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Hurworth parish Chronicle Hurworth Parish Council Newsletter Volume 3 Issue 6 March 2018 Chairperson s Comments To all Hurworth Residents This is my first address as Chairman of Hurworth Parish I would firstly like to say how proud I am to have been given the opportunity to take up this position and to be supported by some very proactive talented councillors I would like to thank my predecessor Mr Graham Wylie for all the hard work he carried out as Chairman and I hope he makes a return to the Parish Council soon I would also like to welcome Councillors Mark Middlemiss Nic Prior into the fold Nic is a Cockney and supports West Ham but do not let that put you off his Council duties include the Neighbourhood Plan which still requires an awful lot of work to progress Mark took over from me as Police Liaison and he seems to have got himself involved in everything else too which is great to see Notably helping Margaret with Highways to help resolve the never ending issue of bottle necks at the Spar shop and inconsiderate parking near The Priory on Westfield Drive I feel I need to touch on the most important thing that is going on in the village at the moment and that is the second Banks Group application for another development on Roundhill Road there has been a lot of discussion on this topic on Social Media and at Parish Council meetings The big problem is that the residents of Hurworth are divided on what is the best strategy for the good of the village and unfortunately the Parish Council are in the middle With the first Banks application the Parish Council did everything they could to try and oppose the application but this time the Council voted not to object in the hope that we can get the best financial input for the village especially since most people are of the opinion Darlington BC will pass this without issue On a lighter note since becoming a Councillor and integrating into village life it amazes me how many hours of charitable work some members of the community put in These kind hearted residents do not do it for any recognition but for the love of the village and the people in it I am not going to name anyone in particular but many thanks to the committees at The Village Hall The Scout Groups The Neighbourhood Plan Epich Hurworth Country Fair and the committee for the Music Festival I have to give a special mention to the newly formed Hurworth and Croft Sports Association who are putting in a massive amount of time and effort converting the old Priory Sports field into its former glory On Saturday 24th February they requested residents of the village come to the field and help with weeding digging raking and other manual tasks The turnout was fantastic so a big thank you to all concerned especially Mrs Metcalfe for providing the best sausage rolls anyone has ever had I would like to finish off with how important it is to support our local businesses especially those that are just starting off On behalf of the Parish I would like to welcome Sanjay who has recently taken over Hurworth Fisheries I believe he has made some changes so next time the thought of cooking dinner becomes too much you know where to go Paul Walters

Hurworth Parish Chronicle Highways Report It is pleasing to report that all the monitors show that the number of speeding motorists has fallen over the last few months However the area where there is still the greatest concern is on Hurworth Road outside the Academy and it is hoped that when the new development on Roundhill Road is under construction that the promised traffic calming for this area will be put in place Several Councillors have been working hard to address various highways issues in the village and have had an on site meeting with representatives from DBC The outcomes from this meeting are1 Parking near the Priory School on Westfield Drive DBC drafted two proposals which were considered by the Council at the February meeting The accepted proposal is for double yellow lines on the bend opposite the Priory entrance with zig zag lines on the Priory side with parking restrictions between 8 a m and 4 pm In addition some double yellow lines on part of the turnaround area to the left of the Primary School entrance have been suggested We hope that both these measures this will alleviate some of the problems with parked vehicles in this part of the village 2 Spar shop Roundhill Road junction we are hoping that the double yellow lines on the side of the road opposite the shop will be extended This is to try and avoid the daily bottleneck caused by 2 cars trying to turn left off the main road especially when the Spar shop is accepting deliveries A request has also been put to DBC for a loading restriction between certain hours 8 30 am to 9 30 am on the road at the side of the shop Councillor Middlemiss in particular has worked hard by speaking to the manager of the shop and the company who make the deliveries He is hoping to meet with the delivery company in the next few weeks to look at the problem and arrange a more suitable time for deliveries 3 Burma Road had 31 potholes and there were also some between the Spar junction and The Chase I am pleased to report that these have now been filled 4 The rather unkempt area around the garages on Sanderson Road are maintained by Neighbourhood services and have been reported to the DBC for action 5 The Sanderson Road Emerson Road bus thoroughfare which is at times restricted by parked cars will be discussed further with Arriva and parking restrictions will be implemented in that area should it be deemed necessary Speedwatch volunteers have been active on several occasions in the village and I thank them for their continued efforts in addressing this ongoing problem Councillor Margaret Williams

March 2018 Hurworth Neighbourhood Development Plan The Background A Parish Plan which was completed in 2010 the data captured was vast and very well put together but without ratification from Darlington Borough Council DBC it had no bearing on any planning matters We wanted to update with something which would have a greater influence and research showed that Neighbourhood Development Plans once completed would be of a statutory nature and would have to be considered with any planning applications After further research and discussions a request was put before the Parish Council and approved to proceed The first task was to form a committee This was not something which could just be decided by just the Parish Council the residents needed to be heavily involved as well as local business owners and land owners We tried to capture a cross section of residents in our call for volunteers and from this the Committee was formed The next decision concerned the area we wished to cover with our Neighbourhood Plan which would also have to be approved by DBC We decided it made most sense to cover the whole of Hurworth Parish This was finally approved by DBC after much discussion and delay Public involvement is a large part of the Neighbourhood Plan so we tried to always advertise our progress and let the public know of our intentions One such event was at the Annual Assembly where we delivered a presentation and had a stall set up to answer any questions people may have It appeared to have a positive impact and people seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing Whilst all of this was happening we were able to gain grants for large portions of the plan which were to incur costs We leafleted the whole village early on with our intentions then again for our call to the committee One of the bigger costs incurred was the production and distribution of the questionnaire Again this was covered via grants as was the majority of the analysis of the questionnaire Some parts of the analysis were performed by willing committee members and residents as the Data Analysis Company were unable to do so We are most grateful for all those who assisted and they managed to turn this around very quickly This brings us to roughly where we are currently Now we have the data we are in the evidence gathering stage before we collate our findings in what will become the actual plan We hope to have a housing needs assessment completed shortly and we will also be working alongside professionals to help us collate the data into something meaningful We need to identify areas suitable for development and those that we wish to protect We will have to consult with DBC before it all can be finalised and we will then have to have a referendum to decide if the village wish to adopt the plan We will again be present at the Annual Assembly to talk to people about the plan and hope to see you all there to discuss your hopes for the plan A target date of October 2018 has been set for the completion of the plan and we hope to adhere to this The work that everyone has put into this so far is massive and we hope you will support it going forward 3

Hurworth parish Chronicle Ngs gaRdeNs oN tHe gReeN 2018 satuRday 30tH JuNe Several of the gardens around the village green in Hurworth are opening for charity again this year on Saturday 30th June We are opening under the National Garden Scheme Yellow Book raising money for charity including Marie Curie Nursing and Cancer Research We hope to have at least five very different gardens open and possibly more and there will be a selectionof classic cars to view on The Green There will also be plants for sale The last Open Gardens was in 2015 and 4000 was raised for the charities which was a record for the North East area Come along and have an enjoyable day with your friends and neighbours Walk report for Sunday 25th February Hurworth Circle Paths 1 8 12 13 11 BW10 were walked on a circular root starting and finishing at Hurworth Village Green Attended by 12 people including 3 Parish Councillors and 1 Ward Councillor Janine Forster Mark Middlemiss Paul Walters Lorraine Tostevin The path along Coach Lane through the primary school and along the Glebe to Denshill field is an easy clear walk if quite muddy at this time of year The stile at the foot of the hill slopes slightly and could do with some attention photo 1 4 Path 11 along the railway line is clear and leads well over Rockcliffe The 1st of the 3 stiles leading on to BW10 is in need of repair as part of the rail has come loose picture 2 Map shows route taken Walk Length 3 34 miles Walk Time at easy pace 1 hrs The route was recorded by Hurworth Parish Councillor Janine Forster using her mobile phone

March 2018 OPEN SPACES PROJECT 2018 19 According to a major report more than one in 10 of the UK s wildlife species are threatened with extinction and the numbers of the nation s most endangered creatures have plummeted by two thirds since 1970 The abundance of all wildlife has also fallen with one in six animals birds fish and plants having been lost the State of Nature report found In view of these facts and that apparently we are going to lose something like 30 of living space for wildlife in the next few decades due to rural urban development HPC have decided to embark on a project to nurture our flora and fauna in the whole of the Parish To begin with we would like to carry out a detailed study to identify all the local fauna establish how it is fairing discover what we might need to do to nurture it and then produce a detailed plan for implementation parties who live in our community If you are at all interested in finding out more about this project please contact Cllr Wilma Campbell by post at Hurworth Grange Community Centre 41 Hurworth Road Hurworth Darlington DL2 2BN Through the Parish Clerk Peter Allan Phone 01325 722171 Or by E mail enquiries hurworthparishcouncil org uk We really need to have full community support for this project so please try to get involved in any way you can Cllr Wilma Campbell OPEN SPACES We envisage liaising with local Wildlife Trusts in the NE to discuss how such a project could evolve engaging with local schools and children s groups and enlisting the help of not only wildlife experts but also any interested 5

Hurworth parish Chronicle epiCH Eco People In Croft and Hurworth pronounced EPIC www epich org uk epiCH 2018 project Due to the decline in some animal species EPICH are creating wildlife sanctuaries in various parts of Hurworth starting with the Orchard in Lychgate Snowdrops and bluebell bulbs have been planted and a nesting box for Little Owls has been erected We are hoping to encourage them to nest there as well as reintroducing hedgehogs back to the area Volunteers have been clearing the area of dumped garden waste and creating hedgehog friendly areas According to the Wildlife Trust hedgehogs are in trouble Their numbers have fallen by 30 in just over 10 years and there are now thought to be fewer than 1 million left in the UK They are disappearing from our countryside as fast as tigers worldwide 6 Hedgehogs need to be able to roam far and wide in search of food mates and nesting sites To save the hedgehog we need people to work together with neighbours to make small changes that will make a big difference This is crucial because no garden or green space can help hedgehogs in isolation but when they are linked together hedgehogs can thrive in any location

march 2018 opeN spaCes RepoRt With this in mind it is hoped to create hedgehog highways to connect gardens together Get together with your neighbours to cut a 13cm x 13cm hole 5in hole in your fence or dig a channel beneath garden boundaries to connect your gardens You can then add your hedgehog hole to the national network at Hedgehog Street and also our EPICH Facebook page epiCH grange projects The first phase of the user friendly circular pathway has been completed and Jean s Garden has been given a makeover We have had lots of positive feedback from locals who have enjoyed using both The proposed planting of the step over apple trees at the Heritage Orchard has been hampered by continued bad weather Hopefully this will go ahead in March Sadly the EPICH Perspex notice board positioned on the bird hide has been deliberately vandalised If you can help repair replace or assist in finding the culprit please get in touch 7

Hurworth parish Chronicle epiCH beekeeping All has been quiet at the apiary over the last few months Insulating winter covers have been put on each hive and EPICH beekeepers have been adding sugar fondant to them to ensure the bees have enough food to survive Usually the bees remain inside the hive in a cluster protecting the Queen however on sunny days some will venture out to go to the loo epiCH bulb planting Our Autumn bulb planting projects will soon be adding extra Spring colour to areas around the village epiCH drama at the grange Unfortunately our application for a grant to fund this event was not successful so it has been withdrawn from the Village calendar We are delighted that several members of our community have expressed an interest in helping out in a variety of ways This is greatly appreciated as it not only increases our numbers but also our skill base We look forward to working with them on our projects If you are at all interested in learning more about our work or helping in any way please contact our secretary Judith Redfern on info epich org uk or follow us on Face Book PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK BY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP EPICH would like to thank HPC and HCA for their continued support Wilma Campbell EPICH Chair 8

march 2018 HuRwoRtH village Hall The village hall committee has worked tirelessly over recent months to raise much needed capital to refurbish and renovate the kitchen and toilet facilities and bring them up to modern day standards The work was completed in January on time and on budget by a local builder of this parish As a result of this work being completed 2018 sees Hurworth Village Hall go from strength to strength and continue to increase the classes and activities it hosts The most recent event held at the hall was the Chrissy s Craft Fayre where we saw a wide variety of crafts all hand made by some very talented people Feedback on the event was very positive and because of its success it is planned to hold craft fayres regularly on the last Sunday of every month Another new event is Granny s Kitchen Tea Room This Sunday will see the first tea room at the hall open from 10 30am 3 30pm All produce on sale is hand made locally and I m certain there ll be something to suit everyone s tastes Fingers crossed it ll be a great success and Granny s Kitchen will become a regular feature at the village hall For Hurworth Village Hall to succeed and to continue providing a wide variety of activities for you to enjoy we rely heavily on the classes groups and activities it hosts to bring in much needed revenue This is achieved not only through the rental of the space available but also by people of the village supporting events So if you want the hall to continue providing a wide range of activities to local people please support it and all the activities on offer After all as the old saying goes if you don t use it you ll lose it If you want information about booking the hall for yourself to see the facilities on offer or to learn about any of the classes or events held or planned at the village hall please contact Bill Drumm on 01325 720694 or 07799 467817 or via email at bill drumm talk21 com 9

Hurworth parish Chronicle VILLAGE SPRING CLEAN Come and join us on April 7th For a Spring Clean of the village Please meet on The Green at 11 00am Litter picking equipment will be provided Look forward to seeing you DOG FOULING It is with regret that I have to report some peopleare still not picking up after their dogs In January 160 piles of dog poo were painted I know some people do not like the paint but if everyone picked up there would be no reason for it Nobody likes to walk in it and children being children don t look where they are putting their feet The dog defecated under the poo bin but its owner was too lazy to put it in the bin Cllr Dot Oughton 10

march 2018 HuRwoRtH NeigHbouRHood plaN 2018 2023 A team of volunteers have been working hard on the development of the Hurworth Neighbourhood Plan and we are delighted by the high level of the response to the Resident questionnaire Progress is being made and the following paragraphs describe the process being followed Phase One Preparation of the Questionnaire and delivery of the document to all 1740 residences in the Parish Phase Two 420 questionnaires were completed and returned this is an excellent percentage return and illustrates the level of interest that residents are taking in formulating the future of the parish The tick box analysis has been completed and will provide valuable profile and housing needs information for the Plan Your comments data has been assimilated by a team of nine volunteers and is now being summarised This will be completed by 15th March Phase Three The Housing Needs Assessment will be carried out by an independent Planning Consultant who will work with members of the Team to produce the essential draft report upon which Hurworth s Vision will be determined This must cover roads pavements water sewage and the infrastructure to support future development Another team will prepare the Evidence required to support the Housing Plan This will include schedules of Open Spaces Rights of Way the Conservation Area and Listed Buildings This needs to cover all the areas which the parish which to protect from future housing developments A third team will be addressing the Parish challenges and residents Wish List which has be extrapolated from the questionnaires This will form the basis of the next Parish plan and Council Action Plan Timeframe and Project Milestones 23rd May The Second Public Meeting when the essential conclusions of the Neighbourhood Plan will be shared with the residents 31st July Completion of the rst draft of the Plan 30th September Final preparation to release the Referendum 31st October Publish the result of the Referendum 11

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March 2018 Your chance to Have your Say Hurworth Annual Assembly Wednesday 23rd May 7 00pm at Hurworth Grange Topics and presentations Housing Needs Assessment Hurworth Conservation Area DBC Planning Framework Protecting our Environment Open Spaces and Pathways Protecting the Hurworth Heritage Parish Challenges and Residents Wish List Open Forum All residents welcome Free buffet and refreshments Come and meet your Ward Councillors and DBC Planning representatives Informal discussions please talk about YOUR views The Neighbourhood Plan is YOUR future Vision Thank you everyone that completed the Neighbourhood Plan Questionnaire Rockliffe supplied the prizes below which were allocated at random but only questionnaires with names on were eligible Collette Harrison Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Chris Nobel Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Hunter Eden Close Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Tom Linsons Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Wendy Johnson Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Ann Hui Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Colin Eeles Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Ian Palmer Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough Val Huges Pair of match day tickets for Middlesbrough J Mines 1 x Sunday lunch for 2 in the Clubhouse at Rockliffe Golightly 1 x Afternoon Tea for 2 in the Orangery Nicola Coultas 1 x Afternoon Tea for 2 in the Orangery Caron Haylet 1 x Sunday Brunch for 2 in the Brasserie Hutchinson 1 x 4 ball golf Fisher 1 x Spa Day for 2 Alastair McGregor 25 Jayne Griffiths 25 Mrs S Stanway 25 Jane Fielden 25 To arrange collection of you prize please contact the Parish Clerk see back page Where we do not have the first name we will contact the winners directly 13

Hurworth parish Chronicle MARK MIDDLEMISS New Councillor Mark Middlemiss Better known as Middi has been in the village his whole life born and raised at Strawberry Cottage and then living in Sanderson Rd and Strait lane before moving to and taking over the running the families farm at the Old Kennels Aside from farming he also runs a very successful music business and is constantly touring with his Irish band The Wild Murphys who have been all over the world since he put the show together in 2005 Middi is very passionate about all aspects of village life by his own admission often hot headed and stubborn he takes a no nonsense and business like approach to most situations and is an incredibly proactive Councillor taking on many matters and often coming up with good results I want the Council to act for the whole village I m very proud that so many people voted for me and hope to do my best to get stuck into the role and not let them down Since joining the Council in December Middi has taken on the role of Police liaison and has already submitted letters to the Police Commissioner about the loose horse problem on Neasham road and has requested a sit down meeting about the anti social behaviour blighting the south east end of the village He has worked closely with Cllr Margaret Williams and Cllr Paul Walters on meeting with DBC and coming up with a fixture to the parking issues on Roundhill road and Westfield Drive He has submitted a request that the garages on Sanderson road be renovated was the Councillor that proposed the allotment rent go up so that the income covered the outgoings and anyone who follows his goings on online will have seen that 14 he has recently set his sights firmly on the Spar delivery wagon an issue that has been ongoing for 4 years When it comes to development Middi has said I know that I m a bit like marmite and that not everyone likes me or agrees with me on some of the things I say and do especially as I m one of the few Councillors who is not totally against the expansion and development in the village if it s done right I made that clear in the election and people still voted for me so I know there s many more like me and at least now those people have a voice in the Parish Council Despite Middi s brash nature he is very approachable and has expressed that he likes it when people flag him down in the village or invite him for a chat about things they think the Parish Council can help with I m a busy guy but I can always make time for a cup of coffee and a chat

march 2018 NIC PRIOR Firstly I would like to thank all those who voted not only for me but everyone who came out to register their vote As I recall the weather was not very clement that day though not as bad as recently Unlike many in the village I am not a natural local Despite living in the North East for 24 years many will attest that I still retain my Cockney accent When moving Tup North I originally moved to Yarm where my three children still live I moved to Hurworth seven years ago Initially I rented in properties along Church Row being spoilt with its location affording me beautiful vistas across the river and proximity to a local pub I thought I better explore purchasing a property to make the move permanent I was lucky to find a suitable house in Emerson Road though still with a beautiful view I now have to walk five minutes to the local pub Previously I worked in management positions in care primarily Spinal Injuries and Learning Difficulties Though I enjoyed these roles I became reluctant to continue to travel around the country I am now employed as a Support Worker at Newbus Grange Hospital When standing for election I was asked What was in it for me I could only reply honestly nothing other that speaking up for parishioners of Hurworth Though I would not presume to this correctly for everyone all the time I do so with no agenda I look forward to the challenges ahead and giving something back to the local community 15

Hurworth Parish Council Hurworth Grange Community Centre 41 Hurworth Road Hurworth Darlington DL2 2BN For Parish Clerk Peter Allan Enquiries Phone 01325 722 171 E mail enquiries hurworthparishcouncil org uk Councillor s Surgeries The Parish Councillor s Surgery is held the first Thursday of the month at 6 30pm at The Grange unless notified otherwise Council Web Site The Council website holds information about the council its business records of all its meetings The site is regularly updated and there is a feedback form Why not visit www hurworthonline com Hurworth Parish Council Members Cllr Paul Walters Acting Chair Copse Haven Roundhill Road Hurworth DL2 1QD Cllr Margaret Williams Vice Chair 9 Friars Pardon Hurworth DL2 3EA Cllr Wilma Campbell 8 Lychgate Hurworth DL2 2AT Cllr Janine Forster 11 Church Row Hurworth DL2 2AQ Cllr Peter Foster End View Cottage Hurworth Moor DL2 1QJ Cllr Elaine Hedley 43 Westfield Drive Hurworth DL2 2ET Cllr Richard Lawley 18 Sanderson Road Hurworth DL2 2AU Cllr Middi Middlemiss The Old Kennels Strait Lane Hurworth Moor DL2 1QJ Cllr Dorothy Oughton 43 Emerson Road Hurworth DL2 2AW Cllr Jean Peacock 25 Belgrave Terrace Hurworth Place DL2 2DW Cllr Nic Prior 35 Sanderson Road Hurworth DL2 2AU Darlington Borough Councillors Joe Kelley 2 Welbeck Cottages Welbeck Street Darlington DL1 5EZ Liberal Democrat Lorraine Tostevin Stone Gables Norton Back Road Sadberge DL2 1SO Conservative Printed and published by Hurworth Parish Council 41 Hurworth Road Hurworth Darlington DL2 2BN Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy the publishers of the Hurworth Parish Chronicle cannot accept responsibility for the editorial opinions statements and details provided by others for reproduction in this magazine 16