The Council is asking letting agents in Durham city to agree a voluntary code to cut the number of to let boards being placed around the City.

We discussed this recently on the Housing Panel of the Durham Area Action Partnership (see here for more info on AAPs).

I personally believe that the number of  To Let boards in the City really make the place look a mess. Some letting companies do a great job and don’t even put up boards. I don’t see why all can’t do the same and work with the Council, University and other organisations to keep our City tidy.

The County Council has failed to notify a telecoms company that their application for a mobile phone mast in the middle of Newton Hall had been turned down, meaning the company can go ahead with its plans.

The Labour – run County Council has made a right mess of this one. Once the applcation was turned down they had 56 days to notify the company but failed to do so. Dozens of residents and the local Lib Dem councillors objected to the plan and were successful but then the Council kicked everyone in the teeth by failing to deal with this properly.
Lib Dem County Councillors Mamie Simmons and Amanda Hopgood are meeting this week with the company to try and get a compromise on this issue and sort out the Councils failure. Good luck.

This years Senior Citizens Christmas concert at Framwellgate Moor Community Centre will be on Sunday 11th December.

Doors open 1pm, concert from 2pm to 4pm. Admission is FREE! Food and drinks also provided and if a friend or relative is coming along, let them know in advance as pace is limited.

There is some limited transport available. Call Will Greeves on 0191 386 2602 for information.

Alan Mayfield is providing the music and they also plan to have Carol Singing from a Childrens Choir .

The event is sponsored by Durham Dunelm Round Table.

The road from Pity Me to Hartside (Potterhouse Lane) currently has work being carried out patch poor areas of it.

I asked for one final time this week for the litter which has been building up which I reported several weeks ago to be cleared. It looks like some tidy up has started today.

The war memorial and the land around the War Memorial in Witton Gilbert looks set to be transferred to the Parish Council from the County Council so that the Parish can maintain and improve it for present and future generations. I have confirmed that I fully support this today.

I am pushing for the second home council tax discount of 10% to be scrapped, as i really do not think it is fair that someone who can afford two homes should get a discount. The money raised could go a long way towards other services this coming year and I hope the Council will take note of this after the Empty Homes Success last week. The government is currently consulting on this policy change so hopefully it can be brought in in time for the next financial year.

The council announced some offers for other leisure centres today. I raised concerns that this didn’t include Abbey and can confirm that new offers are to be announced shortly for December including:

Three months free when paying for a year extended throughout December.
And a newspaper offer of a £20 fitness voucher with the newspaper cutting – not sure when this will be in the press.

The new gym is now up and running and membership is on the rise, looks great too.

Had a few occasions in the last few weeks where I have had to speak to senior housing officers about council house repair problems or delays. If anyone is having similar problems please call me. Most issues have been dealt with successfully after some discussions but if you feel that something is not being done or is delayed please let me know.

Durham Police want to know your priorities.

Durham Police Authority, Durham Constabulary and Partners across both Community Safety Partnerships in the Constabulary area inviting all residents, organisations, and groups in County Durham and Darlington to have their say on the policing and community safety priorities for 2012/2013. The consultation will run from 14th November until 1st December 2011.

How to Vote

Vote online, and view priorities visit www.durham.police.uk or
Vote by text, text the word VOTE followed by your chosen 3 priorities from the list above, plus your postcode to 07786 027280 (your text should look like this example: VOTE 2,4,5, DH1 5UL).

Finally, Durham Council has listened on something and agreed to my requests to scrap the unjust 50% council tax discount for people to leave houses empty.

Banks, bankers, big property companies and landlords often living in other parts of the country or overseas have been allowed to leave properties empty and get a discount for doing so. From April this will stop. A local Lib Dem victory for common sense.  It will bring in an extra £2.1m for the council and I hope they will look at using at least some of the money to help get empty properties into use. Possible solutions could include giving first time buyers renovation loans to help them get these properties up to scratch or even giving loans to landlords to renovate where they guarantee to rent out the properties. It could also be used to help force properties to be brought back into use.

The government will now pay councils an extra six years council tax for every empty home they bring back into use, so there is no excuse for Durham Council. 5200 empty properties were getting the 50% tax cut while the rest of us struggle to pay full council tax.