Home News Parish Council Allotments Policies Community

Parish Newsletter March 2008

Your Ward Councillors

Brandon

Esh Winning & Waterhouses

Langley Moor

Meadowfield & Browney

New Brancepeth

Ushaw Moor & Broompark

Seating Project

Brandon & Meadowfield wards together with Brandon & Meadowfield Residents Group and Carrside Youth Club have recently funded a project for the installation of four seats through 'The Pride of Durham' Scheme. Two seats have been installed at Sycamore Park, Brandon, one at East View, Meadowfield and one at Browney Lane. The seat at East View has been installed following a request from an elderly resident and the seat at Browney Lane has been erected in memory of Bon Richardson. The Chairman of the Council, Cllr. Brian Nelson, conducted the opening ceremony at Sycamore Park which was also attended by Brandon & Meadowfield ward members, representatives of the Youth Club and the Residents Group and the Community Development Officers.

Parish Council Chairman's Charity

The Chairman of the Council, Cllr.Brian Nelson, will be holding his charity evening in the British Legion Club, Meadowfield, on Friday 14th March 2008 from 7-11pm. The proceeds from the evening will be distributed between Carrside and St Andrew's Youth Clubs to benefit young people of the area. Any donations for raffle prizes or tombola stall will be gratefully accepted. Tickets for the event cost £3.50 each, include a buffet and entertainment and can be obtained from the British Legion and the Council Offices.

Parish Paths Partnership

The Parish Council has recently applied for the Parish Paths grant from Durham County Council. In order to expand the type of work carried out on the paths in 2009, the Parish Council is hoping to hold a public meeting in the summer to get residents involved in surveying the paths. Look out for more details in the June issue of the newsletter.

Around the Wards

Esh Winning

The Parish Council has once again sponsored the annual Easter Egg Competition run by Esh Winning Library. The competition is very popular with the local children and Cllrs. John and Cynthia Wilkinson will be judging the competition on Thursday 20th March at 9.30a.m. and presenting prizes at 3.30p.m on the same day.

Residents Association

Esh Winning Residents Association now has a new Chairman and Secretary. The Chairman, Andrew Rice lives in Dene Park and the Secretary Katie Tucker lives in Edward Street. The Residents Association is very active in the village and recently requests have been made on more than one occasion for bollards to be installed around the Chemists’s corner to prevent cars parking. The County Council has now confirmed that bollards will be erected as part of the village regeneration scheme.

College View Cemetery

The minor remedial work on the cemetery due to commence 21st January 2008 was unfortunately delayed due to bad weather conditions. Fortunately the work has now begun and should be completed very soon. The works will involve moving broken and displaced kerb sets to the centre of the graves, the back filling of graves, the burial of broken masonry elements, removal of dead wood and litter and minor vegetation clearance.

Ushaw Moor

Following a request from St.Joseph’s Church the Parish Council was again delighted to contribute to the funding of the Lourdes Pilgrimage. This is a tremendous opportunity for the young people of the parish to give their time to helping the sick and disabled embark on this annual pilgrimage which gives such comfort to those attending.

New Brancepeth

Meadowfield & Langley Moor

Following recent requests for financial assistance from Butterwick House Children’s Hospice and Victim Support, Meadowfield and Langley Moor wards were able to make a contribution to these establishments, both of which provide much needed support to all sectors of the local community.

Local Government Re-organisation

A county council election with a difference is due to take place on May 1st 2008 as part of the move to create one unitary council for County Durham.

The Government has confirmed that from 1st April 2009, there will be unitary local government in County Durham, which involves bringing the county and district councils together so that all of the main council services people receive are provided by one unitary authority. The existing district councils and the county council will be transformed into a unitary council, providing both district and county functions.

As part of the move, a county council election will take place this May when the existing 63 county councillors will stand down so that people can have a fresh vote for the councillors they want to set up and then run the new unitary council. 126 councillors will be elected, two for each of the existing county electoral divisions. In their first year, the councillors will develop the new unitary and run the county council until the unitary handover in April 2009. From then on, they will become the county’s first fully-fledged unitary councillors. Existing district councillors remain in post until then.

The election is a key step towards a new era for local government in the County so it’s important people take part in the election and vote. To vote, you need to be on the electoral register. To check that you are registered, contact the electoral registration officer for your area. If you need to register or re-register if your circumstances have changed, your application must be received by 5p.m. on Wednesday 16th April 2008.

Electoral Registration Officers

The introduction of a single unitary council in County Durham is likely to lead to an enhanced role for Parish & Town Councils. The exact extent of this role is still rather vague but it could mean services such as maintenance of open spaces, recreation areas and some highway functions may be devolved to the Parish councils. The Parish Council will be keeping in contact with the county council throughout the transitional pocess and will be kept informed of development through the County Durham Association of Local Councils. As a result of the reorganisation the next Parish Council elections will not be held until May 2013.

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