There will be a special meeting of the Highways Committee to discuss a “Stopping-Up Order” on any public rights of way on parts of Belle Vue.

It’s a pretty straight forward argument. I believe that no Stopping-Up Order should be made until the Judicial Review is complete of the Highways Committee decision not to grant Town or Village Green status to Belle Vue. I am concerned that making a decision on the land may be dangerous for the county council if it is perceived as pre-judging the outcome of the court case.

The council argues that a decision by the Committee to make a Stopping-Up Order is only the trigger for a statutory process. This process can be abandoned at any stage prior to the confirmation of the Order, so a decision to make an Order does not prejudice any aspect of the ongoing Village Green case.

I know that a number of local people have made objections, but it appears that they are only taken into account once the decision has been made in favour of a Stopping Up Order.

In such a case there will be a statutory period of notice during which anyone is entitled to make comment on the Order. Any objections to the Order which are made within the statutory period and are not withdrawn will be forwarded to the Secretary of State, who will determine the Order having considered all representations, probably by means of a Public Inquiry.

The order of events on Wednesday is:

10.15 a.m. Committee arrives on site

10.50 a.m. Leave site

11.00 a.m. Arrive at St Patrick’s Hall, for formal Committee meeting

Shotley Bridge Hospital is great!

No one looks forward to a hospital appointment, but one which takes place close to home and where you’re seen quickly by very friendly staff who treat you as an individual is nearly good enough to make you want to come back for more.

I talk to lots of people about their hospital experiences. Not all are good, but they nearly all are at Shotley Bridge. Which makes it essential that we all spread the word. If you need an outpatient hospital appointment, check and then double check whether you can be seen at Shotley. If you can’t – ask why not. Even friends from further afield might value the style, the lack of hassle and the free parking at ShotleyBridge.

We still have a facility with a tradition and reputation second to none. We all need to work together to make sure we keep it.

An application has been made to extend the timescale of the Raven’s planning permission.

Three and a half years ago Derwentside District Council gave permission for 17 houses to be built on this site, with a standard condition that work must commence within three years.

Full details of the application of for an extension of the time limit can be found here.

Now Pat Glass MP stands full square behind councillors Young and Robson.

Apparently she thinks we should all get behind using the Belle Vue site, and blames those who oppose the site for delays and cost.

She claims the steelworks site has “drawbacks”. Would she care to spell them out?

She claims to have been told that Derwentside District Council had earmarked part of the site for housing. Would she care to produce any evidence of this, or are we to base our decisions on rumour and innuendo?

I’m certainly not aware that Derwentside planned to demolish its own Civic Centre!

Starting from facts – a judge has said that this case  is one of profound importance to the people of Consett and that it “needs to be ventilated before a Judge that has Chancery expertise”. Is she saying that the judge is wrong?

I’ll go with the law.

And whatever the outcome of the legal process I will be backing the Academy. It’s success, or otherwise, is fundamental to the future of our children, wherever it is built. Because of that I fully understand the concerns of children, parents and grandparents. Their futures should never have been put in jeopardy as they have been by the council’s obsessive drive to build on Belle Vue regardless of local opinion.

There’s something fundamentally wrong, however, when people who have been ignored by the county council, and then pushed around and bullied by it, are asked to get behind it “for the sake of the children”. Some would call that blackmail.

Two wind turbines are proposed for the edge of Consett. Check it out on Friday.

The sponsors are proposing to put two wind turbines on land at Berry Edge Farm, Medomsley Road, Consett. The turbines would be the same model as the ones at Greencroft Industrial Park, Annfield Plain.

The overall height of the turbines from the base to the tip of the uppermost blade would be 55m.

The proposal is currently at the pre application stage and that offers the local community a chance for input before the planning application is submitted. The open day allows the public the chance to see information about the proposal, to discuss  issues with members of the development team and to provide feedback.

Anyone who wants to know more about the proposal is welcome to attend on the 27th January 2012 between 11am – 7pm at the club house of Consett & District Golf Club.

That’s the offer at Glenroyd House tomorrow (Wednesday January 25th).

Members of the public are invited to drop in to Glenroyd House on Medomsley Road at any time between 10am and 4pm.

Drop-in sessions are available for confidential advice on subjects including:

• Benefits
• Welfare rights
• Avoiding illegal money lenders
• Derwentside Homes’ services
• Housing Solutions
• Stonham
• Services provided by the Citizens Advice Bureau
• Services of the Prince Bishops Community Bank
• Job Centre Plus services

Representatives from all the agencies involved will be available to offer advice and support.

A film project to celebrate 100 yrs of Cinema at Consett’s Empire Theatre has been turned down for funding by CreativeEngland.

That’s a disappointment to the people from Jack Drum Arts, Leisureworks and myself who have been working on the “Digital Dust” bid, but not the end of the story.

Attempts will now be made to gain funding from other sources. It’s a fantastic story which returns to the very roots of our town, and in the Empire we have a cinema which takes you right back to the days before the multi-plex when a whole community could settle down in front of the latest from Hollywood.

This is a project which deserves to do more than gather dust. I’m hopeful that with the support of both Jack Drum Arts and Leisureworks it will find its way into the light of day.

Most local families have some experience of dementia, and all will welcome Consett’s New Memory Café.

The Vice Chair of the council, herself a former Derwentside councillor, opened the café and as a Rotarian was also able to celebrate the role of the Rotary Club of Derwentside which has partnered with Derwentside Carers Centre in setting up the café. The Derwent Clinic at Shotley Bridge Hospital will also provide a quailfied Community Psychiatric Nurse at each opening of the café.

The project received financial support from the AAP, receiving the greatest number of votes at the recent “It’s up 2 U” event at Blackfyne.

The café will be held on the 3rd Friday of each month at Glenroyd House, Medomsley Road, Consett, DH8 5HL, from 2pm to 4pm.

Northumbria Water are installing some new sewers in the Consett area. The £296,000 scheme will increase the capacity of the sewerage network and begins on Monday 30 January 2012. The work will take up to two months to complete and will involve installing 50 metres of new sewer pipe in public land north of Hallgarth and renewing 40 metres of sewer pipe on private land in Howden Wood.

During this time there will be an increase in traffic along Pemberton Road, Consett Lane and Hall Road as construction traffic will need access to the site compound. However Northumbria Water will make every effort to keep disruption to a minimum.

Unglamorous, but very welcome.

The Links Estate Neighbourhood Watch meeting tonight was an interesting meeting.

Fortunately there were no crime issues to report n the estate itself but there was a comprehensive Police Report for the area, which included a warning about bogus callers. Apparently some have been going around the Blackhill and Shotley Bridge areas claiming to be released prisoners and asking for money. Another, posing as a charity worker, has been seeking people’s bank details. As usual the word is, take extreme care of uninvited strangers knocking your door – unless of course its your local Lib Dems canvassing!

Another warning was issued about metal thefts; if you see anything suspicious please report it as soon as possible, with a description of the vehicle and the registration number if at all possible.

A range of local issues were also raised with me and I’ll be dealing with them and liaising with the organiser.

A couple of topical notices were given out.

Tomorrow, Thursday 19th, is the last day for objections to be raised in connection with Red Velvet’s application for a licence as a sex entertainment venue. If you want to object, or support, the application either email in or telephone the county council and ask to speak to Karen Monaghan in the Licensing Team.

There is currently a consultation on the closure of the tip and Stony Heaps and a petition is being collected at the site with over 4,000 signatures. If you want to sign it, bear in mind that if there are more than 5,000 signatures it will trigger a debate at the next council meeting.

And finally, the date of the next meeting was set for Wednesday May 23rd at 8.00 p.m. in the Golf Club.