County Councillor Liz Maddison has updated on activities.
Thank you to the Remembrance Day organisers, Parade Marshall, the armed forces, clergy, Town Band and young people from our schools and organisations, civic dignitaries, businesses, community associations, and members of public who participated at the moving service at Spennymoor Cenotaph and at other services at Tudhoe, Byers Green and Kirk Merrington.
Following my last update and recent Council press release after the Chancellor’s budget, we have been advised that the Long-term Plan for Towns Fund will continue as part of a new regeneration plan.
Revised guidance confirming timelines and a new set of strategic objectives for the programme, aligned to the Government’s priorities, will be published shortly. The press release advised that “further community engagement will take place over the coming months, with the delivery of projects within the programme expected to begin in 2026.”
Independent County Councillors have been actively involved in background discussions on the previous plan and have worked with officers to support projects identified by local residents, businesses, partner organisations and ourselves covering three themes: Safety and Security; High Street, Heritage and Regeneration and Transport and Connectivity.
This has also covered projects involving young people. We look forward to receiving more details on the Government’s requirements as part of any new plan and hope these new requirements will allow projects already identified to be built upon. We will assist with any public consultation requirements to ensure that the town and its facilities will be the best they can be.
We are disappointed there will now be a considerable delay before already identified and costed projects can come to fruition but pleased that Spennymoor has been recognised as a town in need, and worthy of, a re-defined Government investment. Where we can, we will try to find early resolution to some priority issues.
For some months Cllr McAloon and I have been working with council officers and partner organisations to look at and address neighbourhood issues raised to us and covering both areas of our respective Divisions. We have attended more walkabouts in the last two weeks that have again identified issues of fly-tipping, graffiti, anti-social behaviour (ASB) and damage to property. Some scrap cars have also been removed. All identified issues have been reported to respective departments for follow up and to coordinate actions. Last week we covered the central area of Spennymoor and Mount Pleasant. More partnership walkabouts are already planned.
There has been a recent escalation of ASB in the market area and we are working with the Police on this. We hope to meet with our Police Commissioner to again highlight the issues and look at possible solutions.
I have this week met with a Livin representative on Burton Woods, Spennymoor Division, to identify and agree with them areas that needed weed, flytip and litter clearance; some issues I will refer back to the developer. I have also walked a number of bridleways with countryside officers to view areas for possible path improvement and clearance of undergrowth, flytip and discarded dog bags.
The paths along Whitworth Road were reported as needing undergrowth removed in September. Some path, tree and bush clearance work started late October as part of the planned path widening works linked with adoption of phases 1-4. Lighting, and roadworks, will follow when legal agreements are concluded. I understand that Barratts contractor will undertake the work on the road itself in accordance with agreed specifications and finalisation of legal agreements.
New footpath works have started from Auckland Walk up to Church Street, Byers Green, paid for with Member Neighbourhood funding provided by myself and Cllr Molloy. This work is looking good. We are now awaiting the new signage for the Auckland Walk also supported with our Member funding.
I have reported the potholes on the back road towards Old Park Terrace (Slowly) and on the road side near to the stream as well as on Institute Street and Bonnie Grove, Byers Green. More in other parts of Spennymoor and Tudhoe Divisions have been spotted and reported. Roads have been marked up where repairs have been confirmed.
One BT telephone kiosk on Cheapside has been removed by BT due to lack of use. They have advised that another outside Citizens Advice is currently in the process of being decommissioned and removed. BT have also advised they plan to leave the kiosk on the market area and agreed to repair damaged panels and clean off glue residue caused by unauthorised posters.
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