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Parish Newsletter June 2009

Your Ward Councillors

Brandon

Esh Winning & Waterhouses

Langley Moor

Meadowfield & Browney

New Brancepeth

Ushaw Moor & Broompark

Local Government Review

The inaugural meeting of the Mid Durham Rural West Area Action Partnership was held on 13th May 2009 in the Sir Bobby Robson Centre, Ushaw Moor. The Meeting was attended by 99 people and the purpose of the meeting was to explain the functions of the AAP, select a name for the AAP, encourage people to apply for Board membership and establish ten priorities affecting the areas making up the AAP. The priorities will be presented to the Area Board which will make the final decision on the priorities for the AAP and develop an action plan to achieve these.

These will have to go through a selection process agreed by Durham County Council. Board Members will hopefully be selected in early June and the Co-ordinators appointed with a view to holding the first Board Meeting at the end of June or beginning of July.

The AAP will have four different types of funding to assist in carrying out it role: an Area Budget, a Neighbourhood Budget, a Member Initiative Fund and a Highways Budget. The Area Budget of £150,000 will be used locally to support community led Initiatives that align with AAP priorities. The Neighbourhood Budget of £25,000 per Unitary Councillor, the Member Initiative Fund of £2,00 per member and the Highways Budget of £6,000 will assist in supporting community based initiatives which meet local needs.
The next Forum meeting should be held in September to review the Action Plan.
Approximately 14 suggestions were made for the name of the AAP, with the final vote confirming that the name would remain as Mid Durham Rural West AAP.

The second meeting of the Mid Durham Rural West AAP Committee was held on 16th May 2009. The Committee is made up of Parish Councillors and Clerks from each of the ten Parish Councils within the partnership. Councillor Colin Waters from Lanchester Parish Council was nominated as the AAP’s Board member with Councillor David Bell from Brandon & Byshottles nominated as deputy.

New Chairman for Brandon & Byshottles

At the Parish Council’s Annual General Meeting held on 15th May 2009 Councillor David Bell was elected to serve as Chairman for the ensuing year. Councillor Bell was elected to the Council in the 2007 elections and also served as a Durham City Councillor for 22 years before its dissolution in March this year. Councillor Bell represents the New Brancepeth Ward and plays an active part in the local community and its local organisations. Cllr Bell’s wife, Anne, will act as his consort throughout the year Councillor Thomas Akins, representing Meadowfield and Browney Ward, was elected as Vice Chairman.

Synopsis of Annual Report

The Council’s Annual Report for 2008/09 has recently been published. Copies of the report are available at the Council Offices and various locations throughout the Parish including Brandon and Esh Winning Libraries, Brandon Community Centre, Annand House, Meadowfield, Langley Moor Post Office, New Brancepeth Post Office and Village Hall, Deerness Leisure Centre and Ushaw Moor Post Office. The report can also be accessed on the Council’s website. A brief summary of the report is set out below:

• Allotments-maintenance of 16 allotment sites throughout the Parish area Organisation of schools’ painting competition
• Environmental services including grasscutting, floral containers, community highways worker, public rights of way
• Consulted on planning applications for developments throughout the parish area
• Provision of Citizens Advice Outreach Service
• Traffic issues
• Provision of seats and bus shelter
• Financial assistance to community groups

Summary of Accounts

Around the Wards

Brandon

The Orchards

Brandon Ward has agreed to supply 6 floral containers and tulip and daffodil bulbs to The Orchards Extra Care home in Brandon. The residents of the home love to sit in the garden and we hope the new flowers will add some colour to the garden during the summer and spring.

Great North Air Ambulance

The Great North Air Ambulance Service offers a vital service to the community. The service is the only effective way to transport seriously ill or injured patients in rural and urban areas to a place of care. The service costs £3.6 million to keep three aircraft operational. Brandon Ward, together with other the parish wards, was pleased to assist by making a donation to the service recently.

Esh Winning & Waterhouses

Waterhouses Community Association held its annual Easter Day Duck race and Easter Bonnet parade in brilliant sunshine. The race began at the bottom of Buttons Bank with 300 ducks of the plastic variety wending their way to the finish line. Some sailed down with the current whilst others had to be freed from the eddies near the river banks or rescued by helpers in wellies after colliding with stones and rocks in the water. The winner finished before some of the flock had even reached half-way. It was either a real duck or used a hidden outboard motor! The Easter bonnets were so colourful and imaginative the poor judge was terrified she had chosen the wrong one.
Duck Race winner -Anna Alderson
Easter Bonnet winner—Bethany Young

New Brancepeth

I am sure youngsters and teenagers are delighted to see the play equipment and MUGA pitch installed at the football field. The scheme was funded by Durham Villages Regeneration and is a welcome asset to the village. The Residents Association wishes to encourage people to come to their meetings which are held on the 2nd Monday of the month.

Ushaw Moor & Broompark

Floral Containers

Ushaw Moor Ward has agreed to supply 6 floral containers to Hunters Gate Residents’ Association and 2 hanging baskets at Tilly’s Café in addition to the many other containers throughout the village. Let’s hope the sun will shine this summer.

St. Joseph’s Church

Volunteers from St.Joseph’s Parish have been tidying up the graveyard after large amounts of litter have been deposited over the fence at the top of the graveyard. Members of the Church are trying to raise money to erect a new fence inside the boundary fence to try and deter intruders gaining access to the graveyard. Ushaw Moor Ward has willingly contributed £500 towards the cost of the fence and wishes the church every success with its project.

Meadowfield and Langley Moor

The Samaritans

I am sure you will agree the Samaritans do a marvellous job in helping people with their problems and at this articularly difficult time their work is even more appreciated. The Charity receives no funding from the Government and relies on their volunteers and other organisations to help with fund raising. Meadowfield and Langley Moor, together with the four other Wards were delighted to assist the Charity with a donation of £800.

Citizens Advice Bureau Outreach Sessions Brandon Community Hall

11 am-12noon- second Thursday of month

Brandon House

11 am-12noon- fourth Thursday

Esh Winning Community Centre

2-3pm-first & third Tuesdays

New Brancepeth Village Hall

10-11am-first Wednesday

Sure Start, Ushaw Moor

10-11am-second Wednesday

Credit Union

Every Tuesday 2p.m.-3p.m. in Esh Winning Community Centre

Vacant Allotments

The Parish Council currently has vacant allotments for rent at Alder Park, Brandon. Anyone interested contact Mrs. Howe.

Clerk to the Council: Mrs Susan Carmedy
Administrative Assistant: Mrs Susan Howe
6 Goatbeck Terrace
Langley Moor
Co Durham, DH7 8JJ
Office Hours Monday-Friday 9.30am to 11.30am
Tel/Fax:   0191 3789947
Email:      info@brandonandbyshottlesparishcouncil.gov.uk
or at:        www.brandonandbyshottlesparishcouncil.gov.uk
Chairman: Councillor David Bell

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