I have been informed that the underpass under the A167 has been cleared of the flood, not checked it out yet, but a swift response from the senior management when I raised this with them at the council.

Following a report of the underpass being flooded I asked the clean and green team to clear out the underpass. Unfortunately despite a valiant effort they were not able to get the drain unblocked and it was passed to highways last week. I have chased this up today after another report that it was still flooded and taken it to the director to make sure it is dealt with asap. Hopefully the Council can get a big enough machine there.

It is somewhat annoying that this area is still causing problems as over the years I have asked for action to clean up the underpass and fix the drainage so that the run off from the field is dealt with. Perhaps this time they will get an idea of what really needs doing and fix it for the long term

A property in Framwellgate Moor was robbed this week. This is extremely rare, but could I urge all residents to make sure when opening the door that it is on a catch and you check who it is and don’t let anyone in the house if you cannot be absolutely sure who they are.

If anyone has concerns about any crime issues in the area there are Police and Community Together (PACT) meetings each month where you can discuss local issues with the police, councillors and other residents. The next meeting in Framwellgate Moor is on the 20th November at Framwellgate Moor Community Centre from 6pm to 6.45pm. Should you need to report something more urgently, the non-emergency police phone number is 111.

Thankfully crime is at a record low in County Durham and anti-social behaviour and other crimes in the Framwellgate Moor area are down significantly compared to previous years. However it is really important that residents attend the PACT meetings if there is anything, however slight concerning you or even if you don’t have any issues but want to know what is going on in the area.

Framwellgate Moor Community Centre is having an open day on the 15th for residents to view plans for future development of the centre. The trustees are taking over the building from the council and need to apply for funding.

To secure funding we need as many people as possible to come along. Please call in between 2 and 6pm. Your county councillors have committed £15000 towards the centre improvements but more is needed and we need to show community involvement in the plans to apply.

The Department for Transport has announced £1.4m for six councils across England to adapt 92 buses so they are more environmentally friendly. Durham and Sunderland will share £275,500 for 19 buses.

Lib Dem Transport minister Baroness Kramer announced the extra funding which has come off the back of work by the Lib Dems to ensure that public transport is as energy efficient as possible. This should help Durham City to reduce pollution levels and also assist in keeping the cost of bus travel down as one of the biggest costs for bus companies is the fuel bill.

Your Local Lib Dem councillors are fully behind the plans which show that on the ground more investment is coming into Durham thanks tot the Lib Dems in government.

Press release I sent today: LIB DEM COUNCILLOR DEMANDS ACTION FROM NORTH EAST COUNCILS

A Lib Dem County Councillor has discovered that barely 11% of people eligible for a £135 discount on their energy bills are receiving it in County Durham.

Councillor Mark Wilkes contacted the North East’s biggest Energy Supplier NPower to find out how many of its customers were receiving the Warm Homes Discount.

The £135 discount was agreed by the big six energy companies following discussions with the Coalition Government in 2010. The aim was to help reduce fuel poverty, but it is clear that most eligible customers are not getting the discount. (more…)

There are times when I think that it is better to try and sort out the daftness or incompetence of Durham County Council behind the scenes. That will surprise most Labour councillors! Every time I challenge the council in public there are probably half a dozen more times when I deal with it internally.

Take the phone system for example. If I had a tenner for every time a resident has complained about not being able to get through to the council I’d be off on holiday to the Seychelles. Councillors from all parties have had a go about this, particularly last year when the benefits department was in a right state. (more…)

DON’T FORGET – CONSULTATION EVENT RUNS TODAY 23RD 4PM-8PM AT FRAM COMMUNITY CENTRE

Further to my email to residents, the links below may help with accessing the relevant documents. If you didn’t get our email update it is because you are not on our mailing list. Please email us if this is the case and we will add you in. The main front page to the County Plan can be found here:

http://durhamcc-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/planning/ps/

The are then a number of supplementary documents which concentrate on specific sites, including the land north of the Arnison Centre and Sniperley. These are huge documents and without broadband you may struggle to download them. If you scroll down the main page you will find the list of these docs. When you click on one scroll down and click on “supporting documents” to find them – its below the blue “Read and Comment box”

In addition to the Council documents there is also an alternative submission which has been created by the Durham Greenbelt Campaign. Their website is here: http://www.durhamgreenbelt.org.uk/ where you will find the link to the pdf with their alternative proposal. I would recommend reading it as in most respects it makes more sense than the Council proposals.

I will provide further updates later.

This interview is worth listening to, particularly the last 30 seconds. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24606614

No price rises in wholesale gas in the last two years – straight from one of the industry companies, so why are prices rising. come on government sort this out now. Full publication of the profits of the holding companies attributed to their retail arms immediately.

Visit www.energyhelpline.co.uk or www.uswitch.com to find out if you are on the cheapest deal.

If your total household income is less than £16100 you may be able to get a discount of £135 off your energy bill, call your supplier.

I wonder how much of the latest price rises is down to Ed Milliband announcing that they’d freeze energy prices in a global market place – he clearly hasn’t got a clue about economics or perhaps he got the idea off Ed Balls.

I have written to the Deputy Leader of the Council (Labour) to ask if he will look into cutting mileage allowances for Councillors. At present councillors can claim 48.9p a mile , which is more than the government allows tax free and significantly more than most people can claim if they can claim at all. And councillors can claim just for going into county hall to “READ” – what is all that about? – we have smart phones, laptops, tablets etc now – surely a £100,000 bill for councillor mileage is a bit of a luxury this county cannot afford, so hopefully we will see some movement on this.

I really don’t see why residents should pay the £20 Garden Tax when some councillors are claiming thousands in mileage claims.