Flooding Problems in Bowburn

Members of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council are seeking to arrange a Joint Meeting with the County Council, the City Council, Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency concerning the local flooding problems experienced in Bowburn last summer. Members of the Parish Council have been informed by Durham County Council about the flood prevention features being built into the new Bowburn to Wheatley Hill Link Road Scheme, but they continue to have grave concerns about the likelihood of flooding problems in Bowburn itself. Readers of the Interchange will remember only too clearly that flooding occurred in the vicinity of the Local Library Building last summer after a bout of very heavy rainfall. Members of the Parish Council, some of whom have lived in Bowburn for many years, are convinced that the flooding was primarily due to the inability of old underground pipework to cope with substantial flows of rain water, which need to be safely drained away as well as water flows discharged from new additional homes in the recent Housing Developments in Bowburn. The Parish Council is pressing the involved parties to attend a Joint Meeting in order to agree a consensus of view on the matter (the need to upgrade the old underground drainage system in the area with new, larger capacity drainage pipes). P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 3rd March 2008 Allotments, Fields and Garage Sites owned by the Parish Council Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has resolved to increase the annual rental charges for use of its Allotments, Fields and Garage Sites by 5% of their current levels with effect from April 1st 2008. Members of the Parish Council felt that these annual increases are modest enough and should not impact too severely upon the finances of the Tenants.The proposed increases are only the second set of increases made within the last 7 years (the previous 5% increases in charges were made with effect from April 1st 2006 and they were the first increases in charges for a considerable number of years). Members resolved not to increase the charges made for use of Bowburn Cemetery. P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 3rd March 2008 Footpath Matters Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has been working for some time to secure local landowner approval to making long overdue repairs and improvements to Local Footpaths and Bridleways within the Parish Area. The Parish Council is working closely with the County Council's Footpaths Officer to progress these matters and secure sufficient finance to pay for the desired works through the County Council's Parish Paths Partnership Scheme. If the desired works are given approval and funding is secured, then the works can be undertaken by an experienced Contractor. The Parish Council is also pressing the County Council to correct the wrongly drawn layout of part of Local Footpath no. 29. The error which caused this unfortunate problem occurred several years ago, but the Parish Council,along with various Local Community Groups including the Bowburn & Parkhill Community Paartnership, is nonetheless seeking to put the error right. P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 3rd March 2008 Miners’ Heritage Memorial for Bowburn Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has recently taken delivery of the newly refurbished miners’ coal tub from Messrs. Dyer Engineering Ltd. of Annfield Plain. The coal tub is located on a special piece of rail track and set on top of a concrete plinth. The coal tub will serve as a Miners’ Heritage Memorial and is situated at Durham Road, Bowburn, adjacent to the War Memorial. A plaque in front of the coal tub shows the dates when Bowburn Colliery was working within the Community. Much of the early work making arrangements with Dyer Engineering to undertake the refurbishment work on the Coal Wagon was done by the original donor, Mr. James Milburn. Arrangements have been made at the request of Mr. Milburn, to ask the local Member of Parliament, the Honourable Mrs. Roberta Blackman-Woods M.P., to perform an opening ceremony for the newly placed Miners’ Heritage Memorial. It is hoped that an opening ceremony can be performed on Wednesday 19th December 2007, at 2.00pm. P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 27th November 2007 Parish Council Signs I am pleased to report that long awaited Parish Council signs for use at Bowburn Cemetery (Closure of Cemetery Gates) and at the Bowburn Doorstep Green (Prohibition of Ball Games on the Doorstep Green for Children over Primary School Age) are nearing completion. The signs should be in place in early December 2007. I have approached three different sign suppliers before reaching a successful outcome to my efforts. My apologies for the delays in supply of the promised signs. P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 27th November 2007 Play Equipment at Tail upon End Lane, Bowburn I have been compelled to arrange for the removal of children’s play equipment situated on the former play area at Tail upon End Lane, Bowburn, due to the forthcoming housing development in that area. I have been informed by the City Council’s Leisure Services Department that the football goal posts from the site are damaged and that they cannot be used on a play area elsewhere. Similarly, the children’s climbing frame cannot be relocated to another play area, as it does not conform to the latest health & safety requirements for children’s use. As the Parish Council has been compelled to remove the play equipment by the City Council to make way for the upcoming housing development, the Parish Council feels that it is reasonable to seek compensation from the City Council for the loss in value of the play equipment.   P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 27th November 2007 Bowburn Cemetery – Cremated Remains I wish to remind local residents who visit the Cemetery to place flowers etc. on the graves of loved ones to remember to close the Entrance Gates to the Cemetery when leaving. The Gates were installed by the Parish Council earlier this year after a couple of incidents had occurred when animals strayed into the Cemetery and trampled over some grave spaces. Secondly, please remember to notify the Clerk to the Parish Council if you wish to bury the cremated remains of a loved one in a purchased grave space in the Cemetery. The Parish Council is the Burial Authority, which owns the Cemetery Land. Please note that it is illegal to scatter the ashes of a loved one over a grave space in the Cemetery. The Durham Diocesan Board does not permit scattering of ashes over grave spaces in any Burial Ground within its area of jurisdiction. Finally, please obtain the permission of the Parish Council if you wish to place a marble surround or a surround with railings or kerbed edgings etc. around a grave space for a loved one in the Cemetery. Permission is also required if you wish to alter an existing grave space surround (e.g. from a single sized surround to a double sized surround). Permissions are not normally refused. Thank you for your consideration.   P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 6th November 2007 Fly Tipping on the increase in the Parish Area   Members of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council discussed the growing menace of fly tipping within the Parish Area at their Monthly Meeting in October 2007. Local Police Officers were present at the Meeting when the discussion took place. Several Members commented on the point that persistent fly tipping was being done in various "popular" locations by people from outside the Parish Area. I was instructed to place a News Item in the Bowburn Interchange and on the Parish Council Website about this matter. Members of the Parish Council are asking Readers of the Interchange and Web Site Browsers to make a note of such items of information as the vehicle registration number or other identifying information concerning any vehicles which they spot dumping rubbish within the Parish Area in unauthorised locations. If any such information is noticed, Durham City Council's Environmental Services Department should be informed. A contact telephone number and name is Mr. Andrew Jackson on (0191) 301 8693 or ask for Environmental Services Department at the Main Switchboard when you call the City Council. Some of the rubbish which is fly tipped in your area is toxic and should be taken to an authorised Tipping Centre. However, unscrupulous tradesmen and private individuals don't wish to pay the tipping fees at an authorised Tipping Centre. Fly tipping is free!   P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 6th November 2007 Repairs to Memorials (Bowburn Cemetery)   The Parish Council have written recently to the Durham Diocesan Court to inform the Court that works of repair to some of the Memorials at Bowburn Cemetery have now been completed. Certain Memorials in the Cemetery failed a Health & Safety Inspection performed in December 2006. Approximately one dozen Memorials required repair work after the Safety Inspection last year and another two Memorials have been privately repaired by relatives of the deceased persons concerned. P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 5th November 2007 Financial Donations by Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council I am delighted to report that the Parish Council has, once again, agreed to make a number of financial donations to various local schools and community groups. The donations have been made to assist various local school projects and to assist diverse community groups such as local history societies, dancing groups, sports clubs and residents' groups. The Parish Council has been particularly keen to give financial aid to community groups, which encourage young people to channel their energies into positive pursuits. The cheques for each school & community group were sent out at the beginning of November 2007. P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 31st October 2007 Miners' Heritage Memorial for Bowburn I am very pleased to report that work is due to commence within the next couple of weeks on provision of the Gravelled Surround and the Concrete Plinth for the Miners' Heritage Memorial for Bowburn. The Memorial is to be located on Durham Road, Bowburn directly adjacent to the War Memorial. The Miners' Memorial comprises a newly refurbished Miners' Coal Face Tub, prepared to give the impression that it is fully loaded with newly extracted coal. The Tub will rest permanently on a portion of rail track and the whole Memorial is to be set upon a Concrete Base or Plinth. The Gravelled Surround where the Miners' Memorial & the Plinth will be placed is similar in design to the Gravelled Surround, where the War Memorial is located. The Miners' Heritage Memorial will provide a suitable permanent reminder on the streets of Bowburn about the Village's proud Mining Heritage. The original Miners' Tub was donated by Mr. Jimmy Milburn of Shincliffe, who worked a miner in Bowburn for a number of years.   P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 21st September 2007 Repairs to Memorials at Bowburn Cemetery   I am pleased to report that general works of repair to the Memorials in Bowburn Cemetery will commence in the week beginning October 1st 2007. Works will be done to stabilise and make safe those Memorials, which were found to be in need of repair when the Health & Safety Inspection was done by the City Council last year. Delays to the repairs being done has arisen because of the strict legal procedure, which must be undertaken by the Durham Diocesan Court, which administers Burial Procedures in the district. The Parish Council has also needed to seek tenders for the work required from properly qualified Stone Masons. Where relatives of the deceased, whose Memorials require repair as a result of the Inspection, can be located, then they must undertake suitable repairs as a private matter.   P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 21st September 2007 Landscaping Work (Group Garage Site, Bowburn)   Members of the Parish Council have arrangements in place to undertake some landscaping work on the Group Garage Site, adjacent to the Medical Centre in Bowburn. The work entails laying down some road planings on top of the dirt track which runs thrugh the Garage Site, so as to give a smoother, drier access to garage tenants and passers-by alike. The Parish Council also intends to place kerb stones along either side of the upgraded road surface, in order to help prevent puddling on the Garage Site in times of very bad weather. There are also plans to provide an emergency water drainage outlet at the lower end of the Site to help prevent puddling on the Site. I am very pleased to report that a grant of £5,000 has been received from the Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership to help offset the costs of the landscaping work on the Site. The Parish Council offers its grateful thanks to the Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership for its kindness in providing some of the finance for this Scheme in Bowburn.   P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 21st September 2007

Memorial Repairs – Bowburn Cemetery

Members of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council have recently accepted a price quotation from Messrs. William Allison & Sons of Bishop Auckland for Repairs to Memorials at Bowburn Cemetery.

The repairs are necessary as they were highlighted in a Health & Safety Inspection done on the Parish Council's behalf by Durham City Council in December 2006.

The repair work may take a few weeks to complete and Members of the Parish Council apologise for any inconvenience to Cemetery Visitors whilst the work is ongoing.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 31st July 2007




Bowburn Cemetery – Cremated Remains

Local Parish Councillors have become aware that some cremated remains have been interred in Bowburn Cemetery in recent months.

Families who have purchased a Grave Space in the Cemetery are permitted to place three sets of cremated remains in one Purchased Grave Space without further charge by the Parish Council.

However, I need to be notified about the details of those cremated remains placed in the Cemetery, as I am required by law to keep an appropriate Entry in the Book of Burials for the Cemetery.

If any reader of Bowburn Interchange or viewer of the Website has placed cremated remains of a loved one in the Cemetery, please write to me as soon as possible with the following details:
1. Name of deceased person
2. Date of death
3  Age of the deceased at time of death
4. Place of residence at time of death
5. Date when cremated remains were placed in the Cemetery.

Pleae note: the Parish Council is not seeking to take any form of action against any bereaved relatives.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 21st May 2007




Bowburn Cemetery – Unsafe Monuments

Arrangements have been made with Registered Stonemasons to seek price quotations for repair work to certain Monuments in Bowburn Cemetery.

Around a dozen Monuments failed a Safety Test in December 2006 undertaken by the City Council's Cultural Services Department.

The Durham Diocesan Court has now granted an Order to lay down the most dangerously unsafe Monuments immediately.
Other unsafe Monuments (which are not considered a dangerous risk, but are not satisfactory) can be repaired by a Registered Stonemason, now that a second Order has been granted by the Diocesan Court.

The Parish Council, as the relevant Burial Authority, is responsible for repairs to Monuments, where next of kin of the deceased persons cannot be traced.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 21st May 2007




Bowburn Cemetery headstones

I have been notified by Durham City Council's Cultural Services Department that the laying down of those Monuments in Bowburn Cemetery, which are classified as Category 1 and in most urgent need of repair, will take place in week commencing April 30th 2007.

The City Council's Legal Services Department is now pressing ahead to obtain a Faculty Order from the Durham Diocesan Court to enable the repairs necessary on those other Monuments in the Cemetery which failed the testing procedure to be done.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 23rd April 2007




Miners' Heritage Memorial, Durham Road, Bowburn
 
I am informed that the initial work on preparing a foundation base for the Miners' Heritage Memorial to be located in Durham Road, Bowburn is likely to commence in mid-May 2007.
 
P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 23rd April 2007




Street Furniture (Seasonal Hanging Flower Baskets)

Members of Cassop-cum-Quarington Parish Council are set to consider the possibility of purchase of new items of street furniture for the Parish area. These items would be specifically designed to accommodate seasonal hanging flower baskets. Further discussion of this matter will be made at the monthly meeting of the Parish Council on March 21st 2007.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 12th March 2007




Beautiful Durham Competition 2006

Members of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council are pleased to announce that, once again, they are to award Plaques to the Achievers of the Highest Marks for each Local Village in the Beautiful Durham Competition 2006. Other Local Entrants will receive an individual Certificate of Merit in order to recognise their achievements.
Plaque Winners and Winners of Certificates of Merit will be presented with their Awards, if they are able to attend, at the next Meeting of the Parish Council on Wednesday, March 21st 2007 at Bowburn Community Centre.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 1st March 2007



 
Summer Season 2007 Hanging Flower Baskets
 
Arrangements are under way to seek confirmation that Hanging Flower Baskets can be attached to the same network of Street Lighting Columns in Bowburn as used in the Bowburn Centenary Year of 2006. I have also enquired with the County Council's Street Lighting Section about permission to use Street Lighting Columns in Parkhill and on the new Doorstep Green Site at Bow Street/Burn Street, Bowburn for Hanging Flower Baskets in the Summer Season 2007.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 1st March 2007

 


Play Area Improvements for Cassop
 
The Parish Council is pleased to announce that improvements to the Play Area at Elizabeth Vale, Cassop have been completed.Improvement Work has been undertaken by Durham City Council and the Parish Council has been asked to make a sizeable contribution to the overall cost of the Scheme. The works done include provision of play equipment, installation of new safety fencing on the play area and new tarmacking work on the play area.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 1st March 2007

 


Scrutiny Project (Footways)
 
Durham County Council's Corporate Services Department are overseeing a Footways Scrutiny Project. Local Authorities in County Durham have been asked to submit their comments about how footways can be improved. Members of Cassop -cum-Quarrington Parish Council have submitted a comprehensive series of comments about footway improvements to the Scrutiny Group including the following items: 
1) Requirement for prominent signing to be in place when utility companies dig up the footways to do their works.
2) Requirement for utility companies to agree a completion date for their works and abide by those completion dates (with a financial penalty to be suffered by them, if they fail to meet their deadline dates).
3) Unblock blocked drains to reduce the formation of ponds.
4) Continue with previous programmes of provision of dropped kerbs to help wheelchair users and pushchair users.
5) Use of stronger safety fencing by utility companies when undertaking their works on or near footways, so that the fences do not fall over or into the excavated work site when there is the slightest sign of inclement weather.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 1st March 2007

 


Blackthorn Hedging
 
Durham City Council has informed me that Blackthorn Hedging has been replanted at various points along the border of the Bowburn Recreation Ground.
Gaps in the Hedging has occurred in recent months due to some aspects of anti-social behaviour, amongst other things, and the City Council has replaced some Blackthorn Hedging now at the best replanting time of year.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 1st March 2007




Parish Council Budget – Year ending March 31st 2008

A Meeting of the Parish Council’s Finance & Forward Planning Sub-Committee was held on Wednesday, January 3rd 2007 at Bowburn Community Centre in order to prepare recommendations to submit to the Full Parish Council about the Proposed Parish Council Budget and Precept for the year ending 31st March 2008.

The Precept is the annual amount which the Parish Council receives from Durham City Council in order to help it to meet its spending commitments for the year.

The new commitments for 2007/2008 set out in the Budget Paper included money for Landscaping Work on the Group Garage Site, Landscaping Work on the Doorstep Green Site and Footpath Improvements.

The Parish Council, at its Monthly Meeting on 17th January 2007, accepted the full recommendations of its Finance & Forward Planning Sub-Committee on Budget Proposals for the Parish Council for the financial year ending 31st March 2008.

The Parish Council is also pleased to point out that spending commitments have been kept to a level which ensures that there is no increase in the level of Annual Precept to be levied upon Durham City Council for the financial year ending 31st March 2008.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 26th January 2007




Inspection of Memorials in Bowburn Cemetery

Visitors to Bowburn Cemetery will have noticed that a Health & Safety inspection of the memorials in Bowburn Cemetery has been carried out on Friday, December 22nd 2006.

The Inspection was undertaken by officers of Durham City Council's Cultural Services Department. They found that a small number of memorials require attention to make them safe once more in future years.

The memorials requiring attention have a Health & Safety Warning Notice and multi-coloured tape attached to them for the safety of Cemetery visitors.

The Parish Council, as the relevant burial authority, has made arrangements to seek an Interlocutory Order from the Durham Diocesan Board. This Order will allow the Memorials in the most urgent cases to be laid down in their grave spaces. After this work has been done, a Faculty Order is being sought from the Durham Diocesan Board to allow all of the relatives of the deceased persons, whose memorials require repair, to have those works done.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 25th January 2007




Bowburn Cemetery headstones

Durham City Council has confirmed that the Health & Safety Examination of Monuments at Bowburn Cemetery will commence on Thursday, December 21st 2006 at 1p.m.

Public Notices will be posted at the Entrance to the Cemetery and I will place a Notice on the Parish Council's Notice Board at Bowburn Community Centre shortly.

Any monuments found to be unsafe and a danger to the public will be laid down after the necessary Interlocutory Order has been obtained from the Durham Diocesan Board.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 29th November 2006




Financial Donations
(Local Goverment Act 1972)
 
Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has powers under the Local Government Act 1972 to make financial donations where the monies applied for are used for the benefit of the local community.

A number of local schools, community groups, local heritage groups and local activity groups have applied again this year for financial assistance from the Parish Council.

The Parish Council is happy to help local activities flourish and a total sum of nearly £1,800.00 has been paid out in donations so far this year.
 
P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 9th November 2006




Bowburn Cemetery

Works have commenced on levelling off a large mound of clay deposits at the side of Bowburn Cemetery. The clay has built up in recent months when the gravedigger has excavated new grave spaces in the Cemetery.

Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has commissioned Durham City Council to carry out the works. The City Council has brought in specialist equipment to flatten the clay mounds, as they had started to encroach upon nearby purchased grave spaces.

Special arrangements have been made with the City Council to bring the earth flattening equipment through the field adjoining the cemetery, so as to avoid damage to the newly resurfaced cemetery road. Our thanks and condolences go to Mandy Bulmer for her agreement to the use of the field adjoining the Cemetery.

I would ask visitors to the cemetery to take special care whilst the works are going on. It is expected that the works should be completed in a couple of days.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 17th July 2006




Hanging Flower Baskets & Flower Tubs (Bowburn & Cassop)
 
Residents of Bowburn & Cassop will have noticed that a considerable number of additional hanging flower baskets & flower tubs have been located at strategic places in time for the Summer Season 2006.

Residents of Bowburn will be especially aware that this tremendous floral display has come in time to help celebrate Bowburn's Centenary Year in 2006. I have driven through Bowburn a few times recently and the display of baskets & tubs looks superb. The special floral display for Bowburn has been organised to coincide with other celebrations for the Centenary Year in Bowburn.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 17th July 2006




BMX Cycle Track, Parkhill
 
After quite a few hiccoughs, the grass embankments surrounding the BMX track at Parkhill have now been given a much needed "short back & sides".

Durham City Council has used special short mowing equipment to do the job, due to the layout of the terrain of the BMX Track.

Thankfully, the haircut has been done in time for the start of the schools summer holidays later this month.
 
P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 17th July 2006




Relocation of Gateway (Bridleway no. 36)Members of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council have been concerned for some considerable time about the extent and frequency of fly tipping which takes place along the land adjacent to Bridleway no. 36, across the road from the Community Centre in Bowburn.

After lengthy negotiation between the County Council, the Parish Council and the local land owner, agreement has been reached to relocate the Gateway on Bridleway no. 36, closer to Durham Road, Bowburn.

It is hoped that this measure will deter fly tippers from visiting this location in future, as the Gateway's new location will mean that these nuisance visitors will be clearly seen by pedestrians on the main road.

Above is a copy of the County Council's work plan which clearly shows the Gateway's new location.
 
P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 14th June 2006




Doorstep Green for Award

Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has now been informed that it will be given an Award or a Commendation in the County Durham Environment Awards 2005.

The Award or Commendation will be given in respect of the the Bowburn Doorstep Green Project. Judges for the County Durham Environment Awards visited the Project on May 2nd 2006 to view the finished scheme.

The Awards Presentation Ceremony will take place on Thursday, 15th June 2006 in the Durham Room at County Hall, Durham.

The Chairman of the Parish Council, Mrs. Margaret Robinson, the Vice-Chairman, Mr. Howard Armstrong and I have been nominated to attend the Presentation Ceremony on behalf of the Parish Council.

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 26th May 2006



I am pleased to report that Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has been shortlisted for a County Council Environment Award for 2006.The Parish Council's Doorstep Green Project at Bow Street/Burn Street, Bowburn has been visited by the County Council's Judging Panel on Tuesday, May 2nd 2006. The Panel consisted of around half a dozen dignitaries who inspected the Site, accompanied by Parish Councillor Stan Robinson, Michele MacCallam of Groundwork East Durham and myself.

The tour of inspection lasted around twenty minutes and I expect that the Parish Council will be notified of the names of the Award Winning Projects in a few weeks' time.

Special thanks to  Michele MacCallam of Groundwork East Durham, who nominated the Project for the Award and Mr. Peter Lee, of the City Council's Community Services Department, who organised a grass cut on the Doorstep Green at very short notice to spruce the place up and give it a short back & sides.

Thanks everyone!

P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 2nd May 2006



Bowburn Centenary Clean Up

Members of the Parish Council are arranging with the City Council’s Local Neighbourhood Warden, Mr. Paul Parker, to set up a Campaign for a Special Bowburn Centenary Clean Up.

Bowburn's Centenary Year is 2006 and Members wish to organise a series of "Blitzes" on Bowburn's problem litter areas to help make the Village especially tidy & welcomimg to visitors in its Centenary Year.

The idea is to arrange a monthly series of Saturday Morning tours around the Village from 9.30 a.m. to midday, commencing on May 6th 2006 and give a good clean up in one area after another.

The following clean-up will be on Saturday June 3rd etc.

Durham City Council is providing protective gloves and waistcoats, litter bags and they will take away filled bags at the end of the morning clean up.

Members of the public in Bowburn & elsewhere are welcome to join us and they should leave their names and a contact telephone number at Bowburn Conmmunity Centre as soon as possible. Children wishing to take part should be accompanied by a parent or guardian to ensure their safety whilst on the Clean Up.
 
P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 11th April 2006



Beautiful Parish Competition 2005
 
Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has proudly presented Parish Plaques to the following persons living within the Parish Area whose entries in the Beautiful Durham Competition showed outstanding achievement:
 
Mrs. J. Y. Robson of Old Quarrington (Large Garden Section)
Mrs. P. Ward of Parkhill (Floral Container & Yard/Patio Sections)
Mr. Ray Atkinson of Bowburn (2 Plaques – 1st Plaque in recognition of entries in the Floral Container, Small Garden & Yard/Patio Sections of the Competition; 2nd Plaque in recognition of the Best Overall Parish Entry in the Competition
 
The following persons received Parish Certificates of Merit in recognition of their entries in the Competition:
 
Mr. & Mrs. J. McKee of Bowburn
Mrs. J. Broughton of Bowburn
Mr. Lister Spark of Bowburn
Ann Peat of Bowburn
A. Gallagher &  A. Staff of Bowburn
Ms. Trisha Binns, Mine Host of the Hare & Greyhound Public House in Bowburn, was also given a Parish Certificate of Merit in recognition of her Outstanding Floral Contribution to the Village of Bowburn.
 
Congratulations to all of the Award Winners.
 
P. Thorpe, Parish Clerk, 28th March 2006



Bowburn Cemetery

Arrangements are in place to have the Access Road inside Bowburn Cemetery repaired and resurfaced. Work is expected to commence on Monday, March 20th 2006 and it should last until the end of March 2006.

I apologise for any inconvenience caused to people visiting the Cemetery in the meantime and I would ask all visitors to park in the lane outside the Cemetery.Please remember that this lane also provides access to a Works Depot and visitors to the Cemetery should not block the lane or the gateway to the Cemetery whilst the works are going on.

Thank you.
 
P.Thorpe, Clerk to Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council, 11th March 2006



Bowburn Centenary 2006
 
Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has received confirmation from the County Council's Street Lighting Section that most of the requested Street Lighting Columns on Durham Road, Bowburn have been approved for use with Hanging Flower Baskets.

This is especially good news as 2006 is Bowburn's Centenary Year and we look forward to a splash of extra colour in Bowburn to help celebrate the occasion.
 
P.Thorpe, Clerk to Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council. 21st February 2006



Financial Assistance to Local Community Centres
 
Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has agreed to give financial assistance to Bowburn & Cassop Community Centres for specified capital expenditure schemes.

A sum has been set aside in the Parish Council’s Budget for the year ending 31st March 2006 to assist Cassop Community Centre with a Kitchen Refurbishment Scheme.

Bowburn Community Centre is investigating the possibilities of a window replacement scheme or replacement of security doors in the Centre.
 
P.Thorpe, Clerk to Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council, 20th January 2006

Doorstep Crime Initiative

Durham County Council's Trading Standards Department has invited the Parish Council to join an e-mail Early Warning Network with other interested parties, in order to help fight Doorstep Crime.

The main purpose of this initiative is to help combat those despicable people who trick elderly or disabled people by talking their way into their victims' homes in order to commit crime.

The e-mail network aims to give early warning of doorstep criminals operating in our area, so that householders can be on their guard against crime.



Financial Assistance

Using its powers under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council has granted requests from the following Local Community Groups and Schools for financial assistance towards their funds.

• Bede Terrace Centre
• Bowburn Bowling Club
• Bowburn Boys Football Club
• Bowburn Girls Football Club
• Bowburn Community Association
• Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership
• Bowburn Junior School
• Bowburn Senior Citizens’ Club
• Keumgang Taekwondo
• Bowburn Toddlers’ Group
• Bowburn Village Celebration
• Cassop Community Centre
• Cassop Kickers’ Line Dance Club
• Cassop History Society
• Bowburn Local History Society
• Cassop Primary School
• Bowburn Library (Durham County Council) – Easter Card Competition 2006
• Park Hill Residents’ Association



BMX Track
Something for the kids at last!

Installation work on the new BMX Cycle Track was completed in 2005 and the Track is proving very popular with the younger residents of Parkhill.

I don't think that Maggie or Stan Robinson have tried the Track out yet, despite earlier promises.

Durham City Council agreed to provide approximately £6,500 from its Heart of the Villages Scheme towards the cost of the completed project.

Barclays Bank previously provided a Site Saver Grant of £10,000 towards the cost of the project in 2004 and the Parish Council has funded the remaining £9,000 of the cost.
Please remind users of the Track to wear safety headgear and protective elbow pads and knee pads at all times.

SAFETY AT ALL TIMES!



Notice Boards for Cemetery

New Notice Boards for Bowburn Cemetery were installed in August 2005. The notices refer to "No dogs allowed" in the Cemetery and Advice to Vehicle Drivers to park or turn their vehicles only at the hammerhead junction at the top end of the Cemetery.

Work began on constructing a new driveway up through the Cemetery on Monday 20th March 2006.



Bowburn Doorstep Green

Local residents in Bow Street and Burn Street, Bowburn are invited to become "Friends of the Doorstep Green", to keep an eye on the Doorstep Green Site and notify the Neighbourhood Watch Spokesman to take action if they see any unwelcome behaviour or vandalism taking place on the Site.

How about it, residents? Are you game? It's your site!
Please be proud of it and help us look after it!

Bowburn Doorstep Green Mosaic

I have been asked by Mrs. Michele MacCallam, of Groundwork East Durham, to draw the attention of residents of Bowburn and visitors to Bowburn alike to the newly installed mosaic at the Doorstep Green. The mosaic was especially commissioned from local ceramic designers after they had consulted local schoolchildren about their design ideas.

The Countryside Agency will assist in meeting the costs of the mosaic and the relaid footpath on the Scheme.

Please go and have a look at the mosaic, everyone!

Arrangements are well in hand to alter the signposts on the Doorstep Green to limit bicycle use to those children of five years of age or less who must use the footpath only.

Please no cycling on the grass or through the shrubbery.



Allotment Fencing

The third and final annual phase of Fencing Replacement at the Depot Site was completed in 2005.

The work was done under contract to Durham City Council by Messrs. Charleton Fencing.

Other urgent repairs to individual tenants' fencing required elsewhere on the site, due to previous arson damage and other potential fire risks, was done in addition to the phased fencing replacement.

The final cost of the routine fencing replacement, which took three years to complete, was around £18,000, to be paid by the Parish Council.



Hanging Flower Baskets for Bowburn & Cassop

Bowburn Centenary Year 2006

Members of the Parish Council has obtained formal County Council approval to use a number of street lighting columns in Bowburn for hanging flower baskets in Summer 2006, as part of the celebration of Bowburn's Centenary Year. Members also obtained permissions for use of various lighting columns in Cassop for hanging flower baskets.

A considerable amount of work was required to be done by the County Council to ensure that each lighting column was strong enough to withstand the weight of a hanging flower basket on it, especially in bad weather conditions.

The Parish Council gave a donation towards the cost of the essential stress testing of the lighting columns in the Bowburn area.



Beautiful Durham Competition

Winners in the 2005 Beautiful Parish Competition, which was judged as part of the Beautiful Durham Competition, will receive their awards in the near future.

Entries will soon be invited for the 2006 competition.



External Audit of Accounts 2004/2005

Annual Inspection of Parish Council Records

The Annual Return for Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council for the financial year 2004/2005 were sent to the External Auditors (BDO Stoy Hayward).

The financial records of the Parish Council were available for inspection by local electors from 8th August 2005 to 6th September 2005 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. by prior arrangement with the Parish Clerk (Tel: (01388) 811909).

This is an annual arrangement.



Community Safety

Trouble “hotspots”

Inspector Dodds of Durham Constabulary was accompanied
by Mr. Keith Davis, Durham City Council's Community Safety Officer, and Parish Councillors when he undertook his promised tour of the main trouble “hotspots” in Bowburn last autumn.

Inspector Dodds confirmed that his officers would prepare a plan of action to deal with the local problems of vandalism and anti-social behaviour. Inspector Dodds’ Officers and the City Council’s Community Safety Team are liaising with local Youth Workers based in the area to see how they can best address local problems.

The Parish Council can help deal with these local issues by helping to provide finance for leisure provision for young people. Provision of a Youth Shelter in the area is one idea which is currently being considered.


Security Lighting on the Medical Centre at Bowburn

The Parish Council approved an application from the local Medical Practice to fund the cost of improved Security Lighting on the new Medical Centre Building in Bowburn.

I am pleased to inform readers that the new security lighting was now in place in time to cope with the darker winter nights. This a great example of how local Parish Councillors can help the local community at grass roots level.



Community Letter Boxes

The Parish Council has installed a Community Letter Box in Bowburn Community Centre.

Members of the public who wish to leave confidential letters for the local Police can post them in the new Community Letter Boxes. The letters can be read only by Police Officers and the contents of letters will not be revealed or shown to other people.
Therefore, if anyone can assist the Police with information which can help with an investigation or any other matter, please contact the Police through the new Community Letter Boxes.

The Letter Boxes are regularly emptied by Police Officers and only Police Officers have the Letter Box keys.



Special Highways Maintenance Operative

Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council is exploring the possibility of joining up with neighbouring Parishes and the County Council to help pay for the joint employment of a Special Highways Maintenance Operative.

The purpose of the arrangement, if it comes to fruition, is to increase the frequency of grass cuts on Parish and County Council land and step up the litter clearance rates as well.

The Scheme would give the opportunity for a number of other joint initiatives to improve the services given to the community by the Parish Council and the County Council.