I was delighted to be at a recent Bridgehill Residents Association and hear the most upbeat report I have recently heard in many a year about possible developments at Shotley Bridge Community Hospital.

There wasn’t much specific to report yet, but I sensed something of a change of mood which chimed in with some of the conversations I have had with medical professionals and administrators.

Being realistic we are not going to get back the General Hospital we had, but there seems to be an increasing recognition that there is a valuable resource in Shotley Bridge, capable of delivering more services that it curently does.

It’s to the credit to our district council that it has put money up to support the day surgery unit when it was most threatened, and has provided some budget to support ongoing promotion of the hospital and exploration of new opportunities. It has also set up the “Supporting Shotley Bridge Hospital” group to feed into the “STAKEHOLDER STEERING GROUP”.

This is a really important group which meets with senior executives from the NHS Trusts, representatives from both district and county councils, and hospital staff at all levels as well as local GPs. The more strength the group has, the greater its voice, so I urge anyone interested to join. The easiest way for internet savvy readers of this website to do it is by emailing k.earley@derwentside.gov.uk

You can also just turn up to the next meeting which is ay 6.00 p.m. on September 10th in the restauraunt of Shotley Bridge Hospital restaurant. It will be addressed br Dr John Levick, a local GP who is also chair of the Derwentside Primary Care Group. It should be well worth going to.

Sadly for me, councillors are excluded for the moment.

Yesterday’s piece about the proposed swimming pool has produced a response from Justin from Aquatic Design Group, a firm in America as follows:

“Mr. Temple,

Our firm specializes in the design of aquatic facilities around the world and have designed many similar pools to the one (or two depending on the chosen option) you are considering. The general rule of thumb is the bigger the better…as long as you can support the increased costs that come from the increased water space such as chemical costs, electricity, and other utilities- not to mention the initial capital costs that it takes to build the pool. If I can be of any additional assistance please let me know. Best of luck with your project!”

I’ve responded and will be really interested to find out if Justin can help me track down some sound information on and workable examples of similar projects.

It’s good to know this website reaches parts that others cannot reach. We seem to be generating more enthusiasm from across the pond than from County Hall.

Mind you, great though it looks, I don’t think the design of of some of their local projects will quite suit the Consett climate!

For a bigger picture, click the picture or visit http://www.aquaticdesigngroup.com/portfolio.html 

Just when I’d got the old “Non Urgent” police number stored in my head it’s been changed by one digit.

The 60(seconds)60(minutes)365(days per year) bit has stayed the same. It’s the 0345 bit that’s new. It remains a lo-cost local call rate.

I hope you don’t need the number, but if you do it helps to get it right first time.

I never used to miss “Have I Got News for you?” - until I became a councillor and stopped having time for TV.

There was always a “Guest Publication” from which they had selected an unlikely headline. My chosen publication this week is Pharmaceuticals Online.

And the headline?

UK Biotech Company Launches New High-Efficiency Disposable Chromatography Column Technology

If you’re wondering about the point of this, it turns out that the headline concerns a local Consett firm which is trialling new high tech products which it has developed here in the town. In my book that’s fantastic. I don’t pretend to understand the precise nature of what they’re doing but I’m delighted to celebrate local success. If you want to know more just log on to http://www.pharmaceuticalonline.com/article.mvc/Disposable-Chromatography-Column-Technology-0001?atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a

My recent stories about the danger to trees in Consett have aroused considerable interest, and at least four letters to the council. 

One Focus reader has provided me with some interesting historical information which I reproduce here with acknowledgements to the late lamented Consett Guardian (we didn’t realise how good it was till we lost it!).

The story starts in March 1980 with Primrose Patrol of the 1st Consett Guides who won two silver birches and planted them - you’ve guessed it - opposite Consett Parish Church:

The Consett Guardian takes up the story:

Unfortunately, the best efforts of the girl guides were to be thwarted by Derwentside District Council. Only months later, in August 1980, the guides were rocked by the Guardian’s “Tree chop shock” headline and the following story:

Eagle-eyed readers can supply confirmation of exactly where that site was from ”All’s well that ends well” story when Derwentside made good its gaffe.

Let’s hope that this time there is no chance of a repeat performance by the council. The responses to date should mean that there is no risk of the council again failing to consult people with an interest in the land.

Being Chief Executive of a county council, even one of the biggest new authorities in the UK, may not be a very glamorous job - but it is a very important one. That’s why yesterday’s appointment was crucial in the progress from the old Durham county and district councils to the new unitary council.

The shape of the new council should be set by its political masters. It’s effectiveness may be down to the way in which the Chief Executive manages the staff into an effective team to carry out the council’s policies.

Of all the processes since my election two and a half months ago, this has been the most transparent and apolitical. Two Liberal Democrats were included in the selection panel, and the words of Lib Dem leader Nigel Martin tell their own story:

” This morning (yesterday) there was a meeting of the full County Council to appoint a new Chief Executive. He is George Garlick, currently Chief Executive of Stockton Borough Council.

The reason I am writing about this is reassure those who worry about these things that the appointment process was very rigorous and robust. A large number of very good candidates applied for what will be one of the top jobs in local government.

The final short list was top class and was put through a tough two and a half day selection process involving the leading members of all the political groups at all stages.

I am confident that we now have a top notch Chief Executive who can lead the Council through what will undoubtedly be a tough period while the new unitary gets going.”

I’m sure all readers of this website wish George Garlick every success in delivering a first class service to the people of the county.

Lib Dem Euro MEP for the North East, Fiona Hall is calling for the introduction of a European - wide child alert system for missing children.

The Liberal Democrat MEP has signed a European Parliament Written Declaration which calls on Member States to establish a missing child alert system that would be similar to the ‘Amber Alert’ program in place in America.

Fiona said: “The success rate of ‘Amber Alert’ in proves that an alert system works. That is why it is so important to support this declaration.

“The challenge for Europe is to make sure Member States work together, particularly to prevent children from being transported across country borders before disappearing entirely. The speed of response is therefore critical, as the likelihood that a child will be returned safely lessens as time goes on. A well co-ordinated approach is needed so that positive results like those in America can be repeated throughout Europe when needed.”

Details are now out for the “Information Event” to let people know about the refurbishment of Middle Street, Nelson Street and the  junction outside the Parish Church.

You may see these posters about the town (click the image to get an enlarged version on your screen) but in any case, as a reader of this website you will be amongst the first to know that the event will be held in St. Patrick’s Church Hall” on Fiday July 4th from 3.00 - 6.00 p.m.

Get yorselves along to see what is planned. Plans are so far on that it would not be appropriate to describe this as a “consultation”, but it is important that you take a look and feedback any issues that you can see.

I’m sure that, like me, you’ll be glad to see the county council putting some money into Consett.

I’m sure you are familiar with the mushroom principle. “Keep them in the dark and feed them manure”. Well, that’s not quite the phrase, but this is a respectable website.

Unfortunately the mushroom principle has been applied to Consett’s proposed new sports facilities  for far too long. And it’s about to be applied again.

The next full council meeting of Derwentside District Council is due to discuss, and decide on, what goes into the new sports centre. There are some very hard decisions to be made. With a limited budget it simply will not be possible to provide everything that people want and some people are going to be angry and disappointed.

That makes it all the more important that people are able to watch the process and read the papers. They need to know what the choices are, why the decisions are made the way they are, and they have the right to know who argued for what.

Last time misrepresentation was rife. It’s easy to blame the other guy when there are no witnesses. I fear that may be the motive again.

I shall be seeking to persuade the people who hold power in Derwentside to ditch this secrecy before the meeting. Please join me by emailing your own councillor, the leader of the council and the chief executive urging them to open this meeting to press and public.

All councillor’s email addresses are on the Derwentside website at http://www.derwentside.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=379 . For your convenience you may wish to know that the council leader, Councillor Alex Watson, can be contacted via a.watson@derwentside.gov.uk and the Chief Executive, Mike Clark, via m.clark@derwentside.gov.uk . Let them know that you are no mushrooms.

On Saturday I went to the North East Regional Conference of the Liberal Democrats. Like most people I treasure my Saturdays, so it felt like quite a sacrifice but in the event I was really pleased to have gone.

Everyone was pleased to hear about the progress we’ve made in County Durham, but it was even better to hear from Northumberland where our group has established itself as the biggest group on the county council, and has started to run a minority administration.

Best of all, however, was a truly inspirational address from David Faulkner, Deputy Leader of Newcastle’s Liberal Democrat Council. He talkes such common sense - we need to be a safe pair of hands so people don’t think they’ve made a mistake in putting us in charge, but we need to be much more than that. People need to see the real difference a Lib Dem Council makes. He talked about making Newcastle a greener city (it has achieved fantastic improvements in recycling rates) and making it a leader in Democracy, getting decision making down to as local a basis as possible. I was particularly impressed to hear that one of the first actions the Liberal Democrat administration took when it swept to power was to give the chairmanship of all five scrutiny committees to Labour. Yes, that’s right, to the opposition. David argued that good administration means that you have to separate the executive function - the wielding of power - from the function of checking up that power is being wielded effectively and policy is being delivered. It’s common sense.

It’s also a million miles away from what is happening in County Durham where the Labour Party is so timid that it’s hugging power and the job of scrutiny to itself in the hope that no-one will find out what’s really going on.

I was so impressed by what I heard that I had a look at Newcastle’s website on the dull topic of corporate governance http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/corpgovernance?opendocument . It’s just so refreshing to see the principles of good governance set out - accompanied by an appraisal of what has been achieved and what is still to do. Bring on the day when Liberal Democrats take charge in County Durham and start the revolution here.