Category: In & Around

QE College Hold Rugby Academy Open Evening

By on 15th February 2016in In & Around

Rugby fever has swept through Darlington…

Following the launch of the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Rugby Academy, in association with Darlington Mowden Park RFC, in January 2016, an open evening is taking place for all interested students and parents at the Northern Echo Arena on Tuesday 23rd February at 6pm.

The open evening will provide more information about Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College and the Rugby Academy, along with the opportunity to see the world class facilities at Mowden Park where the Rugby Academy will be located.

Staff involved in the Academy from both QE and Mowden Park will be on hand to answer any questions.

For further information regarding the open evening or the Rugby Academy, call into Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Vane Terrace, Darlington, or ring 01325 461315. You can also email enquiry@qeliz.ac.uk.

Alternatively, email Academy Manager, Michael Garmston at michael.garmston@mowdenpark.com.

Witton Gilbert Flood Defences Completed

By on 14th February 2016in In & Around

Work to protect homes from flooding in a County Durham village has been completed…

 

Durham County Council has developed a new flood defence scheme at Witton Gilbert with funding from the Environment Agency. It will help to protect 50 properties which were affected by flooding during severe weather in 2012.

The scheme was designed following an investigation into the flooding in 2012, and has involved the creation of a series of basins to the rear of Durham Gardens and South Lea.

The five basins can store up to 1,000 cubic meters of rain water, which would otherwise flow through the village, putting properties at risk of flooding.

The council has also worked with local landowners who have allowed existing ditches at the back of Brookside to be extended in order to divert water flows away from houses and towards the basins.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships at Durham County Council, said: “I am delighted that this work has been completed, and very much hope that it will provide peace of mind to local people who have previously suffered the effects of flooding caused by severe weather.

“The scheme is designed to protect streets and properties from any further flood damage by diverting rain and surface water away towards the new basins.”

As well as working with the Environment Agency, which has contributed funding for the scheme, the county council has also worked alongside local contractor Hall Construction, which carried out the work on site.

John Reed, head of technical services at Durham County Council, said: “The flooding of homes and businesses can have a devastating impact on people’s lives.

“We have worked successfully with the Environment Agency and local landowners to construct a flood prevention scheme to protect homes and businesses in Witton Gilbert from flooding in the future.”

Week Long Roadworks Begin On A688 Over Weekend

By on 12th February 2016in In & Around

Drivers will be diverted as a week of resurfacing takes place on the A688 Spennymoor Bypass…

 

Resurfacing of the carriageway will begin on Saturday 13th February 2016, with lanes closed as Rainton Construction carries out work on behalf of Durham County Council.

John Reed, the council’s head of technical services, said: “These vital works are part of our continuing highway capital maintenance programme to maintain the condition of the highway network.”

The resurfacing is expected to be completed by Sunday 21st February.

During the works westbound traffic will still be able to use the A688, however eastbound traffic will be directed to use a signed diversion.

Garden Waste Collection Service Deadline Approaches

By on 9th February 2016in In & Around

Residents in County Durham wishing to receive garden waste collections this year are being reminded to sign up now…

 

Durham County Council offers 17 fortnightly collections between spring and autumn for an annual fee of £20.

Householders can subscribe at any time during the year, but to receive all collections in 2016 they should sign up by 14th February. Collections will start in March for those signing up by this date.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “More than 47,000 residents are already signed up to receive garden waste collections in 2016.

“For those who haven’t yet subscribed, we would like to remind them that they need to do so by February 14th if they want to receive all 17 collections this year.”

Everyone who signs up for the service will receive a pink sticker for their garden waste bin and a calendar giving details of this year’s collection dates.

Those who signed up for three years in 2015 will automatically receive their sticker and calendar.

To find out whether their property is eligible for the collections, and to sign up, people can visit www.durham.gov.uk/gardenwaste or telephone 03000 26 1000.

A series of roadshows are being held around the county to enable people to find out more about the garden waste collections.

Details of the roadshows are:

 

  • Tuesday 9th February – Stanley Asda. 9am – 1pm
  • Thursday 11th February – Chester-le-Street Leisure Centre. 4pm – 6pm
  • Friday 12th February – Seaham Asda. 9am – 1pm
  • Saturday 13th February – Durham Market. 9am – 3pm

Garden waste collections in Teesdale are provided by Rotters, working in partnership with Durham County Council.

Residents in this area should contact Rotters to make arrangements for collections by visiting www.rotters.org or by telephoning 01833 690 022.

Farmer Handed £2,000 Fine For Felling Ancient Trees

By on 9th February 2016in In & Around

A farmer has been ordered to pay out more than £2,000 after he cut down trees in an ancient woodland Conservation Area, blocking a public footpath…

 

Leslie Ford, 71, of Hollinside Farm, Whickham, was fined £2,322.31 by Peterlee magistrates following a prosecution brought by Durham County Council.

The court heard authority officers received several complaints in April 2015 about Ford felling a number of trees in ancient woodland classed as a Conservation Area and owned by the council at Bryan’s Leap in Burnopfield.

The ancient woodland is at least 400 years old. The felled trees, which were mostly Oaks, were around 100 years old.

In cutting down the trees, Ford had blocked a public footpath which runs through the woodland.

The farmer, who owns fields adjoining the woodland, pleaded not guilty to three charges of damaging trees in a Conservation Area, and one of obstructing a public footpath.

Appearing for trial on Friday 5th February, he denied felling the trees, saying vandals or trespassers must have been responsible. Ford also disputed the trees were within the Conservation Area.

However, magistrates found him guilty of all charges and handed him the fine, which will be paid to the council to cover the costs of clearing up the felled trees and bringing the case to court.

Adrian White, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “Ford’s actions in cutting down trees in an ancient woodland and blocking a footpath were reckless and caused lasting harm to a site which is protected by law.

“We welcome the fine handed out by the court, which should act as a warning that we will not tolerate damage like this.”

Clayport Library Brings World Of Harry Potter To Life

By on 8th February 2016in In & Around

Children had a spellbinding time as they visited Durham’s Clayport Library to enjoy the wizarding words of Harry Potter…

 

Youngsters from Nettlesworth Primary School in Chester-le-Street and library staff dressed up as wizards and witches, wrote their own spells, and took part in a colouring competition to mark the second annual Harry Potter Book Night.

Linda Dobson, Durham County Council’s principal library manager, said:  “It was fantastic to have so many young Harry Potter fans come to the library to share their love of the series of books with us. It turned out to be a spellbinding morning of fun.”

There are seven books in the Harry Potter series, and all are available at most County Durham libraries.

But Linda said you don’t have to have a special event if you want to visit your local library and share your love of Harry Potter – or any other books.

She said: “At our libraries, you can just come along and find out more about Dumbledore, Hedwig and all of the other wondrous characters who have encouraged millions of young people worldwide to pick up a book.

“And, of course, children and their families can also discover some of the other 750,000 great titles we lend for free.”

This half term the fun continues at Clayport Library with a free storytelling session from Darlington author and illustrator Liz Million.

The creator of the much loved children’s books Not So Silly Sausage and Elephant Rides Again will be at the library on Tuesday 16th February between 2pm and 3.30pm.

The session is free, but places are on a first come first served basis.

For more information about libraries in County Durham, visit www.durham.gov.uk/libraries.

County Durham Record Office Holds Half Term Family Event

By on 6th February 2016in In & Around

Families are invited to honour fallen First World War soldiers, make medieval-style illuminated letters, create cameras, and discover how Durham County Record Office cares for the region’s history…

 

The archive, which is based at Durham County Council’s Aykley Heads headquarters, is holding its seventh annual Family Fun Day this half term.

Education and outreach archivist Dawn Layland said: “This is a family fun day with a difference. It’s a great chance to find out about local history, and our fun activities are coupled to a rare opportunity to explore the Record Office and our archives as a family.”

On Friday 19th February, from 9.30am to 12.30pm, families will be given the chance to discover what the Record Office offers and find out more about the heritage of County Durham.

There will be lots of activities, including:

  • Making your own pinhole camera
  • Having a go at historic jigsaws
  • Making an illuminated letter like those found in medieval manuscripts
  • Making a remembrance card to commemorate a fallen soldier of the First World War
  • Seeing the strong rooms where the archives are kept
  • Playing with historical toys, and for younger children, dressing up.

Entrance to the fun day is free, and you do not have to book, but children must be accompanied by a parent or carer at all times.

Primary School Pupils Participate In ISS Science Project

By on 4th February 2016in In & Around

Budding scientists from Witton Gilbert Primary School are preparing for a delivery that’s out of this world – 100 seeds from space…

 

The school will be taking part in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Rocket Science Experiment.

The national project, which is run in partnership with the UK Space Agency, aims to encourage pupils to think about how plants might grow in space and to help them understand the difficulties of living, growing and eating in space.

In September, 2kg of rocket seeds were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the Soyuz 44S.

The seeds will be held in microgravity for six months, and British astronaut Tim Peake will be in charge of them during his time on the ISS.

The seeds will come back down to earth in April, and Witton Gilbert Primary School will be one of the lucky recipients.

The school will then grow the space seeds alongside some seeds from here on earth to find out if there have been any differences in growth.

Nobody from the school will know which seeds have been to space and which have stayed here.

Pupils will care for the seedlings, record their growth and observations over seven weeks, and enter the information into a database. Once all the data has been collected, the results will be analysed by professional statisticians.

Leading scientists from the RHS and European Space Agency will interpret the results and draw possible conclusions before publishing the finds on the RHS Campaign for School Gardening website.

Paula Nelson, Witton Gilbert Primary School head teacher, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in Rocket Science. It will be an exciting way for our young scientists to contribute to a national experiment, and share their learning with the whole school community.

“Hopefully their experience with the project will encourage them to get involved in growing plants, and also inspire them to find out more about future careers in STEM subjects including horticulture, plant science and the space industry as a whole.”

For more information about the Rocket Science project, click here.

The ISS can be tracked here, and you can follow the project on Twitter with #RocketScience, and on Facebook.

2016 Big Spring Clean Calls For Volunteers

By on 27th January 2016in In & Around

Litter legends are being called upon once again to help spruce up their communities as part of this year’s Big Spring Clean…

 

LitterFree Durham, Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council are teaming up for the sixth time to stage the annual campaign.

The Big Spring Clean brings communities together to ‘clean up and green up’ their towns and villages.

Over the last six years, thousands of volunteers have rolled up their sleeves and armed themselves with litter picks to rid their streets and open spaces of dumped rubbish.

This year’s campaign will be held from Monday 29th February until Sunday 17th April, and calls are being issued now for people to sign up and get involved.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “We are delighted to support this excellent campaign. It is always fantastic to see residents come together and do something rewarding in their community.

“This is a great opportunity to make a real difference to where you live, and we would urge everyone to give up some of your time, whatever you can spare, and take part.

“Although most people get rid of their rubbish properly, we work hard to educate the minority who leave their litter lying around.

“Campaigns like the Big Spring Clean make a huge difference to the environment, and help us achieve our aim of making County Durham a safer, cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit.”

Gerald Lee, Chair of LitterFree Durham, added: “Every year more and more people in County Durham and Darlington pledge their time to this extremely worthwhile cause.

“We could not achieve the levels of success that we have without the support of groups, schools, partners and local residents, and we thank everyone for their continued support, including bus company Arriva and the Environment Agency.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the campaign will be supplied with equipment and support, and arrangements will be made to collect all bagged rubbish following litter picks.

Last year’s campaign saw 1,490 volunteers turn out in County Durham, with 147 litter picks carried out. Nearly 3,000 hours were dedicated to collecting a total of 1,458 bags of rubbish.

The Environment Agency also used specialist equipment to remove trees and debris from the River Wear in Chester-le-Street.

In Darlington, 489 volunteers gave up 529 hours of their time to carry out 28 litter picks and collect over four tonnes of bulky waste from rivers using specialist equipment provided by the Environment Agency.

It means that across County Durham and Darlington last year, nearly 2,000 volunteers dedicated more than 3,500 hours to collecting 2,013 bags of rubbish in total.

To take part in a litter pick in County Durham, email litterfreedurham@durham.gov.uk or call 03000 261 000 – in Darlington email litterfreedurham@darlington.gov.uk or call 01325 406 648.

Visit www.durham.gov.uk/bigspringclean for more information.

Litter problems can be reported at www.durham.gov.uk/litter or call 03000 261 000.

Works To Improve Durham Station Access Begin February 1st

By on 23rd January 2016in In & Around

Preliminary works which will pave the way for better links to Durham Station for cyclists and pedestrians are due to start on 1st February…

 

The £800,000 project – which includes a £600,000 funding award from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – will see access improved to allow people to reach the station more easily via paths alongside the A691 (Framwellgate Peth). With the station linking Durham City to the North East Main Line, the scheme will increase sustainable transport links as well improving access to key employment sites in Durham City and beyond, providing a boost to the local economy.

The improvements will see a new path constructed for bicycles and pedestrians on the north side, as well as a set of stairs. The existing footpath on the south side will be widened to accommodate cyclists as well.

To allow the main work to go ahead in the summer, preliminary work will take place for around four weeks, starting on Monday 1st February. As well as some ground investigation work, this will involve the removal of trees around the intended sites for the new and expanded paths. Following completion of the project, new trees and wildflowers will be planted around the new layout.

During the work, the path leading to the station from Framwellgate Peth will be closed, with signed diversions directing people to the station via North Road. The path alongside Framwellgate Peth leading down to Durham will also be closed on the north side, however the path on the south side will remain open throughout. Pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to use designated crossing points and to allow extra time for their journeys.

Cllr Neil Foster, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economic regeneration and culture, said: “With Durham City the economic powerhouse for the county and the station being a key gateway to the rest of the country, we hope these improvements will benefit business, tourism and residents.”

“As well as making the station easier to access, we also hope these improvements will encourage more people to reach it by walking or cycling, meaning a double boost for healthier and more environmentally friendly travel. We’d like to thank the public for their patience while this work is carried out and the improvements are put in place.”

The project is funded by the North East LEP as part of the North East Growth Deal from Government. The Local Growth Fund supports major capital investments to promote innovation, economic and skills infrastructure and sustainable transport across the North East LEP area. The works have been planned in conjunction with Virgin East Coast as the station operator.

Paul Woolston, chair of the North East LEP, said: “A key pillar of the economic plan is continued investment in projects to help businesses grow and be accessible. Improved access to key transport links is an essential part of the plan, and this Growth Deal funding for Durham Station is the latest step in achieving this.

“Durham is a popular destination with locals and tourists alike. The development will help improve access to the city for visitors, as well as enhance commuter journeys for those living in and around the area. It’s a hugely positive move that benefits everyone.”

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