Cllr Liz Maddison has provided an update of activities on behalf of Spennymoor’s independent county councillors.
The photo above is an aerial view of Festival Walk by kind permission of cdsphotography, showing current work in progress on the pathway in front of the shopping area that will soon complete up to the junction with High Street.
The lighting projection in the market area is currently displaying poppies and will change to flames for bonfire night and then revert back to poppies for Remembrance Day services. The year will finish off with icicle projections; hopefully not the real ones!
A few months ago we funded the Walk and Talk Trust to put in two circular walks; one for Spennymoor and one taking in part of Tudhoe and Croxdale that will have marker posts along the way and an app that provides information on landmarks and some personal stories.
These are two of 100 walks that have been identified across County Durham and approval has been given to put posts up, as example, along the route.
We are hoping that the Town Council will allow a start and end of the Spennymoor walk at Jubilee Park and have put a request forward for their permission.
I have been out with officers to discuss ways of improving bridleways close to Burton Woods and Greenways Estate.
I have also arranged for two lots of flytip on bridleway in this location to be removed.
There has been further investigation of the fly tip on the back road past Old Park Terrace (slowly) to Byers Green and on the bridleway off the C152 road.
The Director of Public Health annual report (an excellent report) was discussed at the County Council’s Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and gives an insight into the health of residents in County Durham and encourages walking and exercise to improve health and wellbeing.
This month’s Cabinet meeting is available to view on YouTube.
Barratts have provided an update on outstanding works on the Burton Woods Estate following on from questions raised by myself and residents from the estate.
The damaged fencing at entrance Gibside Way from Carr Lane will be repaired as will the ASB damage to birds mouth fencing and damage caused to trees.
If I may ask again for all residents to report ASB to the police on their 101 number and obtain an incident number on every occasion; that way all incidents are registered and actions can be followed up.
The long outstanding manhole repair at Lotherton Drive is to be finally addressed in the next month and potholes will be patched on the Burton Woods entrance off Whitworth Road.
Footpath remedials are underway and advised will be completed in 2-3 weeks with road remedials then following on in readiness for final surfacing. Dalemain Close has been advised as “fully complete”.
The damaged and missing signs will also be replaced. A follow up review will take place next month.
We submitted requests for extra EV charging points: one at Byers Green and one at Middlestone Moor from funding allocated to the council to install at 250 locations across the county in the next two years. (Charging points are also available in the new DCC Car Park and Aldi.)
Unfortunately only the one location we suggested at Middlestone Moor is currently feasible but we will continue to look for other potential sites to tap into this EV funding opportunity for our area.
Following on from requests for road surfacing at Holborn Street (near Spennymoor Post Office and Morrisons) and filling in of potholes at multiple locations across Spennymoor and Tudhoe identified by myself and Cllr McAloon. We can advise that Holborn Street was addressed quickly but we requested a revisit to this area to raise the manholes to the same level as the road surface.
We were given a quick response and promise to resolve this. Some potholes have already been filled and we will be monitoring the remainder for a quick resolution.
White lining and bus stop markings across both areas has been requested as have repairs to road signs.
Clean and Green have acknowledged requests to have bushes cut back in identified areas in both Divisions. They expect to start this work by the end October or early November after grass cutting has concluded.
We continue to do other casework and visits to residents. Please get in touch or catch us on our walkabouts if we can help.
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