I went over the Mount Oswald yesterday afternoon to look at the presentation of the latest proposals by Banks to develop the golf course. The room was already crowded with local residents when I arrived just before the published opening time of 3 pm.

The first thing that struck me was the claim by Banks that there is a need for more student accommodation and hence the usefulness of the so-called Knowledge Quarter. From my recent history in the university there seems to be a surplus of student beds in the City at the moment (unless something has changed in the last 7 weeks since I retired from my university job).

Talking to several local resident who were present, there is clearly no change in local opinion that developing Mount Oswald in the ways suggested (or even at all) is a desirable thing.

So, if like me, you continue to be opposed to the project (even though the scope is admittedly much reduced from the first time round), please do write in to the City Council Planning Department at 17 Claypath, Durham and make your objections known.

The more individual letters that go in the better.

I do not know when the will go before a planning committee, but given the size and complexity of the application, it is probable that it will be after 1 April next year. If this turns out to be the case, then it will be one of the first major applications to be heard by the new Unitary County Council when it comes into being in 2009.

If you have not yet bought your Christmas cards, you may like to know that “Cards for Good Causes” is again in business this year.

Cards are on sale from the ground floor of Alington House on North Bailey from 10am to 4 pm Monday to Saturday until 17 December.

You can purchase cards from over 20 charities with about 79 pence in the pound going to the charities themselves.

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.

The County Council has just agreed to take up the Government offer of funding to provide free swimming for everyone who is 60 or older or 16 or younger.

In fact, as the districts all currently have concessions for ages up to 18, the County will fund free access for everyone up to 18.

The scheme will start in April next year and last for two years. The Government contribution will not meet all the lost income, but the County Durham Primary Care Trust has agreed to fill the gap in the hope that this will help tackle fitness and obesity levels.

What happens after the two years is up is anyone’s guess, but no-one has high expectations that the government funding will continue into the long term.

It is time for an update on the possibility of a Neville’s Cross Community Centre and I am afraid it is not good news for those who believe that this is something the area really does need.

A fledgling Community Association was set up a couple of years ago and has been working on plans to build an extension on to Neville’s Cross Primary School which would serve as a Community Centre and also be available for ther school at agreed times.

A feasibility study has just been completed, but with an estimated cost of over £400K and at a time when the financial outlook is generally so bleak, the members of the Committee decided that the project was simply too daunting for them and that they would wind up their activities.

Personally I am disappointed, but I do understand the difficulties facing the Committee and agree that they had little choice. Nonetheless, those involved do deserve thanks for everything they have done and the time that they have spent.

One small positive to come out of all the hard work is the hope that we can have a community notice board for the area.

Negotiations are under way with St John’s Church to replace their church notice board with something that will serve for both the church and for general community events and information. My fellow City Councillor Ron Dickie and I would be funding the community part from our local ward allowances. We hope that approval will come from St John’s PCC in the next few weeks.

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.

I attended the public consultation meeting on a possible Town Council at the Abbey Sports Centre on Friday evening with about 20 others.

There was some lively debate especially on the issue whether Newton Hall should ‘go it alone’ or be grouped in with the rest of the unparished area of Durham City. The residents there split pretty equally on that issue, but with so few present it was hardly a representative sample.

I hope that there will be better attendance at the coming meetings. My ward colleague,independent councillor Ron Dickie and I have put out a leaflet over most of the Neville’s Cross Ward promoting the up-coming meeting at St John’s Church Hall (Tuesday 7 October, 6pm - 7.30pm) and hope that will boost attendance.

Unfortunately I shall not be there as my wife and I had committed ourselves elsewhere some time before the date was fixed and our arrangements cannot be changed.

I was delighted to be invited to open a new croquet club at Aykley Heads on Sunday. Around 30 people gathered at the bowling greens at Police HQ for the event just after lunch.

Nigel formally cutting the “opening tape” 

The founding of the club realises the ambition of Neville’s Cross resident John Coates who has been working for several years to find a suitable location for a club in the City. He is grateful to the police authority who have allowed the club to use the greens which are no longer used for bowls. Croquet North, the regional federation of croquet clubs, has also helped get the new club off the ground, and their development officer, David Turner, was present to support the event.

There are two types of croquet - ‘Association’ and ‘Golf”. Association is the more complicated game, whereas Golf Croquet is more straightforward, at least in its rules. The Durham Club will tend to concentrate more on Golf Croquet.

I expect to be able to post the contact details for the new club shortly, but if in the meantime you are interested in getting involved, just send me an e-mail and I will put you in touch with John.

Nigel trying (unsuccessfully) to “run a hoop”

After the opening and some light refreshments, experts and total novices enjoyed a game, at least until the rain started!

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.