People in County Durham are being offered advice on staying safe, warm and well in winter.

As temperatures start to drop, Durham County Council is issuing the following tips for residents on preparing for bad weather.

Stay Warm

• If you at home all day keep the heating on low to maintain a constant temperature.
• Check if you are eligible for a home insulation grant.
• Contact your energy supplier to check you are on the correct tariff.

Stay healthy

• Get a free flu jab – contact your GP to make an appointment.
• Eat well – have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day.
• Stock up on essential items in case you are unable to leave the house.
• Stay active and keep moving – activity keeps you warm.

Who can help?

Think about who can help you, whether a friend, family member or neighbour – and don’t be afraid to ask them.

Out and about

• Only go outside if it is absolutely necessary.
• If you must go outside, wear several layers of loose fitting clothes, including items that are fitted at the wrists.

Useful contact numbers

–        Highways Action Line (HAL): 0191 370 6000 or email HAL@durham.gov.uk – for enquiries about the salting of roads and footpaths.

–        Social Care Direct: 0845 850 5010 – for concerns about someone’s welfare.

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–        Durham County Council: 0300 026 0000 for all other issues, or visit www.durham.gov.uk

–        NHS 111: if you need medical help but it isn’t an emergency.

Further information on how to be prepared for winter is available via Durham County Council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk/warmandwell

I popped over to Bearpark today for a special occasion. After 4 years of working to get new play facilities for the village with my fellow county councillor it was great today to see the diggers in starting work on the new facilities which will include a new play area, wheeled sports facility/skate park, kickabout area and outdoor gym as well as improvements to a 200m long footpath.

The facility is also going to be great for the school children at Bearpark Primary School who will be able to use the facilities at luchtimes and after school.

It has taken a long time to sort this out with so many attempts to stop us from bringing this project to fruition. I ensured a few weeks ago that £50,000 we had secured from the Council from planning did not disappear down a blackhole after it appeared to “not exist” anymore, so thankfully with all the funding secured we will now have a scheme to be proud of.

The overall work will take several months to complete with the play facilities and gym equipment going in first followed by the wheeled sports facility.

With more new play facilities set to be installed in Witton Gilbert following the outdoor gym being added earlier in the year, and the King george’s field upgrade at Framwellgate Moor now complete, this means that the promise made to improve facilities by the Lib Dems in our area is well on its way despite the economic down turn and various attempts to stop us from achieving our promise.

Newton Hall also had new facilities and I am working on two more schemes in the area to make sure we have the best facilities possible.

If you are experiencing low or no water pressure this is because a mains pipe has been damaged at the Arnison Centre. Northumbrian Water says that normally it can take upto 2-3 hours to repair such issues.

Our system of taxation is both unfair and inefficient. People on modest incomes are paying their fair share of tax while the super rich can too easily avoid paying their share.

Although the litter on Front St is many times better than it used to be, there has been a recent increase particularly around the North Terrace area. The police and neighbourhood wardens are taking positive action after I raised concerns and there will be more presence in the coming weeks. I am confident they will be able to bring this further under control, though as always I will continue to keep an eye on it every week. Any complaints from other areas please let me know. They will also be checking up on Newton Drive/Lund Av areas.

I attended the county plan consultation event at Framwellgate Moor from 4pm to 8pm today. Several hundred people attended. No one I met was in full support of the councils proposals, two people supported parts of it. I think that just about says it all. Please sign the petition against the building of 3425 houses on Durham City greenbelt land and write in to the council with your objections to the proposals. The more I read of the plans, the more unsustainable, environmentally damaging and socially unacceptable I think they are.

Your Lib Dem councillors have launched a petition against the County Council plans to build 3425 houses on greenbelt land around Pity Me, Brasside and Framwellgate Moor.

Durham Greenbelt Petition – Double Sided

Further updates to follow.

I have again raised concerns today at the failure to crack down on littering at the start of the new school / college year. Despite reminding the county council weeks ago of the need for action at the start of term, no or little action has been taken thus far. I am assured that there will be neighbourhood warden presence tomorrow to try and ensure that we don’t go back to the bad old days of years ago.

Clearly there has been a massive reduction in littering around Fram Front St in the last few year as I have made it a priority and I not want to see the current deterioration of the first few weeks of the school and college year to continue.

I have been out to Rosemount, Red Briar Walk, The Orchard and Bridgemere Drive with council officers today to ask for various strimming, cutting back and thinning out of hedges, verges and trees. Work should be carried out in the next couple of months depending on the area. If there is anywhere else where you know there are issues please let me know. I am also asking for action to clear the undergrowth at the rear of the terraces on Pity Me Front St once again.

Thanks to David and his team for coming out at such short notice today. Look forward to seeing the work completed.

Following my compaints about the state of the road at Hartside View, I can confirm that proper repair work has now been completed. The Avenue still has bad areas which I am chasing up.

As can be seen from the picture I put on the site last month, it really shouldn’t have been left to get that bad.

http://markwilkes.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/08/01/hartside-the-avenue-and-hudspeth/

Now it looks much better:

I have also been assured that long standing damage on Potterhouse Terrace will be tended to in the next week or so.