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.
Next Thursday we are standing for re-election as your Lib Dem County Councillors. Please vote for Mark Wilkes, Mamie Simmons and Amanda Hopgood on Thursday 4th May.
We are getting a great response on the doorstep, with many residents also contacting us by email to confirm they are supporting us.
We also hope to get elected to the Parish Council along with our Lib Dem colleagues Nigel Martin, Grenville Holland, Colin Hillary and Clive Beddoes.
We have been on our regular walkabouts and reported issues across the area, including trip hazards on pavements, potholes, build up of leaves and other rubbish on paths, flytipping to name a few.
Please do let us know if there are any areas which are not up to scratch so we can get action.
Last summer we asked for improvements to the surfaces at Richmond Park. The Council did replace one piece of old damaged equipment after 18 months of asking however the surfaces have still not been touched.
Following further complaints from the public we have again asked for action including sorting out the drainage. It really isn’t acceptable for Council owned play areas to be left in this kind of condition, especially given that we are told that there is money in the pot to carry out repairs.
We are increasingly concerned that it’ taking far to long for such repairs in our area and have complained again this week.
Over at Salisbury Road Play area, we have had to elevate complaints as well. It’s over 4 months since we asked for remedial action and still the Council has not even ordered the works.
Needless to say we are on the war path over this and will now be chasing the Council weekly for updates.
We reported last week that we’ve had no litter picks from Friday afternoon to Monday on Framwellgate Moor Front Street for the last month and it’s really been noticeable.
The Labour-run council made these changes without any consultation or even telling us as councillors.
As soon as we found out we kicked into action and I’m very pleased to say that the afternoon litter pick on a Friday has been reinstated so bins will not be overflowing all weekend and litter will not be left flying around the place.
If we hadn’t intervened as your Lib Dem councillors Framwellgate Moor would have started to go back to as it was when we had Labour councillors. Those who lived around here 10 years ago will remember the horrendous state of the litter. It’s never possible to get it perfect but our actions on this and on the takeaways should continue to keep it tidier than would otherwise be the case.
If there are any areas with litter in Newton Hall, Framwellgate Moor, Brasside, Pity Me or Finchale Abbey Village please let us know so we can get it sorted quickly.
On Tuesday we met with owners and estate managers of the Arnison Centre as well as senior council managers and traffic experts to discuss problems raised by residents over HGVs using Finchale Road, Old Pit Lane, Front St Pity Me and Framwellgate Moor and Abbey Road.
Residents on these streets are being plagued with vibrations from large HGVs. I have personal experience of the damage from vibrations with cracks in plaster, however other residents have far more serious issues with damage to properties, sleepless nights as well as concerns about highway safety.
Road Closure
In a few weeks time, the access between Rotary Way Bypass and the Arnison Centre/Lidl roundabout will be closed off for widening of this area. This should result in an improvement in access to and from the Centre and was requested by us as part of the expansion of the Centre. However for 6-8 weeks from around the end of March we are going to find major traffic problems including more vehicles including HGVs coming through the Pity Me, Framwellgate Moor and Newton Hall areas.
We have asked for various options to be considered to reduce the impact of this.
HGVs
So for a while there will be an increase in HGVs, however we have a commitment form the Arnison Centre owners that once this necessary improvement work has taken place, they will work to ensure that all the businesses on the site get the lorries delivering goods to use the A167 Pity Me bypass and Rotary Way as it was originally designed. We will be monitoring this after the roadworks have taken place and will be asking residents to help us identify those business not adhering to the agreement.
We are keen to hear from you with suggestions of projects and ideas to boost involvement in the community or events for more senior residents. At the moment we do a great deal to assist older residents with council related issues and community programs but we want to do more.
Amanda currently helps to run the Luncheon Club at All Saint’s Church in Newton Hall which provides a meal on Mondays to 40-50 local residents who are retired, with ages ranging from 65 to nearly 100!
We also provided funding to the WI for a senior citizen’s Christmas party in December in Framwellgate Moor.
We have also been campaigning to keep local health services such as podiatry in the area.
We also support all the community buildings in the area which have groups and access for retired residents. And of course we respond to many requests for help each week, ranging from issues which all residents contact us about to concerns with assisted refuse collections, requests for dropped kerbs and social care concerns. Recently we assisted a Durham City Homes resident to improve their mobility access for example. We also helped another resident get access to the Council’s Link2 bus service to get to hospital.
Let us know if there is something missing for older residents in our area or perhaps an idea you feel will help senior members of our community. There may also be funding available for local groups which aim to help older residents.
The Council cut litter picking and bin emptying a few weeks ago on Fridays and Saturday mornings in Framwellgate Moor and other areas.
The results are clear to see already with overflowing bins and a lot more rubbish lying around. We fought bitterly to get an improved service in the area, particularly in Framwellgate Moor which has such enormous footfall, and we cannot allow the Council to go back to the bad old days.
The current situation means that from early on Friday before the lunchtime rush, until Monday morning no litter picking is taking place, no bins emptied. It’s completely unacceptable and was done without even consulting with Councillors.
After raising this last week with the Head of Service I have asked for urgent talks to get the service reinstated. I have already had numerous complaints.
What is even more galling is that just a few weeks back the Council to great fanfare announced a major “Spruce Up” of the area which we fully supported, getting a bigger area cleaned up than originally planned.
Some of the gulleys and channels in Framwellgate Moor are already blocked up again due to the cut backs and some are now wondering if the Spruce Up was an excuse to make things look good before secretly slashing the service.
Needless to say, along with the takeaway issue, we will not be letting this drop.
The construction of the new sports hall at Framwellgate School Durham is well underway. The old sports hall was in dire need of replacement after years of under investment by successive governments and the Labour-run council in to school buildings.
The school secured a £2m grant for the work and the school is looking to open the facilities to the local community once the site is completed. Your local Lib Dme councillors are working with the school on this and other projects.
Around there area there are a number of places where walking on the pavement isn’t always that easy – especially with a pram. I imagine in a wheelchair or without sturdy boots you’d struggle to. Here’s an example:
This is near Darcy’s garage on Old Pit Terrace. I’ve reported it a number of times but the Council does not see this kind of thing as a priority.
Of course there are more pressing problems for the Council but I still think it should be fixed.
Getting your feet wet is far safer than pushing a pram into the road, but not having to do either would be better.
If you know of anywhere which is the same or worse let us know.