September 2013 - Darlington Together

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Welcome to this month’s magazine for Darlington Borough Hello and welcome to the September issue of Darlington Together. For many, the Summer Holidays are over and there have been many fun activities for children and young people in the town. However, Darlington will still be leading the way for culture and entertainment in the autumn with two very unique events.

As you are probably aware, there will be lots of work taking place in the town centre soon, with the creation of the cinema, hotel and restaurant development at Feethams, as well as the relocation of the Department of Education Offices. Whilst all this work will bring economic benefit to the town, we will need to provide additional car parking. We have created a draft parking strategy and will be holding a consultation this September. Whether you work, live or visit the town centre regularly, I urge you to get in touch and have your say. Please read page 30 to find out how.

Darlington will become a beacon for music and September theatre when Jabberwocky Theatre takes place between the 3 and 6 October in lots of different venues across the town. Many of the events that take place in Darlington prove that you can find entertainment in the least likely of places, and Jabberwocky On a final note, it’s social media week from the 23 to the 27 Theatre is no exception, with the Festival hub being in the September. Did you know we have 25 different Facebook covered market.You can read more on page 24. pages and ten different Twitter accounts? We’ve found that social media is a great way to share information, as well as answer peoples’ questions. As we went The Festival of Thrift takes place on the 21 and 22 to print, our main Twitter account September at the superb Lingfield Point. The first festival of (@darlingtonbc) celebrated its its kind in the country, it is taking place to prove that 4000th follower! You can recycling and living sustainable can save you money and can find out more on page 27. be fun too! Find out more on pages 28 and 29.

Cllr Bill Dixon MBE (@BillDixonDton) Leader of the Council

MP’s surgeries Jenny Chapman: MP will be holding WalkIn Surgeries between 9.30 and 11.00 am on the following Fridays: 6, 13, and 27 September at the Constituency Office, 40a Coniscliffe Road, Darlington DL3 7RG. E-mail: jenny.chapman.mp@parliament.uk Call: 01325 382345

Phil Wilson: MP for Sedgefield. The office is open between Monday to Friday, 9.30am - 5pm. Appointments can be arranged by calling 01325 321603 or e-mail phil.wilson.mp@parliament.uk

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NEWS IN BRIEF Electric blanket testing: There will be free testing of electric blankets at Age UK’s Beaumont Street West Centre on Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 September. Tests will be carried out by a qualified engineer. To book please call 01325 362832.

Council officer wins award: Ged Doherty from the Safeguarding Adults Team has won the John Sunley Prize for a piece of research he completed for his masters degree. His report ‘does familiarity breed contempt? A conceptual and theoretical analysis of “Mate Crime”’ will be published by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Click4Health: Click (Darlington Youth Service) have created a mobile-friendly page for young people who want to find out more about health issues including drugs and alcohol, emergency contraception and mental health. Go to www.click4health.co.uk to find out more.

Business continuity: A new business continuity guide is available to help businesses prepare for unexpected events such as floods or fires. To get a copy visit www.darlington.gov.uk/businesscontinuity

Green gym in South Park: A chest press, a leg press and an air skier have been installed in South Park for visitors to use. The outdoor gym is free, and was installed by The Friends of South Park and Darlington Park Rangers.

YOS award: Darlington Youth Offending Service have won a prestigious National Restorative Justice Award for their work with Durham Police to help young people avoid the criminal system.

For more information please visit www.darlington.gov.uk/yosaward

CONTACT US STREET SCENE www.darlington.gov.uk/streetscene Tel (01325) 388777 COUNCIL TAX www.darlington.gov.uk/counciltax Tel (01325) 388373 HOUSING BENEFIT AND COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT www.darlington.gov.uk/benefits Tel (01325) 388514 HOUSING AND REPAIRS www.darlington.gov.uk/housing Tel (01325) 388542 HIGHWAYS,TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH www.darlington.gov.uk Tel (01325) 388799

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www.darlington.gov.uk For general enquiries please call 01325 380651 or email enquiries@darlington.gov.uk

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YOUR

DARLINGTON

Money Talks... what happens next?

In June and July we held events to find out what people thought of the services we provide and which services they value the most. This information will help us determine the budget for 2014 and beyond.

What have people been saying on Twitter?

People could vote online and rank the seven services we provide in order of importance to them. We received 576 responses over the course of the consultation.

Which service is the most important to you?

Leisure and Local Environment = 26.9% Adult Social Care and Housing = 25.3% Children and Young People = 21.9% Economy and Regeneration = 8.2% Health and Partnerships = 8.0%

Your Council = 5.6% Transport = 4.2%

We will use the results of the poll alongside feedback that we received at the consultation events and comments we received over the phone, email and social media.

We were tweeting live from all of our events using the #dbcbudget hashtag and residents were keen to have their say! Here are some of the messages we were sent: “Take away school crossing patrols and wait to see how long it takes someone to be killed. Not worth it at any cost” “housing is vital, affordable homes are in short supply in the town” “the wheelie bins would be too small for two weeks rubbish and the smell would be awful” “Fortnightly alternate collections?

Would encourage recycling and precompacting of containers” “lets protect our most vulnerable in our communities no cuts to socialcare plz”

For more information about what has happened so far, please visit www.darlington.gov.uk/budget or scan the QR code on the right-hand side of this page.

We will draw up proposals for a new council budget in October.

You will then be able to have your say about these proposals.

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Opening up a World of Entertainment at Darlington Civic Theatre On 2 September, the much-loved Civic Theatre celebrates its 106th birthday. Over the years many stars have trodden the boards here including Tommy Cooper, Dame Vera Lynn and Mickey Rooney. It is a treasured landmark and a sought-after venue for national touring companies.

The road to restoration ...how you can help!

Our challenge is to make sure that your theatre is preserved in all its Edwardian splendour, to equip it to receive the biggest and best shows and to make sure that audiences have a wonderful experience from the moment they enter the theatre.

We’re setting out on an ambitious journey to raise enough money to carry out a restoration of the theatre. We’ll be seeking funding from a variety of sources; however one of our first crucial decisions has been to follow the example of other theatres and introduced a restoration levy of £1 on all of our tickets, with the exception of work specifically for children.

The money raised will go directly and exclusively towards restoring the theatre and our aim is to raise £125,000 each year.

We very much value your support and hope that you will recognise the importance of this contribution to our plans for the future of this theatre.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AND BEAT THE QUEUES! Did you know we have upgraded our online booking system? It is now easier to use, plus you can now choose your own seats!

Visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk to find out more

To find out more about the Civic Theatre, including details about the levy, what’s on and how to book tickets online, please visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk or scan the QR code at the right-hand side of this page.

You can also keep up to date with the latest news on social media—follow the Civic Theatre on Twitter (@DarloCivic) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/darlingtoncivictheatre)

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All change for a better station

The first phase of work has been completed at Dinsdale Station in Middleton St George providing rail passengers with better facilities – enclosed waiting shelters, CCTV, new DDA compliant signs and information, a public announcement system with audio loop, and new electronic information screens with next train and departure announcements – are all installed.

The work at the station itself is part of the Metro project which has seen train stations across the Tees Valley being upgraded. Later in the year a second phase of work will take place including the resurfacing of the pedestrian access ramps, new handrails on both sides of each ramp and the removal of the conifer trees adjacent to the platforms.

A second rail project enables modern bigger freight containers to run between Teesport and the rest of the

Passenger numbers are up at Dinsdale Station with the number of trips being made increasing by 230% in the past five years

rail network. Rail can be a cheaper, quicker, more practical and sustainable way for business to move their goods around the country. By connecting Teesport with this capability opportunities for economic growth become available. On average one freight train equates to 60 lorry movements so this not only supports the Tees Valley economy it will also help to take freight trucks off the region’s roads.

At Dinsdale Station we cannot lower the tracks so must replace the existing bridge, which carries the main road through the village.

The Council, Network Rail, Northern Rail and contractors Carillion have worked with the Parish Council, local residents, the school, businesses and Arriva to discuss plans, timescales and temporary road and rail closures.

Businesses in Middleton St George village will remain open throughout the works.

Trains run every half hour to Darlington and Middlesbrough from Dinsdale Station 7 days a week

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What do you think a

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Earlier this year, we asked a selection of residents what they think about life in the Borough through the latest Community Survey.

Questions in the survey included some which had been asked previously, so we could find out how things are progressing, and some new questions.

Through the survey, residents let us know about how often they use, and how satisfied they are with Council venues and buildings such as the libraries, Dolphin Centre, and markets. The Survey also looked at areas such as the cleanliness of our streets and refuse collections.

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72.2% satisfied with the cleanliness of the town.

For those questions where we could compare answers to previous years, responses mainly showed that you think things are better or at the very least, have stayed the same.

The Survey also asked people how they like to contact the Council – post being the least favoured, with telephone, email and Internet being most popular.

This year’s Survey looked at responses from residents in each Ward across the Borough to help understand whether where people live affects how they feel about the Borough.

Areas where there have been improvements since the 2008 Place Survey included: Satisfaction with the way the Council runs things

Feelings of safety outside in the local area after dark Less vandalism, graffiti and drunken behaviour

How satisfied are you with Council Services?

92.2% Civic Theatre, Very or Fairly Satisfied 91.5% Library, 83.9% Dolphin Centre

Thank you if you took the time to return your Survey.Your feedback has helped us better understand residents’ views, opinions and feelings about life here and what we do.

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k about Your Borough?

WHO RESPONDED?

CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT Although the survey showed where things had improved, there were some areas where people felt things had not.

55.2% of those who responded felt they weren’t able to influence decisions made by the Council.

We are working with residents to try to make improvements. The recent Money Talks events are an example of where we are involving residents to have an input into our decisionmaking process.

To see the full report, please visit www.darlington.gov.uk/communitysurvey or scan the QR code:

We have also established a Citizens Panel.

If you would like to become involved in the future of Darlington and would like to be a member of the Citizens Panel please contact feedback@darlington.gov.uk

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Theatre while you shop at Jabberwocky Market! 3-6 October Darlington covered market will become a centre for theatre, music and entertainment this Autumn when the first Jabberwocky Market festival takes place

WHAT IS A JABBERWOCKY? The Jabberwocky is a fictional creature from a poem by author Lewis Carroll, made famous in the book “Through the Looking-Glass, and what Alice found there”. It was written by Carroll when he lived in Croft-on-Tees and many people believe it was inspired by the local legend of the Sockburn Worm.

WHAT’S GOING ON? The very first Jabberwocky Market will launch on Thursday 3 October at The Forum, with Kate Tempest's acclaimed show, Brand New Ancients.

"The gods are in the betting shops, the gods are in the café, The gods can’t afford the deposit on their flat…

Winged sandals tearing up the pavement, Me, you, everyone, Brand New Ancients."

The festival will bring performances to many different places in the town including schools, the town centre and the Forum.

The festival is led by Battersea Arts Centre and local producing company Luxi, with support from Arts Council England, the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Creative Darlington, Darlington Borough Council and Darlington Markets, amongst others.

Come along to the Festival Hub! There will be a stall in the covered market from 19 September to 6 October which will host performances from youth groups and performers from across the town

Jabberwocky Friday is for children and families, including a show by the master maker-upper, Polarbear called Mouth Open, Story Jump Out. On Jabberwocky Saturday you can stumble across pop-up theatre and events happening around the town centre and on Jabberwocky Sunday be prepared for an Odyssey featuring a flock of paper puppets, illustrations and live video, courtesy of Paper Cinema.

That's just a taster of what we have in store. For the rest of the programme, see www.jabberwockymarket.org.uk

Visit www.jabberwockymarket.org.uk for more information about what’s on. Jabberwocky Market are also on Twitter (@JabbMarket) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/JabberwockyMarket)

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Darlington’s Peer Challenge The Council recently took part in a ‘Peer Challenge’ in which Council Leaders and Senior Officers from other authorities across the Country looked at how Darlington Council runs its business and whether it does a good job with your money.

What is the Peer Challenge?

The Peer Challenge is a review available to councils which helps them see where they need to improve. It is overseen by the Local Government Association (LGA) and is free of charge to councils. Councils are independently reviewed on a number of key areas by senior staff and politicians from other councils. We were reviewed by Salford, Kensington and Chelsea, Plymouth, Suffolk and Gateshead.

What happened?

After sending an initial statement to the LGA, about 130 Darlington staff, Councillors and representatives from other organisations in the borough were interviewed. The review ended on 7 June and we were given the final report in August.

plan. The Council has, by choice, been a low cost and low tax authority delivering good services to residents.

The review also picked up on some things we could do better which we are working hard to improve on:

What were the results?

The team were really impressed by what they found in Darlington. Here are some quotes from the report: • The Council has successfully built upon a very strong community identity and local allegiances to ensure that Darlington maintains its sense of distinctiveness and pride, expressed through its vision and strategy.

• Staff at the Council are positive about their roles, hard-working and deliver good services. This is a very obvious strength and they should be commended for this as the organisation has gone and will continue to go through significant change • Darlington Borough Council has a history and a reputation for sound financial management. This is evidenced through the recent savings of £19m in a comparatively small budget, completed to time and

• It was recommended that we make sure there is balance between the messages we send out to our staff and the public about our financial challenge, and the messages we send out about the good things that are happening and our hope and optimism about the future. They felt that we did not have that balance quite right in recent times.

• It was recommended that we work at a faster pace to identify and then implement the collaborations and arrangements that offer the best prospect of meeting our challenges and making the most of our opportunities.

• It was recommended that we work to set out a clear vision for public services, including Council services, into the medium and long term. This involves working even more closely with other public services.

To read the final report and find out more, visit www.darlington.gov.uk/peerchallenge

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New School Year, New healthy habits With children all across the borough starting back at school it's the ideal time to kick start a new healthy routine. Getting the best start to the day by having a good breakfast is an important part of being healthy. Some of us, perhaps without realising it may be choosing breakfast options that are high in sugar or fat.

It’s easier and quicker than you may think to get a great start to the day. It’s good to base breakfast on starchy food like bread and cereals, especially wholegrain, because it is high in fibre. If you are having toast go easy on breakfast spreads that are high in fat, sugar and salt e.g. jam, butter and yeast extract. It’s best to spread it thinly. Some breakfast cereals can be high in sugar, so try to eat cereals that are lower in salt and sugar. Try adding some fruit to increase the fibre and add some sweetness. Fresh, frozen, tinned or dried fruit all count towards your 5 a day.

Eating breakfast provides the energy we need until lunchtime, helps to cut down on snacking throughout

The County Durham and Darlington Health Improvement Service Food and Health team deliver food, nutrition and health programmes to parents, carers, young people and adults focusing on current healthy eating guidance. All programmes are FREE and delivered in your local community. For more information please call 01325 746137 or visit www.impact.cdd.nhs.uk “More of this practical cook sessions please; to help us promote healthy lifestyle in the community.”

(Luncheon Club lead, Darlington*) “The Small Steps to Good Nutrition course showed me a wider range of healthier choice of food to try with my family.” (Parent*) “ The Small Steps to Good Nutrition course has brought engagement with struggling families a new meaning.” (Head Teacher*) * Names have been omitted to protect the person

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the morning and can help children concentrate at school. For great healthy breakfast ideas visit www.nhs.uk/Change4Life.

HEALTHY TIPS The County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust Health Improvement Library carries a wide range of resources covering healthy eating, some of which are specifically developed for use in school settings.

Teachers can borrow resources and request leaflets and posters for classroom use, while parents can find tips on what to include in a healthy lunchbox. This is a free service available to anyone who is working to promote or studying health in Darlington.

All the library’s resources can be accessed online at www.hpac.cdd.nhs.uk or call 01325 364270 for more information.

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Darlington gets social!

It’s social media week between 23-27 September - an international event where people and organisations promote social media and how it can be used to share information.

Find out how we use social media and how to start using it if you’re not already!

A quick guide to social media Facebook: The world’s largest and most popular social network where you can share what you’re up to with friends

Twitter: A social network where all messages sent have to be 140 characters maximum. These messages are called “tweets”

Darlington Dog Warden “We joined Facebook in June 2011. By August 2011 we had over 400 page likes and today we have over 3,300!

We use the page to reunite stray dogs with their owners and upload photos which people share amongst their Facebook friends.

YouTube:

One of our most successful stories involved a lady who was on holiday somewhere in Europe, she was on our page and noticed her dog which had got away from its holiday home. She sent us a message and we were able to keep him safe for when she returned.

A social network where you can add (‘upload’) and view videos.

We get so much positive feedback about the page and it’s like a little community. People from as far away as America and Australia regularly visit and comment on the page.”

LinkedIn: A social network for professionals, where you can get in touch with other professionals and apply for jobs

Pinterest: A social network where you can create an online ‘pin board’ and ‘pin’ your favourite photos to them.

The Darlington Dog Warden page is at www.facebook.com/darlingtondogwarden or alternatively, scan the QR code

Many Darlington council services are on social media— from Head of Steam to the Children’s Centres.

We use social media to publish information and news, both in work time and out of hours.

To find out more, visit www.darlington.gov.uk/socialnetworks or scan the QR code.

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Make the shift t

Festival of Thrift – 21and 2 The countdown is on to the UK’s first ever Festival of Thrift – here in Darlington!

The free festival will be held at Lingfield Point on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September.

Heading the celebrity team are top designers Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway who are curating the event to ensure there’s something fun, funky and entertaining for all the family.

Former Dragons’ Den entrepreneur and now co-star of Channel 4’s ‘Kirstie Allsopp’s Fill Your House For Free’ Max McMurdo will also be at the festival – ‘upcycling’ an old caravan into a fabulous new home-on-wheels fit for the coolest of campers.

It's great news that Darlington will host the first-ever Festival of Thrift in September Lingfield Point used to be the Patons and Baldwins wool producing site, so it is the ultimate upcycled venue and the ideal host for the event. Plus, the residents of Darlington are the most resourceful, community-minded people I know.The buzz they are producing on Twitter about the event is fantastic, with people sharing news with their friends and talking about how they are going to get involved.

The Festival of Thrift will not only provide a great weekend of entertainment, but will give people the opportunity to learn new skills, think about sustainability and hopefully save them money too. I hope it will be a strong presence in Darlington for many years to come.

Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council

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The festival is a must for everyone who wants to learn new skills and bag themselves some bargains—and have a great time while doing it!

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t to thrift!

d 22 September WHAT’S ON AT THE FESTIVAL? • The Live Art’s Alternative Village Fete will feature specially commissioned performances including live music and dance from Rock a Hula and a giant people-powered Ecomobile!

• Street performers: the Vintage Tea Club ladies, Paul Henri’s Chapeau Magique, Rag and Bone and Darlington-based Theatre Hullabaloo’s new show for under-fives, Spinning Yarns.

• A Multi–Thrifty Swapshop, Upcycled Fashion shows, Ideal Thrifty Homes with workshops led by Teesside University and FRADE and craft workshops for thrifty creations.

• Fantastic food will be found from street food stalls, food workshops, and an onsite picnic, Bistro du Van eateries created by local chefs, foraging trips and a Thriftea Party.

• Darlington Borough Council has thrown itself in and got its hands dirty ( literally!) organising pop up allotments and green demonstrations.

• There will be animals, with advice on how to care for them including pigs, bee-keeping and hens, as well as lovingly restored vintage vehicles and old fashioned games.

…and much more!

Are you coming along to the festival?

Do you love upcycling old things into lovely new goodies?

Is everything in your home vintage?

If so, let us know!

For more information about the Festival of Thrift please visit www.festivalofthrift.co.uk.

Festival of Thrift is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/festivalofthrift), Twitter (@thriftfest) and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/ThriftFest) Festival of Thrift is supported by Creative Darlington and Darlington Borough Council

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Have your say about parking in Darlington

The Council has produced a draft parking strategy for Darlington for 2014-2026 and it wants to hear your views The strategy covers all aspects of parking in the Borough including parking charges, parking supply, Blue Badge parking, HGV & coach parking and Residents Parking Zones.

Throughout 2012 we consulted a number of groups within Darlington including

residents, businesses and special interest groups – this included open drop-in sessions, surveys of town centre car park users and surveys of residents living in Resident Parking Zones. In response to the feedback we received, the draft parking strategy has been produced.

We want to hear your views on the draft strategy before it is finalised and have organised three drop-in sessions – to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.

Fri 6th Sept

9.30-12.00

Dolphin Centre Reception

Wed 11th Sept

17.00-19.00

Dolphin Centre Reception

Sat 14th Sept

9.30-12.00

Market Stall

The draft parking strategy is available to view on our website—go to www.darlington.gov.uk/parkingconsultation or scan the QR code.

If you would like more information about the draft strategy or any of the consultation sessions taking place email transport@darlington.gov.uk

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We will also be holding a session for residents living in Residents Parking Zones on Monday 23rd September from 5pm to 7pm in the Studio in the Dolphin Centre. This will be a chance for residents to give their views on Residents Parking Zones.

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New buildings everywhere “Why is the Council spending so much money on new buildings when it is telling us they need to cut budgets? This is a question which we are asked a lot, and in the current economic climate, I can understand why.

I would like to use some recent examples to show why we take the decisions we do, and that we are investing wisely to improve the economy and create more jobs at no cost to you, the taxpayer” Councillor Steve Harker, Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Resources.

Cinema, hotel and restaurant Development at Feethams

We have made this happen in partnership with the private sector and no Council money has been put into the development. The developer will pay us a substantial sum for the land and once open, the developer will pay business rates, which should mean we will recover about £250,000 a year

Relocation of Department of Education Offices to the town centre We are building these offices to ensure jobs are kept in Darlington. Bringing the jobs to the town centre will be great for our economy. We will spend approximately £9m but the Department for Education will repay this so there will be no cost to the Council.

Darlington Business Growth Hub This exciting new building is fully funded by grants and will be run by an independent operator meaning there will be no costs to the Council.

New car parking in the town centre ‘ As a result of all the new developments in Feethams we will need to build a new car park to replace lost spaces and meet the need for more parking. The car park will be funded by a mixture of additional business rates, additional car parking income and money raised from the sale of the Council-owned sites. To have your say about car parking in the town, visit page 30.

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Darlington Together Your local councillor is there to listen to you and find out about the issues that are affecting life in your ward.

You can e-mail, telephone or meet with your local councillor at regular ward surgeries.

E-mailing councillors: If you wish to e-mail your councillor their e-mail address is: firstname.lastname@darlington.gov.uk For example, if you wish to e-mail Bill Dixon, type in bill.dixon@darlington.gov.uk • The only exceptions are Andy Scott (Haughton West Ward), Anne-Marie Curry (North Road Ward), Ron Lewis (Mowden) and Tom Nutt (Haughton North); their e-mail addresses are shown with their ward surgery details.

BANK TOP WARD Veronica Copeland (L) Tel: 358530; Chris Taylor (L), Tel: 243298. Fri 20 Sept, King William Street Community Centre 5pm-6pm. Wesley Court Community Centre, Rocket Street 6pm-6.30pm CENTRAL WARD Jan Taylor (L) Tel: 243298; Malcolm Wright (L) Tel: 484374. Wed 18 Sept, Gurney Pease Primary School 6pm-7pm, Wed 2 Oct, Park Place Community Hall 6pm-7pm.

COCKERTON EAST WARD Paul Baldwin (L) Tel: 362690 Sue Richmond (L) Tel: 351538. Bryan Thistlethwaite (L) Tel: 485466. Thurs 12 Sept, Cockerton Library 6pm-7pm.

COCKERTON WEST WARD Jan Cossins (L) Tel: 241124 David Regan (L) Tel: 357324. Wed 11 Sept, Windsor Court 10am-11am. Thurs 12 Sept, Cockerton Library 6pm – 7pm.

COLLEGE WARD Tony Richmond (C) Tel: 351538 Ian Galletley (C) Tel: 07507904109. Wed 11 Sept, Abbey Junior School 7pm-8pm.

EASTBOURNE WARD Bill Dixon (L) Tel: 486588 Roderick Francis (L) Tel: 488173 Lee Vasey (L) Tel: 488513. Wed 18 Sept, Pilmoor Green Community Centre 5pm-6pm, Wed 25 Sept, Firthmoor Community Centre 3pm-4pm.

FAVERDALE Richard Grundy (C) Tel: 266314. Wed 18 Sept, West Park Academy 6pm-7pm.

HARROWGATE HILL WARD Gill Cartwright (C) Tel: 382276. Wed 2 Oct, Harrowgate CIU Ltd. Salters Lane North 7.30pm – 8.30pm. Marjory Knowles (L) Tel: 265847 John Vasey (L) Tel: 488513. Tues 1 Oct, Classroom in the New Sports Hall Longfield Academy 7pm-8pm.

HAUGHTON EAST WARD Chris McEwan (L) Tel: 283262 Martin Landers (L) Tel: 07709804580. Wed 2 Oct, Red Hall Community Centre 6pm-7pm. Sat 5 Oct, Asda Foyer 10am11.30am.

HAUGHTON NORTH WARD Tom Nutt (L) Tel: 360953 thomas.nutt@darlington.gov.uk Beverley Hutchinson (L) Tel: 262015. Sat 5 Oct, Asda Foyer 10am-11.30am.

HAUGHTON WEST WARD Nick Wallis (L) Tel: 488797 David Lyonette (L) Tel: 464693 Andy Scott (L) Tel: 253707 andrew.scott@darlington.gov.uk Wed 11 Sept, Salvation Army, Thompson St. 6pm–7pm. Sat 5 Oct, Asda Foyer 10am-11.30am.

HEIGHINGTON AND CONISCLIFFE WARD Gerald Lee (C) Tel: 314622 Paul Crudass (C) Tel: 374537. Sat 5 Oct, Piercebridge Village Hall, 10am-11am.

HUMMERSKNOTT WARD Alan Coultas (C) Tel: 350453 Charles Johnson (C) Tel: 463712 Mon 23 Sept, Carmel Academy 6pm-7pm.

HURWORTH WARD Joe Kelley (LD) Tel: 266760. Martin Swainston (LD) Tel: 07535637060. Thurs 3 Oct, Hurworth

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Grange Community Centre Library 6pm-7pm.

LASCELLES WARD Wendy Newall (L) Tel: 251574. Helen Crumbie (L) Tel: 462642. Sat 14 Sept, Cleveland Bridge Social Club 12 noon – 1pm, Tues 17 Sept, St John’s Primary School 6pm-7pm.

LINGFIELD WARD Ian Haszeldine (L) Tel: 741508 Lynne Haszeldine (L) Tel: 741508. Wed 11 Sept, Eastbourne Sports Complex 6pm-6.30pm, Wed 25 Sept, Heathfield Primary School 6pm-6.30pm.

MIDDLETON ST. GEORGE WARD Doris Jones (C) Tel: 332820 Steve York (C) Tel: 332025. Tues 24 Sept, Dinsdale Court 6.15pm-7.15pm.

MOWDEN WARD Ron Lewis (C) Tel: 350259 ronald.lewis@darlington.gov.uk Bill Stenson (C) Tel: 468249.

Mon 7 Oct, Mowden Junior School 6.30pm-7.30pm.

NORTH ROAD WARD Anne-Marie Curry (LD) Tel: 482415 annemarie.curry@darlington.gov.uk Fred Lawton (LD) Tel: 467413 Alan Macnab (LD) Tel: 482015 Wed 25 Sept, Northlands Methodist Church 9.15am-10.15am.

NORTHGATE WARD Eleanor Lister, (L) Tel. 254091 Dorothy Long, (L) Tel. 355755 Wed 2 Oct, Reid Street Primary School, 6pm-7pm.

PARK EAST WARD Paul Harman (L) Tel: 483259 Cyndi Hughes (L) Tel: 480975 Joe Lyonette (L) Tel: 263480. Fri 13 Sept, St. Columbas Church Hall 6-7pm. Fri 20 Sept, The Coleridge Centre 6-7pm.

PARK WEST WARD Bob Donoghue (C) Tel: 352582 Heather Scott (C) Tel: 468547. Fri 20 Sept, 76 Carmel Road South 5pm-6pm.

PIERREMONT WARD Bob Carson (L) Tel: 240627 Stephen Harker (L) Tel: 380039 Linda Hughes (L) Tel: 07904772387. Wed 4 Sept and Wed 2 Oct, Reid Street Primary School 6-7pm.

SADBERGE AND WHESSOE No ward surgeries held but please contact your Councillor with any issues or queries. Brian Jones (C) Tel: 332820 Key: (L) Labour (C) Conservative (LD) Liberal Democrat

Upcoming Committee Dates

Adults and Housing Scrutiny Committee

Health and Well Being Board

General Licensing Committee

Tues 10 September 9.30am

Committee Room 2

Tues 10 September 3.30pm

Committee Room 1

Tues 24 September 9.30am

Committee Room 3

Planning Applications Committee Wed 25 September 1.30pm

Committee Room 2

Tues 26 September 4.15pm

Committee Room 2

Audit Committee