The Area Action Partnership provided some funding for a local charity DASH to apply to the empty Homes community Grant Programme and the application has now been submitted. I have been assisting the organiser of this in respect of properties in the Framwellgate Moor area, and wish the group well in their application.

With up to 10,000 empty properties in the county depending on which definition you use, this is another project which could help reduce this number. I have evidence from residents contacting me that the changes stopping owners of empty properties from getting half price council tax if they leave a property empty, are having some effect with some owners spurred on to bring properties back into use. I look forward to seeing if this is born out by the councils figures, which unfortunately have not been very good lately. Some of this may be down to the fact that the council hasn’t put any of the money from the government New Homes /Empty Homes bonus into investing in bringing properties back into use and is instead using it to top up its continencies  (money it hasn’t allocated to anything).

Lib Dem Councillors have been calling for investment into this area.

For a third year Witton Gilbert isn’t getting the grass cutting it should. Other areas have now had two cuts, whilst once again the village is ignored by the Labour run council. Their excuse is that the agency staff were not in place on time. Three years on a row this has happened despite all the pressure last year. It is unacceptable and an indication that the new huge council is still not running as one. Over in Derwentside and Chester-le-Street the grass cutting is clearly better. Parts of Durham City resemble a ploughed field at the moment (Pity Me for one), so how Witton will look when they finally get round to it is anyone’s guess.

I have been given a promise by the service director that the grass will be cut on Monday and by staff that where necessary the cuttings removed – will see on Tuesday if this has happened. Oh for the old days when the City Council did the job. It might not have been perfect, but it was a damn site better than this.

The survey we carried out of residents across Newton Hall, Pity Me, Witton Gilbert, Framwelglate Moor and Brasside returned an overwhelming response in relation to building on the greenbelt and a feeling of failure by the Council to consult with residents.

Over 80% of those who responded believe the council hasn’t consulted properly with them. Over 80% are also against the current plans to build 5000 new houses on the greenbelt.

In response, as can be seen on the Northern Echo Website today, Labour Regeneration Cabinet member Neil Foster has tossed aside residents views, saying that this is a “silly season scare story”.

Clearly Labour couldn’t give a damn about residents views around Durham City.  I do not think that responses of over 300 residents should be  disregarded in this flippant manner.

Cllr Foster (who lives in Tudhoe) talks about only 4% of greenbelt being built on. What he fails to recognise is that here in the West of Durham City the Council is earmarking a massively larger percentage of the greenbelt for building on.

72% of residents said they didn’t feel we needed any new housing to the west of the City.

Even if we accept that some new housing should be built in the county –  which I do accept, a strategy of saturation in one part of County Durham, to this extent will overwhelm this side of the City and destroy the quality of life for existing residents. Upto 10,000 additional cars on our roads doesn’t bear thinking about.

I will shortly publish the responses both in favour and against the proposals for housing, Aykley Heads and the relief roads here on this site for everyone to read.

In the meantime, if you feel as strongly as I do that the Labour administration has no intention of listening to Durham residents, please let your concerns be known in the local press by contacting the Durham Times, Northern Echo and other local papers to voice your concerns. This is one way that we can start a meaningful debate on the whole issue.

I have finally managed to get the Council to agree to a consultation event in Bearpark on the County Plan and specifically the Western Bypass.

Council are delivering a leaflet to residents in Bearpark this week:

“You are invited to attend a drop in session to engage in the development of the County Durham Plan. We want your views on how Bearpark will be developed into the future, how many houses you are happy with, your environment, and what you think about the Western Relief Road. ”

DATE OF SESSION: 3PM TO 8PM AT BEARPARK COMMUNITY CENTRE  – RESIDENTS FROM OTHER AREAS WELCOME

Work on Pity Me Front St will start next week. After talking with local residents and following discussions with officers, we have managed to find space to provide an access ramp onto the pavement at the top end of the terraces where at the moment there are two high steps and no access for wheelchairs or prams.   At the same time there will still be space for parking, so a win win situation. This will be incorporated into the proposals next week providing there are no objections or concerns raised about this.

ramp-frontst

The original post on the regeneration works can be seen here: http://markwilkes.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/03/08/regeneration-of-300m-of-pity-me-front-street/

Residents in the Framwellgate Moor Parish Council area are currently receving a consultation letter on whether or not three small areas currently not in the parish should be added to the area.

I can see no reason not to do this. The original boundaries going back many years were based on ancient boundaries including those of a stream and land ownership boundaries. By bringing these three areas into the Parish Council it will also make the Parish more sustainable and would be preferable to these areas forming part of any new Town Council.  One street is currently split across the middle with some houses in the parish and some not.

This proposal would not increase the cost of the Parish Council. It is supported by Lib Dem and independent parish councillors and by both your County Councillors.

Please vote to incorporate new areas into Framwellgate Moor Parish Council.

Miller Homes is due to start piling works at the Meadows development on Finchale Road week commencing ?16th April – 3 to 4 weeks. They have agreed to put out letters to residents in the nearby area in case of any problems, following concerns in previous years. If anyone needs to contact me about this please feel free to do so.

Work is due to run from 8am to 5pm and if there are complaints I will discuss with Miller about these times.  Its good to see that the housing market is picking up a bit but we need to keep an eye on the vibrations and noise.

Next phase of consultation on setting up of a town council for Durham and possibly a parish council for Newton Hall starts today. Below is council press release.

This will affect several hundred households in Framwellgate Moor on Westcott Drive area, Around Brackenfield Road and also some houses near Aykley Heads. For these houses it probably makes more sense for them to be part of Framwellgate Moor Parish Council rather than a new Durham town council.

Council press release:

The next stage of a consultation on the creation of new parish councils in Durham City and Crook will begins today (Mon, 2 April).

Durham County Council is looking at options for the future governance of the two areas following requests from residents.

An initial consultation on outline proposals took place at the end of last year and the feedback received has now been used to prepare more detailed proposals.

The second phase of the consultation, which runs from today until Thursday, 31 May, will give residents the chance to comment on these options.

Cllr Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “We are grateful to everyone who responded to the initial consultation. This is an extremely important review of the way in which a range of services in Durham City and Crook will be managed in the future.

“The next stage of consultation provides a number of options which are being put forward in direct response to the feedback we received during the first stage.

“Once again, I would strongly urge residents and all other interested parties to take part and put forward their views.”

Householders should receive their new consultation documents in early April. Further information on the consultation, including the full draft recommendations for each area, is available at www.durham.gov.uk/communitygovernance

Some of the litter bins have been missed in the last week or so on the emptying rounds. I have passed the complaints of residents to the streetscene teams as the bins are supposed to be emptied daily during term time. Term restarts 16th April, so if anyone notices the bins are not being emptied after the 16th please let me know. I have asked for all the bins to be emptied today as soon as possible to avoid any more litter blowing into the streets.

If anyone is wondering why their recycling was missed or only part collected today it is because one of the refuse vehicles broke down.

Staff are working hard to catch up today and tomorrow.