Mill Hill Lane, which runs from Windmill Hill, by the University Business School to the A167 almost opposite Park House Lane, currently has a ‘no cycling’ designation, although many people want to cycle into town that way.

So, following a number of requests from local residents, it was agreed last October to upgrade the lane to cycle use. Work is due to start this week (Wednesday 25 Feb) and is expected to take about 5 days.

This involves widening the path and putting in lights along the unlit stretch from the access to the New Merroaks Estate to the A167.

Care will be taken to preserve existing hedgerows, and we have been assured that the surface to be used (fibredec, the same as the cycle tracks near Newton Hall and on Durham Riverbanks) will provide an informal look while being a more even and hard wearing surface. Grass should grow through the summer and give it a’green’ look.

The County Council is to extend green compostable waste recycling across most of County Durham from 1 April 2009.

For the first time, most houses in the Neville’s Cross division will be given this service.

Unfortunately not all houses will be covered because there are insufficient bins to go round, so the target areas have been decided in relation to likely usage (so that most terraced properties have been excluded at this stage), and ‘fit’ with collection rounds.

I have created a web page with maps showing the areas covered - see “Local Green Waste Recycling Areas” on the top left of this site.

The County Council has given a commitment to increase the coverage to all properties that can benefit ‘in due course’.