I have just received notice that there is to be a significant period of riverbank footpath closures from 14 December through to the end of March so that a number of dangerous trees can be dealt with.

Here is a map of the riverbank footpaths affected.

The notification seems to imply that paths will be closed as and when needed, but I still need to check that out.

[Added the day after the initial posting] I can confirm that closures of particular footpaths will only take place as and when necessary for the work being carried out.

From time to time, residents have raised concerns with Councillors as the staff working for recycling company, Greencycle, appear to put the contents of the green boxes and bags into the collection van together instead of separating them at the time. To clarify the situation, the City Council Environmental Services Manager, Chris Tomlinson, who oversees the contract with Greencycle for the City has issued the following statement:“If Greencycle has capacity on their picking line at the Materials Recovery Facility at Tursdale, crews are allowed to collect recycling materials unsorted which certainly speeds up the collection operation.

“However, if the picking line is not running or is running to capacity then crews have to resort to sorting the material at the kerb.

“It is essential therefore, that Residents continue to sort their materials into the bag and the box as this will then allow Greencycle some flexibility in their method of operation as the situation changes.

“We hope that clears any confusion up with Residents.”

So to re-emphasise things, it is still important to place paper, card and plastics in the green bag and only glass bottles and cans in the green box.

Banks Developments are putting in a new planning application to develop the Mount Oswald (they call it ‘Durham Park’).

As with the last time, they are putting on an exhibition of the proposals at Mount Oswald. This will be held in the Campbell suite at Mount Oswald Golf Club on Weds 19 November from 3-7pm.

Here is the Durham Park exhibition flier that Banks have sent me.

While these proposals appear to involve considerably less development of the site then the original one that was roundly rejected by the planning committee (and just about everyone who was consulted on it) there are still aspects that fall quite outside the current local planning framework.

As a major development, the timing of the application means that it will almost certainly be determined by the new unitary County Council after 1 April next year and so will represent perhaps thae first significant test of the planning procedures of the new council.

As the local councillors for the area, I and my colleague Councillor Grenville Holland, will be very keen to know residents views of these new proposals as we shall want to represent local opinion as fully as possible.

Friday was a glorious day (weather wise) for the visit of Princess Anne. Her Royal Highness was in the City to do the formal opening of the new Freeman’s Quay Swimming Pool and Sports Centre and to unveil Fenwick Lawson’s sculpure “The Sacred Journey”.

The picture shows her unveiling the plaque at the swimming pool.

As the consultation process on a possible Town Council for Durham City is now under way, I have created a dedicated page with links to relevant files. The link is on the upper left of the screen.

This page also contains details of a petition in favour of the proposal and a petition form that you can print out and use. the petition should only be signed by electors living within the affected area.

Many people have concerns about the future of the mayor of Durham after the City Council is abolished next April, especially over who will elect the mayor in future and even whether the mayor will actually be a citizen of Durham City.

At County Hall last Thursday,  our fears were confirmed when the ruling Labour Cabinet decided to ask the government to allow all 126 County Councillors to elect the mayor instead of the 22 who represent the existing area of Durham City district.

I and my fellow Lib Dem Neville’s Cross Councillor Grenville Holland spoke passionately about our belief that the elected representatives of the City should choose the City’s mayor, but we were ignored.

If government listen to their party in power at County Hall, then it is conceivable that future mayors of Durham City could come from Seaham, Sedgefield or Stanley, rather than here in the City itself.

Even more deplorable is the statement in the report that Durham City’s Labour MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods supported this attempt to hijack Durham’s mayor away from the City.

All is not lost, though. The City Council will be putting in a vigorous representation against this idea, and the initial indications from government was that the elected representatives of the City should indeed choose the mayor under the Charter Trust arrangements.

Finally, Charter Trusts are meant to be short-lived affairs, so that when a town council is created for Durham City, the mayor would revert back to the Town Council. Even then, there were suggestions at County Hall that this might be over-ridden.

In my opinion, this appalling decision by the ruling Labour party at County Hall is nothing more than spite against the fact that they have been rejected overwhelmingly by the electors of Durham City. No dount those same electors will know how to respond when the next elections come.

Background - The government have recognised the importance of the mayor to Durham City and have promised that it will continue after local government re-organisation. In cases like this the policy is to establish something called a Charter Trust, the Trustees of which will elect the mayor and maintain its associated civic tradition.

Charter Trusts are meant to be short-lived arrangements within unitary council areas to cover a period until the relevant area (Durham City in this case) is fully served by town and parish councils after which the mayor would be transferred over to the relevant town or parish council within that area.

If the proposal to establish a town council for the currently unparished area of Durham City goes ahead, then this would mean the new Durham town Council would get the mayor, effectively taking things back to where they were before the 1974 changes to the structure of local government …

… unless Labour at County Hall gets its way.

I am a member of the City Council working group on the creation of a Town Council for the City.

The group met earlier this week (it meets quite regularly) and agreed to a publicity and awareness raising exercise in to begin the unparished city area later this month aimed at gauging local support for the idea.

I and the City Lib Dems are fully behind forming a Town Council as we believe it will be essential to maintain local links with elected members whose main concern is our historic city.

Many residents will have been concerned about the initial confusion and disorganisation with the new recycling scheme that started in April.

But there is good news, as I discovered yesterday, that the quantity of recycled goods has leapt by around 60% since the new green bags were introduced.

The City Council has also required the operator, Greencycle, to put in stronger management and it looks like most of the problems have now been ironed out, although I am aware that there are a few issues still to be resolved.

So keep on recycling - every extra ton saves the Council a considerable amount in landfill tax.

If there are any problems, do let me know and I will try to deal with them.

The City Council is holding one of its periodic Residents’ Forums on Wednesday 21 May at Durham Town Hall (6.30 for 7 pm start).

The Forum is on the topic of Premises Licences and is for residents of Crossgate and Framwelgate, Elvet, Neville’s Cross, Pelaw & Gilesgate and St Nicholas wards.

Representatives will be there from the City Council and Durham Constabulary as well as local councillors.

Please do attend and have your say.

My Colleague for the Neville’s Cross Division on the County Council and City Councillor for Crossgate and Framwelgate Councillor Grenville Holland, was yesterday elected Mayor of Durham. I wish him well for his year in office.

This morning the Northern Echo referred to Grenville as the last Mayor of Durham City. This is, of course, untrue as provision has been made by the Government for the mayoralty to continue under a Charter Trust arrangement from 1 April next year.

The Charter Trust will be controlled by the members elected to the County Council within the area of the current City Council (22 in total for the time being, 15 Lib Dem and 7 Labour) who will elect a mayor annually from among their number. All the civic dignities, such as the Mayor’s Bodyguard, the Mace Bearer and the Sword Bearer will continue along with the pomp and ceremony that goes with it.

Of course, it will cost to keep this going (I have heard the sum of £80K mentioned as the cost of ‘running’ the mayor) and a small supplementary amount will have to be added to the council tax in Durham City to cover it, but everyone I have spoken to is more than happy to pay a few pence per week to continue our centuries-old traditions.