One of the big challenges for the new unitary Durham County Council (under whatever name) will be to provide equal services in all districts. In the jargon of the bid, to provide “Consistent service levels across County Durham, driven up through common standards, more effective management and greater local influence over service provision.”

Conversations around Consett suggest that most people doubt that we’ll get any benefit from the change, but a couple of things which passed over my desk recently reminded me of the possibilities as well as the pitfalls.

The pocket guide ”Durham - your guide to Durham City and County” almost had a black hole where Consett is. There was no mention of our place in the Coast to Coast route, or our position at the centre of a web of railway walks. The restaurants didn’t include any in the town despite the growing range and undoubted excellence of some. The Glass Gallery, English Tourist Board approved, was nowhere to be seen.

I was just getting ready to feel annoyed at our exclusion when I read that Derwentside was the only council in the county not included in the tourism partnership - presumably therefore the only council not to have contributed to it. So perhaps the new unitary council will see Consett taking its place in the development of tourism in the county.

The Citizens Advice Bureau also sent me a leaflet seeking recognition of its role in the new county, and outlining its place in the current system. Again, variations across the county suggest that we can be gainers rather than losers when you look at this table:

District                                  No of advice centres                     £££s support

Chester le Street                                     2                                             £38,800

Derwentside                                             2                                             £63,680

Durham City                                           10                                             £79,210

Easington                                                 13                                           £122,500

Sedgefield                                                  9                                           £147,000

Teesdale                                                    4                                             £25,000

Wear Valley                                              7                                              £64,000

Of course there’s no simple connection between these things. Not all advice centres are open for the same length of time or have the same capacity, but clearly there are variances across the county in many different areas of provision, and there’s no reason why the current Derwentside district should not seek to benefit from “Consistent service levels across County Durham, driven up through common standards”.

We’ll need to be on our toes.

If the weather’s good on Sunday you couldn’t do better than Consett & Blackhill Park where the double bill features the town’s own “Consett Brass” as well as Lanchester Brass.

More details about what’s on in the park can be found at http://www.leisureworksonline.co.uk/downloads/E71B8EA9-E147-1DA3-606453F040696AF0.pdf

In case you missed the other publicity for the Mad Alice Theatre Company I thought I’d give it a plug here. There’s something for everyone in performances which will be anything but stuffy, and at a fraction of the price you’d pay in town.

 At 7.oo p.m. on each of June 26, 27 & 28 they’re performing Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (though I’m not sure he’d have expected the Teddy Boys, conga and live music that are included in this production).

On June 28th Saturday afternoon, ideal for the family, they’re performing Aesop’s fables (he wrote the story of the tortoise and the hare, the dog in the manger, the boy who cried wolf and hundreds more). It’s designed for children aged 4-7 and will be followed by a fancy dress competition and a mask-making competition.

Both productions are in the park, but there will be a marquee in case the weather’s bad. At £5 a ticket (£4 for concessions) it’s a bargain so why not ring 01207 218171 for tickets or more information. And I’m not even on commission!

As we all now know, the original Sports Village proposal (of which this is an artist’s impression from “Inside Derwentside, Winter 2006″) has had to be toned down because the money the council had hoped to attract for the project simply was not forthcoming.

Nevertheless, the project remains a key issue in the run up to the new unitary council, and is a priority for Derwentside in its last year as a council. According to the Draft “Transition Plan” to be presented to the council’s Annual Meeting next week, “Options are currently being developed for content of the new facility. Members will be asked to determine this content during early summer.”

That makes it essential that all those with ideas and opinions on this issue voice them NOW. The Deputy Chief Executive, John Pearson, is the lead officer for the project, so let him or your local councillor know your thinking. We’ll only get this one last chance to get this project right.