COUNCIL ELECTIONS – BEARPARK AND WITTON GILBERT

With elections just two weeks ago, anyone living in Bearpark and Witton Gilbert will definitely have new councillors in two weeks time.

Witton Gilbert is now in a Division with Langley Park and the rural villages out towards Tow Law. Arnie Simpson and Paul Guy, both ex-district councillors with a lot of experience are standing for the Lib Dems and are the only candidates who live in Witton Gilbert standing. The conservative candidates live in Coxhoe and Durham City, the Labour candidates live together in Cornsay Colliery. For Witton Gilbert residents there is finally the chance to elect County councillors who live in the village. Please support Arnie and Paul in Witton Gilbert. Arnie can be contacted on 01913712161, and Paul on 01913710455

Bearpark is now with other villages in the Deerness Valley for the elections and three councillors will be elected. Present County Councillor for Esh Winning and Ushaw Moor, John Wilkinson is standing for the Lib Dems with well known local business woman Andrea Watts and parish Councillor John Kelly. The three of them will make an excellent team and will continue to improve the area and push to make sure that the areas get the best possible deal from the Council. John Wilkinson can be contacted on 01913733173 and will discuss any issues with Andrea and John K.

 

HGV COUNTERS INSTALLED

Seven HGV counters have been installed around the area following my requests after complaints about HGVs using roads around Framwellgate Moor and Pity Me. These have been installed on Front Street, High Carr Road, Dryburn Road, Finchale Road and Abbey Road to determine the number of HGVs and where they are coming from, which will hopefully help in determining what can be done to reduce the problems caused by these large vehicles, which include noise, vibrations and road damage.

I have been in discussions with highways officers about amendments to signage around the area as well, to ensure that HGVs visiting  Abbey Industrial Estate and the Arnison Centre are properly directed to Rotary Way and Pity Me Bypass.

LITTER NOTICES ISSUED ON FRAMWELLGATE MOOR FRONT STREET

Your local Lib Dem’s continuing campaign to rid the Front Street of litter got a boost this week. I have been asking the council for more warden presence and fines on the front street for littering. Yesterday SEVEN fixed penalty notices were issued.

Over the last few years I have spent a great deal of time working to get additional litter bins, more frequent litter picking, more frequent bin emptying, educational classes at the college and schools and more fines. The carrot and stick approach continues to see benefits with littering down around 90%. The last 10% is the hardest to stop and the issue will never be completely dealt with but yesterday’s action shows  that with a lot of pressure from your Lib Dem councillors we continue to make a difference working with council officers, the police and other bodies to keep the area clean.

Tidying up around Pity Me and Arnison Centre

Landscape and litter clearance work around Pity Me and the Arnison Centre is continuing although the windy weather isn’t making it easy for staff. The first round of work and subsequent cutting back of overgown bushes has revealed more litter which will soon be cleared out near the underpass. I have also asked for the steps and grass cutting to be improved near the underpass, as well as some of the fencing to be repaired.

Safer Parking at Leisure Centre

Months after first complaining about the dangerous parking leasing into Abbey Leisure Centre, I am very pleased that a few days back a white line was placed along the road into the site. The number of near misses for people going to the indoor bowling green, community centre and leisure centre were becoming a serious matter. This should have been dealt with sooner, but it is great that it has now been done.

LABOUR CONTINUES TO DEFEND AND COVER UP CLOTHING ALLOWANCE

From Northern Echo:

Council refuses Echo request for more information following “clothes-gate” row

DURHAM County Council has again refused to disclose details of spending by its chairwoman and her vice-chair following the “clothing-gate” spending row.

The Northern Echo wrote to the authority to request a breakdown of items bought by Linda Marshall and Pauline Charlton over the past financial year using an additional allowance which entitles them to claim for clothing and other items associated with their ceremonial posts.

The request, using the Freedom of Information Act, was eventually refused by the council which was unable to respond within the 20 day working deadline, as set out by the Act.

The council, which apologised for the delay, said: “There is no requirement for the chairman or vice-chairman to provide a detailed breakdown of expenditure incurred.

“Therefore the council does not hold these records and cannot provide the detail requested.”

Coun Marshall and Coun Charlton can claim an additional annual allowance of £8,580 and £4,280 respectively on top of a basic allowance paid to all councillors and a “special responsibility” allowance.

The council has responded to criticism of the payments by announcing a review of all civic expenses.

Coun Charlton was recently quoted as saying she could not turn up to civic events “in tatty clothes”.

The councillor, who said she had not spent all of her allowance and tried to shop in sales, added: “We’re the front face of the county council so we’ve got to be at least clean and tidy and well-presented.

“We work weekends and we don’t always have the time to turn around and wash clothes.”

Staggering Labour incompetence leaves roadworks £5m over budget

For a number of months I have been challenging the Council because internal figures have shown that they were £5m over budget on the flagship Durhamgate Scheme in Spennymoor. The redvelopment of the Thinford Roundabout and neighbouring roads off the A167 was already set to cost an eye watering £9m,  but this year, with £500,000 left to finish off the project, the entire reserve of the Regeneration budget has been soaked up by overspends leaving the project 932% over budget this year alone.

It really is time that the Labour Party were removed from power at County Hall before they waste any more of residents hard earned taxes.

Here is the article in today’s Northern Echo:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/10349985.Roadworks_for_flagship_Durham_Gate_scheme___5m_over_budget/

The council is paying out over £200k a year for the Chief Exec and £168,000 for directors. Why? And why yet again do we have millions wasted? They say if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. What happens if you pay someone 15 times the average wage?  If we keep electing Labour in this county, pretty soon we won’t even be able to afford a packet of nuts.

 

 

BLACK TROD / WAGONWAY LITTER

The paths running from Front St to New college and Alexandra Close are to be cleared of litter in the coming days. In the space of five minutes I filled a full bag of litter from the first 30m stretch and reported the area gain to the council. I have been told that a major tidy up will start tomorrow and will be checking the route afterwards. Hopefully the council will then be able to keep on top of it. If there are any badly littered areas please let me know.

I have also pointed out the litter at the other end of the Wagonway near the new housing development on Finchale road which is also in a dreadful state.

New Shop for Arnison Centre

A planning application has just come in for new signs on the front of the old JJB store at the Arnison Centre. The application is by Arcadia Group which has brands including Dorothy Perkins, BHS, Evans, Topman and Wallis. The store is expected to be an “Outfit” unit which includes elements of all Arcadia’s brands. Some management jobs can be found on their website at:

http://www.arcadiagroup.co.uk/careers/current-vacancies

It is good to see a new shop opening at the centre and hopefully a number of new jobs being created.

 

“I can’t do job in tatty clothes” says Labour Councillor who “Doesn’t have time to wash clothes”

I was astonished to read the following quote from the Labour councillor for Evenwood who is currently Vice Chair of the council, seeking to defend the clothing allowance she receives:

“It covers a multitude of things, not just clothes. Every chair and vice-chair in Durham County Council gets these allowances. We’re the front face of the county council so we’ve got to be at least clean and tidy and well-presented. We work weekends and we don’t always have the time to turn around and wash clothes.”

Yes Councillor Charlton – and a hell of a lot of Durham residents work weekends, and work damn hard, but they don’t get £12860 over two years for clothes at the taxpayers expense. And they have to find time to wash their own clothes! What planet are these Labour councillors living on?

See more at: http://www.teesdalemercury.co.uk/Articles/2013/i-can%E2%80%99t-do-job-in-tatty-clothes-%E2%80%93-councillor#sthash.GfRVOjms.dpuf

As one of the residents who has signed our petition said:

Continue reading →