Latest news with #County Durham
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Reform councillor resigns so wife can enter flower show
A Reform UK councillor has resigned so his wife can enter their town's annual flower show. Tony Hewitt, 65, said his wife Rita's happiness was more important than his political career. Mrs Hewitt, 77, who lives in Ferryhill, County Durham, won last year's competition for the front garden category and was also awarded second place for her back garden. However, the winners are decided by Ferryhill town council. As Mr Hewitt became a councillor in May, he was told she would not be able to compete in this year's Ferryhill in Bloom competition. To avoid a conflict of interest and accusations of bias, he decided to step down. 'When I found out that this year she wouldn't get to put herself forward after all her hard work, I thought I am not really losing anything by giving it up without even getting my feet under the table,' he told the BBC. He continued: 'She loves her garden. I don't have a lot to do with the garden at all; it is all my wife's doing. 'She grows plants from seed and brings them on in the greenhouse – it is her baby. '[If a] councillor or a councillor's wife won the competition, then people could look at that and start wondering what is going on.' Mr Hewitt, who is already the chairman of the residents' association, joined the council 'to do something for the community'. 'There weren't enough applicants to hold an election, I was just appointed,' he said. 'There are 17 councillor places for Ferryhill town council and at the moment there are only seven councillors.' Mr Hewitt resigned in June, after less than two months as a councillor. The town council said it had not received enough nominations for an election to take place, meaning the new councillor will have to be co-opted. Anyone wanting to take up the role was told to fill out an application form by Aug 13. This year's winner of the garden competition will be announced by the council in September.
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Ferryhill town councillor resigns after wife barred from flower show
A town councillor says his wife's happiness is more important after he stepped down to allow her to enter an annual flower Hewitt has lived in Ferryhill, County Durham, with his wife Rita for seven years and said they take delight entering the annual Ferryhill in Bloom was appointed to Ferryhill Town Council on 1 May, representing Reform UK, but as it judges the contest he decided to resign when it became clear she could not compete after "working hard" all Hewitt said some people had challenged him over his decision but he replied: "She loves her garden." Last year, the couple came first in the contest for their front garden and second for their Hewitt said: "I don't have a lot to do with the garden at all, it is all my wife's doing."She grows plants from seed and brings them on in the greenhouse - it is her baby." The 65-year-old said he applied to join the town council to "do something for the community". He is already chairman of the residents' association. "There weren't enough applicants to hold an election, I was just appointed," he said."There are 17 councillor places for Ferryhill Town Council and at the moment there are only seven councillors."Mr Hewitt had only been in the post for a month and attended one meeting before he was told his wife, 77, would not be able to compete. He stood down on 26 June."When I found out that this year she wouldn't get to put herself forward after all her hard work I thought I am not really losing anything by giving it up without even getting my feet under the table."Mr Hewitt said he fully understood the situation and said if a "councillor or a councillor's wife won the competition then people could look at that and start wondering what is going on".The results of Ferryhill in Bloom 2025 will be announced in September. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Devastated' family-run tea room fights back over double yellow line plan in village
The "devastated" owners of a County Durham tea room are fighting back against plans to add double yellow lines in their village - fearing it will put off punters. The Quarry Tea House, in Hunwick, has been going from "strength to strength' since rebranding from The Quarry Burn four years ago. But the Hemlington Square deli now faces a battle after Durham Council announced plans to add double yellow lines directly outside and on nearby streets. The council said the bid, which is only in the planning stages, is in response to complaints from residents over concerns about parking and the risk of an accident. But Julie Bell, who runs The Quarry Tea House with husband Martin, 55, fears the plans could deter people from coming because they have no parking facilities, leaving visitors having to use on-street parking. The 51-year-old wants to work with villagers to 'oppose these restrictions every step of the way' while coming up with a solution to the parking problems. The Quarry Tea House in Hunwick, near Crook (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) She said: 'I do not think the yellow lines will help because a lot of residents park there too. 'The council added white lines and dropped kerbs, but nobody adhered to them and they still park over them - the dropped kerbs are covered by cars.' Julie, who has lived in the village all her life, thinks the answer could be a car park. She said: 'We need to find a solution and to try to work with the residents. 'We are bringing people to the village and it is an asset to the village. [The yellow lines] could deter people from coming to us. The approximate location of proposed yellow lines in Hunwick (Image: GOOGLE)'We need a village car park for residents and for visitors - but some say they don't want to lose the village green and said there should be parking bays.' Julie, who is a mum-of-two to Grace, 19, and Taylor, 23, said she first found out about the plans after receiving a letter from the council last week. The letter described how the scheme was hoping to 'reduce congestion and improve visibility at the proposed location'. She said: 'When I first got it, I half expected it. There's been a lot of complaints previously, I knew something was going to have to be done. But Julie is concerned about the impact on the tea room, which employs between 12 and 15 staff members, boasts two beauty rooms upstairs, and is getting 'busier and busier'. She has since organised a meeting with local councillors. 'We don't want to upset any residents', she said. 'We just want to work with them all. The Quarry Tea House (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) 'There has been a lot of support, which is why we have gone to social media. A lot of people are saying they will never stop coming.' Staff member Katie Butler, 42, who also opposes the plans, said: 'I just think it needs to be a solution for the village. It is a small village - we need a solution for everybody. Hunwick (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) 'Everything has outgrown itself, the village has outgrown itself. We get a lot more people on weekends and school holidays. 'But we cannot be responsible for the way people park.' Katie, who has worked there for 22 years, said she thinks the village could benefit from spaces that everybody could use: 'A car park would be great - we don't have the space. 'The residents will benefit from extra parking spaces.' Residents feel parking woes - but plan 'will make no difference' While the tea room is against the plans, it has sparked a mixed response from residents. Dale Gould, who has multiple sclerosis and lives near the green, says he understands the plans and hopes it will help him continue to easily get to his home. The 55-year-old said: 'It is the way people park. They park on both sides of the road itself and it is very hard to pass the gap they have left. 'I have multiple sclerosis and I need easy access.' The village green in Hunwick (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO) But the Hunwick resident said he understands the tea room's concerns, and thinks it needs parking spaces of their own, adding: 'There is a little bit of a space opposite the tea room that would be spot on for a parking space. 'They get a lot of people because it has got a hell of a reputation. A car park would be good but mostly for customers.' However, one married couple, who have lived in the village for 50 years and wished to remain anonymous, said they can't see it making any difference. 'All they are going to do is put yellow down here and move the cars over there', the man said. His 70-year-old wife added: 'Many times we have nowhere to park. We have to carry out shopping from up [the road] and it is difficult. 'We understand the yellow lines at the junctions because people do park at the junctions and that is a problem. It is getting worse, car parking, and a car park would solve problems.' Her husband, who is also aged 70 and disabled, noted how the tea room was great for the village, but understood the concerns over parking. He said: 'If there is nowhere to park, then that's the trouble. 'Sometimes I can't get past myself - and if emergency service vehicles come down they will struggle. Some have even gone across the grass.' Lines are 'in response to complaints' Plans seen by The Echo show how yellow lines would be added along one side of Hall View and Oxford Street, along junctions on West End, and outside the tea room. If approved, and so long as there are no loading restrictions, people will still be able to park over lines for as long as necessary if they are "actively dropping off, picking up, loading, and unloading, vehicles". Meanwhile, blue badge holders can park for three hours on double yellow lines, so long as there are no loading restrictions and they are not causing an obstruction. Dave Lewin, the council's strategic traffic manager, said: 'The proposed measures of double yellow lines in Hunwick are in response to complaints we have received since 2022 from residents over parking in the area, and the risk of an accident. "The works would formalise the existing white, advisory, keep-clear marks on junctions into Helmington Square, Oakfield and Oxford Street. Read more: Review to be launched into 'reckless' scrapping of town's free hour parking Plans to extend town's Aldi supermarket into chemist next door move forward Diggers move in as work gets underway on controversial new McDonald's drive-thru "Restrictions are also proposed on the eastern side of Oxford Street to maintain traffic flow in this area by ensuring one side of the road is kept clear. 'The double yellow lines would keep these junctions clear to improve road safety and ensure dropped kerbs in the area are accessible. "The scheme is still in the planning stages, so we welcome any comments from residents with any relevant concerns over the proposals.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Broken promises: The unfinished Darlington and County Durham housing estate scandal
After a week-long investigation into the state of housebuilding across County Durham and Darlington by The Northern Echo, one thing is clear: the system is broken — and it's the residents who are paying the cost. From cracked pavements at Carmel Road South in Darlington to the path and fencing problems in Eden Gardens, Sedgefield, the picture is consistent: families investing their life savings into brand-new homes, only to be left in estates that look and feel incomplete. Promised green spaces remain unbuilt. Roads are dangerous. Pavements are inaccessible. Basic infrastructure is missing or delayed. A gap in the paths of Carmel Road South, Blackwell, Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) At the start of this investigation, we set out and posed the question: How is this allowed to happen? The answer lies somewhere between unclear responsibility and limited enforcement. Councils, while sympathetic to residents' concerns, often lack the legal backing to force developers to finish work promptly. Planning conditions and Section 38 agreements exist to ensure roads and footpaths meet adoptable standards, but when those standards are not met, councils are left negotiating rather than enforcing. Unfinished brickwork on the Central Park North development in Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Darlington Borough Council has admitted its frustration, with a spokesperson saying: 'They (developers) simply need to do the work to finish the sites as per the expectations of their customers and the council.' Meanwhile, Durham County Council say they will take enforcement measures if needed. Michael Kelleher, Durham County Council's head of planning and housing, said: 'As with any planning authority, we are aware of instances of developers leaving a site following construction work, at which matters still need to be addressed. "In situations like these, we seek to make contact with developers to bring about completion. We also have enforcement powers available to us should they be needed.' Several government bills and plans have been set out in the last six months for planning and enforcement reform. General building work (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Under proposed guidelines, councils would have more power to force developers to complete work or hand the land back to the local authority. However, these proposals are only in the pipeline and not part of UK law. But without stricter timelines, stiffer penalties, or independent oversight, councils can only press, not punish. And for residents already living in these conditions, that's not enough. Another question we asked at the start of this week-long investigation: What can be done about the issue? Stronger legislation is essential, according to councillors and housing experts. Developers should be held to clear, enforceable timelines, with penalties if they fail to meet them. Cllr Chris Lines in Sedgefield (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Councils must be equipped with not just planning powers, but post-approval enforcement capabilities. And crucially, buyers must be given greater protection before they're handed keys to homes in half-finished neighbourhoods. Councillors like Chris Lines in Sedgefield and Gerald Lee in Heighington, Darlington, are doing what they can. Cllr Lines has spoken openly about the 'numerous examples' of stalled developments in his area, warning that unchecked growth could see the character of villages lost. Cllr Lee has slammed Bellway's Meadow Rise estate, where construction finished over two years ago, but vital works remain undone. 'I will always fight for my community,' said Cllr Lines. Bellway's Meadow Rise development in Heighington, near Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) But one councillor per estate is no match for a multi-million-pound developer with no deadline. While developers like Story Homes and Keepmoat cite 'ecological requirements' and 'technical delays' for unfinished work, residents are navigating real and daily hazards. Disabled people in County Durham and Darlington have spoken out about the dangers posed by missing dropped kerbs and incomplete paths. Children walk to school across gravel tracks. Elderly residents fear night time falls on unlit roads. These aren't just minor snags — they are serious safety concerns. And they are increasingly common. Cllr Alex Neil, representing Langley and Esh in County Durham (Image: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL) As jobs flood into County Durham and Darlington from new industries and investment, housing demand will only rise. But without reform, there's a risk of turning large parts of the North East into sprawling half-finished suburbs — building estates faster than we can finish them. Cllr Alex Neil, representing Langley and Esh in County Durham, has warned that rising housing targets are already threatening build quality. 'We have a surplus of approved developments,' he said. 'We can't let pressure for quantity override the need for quality.' However, are housebuilders being held accountable? Housebuilders maintain they are not 'land banking' or deliberately stalling - turning a bigger profit for 'sitting on' patches of land in the region. Bellway, for instance, says it is treating delays at its Hurworth and Heighington sites 'as a matter of urgency' and recently began adoption works at Meadow Rise, Heighington. Construction fences on Central Park North, Darlington, where Keepmoat are the developers (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Story Homes insists it is committed to completing the final phases at Carmel Road South, Blackwell, Darlington. Keepmoat says it will finish Central Park North, Darlington, site 'in the coming months.' But words offer little comfort to residents who've lived for years in unfinished neighbourhoods. What they want is certainty. What they deserve is accountability. And that can't be delivered by voluntary goodwill — it must be enforced. Where do we go from here? As The Northern Echo's investigation has revealed, this is no isolated problem. It is systemic, widespread, and dangerously close to spiralling further. If left unaddressed, unfinished housing estates could become the defining legacy of this decade's development boom. Yet, there is a chance to change course. Read more: Labour promises 'seismic reforms' as it introduces major ... Housebuilders vow to pay £100m after probe into ... Government warns housebuilders not to miss cladding deadline Controversial plans lodged for 600 new homes in Yarm Local authorities must be given more enforcement power. Planning regulations must include stricter post-completion clauses. And developers must be required to communicate clearly with residents, not just during sales, but until the last road, footpath, and light is in place. As Colin Willetts of Homes by Esh rightly puts it earlier in the week, housing should be about 'creating communities for the future' — not leaving families stranded in landscapes of broken promises. Building homes is not just about bricks and mortar. It's about people, and the lives they build behind the front door.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- BBC News
Chester-le-Street takeaway licence revoked over illegal workers
A takeaway has had its alcohol licence suspended after illegal workers were found there during several immigration Red Lantern in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was accused of assaulting and obstructing Home Office workers and not registering staff, despite repeated warnings.A Durham County Council licensing hearing was told staff also refused to cooperate with officers' investigations and shouted warnings to workers to evade Woodrow, representing licence holder Song Min He, said he had proposed making several improvements, including taking a licence qualification. But the Home Office warned the alcohol licence, for between 23:00 and 02:00, should be revoked due to the repeated Harkus, from Immigration Enforcement, said: "This premises has been repeatedly found using illegal workers. "The first visit should have served as an opportunity to improve the business practices, however, this was not the case." 'Proactive obstruction' Immigration officers raided the premises on Front Street three times between 2019 and 2025 and found 10 people working there holder Song Min He said he rented the ownership of the takeaway to another company in 2022 due to illness, and did not have oversight of the business. Dhax Limited, the company previously listed as in control, had already been fined £28,000 for employing workers illegally, with another potential penalty under consideration, the hearing Woodrow said the licensee accepted Dhax had not "done it properly, but he has got somebody else in now".However, the council's licensing committee voted unanimously to revoke the venue's licence, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Mr Harkus added: "The repetitive proactive obstruction and more recent assault of a law enforcement officer is a clear demonstration that the responsible management of the premises is not a high priority to the licence holder."He was not only present during the visit conducted in 2019, but he was complicit in obstructing officers entering the kitchen area and was witnessed shouting instructions to others to block officers, which resulted in him being forcibly removed." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
