Dryburn Road will be closed next week whilst work is carried out on drainage for the new development on the old Dryburn park House site.

Full details below:

B6352 Dryburn Road, Durham City

To enable new storm sewer connection works to be undertaken, it will be necessary to close to vehicular traffic B6532 Dryburn Road, between Blackie Boy Roundabout and Aykley Heads Roundabout, Durham City.

The closure will be effective from 6.00 am on Monday 6 April 2009 for approximately 2 to 5 days.  Residents will be exempt from the closure notice and will be permitted access to and egress from their properties during the works.  A letter drop will be carried out to residents.

An alternative route will be available to vehicular traffic from the south eastern side of the closure

a)     at Aykley Heads Roundabout northerly via C12 High Carr Road and westerly via C12 Finchale Road onto C100 to Blackie Boy Roundabout

b)     via north westerly via A691 Southfield Way to A167 Sniperley Roundabout then 4th exit along C100 Dryburn Park to Blackie Boy Roundabout to the western side of the closure and vice versa.

The mycouncillor website has been given a make over which is why I haven’t been in touch for a while.

NEW COUNCIL START

Wednesday saw the start of the New Unitary Council which passed off smoothly. I was somewhat dismayed however at the String Quartet at the post-council buffet. Whilst the buffet did not seem over the top and was probably good value, having a string quartet (they were good) did not seem appropriate in the current economic climate and I have asked how much this cost. If everyone at home is having to tighten their belts (apart from Gordon Brown), the Council must do the same.

What planet are they on at County Hall. To approve a contract to a company for the park and ride which is £24,000 more than the bid by the existing company is bizarre. Especially when you see that the current company Scarlet Band was given a 98% satisfaction rating.

The continued waste of taxpayers money at County Hall must come to an end immediately. We have already seen a whopping great increase in council tax despite promises to cut it through savings, every other week we find another area where money is going out the window.

Only yesterday, despite the heating being on councillors opened up windows in an LGR update meeting to cool down the room. Perhaps it’s time for pensioners in Durham to send their energy bills to County Hall in protest.

With a new county council due to start on 1 April, the Boundary Commission started a process of reviewing both the number of councillors the authority should have together with the wards.

We heard a couple of weeks ago that the Boundary Commission is ‘minded’ to agree to the number of councillors remaining at 126 and that is has started on the process of looking at ward boundaries.

This is a public process, and anyone can put in views to the Commission. More information can be found at their web site: www.boundarycommittee.org.uk The deadline for doing so is 8 June 2009.

Readers should be aware that a law is going through parliament that would result in any changes being implemented at the next ‘normal’ local election date for the council, which in our case is May 2013.

The County Council today notified councillors that planning meetings for the new council will take place at 2pm. At present in Durham District they commence at 5.30pm which allows residents time to get to the meetings after work.

Now, almost every person who works in County Durham will have to take time off work to attend planning meetings. Additionally, many residents will be picking up children from school when the meeting is on. Overall, only those who are retired or people who can afford to take the time off work will be able to attend.

This is not what the “New Era” council was supposed to be about. Quite frankly its undemocratic. If you can’t take time off work and there is a planning development opposite your house going to committee, you won’t be able to attend the meetings.

It was bad enough when Labour decided that half the councillors on the committees would have to be from outside the area. By the time they’ve finished it will not be worth bothering attending. The cynical amongst us would say that’s what Labour wants.

Our 0191 numbers are working again, please call me on 0191 372 5866 or 07500125325

The company servicing recycling in Co Durham has ceased trading. I have been given reassurances that collections will continue, although there may be some disruption over the next week or so. Please bear with this, however if you do have concerns please feel free to get in touch – 07500125325 – the 0191 number is still not working – lets see if it will be a full week or will be fixed today.

Our local Labour MP failed to turn up for the Fuel Poverty bill last week. So residents in Durham have to struggle on with their fuel bills .

The Bill, which was proposed by Liberal Democrat MP David Heath, would deliver a massive home insulation programme which would halve the energy needed to heat the average home. And it would end the scandal of those who use pre-pay meters – generally the least well-off – paying higher rates for their gas and electricity.

Campaign groups such as Consumer Focus and Age Concern have condemned the Government for blocking the Bill’s progress. Help the Aged have said that, “Millions of older people… will be devastated and dismayed by this result.

For our MP to not turn up for this debate is simply not on. More than 70% of Lib Dem MPs were there but only 7% of Labour MPs bothered to show up.

Update 24/03: The 0191 council numbers are still not working for any councillor – hopefully they will be for 1st April. in the meantime call me on 07500125325

22/03 Do not call me on the council number 0191 372 5866 this is not working – most are not working. Call 01913864238 or 07500125325

After residents had reported seeing under 16’s drinking in the area some weeks ago, I asked for more action to clamp down on sales to youngsters from off-licences. I contacted the relevant aurthorities and it is good to see that a number of outlets have been checked out and where necessary fines issued.