The City of Durham Parish Council has responded to the proposed new bus station plans for North Road. A copy of the Parish Council’s full response can be found here:

Response to bus station consultation_CoDPC

Please see the key decisions taken at the Full Council meeting in January 2020 here: City of Durham Parish Council updates – January 2020

The Parish Council has responded to the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders as set out below.

Please find details of the Parish Council’s response here: Response to Framwelgate Waterside TRO

If you wish to make any comments on the plans, please do so by 31st January 2020 to Steven.Muse@durham.gov.uk

Details of the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders

To introduce:
‘no waiting and no loading at any time’ (double yellows with kerb ticks) – to reduce obstructive parking and improve accessibility along the section of highway. (shown with Dark Blue Hatching)

‘Coach Drop off/ Pick up’ bays (white dashes with BUSES lettering) – to allow for coaches to drop off tourists to allow them easy walking access to the City.

‘Blue Badge Holder Only’ Bays (white dashes with DISABLED lettering) – to allow blue badge holders parking availability in this location. (shown with Light Blue Hatching)

‘Pay and Display and Permit Holders Only (Zone G) 8am-6pm – to give parking availability to road users to use the amenities. (shown with Black Hatching)

Non-Traffic Regulation Order Restrictions – Does not need a consultation process as statutory right to introduce, however your feedback would be gratefully received.

To introduce:
‘Bus Stop’ (yellow box and lettering) – For the Cathederal Bus service use only.

Engineering Construction Work (Coach Parking General Arrangement Plan)
To introduce:

Carriageway realignment and associated footway provision to accommodate a roundabout where Framwelgate Waterside meets Frankland Lane and Sidegate to improve general traffic manoeuvres and allow coaches to turn and access the proposed coach parking bay.

Footway provision in the area of the proposed Cathedral bus stop and coach parking bay to ensure safe and accessible pedestrian boarding and alighting areas.

Carriageway widenings to improve carriageway suitability for passing vehicles.

Notice of publication of Durham City Neighbourhood Plan proposal under Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 and the Localism Act 2011

You will recall being consulted on the draft Durham City Neighbourhood Plan in the Spring of 2019.

The Neighbourhood Plan sets down guidance for development within the City of Durham Parish over the next 15 years. The Plan has been developed by the Parish Council incorporating feedback from residents, businesses and interested parties and from the review of a range of supporting documents. It is a comprehensive plan including policies on Sustainable Development, Historic Environment, Green Infrastructure, Employment and Town Centres, Housing, Transport, and Community Facilities.

The Durham City Neighbourhood Plan has now reached the submission draft stage, the final consultation before it undergoes an examination by an independent examiner. If approved by the examiner, a referendum will then be held in the Parish to decide if it should be adopted as part of the statutory Development Plan for the area.

The submission consultation is run by Durham County Council, who will publicise the Plan and its supporting documents for comment from Monday 6 January 2020 to Monday 17 February 2020. The plan and supporting documents can be seen online at http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/18184/Neighbourhood-planning-what-s-happening-and on the Parish Council website Neighbourhood Plan page: http://npf.durhamcity.org.uk/the-plan/

Hard copies are available for inspection at:

The County Council Offices, Durham County Council, County Hall, DH1 5UZ (Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm)

Clayport Library, 8 Millennium Pl, Durham, DH1 1WA
(Monday to Friday 9:30 am – 7pm; Saturdays 9 am – 5pm)

Town Hall, Market Place, Durham, DH1 3NJ
(Monday to Friday 9am – 5:00pm)

If you are unable to view the plan at either venue please contact the Spatial Policy Team (details below) and we will arrange for a copy to be posted out to you free of charge.

Having your say

Representations may be made by a number of methods:
Email: spatialpolicy@durham.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 261908
Post: Spatial Policy (Rm 4/24-35), Durham County Council, County Hall, Durham DH1 5UQ

Comments must be received by 5pm 17 February 2020

Notification

Any representations may include a request to be notified regarding Durham County Council’s decision under Regulation 19 to “make” the submitted Durham City Neighbourhood Plan part of the development plan for County Durham.

The Durham City Neighbourhood Plan is set for the next stage of public consultation after Councillors on the City of Durham Parish Council unanimously approved the latest version at a Full Council meeting in October.

The Neighbourhood Plan recently underwent a Regulation 14 (public) consultation and the vast number of responses were positive and there were also a number of amends requested to the Plan. The latest version of the Plan represents the culmination of amends to that feedback and, following the Parish Council’s approval, this Plan is now set to go out to another (Regulation 16) public consultation.

Councillor Roger Cornwell, Chair of the City of Durham Parish Council Planning Committee and also of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Party said, “the City of Durham Neighbourhood Plan has reached a major milestone with the submission of the Plan to the County Council for a final consultation, an independent Examination, and a Referendum. At the end of the process Durham City will have a plan shaped by local residents, meeting their hopes and aspirations for the next fifteen years. All planning applications in our City will need to take this Plan into account. The theme of sustainability runs like a golden thread through the Plan. All new development will contribute to a long-term sustainable future for Durham City by ensuring a balanced relationship among environmental, social and economic outcomes”.

Councillor Elizabeth Scott, Chair of the City of Durham Parish Council said, “The City of Durham Parish Council was set up to be a voice for the City. Like our residents, we recognise the need to promote development which is affordable, sustainable and in accordance with the local needs of our Parish. The Neighbourhood Plan is going to allow us to develop a shared vision for our community; creating a strategy for future development in our area and influencing where new homes, shops, offices and other developments are built. This will also allow us to identify and protect important local green spaces as well as ensuring the conservation of our precious World Heritage Site”.
“The Neighbourhood Plan is the work of a team of dedicated volunteers first in the Neighbourhood Planning Forum and latterly in the Parish Working Party. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for all of their hard work”.

A message from the Chair of the City of Durham Parish Council, Councillor Elizabeth Scott on the closure of the Sands carpark.

The City of Durham Parish Council has contacted Durham County Council and is looking into all issues raised within this video. The Parish Council is clear in their position that this is the wrong scheme for Durham City.

The Parish Council has raised concerns about the felling of the much-loved trees in this carpark. The County Council earlier this year declared a climate emergency and has now felled a large number of trees at a time when we need more trees not less for the City centre.

The Parish Council is also pushing for alternative temporary car parking provision to be made available to ensure that the impact on local businesses as a result of the closure of this carpark is mitigated against. The fact that the a very well-used open air car park in the city centre has been closed at the height of the Summer tourist season is unacceptable.

The Parish Council has also requested that the fencing around the common land be removed immediately. No works are taking place on this land and members of the public do have a right to roam on this land.

On 29th July, the City of Durham Parish Council were notified that the Sands carpark is due to close from the 11th August to enable the construction of the new County Council Headquarters building.

The move to close the Sands car park will result in the loss of one hundred and thirty car parking spaces. In addition to this, the County Council is also taking away the longer stay spaces at the Sidegate carpark and changing the tariffs to this carpark in order to create more short stay spaces. The coach park currently in operation at the Sands will also be moved to Belmont from 11th August. The County Council is also currently consulting on a scheme to introduce 10 parking bays specifically for the use of the Market Traders on a Saturday at Providence Row, over 100m away from the Sands car park, which a number of the traders using high sided vehicles currently use. These changes to the car parking provision in the City are entirely to support the construction of the new County Council Headquarters at the Sands; a scheme the City of Durham Parish Council has long objected to.

Chair of the City of Durham Parish Council Cllr Elizabeth Scott said, “this is really unbelievable from this County Council. They are closing the most central, well used open air carpark in the City at the height of the Summer tourist season. At the same time, they are doing away with the long stay spaces at Sidegate at a time when much of the Prince Bishop’s multi-storey carpark is closed for refurbishment. Where exactly do they expect visitors of the City to park? To add to this, the alternative provision of the replacement coach park at Belmont is totally unsuitable and something we as a Parish Council have never been consulted on. This is all being done to enable the construction of their new County HQ which will have a devastating impact on our City.”

Chair of the City of Durham Parish Council Planning Committee Cllr Roger Cornwell added, “aside from anything else, I know this news will come as a real blow to the many businesses we have in our City centre who rely on visitors to our City for their livelihoods. The County Council say this is “very much business as usual” but it won’t be for the many market traders who are now faced with no parking provision at all ahead of these plans being put in place, nor will it be for the many retailers we have in our City. To add further insult to injury, the Parish Council are only given two weeks’ notice of this.”

The City of Durham Parish Council was invited by Durham County Council to comment to an informal consultation for the proposed application for deregistration, Section 16 Commons Act 2006, of part of the Common Land at the Sands, Durham City.

A copy of the Parish Council’s response to DCC to this initial invitation for comments can be found here:

Parish Council response on Common Land de-registration

There is currently a public consultation underway on the draft Neighbourhood Plan for the City of Durham area. This is your opportunity to have your say on this important document which will help to shape Durham for years to come.

Details of the dates, times and venues of the consultation drop-in events can be found here:

St. John’s Church, Neville’s Cross
Wednesday 22nd May – 2-6pm

St. Giles Church Hall, Gilesgate
Monday June 3rd 3-7pm

St. Nicholas Church, Durham Market Place
Wednesday June 12th 3- 7.30pm

The City of Durham Parish Council has launched a crowd funding campaign in its fight against Durham County Council’s proposed new Council Headquarters being built on the Sands in the centre of Durham.
The move comes after solicitors acting on behalf of the Parish Council issued the County Council with a pre-action letter on 23rd April requesting that planning permission for the new Headquarters be quashed. In its correspondence to the County Council, Richard Buxton solicitors stated there were four grounds for objecting:
• Unlawful imposition of condition 3 and consequent failure correctly to assess traffic impacts as part of the EIA;
• Failure to consider all relevant alternatives as part of the sequential assessment;
• Failure to take into account and give reasons for not accepting the advice of Historic England and the Council’s Design and Conservation Officer relating to the design of the multi-storey car park;
• Failure to provide “clear and convincing” justification for the harm to the designated heritage assets.
Despite overwhelming local opposition to the plans, Durham County Council’s planning committee voted 8-6 on 5th March in favour of moving County Hall from its current home at Aykley Heads to a new building based on the current Sands car park.
At an extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council on 10th April, Councillors voted unanimously in favour of seeking a judicial review of the scheme and to investigate funding options for carrying out the legal action, after receiving a number of offers of donations from members of the public towards legal costs.
Chair of the City of Durham Parish Council, Cllr Elizabeth Scott said, “the public clearly recognise that the Parish Council is committed to fighting this proposed scheme all the way and a number of members of the public had even offered donations to support us in fighting these plans. As a result, in deciding to move forward with legal action, we also decided to investigate the option of crowd funding. This is a real community-led effort in a bid to try and stop these proposals and get the County Council to go back to the drawing board on this ill-thought out £50million scheme which will have a devastating impact on our City, our local amenity, our environment, traffic, local residents and businesses and our much-loved world heritage site”.
Anyone wishing to donate to the campaign can do so by following the link below and pledging their support:

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/legal-challenge-against-dcc-sands-hq/