Home News Parish Council Allotments Policies Community

ANNUAL REPORT 2007/2008

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

It was an honour for me to be elected to the role of Chairman for 2007/2008. I have enjoyed the challenge and hope I have been successful in raising the profile of the Parish Council.

The May 2007 elections brought 12 new Members to the Council, all of whom have settled well into their role and have been active in their local communities.

The following report is an indication that the Parish Council has been proactive throughout the year and has been responsive to its residents.

The Council is now in a position to apply for quality status, which will be vital in the coming months and years, as we are moving into a new phase in local government with the creation of a unitary authority within County Durham. We must rise to the challenges that this creates and work with the new authority for the benefit of the people of Brandon and Byshottles.

Finally I would like to thank all the Members and staff for their support and hard work throughout the year.

LIST OF MEMBERS

Council Offices situated at 6 Goatbeck Terrace, Langley Moor, Durham DH7 8JJ
Office Hours Monday - Friday 9.30 am to 11.30 am

Tel/ Fax 0191 3789947        Email: info@brandonandbyshottles.co.uk

STAFF

• Mrs Susan Carmedy  -  Clerk to the Council
• Mrs Susan Howe        -  Administrative Assistant
• Mrs Pauline Bartle      -  Cleaner

The following Annual Report sets out the work and achievements of the Parish Council over the past year.

Brandon and Byshottles Parish Council serves a population of approximately 18,500 and has an electorate of 13,571. The Council encompasses the following 6 villages:

All 21 Council seats are elected.

The Parish Council meetings are held 3rd Friday of the month (excluding August) in the Council offices, commencing at 6.30 pm.

Agendas are posted on the Parish Council notice-boards outside the Council Offices and at Esh Winning and Meadowfield, and also in Brandon and Esh Winning Libraries. Minutes of the meetings are available at Brandon and Esh Winning Libraries, Brandon Community Hall and on the Parish Council website.

The Parish Council is responsible for 16 allotment/grazing sites and 3 garage sites at the following locations.

Garage Sites

Commercial Street, Langley Grove and Brandon Road, Esh Winning. The Council leases land at Waterhouses Play Area, the former play area at Cherry Park, Brandon from Durham County Council and land to the rear of Coronation Homes, Esh Winning from Durham Aged Miners Homes Association.

The Parish Council has responsibility for the village greens at Brandon, Browney and Ushaw Moor, provides public seats, maintains 3 War Memorials at Brandon Village, New Brancepeth and Ushaw Moor and provides floral containers throughout the Parish. We organise an annual Painting Competition for primary schools within the parish and support local community groups and organisations.

The Council works in partnership with Durham County Council and Durham City Council to provide services such as Community Highways Worker, traffic calming, street lighting and bus shelters.

REVIEW OF 2007/08

1.  ALLOTMENTS

Over £8,300 has been spent on the maintenance of the Parish Council's 16 allotment/ grazing sites, including fencing, clearance, water consumption and repairs.

2.  GRASSCUTTING

The Parish Council has spent almost £3,700 on its grasscutting programme on the following sites:

• Village Greens
  
• Brandon Carrside Youth Club
• Brandon Community Hall
• St Andrew's Church, Brandon
• Waterhouses Play Area
• Land at Cherry Park, Brandon
• New Brancepeth Village Hall
• Rear Aged Miners Homes, Esh Winning
• Vacant Plots at Alder Park allotments
• Path at Durham Road allotments, Esh Winning

3.  FLORAL CONTAINERS

The Council has provided 97 floral containers throughout the Parish with both winter and summer bedding including watering. Flower beds beneath the village name-plate signs in Broompark, Ushaw Moor, Esh Winning and Meadowfield have also been maintained.

4.  COMMUNITY HIGHWAYS WORKER

The Community Highways Worker initiative with Durham County Council continues to be a great success with the Parish Council contributing £11,444 towards this. Paul continues his excellent work in making a real difference to environmental standards on adopted highways throughout the parish.

5.  PLANNING APPLICATIONS

As a statutory consultee, the Parish Council has been consulted on numerous planning applications during the past year and conveyed comments of support or opposition to Durham City Council.
Responses can be viewed on the City of Durham website.

6.  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEMES

A further £2,000 has been pledged by the Parish Council towards the continuing regeneration of Ushaw Moor.

7.  SCHOOL'S PAINTING COMPETITION

The School's Painting Competition was once again a popular event for all Primary Schools within the Parish. Twelve Primary Schools including nursery and pre-school groups entered the Competition. The entries were judged in the Schools by local Ward Members and the overall winners from each age group were judged by the Mayor of Durham in the Council Offices. The standard of entries was once again outstanding and the Mayor selected the following children as overall winners:

The Council provided book tokens to the value of £1,110 for prizes. In addition the overall winners were presented with a trophy by the Chairman of the Council.

8.  PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME

The Parish Council successfully applied to Durham County Council for a grant to maintain many of the Public Rights of Way throughout the Parish. The Council received a grant of £1,727 through the Parish Paths Partnership scheme.

9.  CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

The Council once again provided funding of £1,800 to the CAB to enable the continuation of the Outreach Service in the villages throughout the Parish. The following locations have benefited from the service:

10.  NEWSLETTERS

The Council continues to produce quarterly newsletters for distribution throughout the Parish.

11.  CHAIRMAN'S CHARITY

The Chairman's Charity evening which was held on 14th March 2008 in The British Legion Club, Meadowfield was a great success and raised £1260 for Brandon Carrside and St. Andrew's Youth Clubs.

12.  TRAFFIC ISSUES

The Council has continued to liaise with the Police and Durham County Council on traffic issues affecting the Parish, particularly speeding traffic. As a result several speed surveys have been instigated in many of the villages.

13.  BUS SHELTERS

In partnership with Durham City Council, bus shelters have been erected at Deerness Sports Centre and Whitehouse Lane.

14.  PARISH SEATS

Station Road, Ushaw Moor

The Council has installed a seat at Station Road, Ushaw Moor through the Pride of Durham Scheme.

Sycamore Park, Brandon - East View, Meadowfield - Browney Lane, Meadowfield

The Council, together with Brandon & Meadowfield Residents Group and Carrside Youth Club, has installed 2 seats at Sycamore Park, 1 at East View, Meadowfield and 1 at Browney Lane, Meadowfield.

15.  NOTICE BOARD

The Parish Council contributed £500 towards the installation of a notice board for Brandon Community partnership. The remaining funding was raised by the partnership.

16.  CHRISTMAS LIGHTS - USHAW MOOR

The Council contributed £300 to Ushaw Moor Together towards Christmas lights for the centre of the village.

17.  SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTS

Income

19.   SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Parish Council has continued to support numerous local community groups and organisations with projects or special events including the following:

• Brandon United F.C.
• St. Andrew's Methodist Church Play Scheme
• Meadowfield and Langley Moor Over 60's
• Brandon & Meadowfield Residents Group
• Blair Court, Langley Moor
• New Brancepeth Residents Association
• New Brancepeth F.C.
• Ushaw Moor Cricket Club F.C.
• Ushaw Moor Together-Christmas Lights
• Esh Winning Library Easter Egg Competition
• Esh Winning Cricket Cub
• Deerness Valley F.C.
• Silver Trees Primary School

© 2008 All Rights Reserved | Disclaimer | Designed by Clive Crumpton