes problems in some areas. As your local Lib Dem councillors we frequently report gullies blocked with leaves which we check ourselves, or which residents report. This proactive approach has reduced localised flooding problems on many roads. Check the drains near your house and if they are blocked up use the Report it link at the top of the council website. If nothing happens after a few weeks, let us know and we will check and chase up the Council.

Residents gritting teams and help for the vulnerable

Have you thought about discussing spreading grit with your neighbours? Many streets around the area have a team of people who come out and spread grit on roads and pavements in bad weather – some organised, many just spontaneous. I helped on a couple of streets two years ago. Spare a thought for elderly neighbours who might not be able to get out in bad weather who might need a hand – to get out themselves or for a carer visiting.

If you don’t have a problem on your street have a think about a neighbouring street where they might need some help – both public and private sector workers need to get to work – lending a hand can help the whole community.

If the bad weather does come and all else fails get in touch with us and as in previous years we will see what we can do to help.

Weather warnings

The best place to find out about weather warnings is the Met Office website at www.metoffice.gov.uk

If the council issues localised warnings over the winter I try to add that information onto this blog.

LIVING WAGE WEEK

This coming week is living wage week. For some time now I have along with other Lib Dem councillors put pressure on Durham County Council to introduce the living wage for council staff and to push for similar wage rises for the lowest paid schools staff.

Hopefully in this week of the living wage our campaigning will finally be successful………

Councillor Shuttleworth Spits his dummy out

Before the last election one of the small independent groups on Durham County Council with four members had two members with disabilities. The introduction of push button voting and other technology caused problems so a table was placed at the front of the chamber for the four councillors to sit at, in front of the official opposition, and in fact further forward than the Labour cabinet too.

Now that sadly the two councillors who required to sit at the front are no longer councillors, one having died and another having resigned with ill health, Cllr Shuttleworth’s group only has two members (including himself). Neither of them need to sit at the front, so the council removed the table and notified Cllr Shuttleworth of this.

In response Cllr Shuttleworth spat his dummy out and went to the press to complain.  Presumably his complaint is that the council protocol which he passionately supports when Labour do not follow the rules, somehow doesn’t apply to him. Today it appears he put the table back himself. He then didn’t speak once throughout the whole meeting. Which begs some questions in itself.

This got me thinking, what would happen in Parliament if a member of another party put a chair in front of Ed Miliband at Question Time, sat down and said nothing for the whole event. I guess some people would see it as a blessing, but others might see it as rather rude and suggest that policy is supposed to apply to everyone equally. The said person would certainly be asked to move.

It further got me thinking as to what the definition of a group is. Each opposition group leader receives an additional allowance for their extra responsibilities of £3325. If your group is made up of yourself and one other councillor should you receive £3325 extra in taxpayers money?

Needless to say I got on with the proper business of council, challenging officers and the Labour run Cabinet on a number of issues and supporting them on others, whilst all the time observing the rather quiet back of Mr Shuttleworth’s head.

CAB AND ADVICE FUNDING – Full Council Challenge

I today questioned the Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Napier on funding for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. The Council has asked the CAB to work up proposals which could see a £150,000 cut to the funding. Cllr Napier confirmed that these cuts are not yet council policy and I therefore hope that this cut in essential funding will not come forward in Labour’s budget proposals.  If it does I will do all I can to try and convince Labour councillors that cutting this service would be inappropriate and very damaging.

On a second point I raised concerns about the existing funding and future funding gap for home visits for the most vulnerable in our County. At present CAB funding doesn’t provide for home visits for housebound residents who are physically disabled or have mental health issues. These most vulnerable people have to rely on other organisations or in many cases get no help at all. There is a service in the County run by the Christian partnership and Money Advice Service which helps with home visits but it is not getting direct council funding. It helped secure over a million pounds for vulnerable residents last year in benefits and financial assistance.

It is critical that as a council we recognise that perhaps 40% of the most vulnerable in our society need help and advice at home, not a 15 minute phone call and a trip to an office somewhere.

Councillor Napier both in public and in private has now confirmed that he will fully investigate my concerns to do all he can to help these residents. I look forward to seeing what is brought forward and will of course challenge again if the result is not sufficient.

Senior Management Numbers down at County Hall – But lowest paid insulted

The number of senior managers at County Hall has fallen from 38 to 29 in the last few years.

Sadly, our Labour-run council is still paying the Chief Exec seventeen times the pay of the lowest paid full time workers. And earlier this year Labour refused our Lib Dem call to introduce the living wage for staff so that they are paid £7.65 an hour!!

So Labour is happy to pay the Chief Exec over £100 an hour but can’t find the money to pay its lowest paid a decent wage despite having £100million in reserves. That’s not socialist, it’s certainly not liberal, and it’s an insult to hard working staff on low pay.