You can find the latest CAB outreach dates here:

http://markwilkes.mycouncillor.org.uk/cab-outreach/

CAB outreach is now guaranteed until Summer 2010 in all four villages!

If anyone would like to watch leader of theLib Dems Nick Clegg making his keynote speech it can be found here:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?title=Speech%3a_Nick_Clegg_delivers_his_speech_to_Autumn_Conference&pPK=8751593d-e92b-47fa-b6d3-61cd48e7d55d

Our commitment to ensuring that those most in need in society are protected continues, with our commitment to lift 4 million low income workers and pensioners out of tax altogether. This is fully costed. More information can be found here with Vince Cable’s speech:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/news_detail.aspx?title=Speech%3a_Vince_Cable%E2%80%99s_speech_to_Liberal_Democrat_Conference&pPK=e3158112-08da-4f2d-89f6-be64f214ab85

Twenty Five years on from the closing of the Pit at Bearpark, we are finally moving closer to having a new home for one of the banners. Rev and I have made a donation of £1000 out of the County council members Initiative Fund to help with the building of a new case for the banner which is currently stored at Redhills.

Hopefully this wonderful piece of mining history will soon be on full view in the Working Men’s Club in Bearpark.

The War memorial in Framwellgate moor is finally looking much better. After a meeting I arranged with officers, the overgrown bushes around the memorial have been removed and the area seeded for grass. the footpaths have been cut back to their original widths and I hope to get the seating repainted.

Finally the area is starting to look as it should. I am working with the Parish council to arrange for the cleaning of the memorial.

The long standing problem of parking in Finchale Road may be alleviated for some residents soon. I am waiting for the drawing up of a scheme for 4-5 parking spaces. Hopefully this can finally be solved.

More info in a few weeks.

The government has approved Durham County’s bid for money to build 28 social homes in the Durham City area. One of the sites being considered is on half of the play area at Findon Avenue, Witton Giblert, for upto 8 houses. this is currently a contentious issue.

I will up date when I have more information.

The resurfacing of all the footpaths on Norburn Park, Witton Gilbert started this week. This also included the redoing of work we arranged for earlier in the year which we felt was not completed to a sufficient standard.

In the coming months I will be doing a full survey of the area (just like last year), drawing up a list of those roads and pavements which I would like to get surveyed to see if they should be prioritised for next years program.

Since being elected to the County Council  last year Rev Crooks and I have worked with officers to ensure one of the biggest resurfacing programs in recent memory across the Framwellgate Moor Division.

Roads resurfaced:

Rowan Drive, Brasside

Lund Avenue, St Aidans Avenue, Gray Avenue, Framwellgate Moor

Part of Abbey Road and part of Front Street, Pity Me (including drainage works)

The main road from Neville’s Cross  to Bearpark

Sacriston Lane and Hillside in Witton Gilbert

Dryburn Hill and Priory Road/Beech Road Framwellgate Moor

Footpaths Resurfaced:

Norburn Park (Including link paths), Brookside, Cragside, Friarside & Glebeside in Witton Gilbert

St Oswalds Square and part of Finchale Road (flag removal)

Part of Findon Avenue, Witton Gilbert

Part of Cook Avenue, Bearpark (Rebuilt)

Overall not bad going for the first year really. Still more to do though!

Pact meetings or Police and communities Together Meetings are an opportunity to come along and meet your local police, parish and county councillors and neighbourhood wardens (who deal with a variety of different issues including litter, dog fouling, environmental awareness campaigns, graffitti etc).

After requests from residents I have been working with the polcie to ensure that these meetings are more regular and better advertsied. We now have dates organised for the next three months:

Meetings take place from 5.30-6.30 in Framwellgate Moor Community Centre on the first Wednesday of Each month prior to the parish council meeting.

The next three meetings are:

7th October

4th November

2nd December

Alternatively please feel free to get in touch if you have anissue but can’t make the meetings.

There is also the opportunity to talk one to one with me, the neighbourhood wardens or the police if you have specific private issues.

After 18 months Gordon Brown could be about to do something good – no don’t mock – he may actually be proposing to change the voting system. The cynical amongst us would say that this is because he knows Labour are heading for defeat – etheir way, a more democratic system has to be welcomed.

EUROPEAN ELECTION AND BARNARD CASTLE EAST BY-ELECTION

After several weeks of electioneering it is good to be back to normal – for now at least. The Lib Dems scored their highest percent of the vote anywhere in the UK right here in the North East coming second only to Labour in County Durham. The high BNP vote shows just how disillusioned and frustrated the people of the North East are with government failures and politics in general. Whilst much of this blame must rest with the Labour Party, it is clear that a lot of hard work is required by all mainstream parties – actually on the ground getting the work done to improve the economy, housing etc, but also in re-building trust.

The first by-election of the new authority after the sad death of Cllr Jo Fergus, took place last Thursday, where we stood a local candidate Mike Newlands – the first time ever in that area, and picked up a very respectable 18% of the vote with just a few weeks work.

PARKING ISSUES

The parking issues in Brasside remain, but there has been movement towards improvements with extended white lines due to go down any time now in the road to Finchale Abbey,the yellow lines will take a little longer to process. The police have issued warning notices to those parking  causing obstructions and this is starting to reduce the problem.

MEMBERS INITIATIVE FUND

Cllr Crooks and I have made grants to the Aldin Grange Fishing Club for young people, the summer fair in Witton Gilbert, and the Deric Bus in Framwellgate Moor, which will help to provide outreach to all the villages and has already allowed the extension of the service in Bearpark following on from last years’ extended work in Witton Gilbert – we are working to make sure we have much better youth facilities.

IF you are interested in a small grant £25-£200 for a local event/organisation etc please get in touch asap.

FLOWER TUBS BLOOMING MARVELLOUS

The twenty new tubs I arranged with last years’ City Council money have all been placed now around the old City Council ward, in Fram, Pity Me and Brasside – one got vandalised on Fram Front St so has been relocated. Residents are helping to water them, as well as watering a few myself and the parish council and community centre are assisting with a couple. The County Council has helped with insurance, so all round after a fair amount of work things are looking brighter. Didn’t realise how heavy water was!

DROPPED KERBS AND RESURFACING ON NEWTON DRIVE

The dropped kerbs and resurfacing near the doctors and primary school on Newton Drive has been completed (finally) – thanks to the officers for putting up with my persistence. This was paid for out of part of the members highways budget.

BEARPARK TRAFFIC CALMING SCHEME

The traffic calming scheme for Kingston Av  is going to highways committee on 12th June and is recommended for approval. If approved this well make a huge difference on this stretch of road reducing speeds and improving safety. this is being paid for out of the Councillors Highways budget and the county councils general highways budget.

PITY ME FRONT STREET ROAD MARKING SCHEME

The re-lining scheme for Front St, designed to help reduce speeds and allow easier exit from junctions has been completed.  Whilst I am sure that this is going to have some positive effects, I am meeting with highways officers as I feel the scheme may be sufficient to bring down speeds to the acceptable level of 30mph, and may not have provided sufficient improved visibility  or moved traffic far enough away from the Terrace side of the road. I will now be requesting a speed survey to determine the effect of the changes.

The new sign for the entrance to Pity Me has arrived – not sure if it’s too close to the roundabout though for placing the new flower tub in front of it – investigating.

ST OSWALDS SQUARE AND DRYBURN HILL, SACRISTON LANE AND C17 BEARPARK

Most of the resurfacing work across the area for this year has been completed. After much of a todo, I can confirm that the remaining part of Dryburn Hill which was apparently “missed” was always due to be done, just using a different technique – no set date yet for this to be carried out.

Work on St Oswald’s Square footpath is booked in to be done in the next few months.

Sacriston Lane and the main road into Bearpark along Auton Stile have been pathced and are now awaiting a new surface dressing.

ALLOTMENTS IN BEARPARK

Now that the new authority is fully up and running, and after delays, we are working on getting an area in Bearpark for additional allotments. I have had a meeting with the Finance Portfolio holder at County Hall who is to discuss a location we have asked to be considered, however we expect it to take a considerable period of time before we move closer. The parish continues in its negotiations for the existing allotments.

FOLLY TERRACE  and WOODBINE ROAD POTHOLES REPORTED

The potholes on Folly Terrace  and the entrance to Woodbine Road have been reported – the previous work has unfortunately broken up – refilled potholes will always break up again. It’s high time the Utilities companies were made to pay a proper share of the bil for repairs as most of the damage is caused by their channels – like on Front St where it is starting to break up along some stretches. I hope all these areas will be repaired with full patching when resources are available but think it is about time the government changed the rules so Councils can claim more money from these companies

ENTRANCE TO HILLSIDE – WITTON GILBERT

I am hoping that after discussions with officers, new road markings at the entrance to Hillside will soon be in place to reduce dangerous and obstructive parking and to reduce the number of cars using the entrance as an exit.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS

After the council found that the planning committees did not have enough people from outside the areas they covered on them, they have had to move things round. This means that I am now on the South and West Committee which covers the former Sedgefield, Teesdale and Wear Valley districts, whilst my colleague Sam Zair (Bishop Auckland councillor) is now on the central committee for the whole county – the whole think is bonkers, we voted against this makeup, but now we just have to get on with it – until we have another opportunity to challege the Labour party on this issue.

KING GEORGE’S FIELD

Work continues to raise the additional funding for the King George’s Field upgrade, with over half of the money needed already confirmed. The parish had hoped to complete this by the end of the year, but this may be delayed a little.

BRASSIDE and FRAMWELLGATE MOOR/PITY ME PLAY AREA AND FOOTPATH UPGRADE

I held a meeting with groundworks, a company which works on community projects and helps with funding, a few weeks agoto ask them to look into possible funding to upgrade Brasside play area and the old wagon way from Front St (Back of Hudspeth Crescent) round to join the already surfaced path to New College and hope to get an idea of what can be done in a few months.