Cobblers

The local authority gravy train

2009-08-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Journal 17 August 2009 front page headline

Thought MPs were well paid? There are 494 people who have higher salaries in the North east - and YOU are picking up the bill.

There are 97 employees of Durham County Council earning more than £63,291 a year, costing the charge payers £8,284,843 - that's an average of £85,410 each.

18 employees of Durham Police earn £1,436,408 or £79,800 each.

Durham County Council claims that it has had a big reduction in higher earners since it started reorganising.

So why was the gravy train allowed to chug along the tracks for solong?

Councillors' pay

2009-08-03T01:59:00.000-07:00

Is this the only person in County Durham supporting the rise in councillors' pay?

As published on the Northern Ech website 12:00pm Saturday 1st August 2009 "Have your say" And you can have yours through our comment facility

PERHAPS Durham county councillors could be accused of bad timing, but to describe them as ready “to dip their noses in the trough” over their (now agreed) 20 per cent allowance rise – as did Ralph Hughes (HAS, July 29) – is disingenuous to say the least.

Although some councillors have full-time employment, thus having to fit in a personal life around the pressures of council work and a job, others work full-time as councillors.

Certainly, I cannot see how the leader, deputy leader, cabinet members and chairman of the council can carry out their responsibilities efficiently and effectively and keep an employer happy at the same time.

So how do we expect them to house, feed and clothe themselves and their families?

Anyone who has had any contact with councillors must know that to be a good one requires a lot of time, effort and energy. I know a lot of good ones.

If there is any discussion to be had it should centre on the rationale of fewer councillors being paid at much higher rates so that they can focus fully on the issues of their communities.

Surely I can’t be the only voter who thinks that if you pay peanuts you’ll inevitably get some…
Olwyn Gunn,
Hunwick,
Crook,
Co Durham.

Councillor acquitted over row with wife

2009-06-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

A Durham County councillor has been acquitted iver a charge he assaulted his estranged wife following a row over private number plates. Dave Farry, an independent councillor stood trial at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court.

Mr. Farry denied assaulting his wife, Amanda, at the home they shared above the post office in Eldon Terrace, Ferryhill, despite being seperated.

chairman of the bench, Nigel Scott, said he found both parites to be palusable. He also noted that a child, who was a few feet away during the incident, did not wake up and concluded that the prosecution had not met the burden of proof.

Ex-councillors leave Labour over funding issue

2009-04-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

Taken from an article in the Northern Echo:

Former members of a district council have announced they are leaving the Labour Party.

Carl Christer and his mother Hilary were members of Derwentside district council before it was replaced by Durham county council.

They said the reason for the change of political allegiance was because of increases in council tax to fund the new Stanley town council. They blame Durham north mp Kevan Jones, who was responsible for proposing and supporting the creation of the council.

Mr Christer, who has represented the ward of Annfield plain since 2001, said: “the town council is a glorified talking shop and now they are taking money out of people’s pocket to massage their own egos at a time when people can ill afford it.

“Kevan Jones and the labour party are completely out of touch with the views of real local people and it is clear that there has been no real regard to local people in this matter.”

The council tax precept for a band d property to support the town council is about £110 a year per household.

Mrs Christer, who represented Catchgate, said: “this will affect some of the least well off members of our community. We have raised a number of concerns about the handling of this process from the start, and it is clear from talking to the local people that they have real concerns.”

Tom Pattison, Chairman of Stanley town council, declined to comment.

Me Jones said: “it is sad and ironic that two days after they are no longer getting paid as councillors, they have decided to take this stance. It is also sad that they were not brave enough to contact me before going to the papers.”

Mp's expenses row.... again

2009-04-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

A small piece found in the April 3rd-16th edition of Private Eye

“The time that a jobseeker is expected to travel from his home to his place of employment has increased from one hour to one and a half hours each way.”

So boasts the government of one of its recent crackdowns on the work-shy under minister for employment and welfare reform, Tony McNulty. Anyone who turns down a position on the grounds that this is to far to commute will instantly lose their £60.50 Jobseekers Allowance.

The journey from Westminster to Mr McNulty’s “constituency home” in Harrow takes around 45 minutes by tube. This is, however, sufficient for him to have been able to claim around £60,000 in “additional costs allowance” for the house, let his parents live there, and reside nine miles away in Hammersmith instead.

The smell of decay settles over Westminster

2009-03-31T04:07:00.000-07:00

The Brown ending to Labour’s electoral dominance mirrors ever more closely the Major years – especially with the ever increasing whiff of decay. We see yet again how all power corrupts:

The Home Secretary in two separate rows over expenses.

Prisons Minister Tony McNulty ditto
Ex-Minister Nigel Griffiths exposed by the News of the World for inappropriate (shall we say) use of his Parliamentary office late at night.
Ex-Ministers Adam Ingram and John Reid have set up companies to garner six figure fees they are now earning.

Of course it’s pretty obvious that there’s a concerted campaign going on to “get Labour”, but there’s certainly something to be “got” too. The House of Commons Authorities should be having an urgent look for the leeker in their midst. The selective release of information ahead of formal publications seems to be politically motivated – and there’s no room for that in an impartial civil service.

But this certainly seems to be the point of no return. Up to now it has been possible to compose an argument that Labour could still claw their way back from their dismal poll showing. That no longer seems to be the case.

But before rejoicing, reflect that the Tories are saying privately already that their spending cuts will be savage. You have been warned!

Of troughs and snouts

2009-03-30T03:53:00.001-07:00

As we all know, Britain is in its worst recession for a century. So what better time for:

-Councillors in Darlington to continue with the Mayor getting paid for that job and any other he cares to take on.

-Members of Durham Police Authority more than doubling their own allowance.

-Executives at Newcastle Airport, majority owned by local councils, get £3.8 million bonuses

-Councils about to be abolished rushing through planning applications.

-And rumours abound of massive pay offs for senior council officials taking “early retirement”. If you have any information about this, let us know. We’re not afraid to publish the truth the others seek to hide!

A tale of Tesco

2009-03-13T03:19:00.001-07:00

Late last year it was revealed that a dispute between Britain’s biggest supermarket and north east council officials over a city centre development had cost taxpayers more than £2 million.
In the light of the attempts to get planning permission through for a Tesco store in Consett before Derwentside District Council is abolished, and fears for the impact it would have on Consett centre shops, it's worth revisiting the affair.
The plans for the former Vaux brewery site in Sunderland were supposed to create 3,200 jobs and bring in £370 million in investment.
But, nearly 10 years after the brewery closed down, the 16-acre site is still just a derelict wasteland.
Meanwhile, the regional development company Sunderland Arc has spent more than £2 million trying to develop the site – including nearly half a million pounds in legal fees.
The figures, which have been revealed under the Freedom of Information Act, have provoked an angry response.
North East Conservative Euro MP Martin Callanan said: “I think the Arc proposals represent a much better development for the people of Sunderland and I would like to see work underway as soon as possible.
However, Tesco seem determined to use their considerable financial and legal muscle to frustrate the proposals and it is their delaying tactics which have incurred most of this bill for taxpayers.”
But Bryn Sidaway, the former leader of Sunderland Council, said: “It’s outrageous that this land is still derelict.
“I wanted the council to buy this site in 1999 but I lost my seat and, for some reason, the council never pursued it. It was a golden opportunity that was wasted.
“If they had, they could have built on it and made money from it. Instead they’ve lost millions and the opportunity to create thousands of jobs and a better environment for the city centre.
“It’s been a festering sore for nearly 10 years now. It’s scandalous.”
Frank Nicholson, the former managing director at Vaux, said: “I look on with huge sadness and dismay that this saga goes on and on and on.
“Why can’t grown-up people can’t sit down and work out a way forward ?
“I don’t particularly want to see a great big Tesco shed on the site but it’s better than nothing if it means bringing jobs and development.
“Why can’t the Sunderland Arc, who have cost taxpayers a fortune, work out a compromise ?”
David Walker, Chief Executive of Sunderland Arc, said: “The stark choice for the city was 600 jobs or at least 3,000 high quality jobs.
“The number of jobs created by our scheme will completely change the city and its economy and we have always felt that this was something worth fighting for.
“The majority of legal fees have gone into supporting our case at two public inquiries to ensure the right framework was in place to support the crucial regeneration we and our partners have planned for this site and the rest of the city.
“The interest we have had from developers has been extremely strong and if you put the figure into context, the money spent to date is just 0.55 per cent of the £370m of anticipated private investment that will be coming into Sunderland city centre.”
Tesco – whose motto is Every Little Helps - is the world’s third biggest retailer, making a profit of nearly £3 billion last year.
The company bought the Sunderland site for £13 million in 2001.
They wanted to build a 110,000 sq ft superstore, alongside shops and homes.
But the plans were opposed by Sunderland Arc, a regeneration company set up by Sunderland Council.
They claimed the Tesco superstore was too big and they wanted more of a mixed development.
Sunderland Arc claimed their plans, which cover a four-mile swathe of land along the River Wear to the A19, would create 3,200 jobs and attract £370 million in investment.
The legal battle has dragged on for seven years now – and is still going on.
In 2006, after a public inquiry, the Government finally approved Sunderland Arc’s plans, which include shops, homes, offices and a court building.
Tesco is now taking legal action through the High Court in a bid to overturn the decision.
A Tesco spokesman said: “We are reviewing our plans but we are still committed to a mixed use on the Vaux site, including a Tesco store.”
Now a Freedom of Information request revealed Sunderland Arc has spent £19,096,090 since it was set up in 2002.
The figure includes £2,054,330 trying to redevelop the Vaux site – with £422,047 spent on legal fees.
In the past, Sunderland Arc has threatened to seek a compulsory purchase order if necessary.

Roberta Blackman-Woods MP expenses 2006/2007

2009-02-27T02:02:00.000-08:00

Type	2006/07 (ranking out of 645)
Additional Costs Allowance	£22,110 (joint 1st)*
London Supplement	£0
Incidental Expenses Provision	£19,948 (370th)
Staffing Allowance	£74,591 (564th)
Members' Travel	£11,498 (149th)**
Members' Staff Travel	£154 (joint 354th)
Centrally Purchased Stationery	£1,816 (118th)
Stationery: Associated Postage Costs	£3,742 (216th)
Centrally Provided Computer Equipment	£1,089 (joint 269th)
Other Costs	£0
Total	£134,948 (380th)

^*Morgage Interest: £13,281.72
Bills & Food: £6,476.28
Furniture & Household Bills: £2,352.00

^** Car £1,540 (480th). Rail £9,552 (41st). Air £406 (166th).

"Well, here’s another nice mess you've gotten me into, Stanley." (Oliver Hardy 1930)

2008-10-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

Wanted: One clerk to the council, Stanley, Co Durham. Salary scale £43,118 - £46,503. 37 hours per week.

A town council, established with the encouragement of Government when it received a 2,500 name petition of support, held its first meeting some five months ago.

Now, Stanley Town Council is advertising for a Town Clerk, with the not inconsiderable salary package shown above.

As you’ve probably already guessed, not everyone is totally happy with this development.

For example, Watts Stelling, who leads the Derwentside Independents (the main opposition group in the district) doesn’t seem to be very impressed. He said “That seems a ridiculous amount for somebody taking over what is in effect a parish council. I personally don’t believe there will be enough work to justify that scale of salary”.

And Mr Stelling isn’t the only one it seems. DCC Reg Ord who represents Burnopfield and Dipton, Stanley weighed in with: “The town council is going to have to justify that salary to the council tax payers of Stanley; they are the ones footing the bill”.

We rooted about for the job ad. It reads: “We are seeking a suitably qualified, experienced and enthusiastic person to be appointed as our first Town Clerk.

“This full time post requires the Clerk to be responsible for managing the day to day business of the Council, providing appropriate advice and implementing Council decisions”.

(Think I’ll dust off my CV: I’m experienced; and I can surely be enthusiastic with a salary of c£45,000 on offer!)

If you follow the wild and wonderful world of local politics, you’ll recall that the issue of a town council for Stanley caused a bit of a tiff among Labour Party loyalists.

Some of them supported North Durham MP Kevan Jones who campaigned vigorously for the council; but others said the new beast would simply add to the burden on local council tax payers – it would be a white elephant.

(Hmmm….white elephant, Stanley, mess…..there must be room for another Laurel & Hardy gag in there somewhere!)

Is that why smart mums – and councils - shop at Iceland?

2008-10-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

Forgive the blatant ‘steal’ of the recent Iceland frozen food company’s TV ad tag-line, but I just couldn’t help myself….

You can’t have failed to notice that there’s a bit of panic out there in the financial world (and there’s a fair bit of consternation here at ‘Cobblers Towers’ too), but the most recent twist has brought an altogether different meaning to the old phrase ‘frozen assets’….

More than £40m of taxpayers money has been invested in collapsed Icelandic banks by North-East local authorities. (Taxpayers: that’s your money – and mine)

Council chiefs were today seeking urgent guarantees from the Government after finance officers revealed the deposits this morning.

Four authorities in the region - Redcar and Cleveland, Derwentside, Gateshead and Northumberland – are at risk of losing their money.

Derwenstide District Council has £7m invested in three Icelandic banks - Landsbanki, Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander and Glitnir Bank.

Council leader Coun Alex Watson said: "We think we will get the £7m back, but we might still lose £350,000 in interest.”

“It won’t affect council tax or services – we’ve still got a revenue balance of £4m - and its not going to cripple us, but we appreciate it's a lot of money."

I’m sorry to be such a miserable and pernickety old git, Alex, but your words above (as quoted in the local media so they’re bound to be accurate) don’t exactly fill me with confidence.

We THINK we will get the £7m back? How can you be sure? Is this ‘pint half-full’ philosophy you’re giving us here derived from some sage at the Treasury? Or is it a question of fingers crossed and let’s hope it doesn’t all go pear-shaped?

And as for ‘we appreciate it’s a lot of money’ – top marks for that revelation. Of course it’s a lot of money!

As far as this crotchety old scribe understands the situation, it is this:

So far, HM Treasury has declined to say that it will guarantee councils’ investments in Icelandic banks (unlike the guarantee given to individuals). The councils are desperately trying to pin down Alistair, darling – sorry that should be Alistair Darling – in the hope he might come to their rescue.

Financial experts (mind you, can we really trust these so-called ‘experts’ anyway?) think that, for smaller councils with limited budgets there could be a pretty severe impact on front-line services.

It will be interesting to see exactly what effect this latest development has on the services Derwentside District Council provides to its’ citizens

Still, not to worry: Alex Watson seems to be doing a good impression Dads Army’s Cpl Jones: “Don’t panic, Mr Mainwaring, don’t panic!”

Hope you’re right Mr Watson – I really DO hope you’re right!

(And finally….returning to my Iceland TV ad theme: If I remember rightly, Kerry Katona, who fronted those ads recently went bust. Exposure to Iceland didn’t do her much good either it would seem!)

Who on earth is that.......Why, it's the Tory front bench!

2008-09-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

They might cost a lot but no one knows what good they do. People on the street don't seem to even know what they look like. That's what the Telegraph found recently when they took to the streets of Birmingham to ask if people knew who the Tory front bench were.

They hadn't a clue!

Not to worry, Cobblers strugglers with the blighters too. The Telegraph asked 40 people on the streets of the city hosting the Tory conference to name the 20 photos they had in possession.

The answers were hilarious as well as revealing.

The residents of Birmingham suggested that Francis Maude, the Shadow Cabinet
Office Minister, was "slightly Hugh Hefner".
Michael Gove, the Shadow Secretary for Children, Schools and Families, was confidently identified as Zammo, the heroin-addicted schoolboy from the long-running television series Grange Hill.
Only one person knew Oliver Letwin, the cerebral chairman of the Conservative
Research Department, but two suggested he was Nigel, the loveable but hapless
EastEnders character.
Theresa May, the leopardskin shoes-wearing Shadow Leader
of the Commons, may be delighted to hear she was considered "a cross between
Judy Garland and Rita Hayworth." The next person said she was more like Jane
Rossington, who played Jill Richardson in Crossroads. And one woman thought she
was Ruth Kelly.

The survey showed the Shadow Cabinet as far more anonymous than the Labour ministers. Eleven out of the sample of 20 were unrecognisable to all surveyed. Only four shadow ministers – Mr Cameron, George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, William Hague, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary - were identified more than once.

Our favourite comment however has to be from one lovely old dear Sandra Gillett said of Dave;

"I grew up a Conservative and he has got my vote. He looks like a young John Wayne - and John Wayne was lovely when he was younger."

....Dear me!

52 into 7 won’t go…Better sharpen up your CVs folks!

2008-09-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

As we breathlessly hurtle towards the dawn of our new super-duper unitary authority next year – reassuringly to be called Durham County Council – it seems that the new slimline body won’t have room for many senior officers.

Top bods from eight local councils in the county will, apparently, have to re-apply for their jobs because a new-look team of just seven senior officers will replace the current squad of 52.

And it appears that the 52 won’t just be competing amongst themselves to be members of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ – they’ll have to beat off applications from external candidates, too.

It’s already been trumpeted that the yet-to-be-born unitary council will need to make savings of over £21 million.

Best guess at the moment is that the ’52 into 7’ exercise will save more than £3 million in wages alone. (You can almost hear the rustle of paper as old CVs get dusted off and updated, can’t you?)

On the subject of money – a subject very dear to this scribe’s heart – it seems that the first chief executive of the new authority will be paid a salary of ‘around £200,000’ per year.

You might be interested to know that this figure is some £13,000 a year MORE than the Prime Minister receives for steering UK plc through stormy waters and difficult times.

I’ll leave you to draw your own ‘value for money’ conclusions…….

Everything must change, it seems……except the name

2008-09-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

You may recall, dear reader, this earnest scribe’s scorn and derision earlier in the summer when it was learned that Durham County Council was to canvass the opinions of the ‘real people’ (i.e. you and me) in order to help decide the name of the new super-duper unitary authority that would come into being next April……

Well, as the saying goes, the votes have been counted, and the result is……Durham County Council!

A few days ago, the council cabinet held a meeting and they agreed to recommend that the new unitary authority retain the name; it appears ‘more than half’ of those involved agreed with our previous scribblings here. Basically, if it sounds like a council for the county of Durham, then keep it – it does exactly what it says on the tin! (I’d like to know the numbers behind the statement ‘more than half’ above. Was it just over half? A lot more than half? An overwhelming majority?)

A senior council figure commented after the announcement (rather disparagingly I feel), saying: ‘ Many of those who voted for no change did so on the grounds of media ‘guesstimates’ about the cost of re-branding’

Like that’s a bad thing? I think not.

So, as we gird our loins, ready to embrace a new era in local government, we can expect – in the words of the council leader – improved services for the public, clear accountability, stronger community leadership.

Steady on now: at this rate we’re going to expect way too much! However, it is comforting to know that, whatever the radical changes about to take place on our doorsteps, the name remains the same. Durham County Council, we salute you!

“Dear Northerners, will the last one of you to leave please turn out the lights”? Yours ever, Dave.

2008-08-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like it’s official then – it really is ‘grim up North’, and what’s more, it seems we poor unfortunates have about as much chance as a snowball in hell of it ever getting any better.

A right-wing think tank (the Policy Exchange) has come up with an absolute belter of an idea – and it runs something like this:

The ‘tankers’ argue that regeneration efforts in northern cities like Durham, Sunderland and Newcastle have failed, leaving them ‘beyond revival’ – and they want the government to encourage their poor downtrodden inhabitants (i.e. you and me) to migrate to the golden lowlands ‘down South’.

It’s not the first report to criticise the Government’s efforts to bridge inequalities between the regions (The Taxpayers’ Alliance recently put the boot in too) but this one goes further: it argues that there’s ‘no realistic prospect’ of bridging this gap, so there’s no point even trying. Instead, the Policy Exchange wants the government to free up more land for affordable housing in London, and to concentrate on developing bigger cities in the South-East – with Oxford and Cambridge the two leading candidates.

This humble scribe doesn’t get down South very often, but it seems to me that it’s already bursting at the seams – where will they fit us all?? And I bet the good burghers of Cambridge will just love the idea of invading hordes of Northerners setting up camp at the end of their gardens. Can you imagine the jolly japes and the witty badinage that will ensue between hosts and in-comers? (It would make a great Channel 4 documentary though, wouldn’t it?)

The ‘tankers’ theory is that our national geography is still mired in the 19th century. Port cities like Newcastle and Sunderland came to prominence ‘in an era when exporting manufactured goods by sea was a vital source of prosperity’. The ‘tankers’suggest that its time to re-draw the boundaries of Britain’s economic geography to reflect our current strengths, rather than trying to boost regional equality artificially. It seems to escape their notice, mind, that in the 21st century our port cities are vital for energy imports (Teesside) and exports (Nissan cars anyone?)

You might be inclined to write off this lunacy as the barmy ravings of Thatcherite policy wonks that have never been north of the Watford Gap, were it not for the fact that the Policy Exchange actually carries a lot of influence within the camp of Tory leader David (‘call me Dave’) Cameron.

(Mind you, Dave has been desperately distancing himself from the report today - after all, when you’ve spent the last decade in opposition, arguing for the effective abandonment of large urban areas in the North is not going to be a big vote-winner now, is it?)

It’s not often I find myself applauding the Rt Hon Nick Brown MP, but today I would like to doff my cap to him (and being a Northerner, I do naturally have a cap and of course I know how to ‘doff’).

Our Minister for the North East didn’t hold back when he said (and I quote): “These stupid people do not know what they are talking about. If these half-wits really are advising David Cameron, then God help us if we ever get another Conservative government.”

Mr Brown, I salute you! (Now where’s that light switch….)

Over a barrel?

2008-08-08T02:30:00.000-07:00

By Sheik Yermoni Maker

The current high price of oil is giving all of us some real grief at present – and it seems our Councils are feeling the pain, too.

North East Councils have seen their collective fuel bills rise by more than £3 million in the past year; Durham County Council (perhaps soon to be re-named – hopefully not!) tells us their increased bills will be just shy of £500,000.

So, what do our elected leaders propose to do about the problem? Seems like they’re keen to get together with other councils from all over the country and speculate on the oil market. That’s ‘speculate’ (dictionary definition: To engage in a course of reasoning often based on inconclusive evidence) with your money….and mine.

They would pool their resources and go out and deal on the oil futures market to get the best deals, gambling on oil prices either remaining high or going higher to make large savings.

So far so good…..but the oil market is notoriously volatile, and once you’ve forward-bought oil at a set price there’s no backing out. What happens if the price of oil drops? You’re stuffed, and locked-in to paying over the odds.

Now, forgive me for thinking the un-thinkable, but successful speculation in any commodity futures market demands agility, balls of steel, and the ability to make instant decisions. Are any of these words and phrases ones that you would associate with our councils? Thought not.

I can sing a rainbow……

2008-07-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

By ‘Gadabout’

If you’re passing by Darlington Town Hall on August 11, take a gander at their flagpole.

Chances are you’ll see a lovely rainbow flag fluttering in the breeze; nice.

It’s there to celebrate Gay Pride 2008, an evening extravaganza featuring drag acts, fire eaters and stilt walkers that will be happening at various bars throughout the town.

Darlington Borough Council was approached with the request to fly the flag by Barry Birch, the Chief Executive of Gay Advice Darlington/Durham (GADD).

Fair play to the Council; they agreed, demonstrating that they really are an inclusive bunch.

What set us musing, however, was the acronym of Gay Advice Darlington/Durham – GADD.

We wondered how it is that various bodies arrive at catchy – sometimes silly – acronyms.

For instance (and see our post on July 22), one of the mooted names for our soon-to-be-realised super-duper council is ‘County Durham Unitary Council’. If you write the acronym, it’s simply CDUC. But say it out loud and it becomes SEEDUC…… See what we mean?

Do you have any nominations for silly (or just plain odd) acronyms? Let us know, won’t you?

(By the way: the dictionary definition of ‘gadabout’ is ‘a person who flits about in social activity’ – quite appropriate, we thought!)

The ‘merchants of muck’ are at it again….

2008-07-30T02:34:00.000-07:00

Eagle-eyed readers of the Northern Echo might have spotted an item carried on July 26 about Greencycle, the company which collects household bins in four County Durham districts – Sedgefield, Durham, Easington and Chester-le-Street.

Greencycle began collecting cardboard, plastic, paper and cans in April, taking these items to its depot at Tursdale, near Durham City.

Seems like they ‘forgot’ to check they had the necessary planning permission, though….

Not to worry, dear readers: the collective might of Durham County Council’s planning committee has been brought to bear on Greencycle, and the company has now received the necessary planning permission – plus an almighty ‘slap on the wrist’.

And what exactly is this ‘slap on the wrist’? Greencycle have been ‘reminded’ of the need to clarify and follow planning requirements about developments it intends to carry out in future. Bet that set them quaking in their boots, eh?

So it seems that you can set up a recycling centre – expected to process up to 50,000 tonnes of waste a year – not worry over-much about getting the right approvals at the start, and, when discovered, be told ‘you’re a bit naughty, and please don’t do it again’.

Why do the powers-that-be continue to treat Durham County like the dustbin of Europe? Damned if we know!

Enid – an Independent woman part 2

2008-07-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

By ‘Returning Officer’

Regular readers will remember that last month we brought to your attention Enid Paylor’s ‘defection’ to the Labour party, shortly after she stood as an Independent candidate (and won a seat) in Newton Aycliffe’s west ward.

Well now it seems the whole debacle is becoming very messy indeed with lots of accusations being flung about (and who says ‘knockabout politics’ is solely the preserve of Westminster?)

Let’s try to make sense of what’s happening, who’s accusing whom etc……..

A group of angry independent councillors have hit out at Labour members who they say accused them of ‘joining forces’ with an extreme right wing party.

Rita Taylor, Sedgefield Labour Party secretary, accused what she called ‘pathetic’ independents ‘with no shame or moral standing’ for joining forces with the BNP in a bid to oust Councillor Paylor.

Feathers have been severely ruffled it seems. Supreme investigative journalists that we are, we decided to dig a little deeper, and this is what we found:

Independent Councillor Irene Hewitson decided to get up a petition calling for Enid Paylor’s resignation. It seems the good Irene decided to allow known BNP member Honest John Hilton to carry her petition on his market stall. (Honest John raises money for charity on his stall, but insists his charity work is separate from his political beliefs).

With us so far? Good.

Aycliffe Independent Billy Blenkinsopp got a bit upset about Rita Taylor’s jibes. He went to the local press saying “These comments by Rita Taylor suggest that every single independent councillor in Newton Aycliffe is working with the BNP, which is simply not true”.

Other independents chimed in, saying that it’s wrong to assume they all ‘work together’. Aycliffe councillor Paul Drucker, while admitting that independents met and that those meetings have a chair and a vice-chair said: “There’s no party line; there’s no whip. Each independent councillor is free to vote and act as they feel”.

Back in the Labour camp, mind you, Rita Taylor is standing by her comments, claiming that in reality the independents do work together. She said: “There are decent and hard working independent councillors who might be upset by the association (with the BNP) – but if they don’t know what is happening among themselves, then it is up to them to resolve it”. Ouch!

Meanwhile, there seems to be nothing but silence from Councillor Enid Paylor. As a fully paid-up member of the Labour Party she’s obviously learning how to duck!
This one could run and run – and Cobblers will keep you posted!

What’s in a name?

2008-07-22T04:25:00.000-07:00

By ‘Worried’ of Durham

Democracy is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? It gives Joe Public (that’s you and me) an opportunity to shape our society; it gives us collective power; but sometimes (just sometimes, mind you) it brings with it awesome responsibilities…….

I’ve been losing sleep recently. I’m troubled. I take my democratic responsibilities very seriously you know.

So what is it that has me pacing the floor at night? I’ll tell you……

Next April, the good burghers of County Durham (that’s still you and me by the way) will have a new ‘super duper’ council to watch over us. No longer will we have the confusion of district councils, borough councils, and a county council. No: we will have just one ‘all-purpose’ council. So far so good (or not, depending on your point of view). Life will be much simpler. It’s change. It’s progress.

But this is why I’m losing sleep. Very soon, someone in authority is going to consult me. They’re going to ask me to make a contribution to a debate. And I don’t know if I can handle the responsibility.

They’re going to ask me (and you) to help decide on a name for our ‘super duper’ council.

Our leaders are doing all they can to make our decision easy, mind you. They’re not asking us to come over all original or anything – that would demand far too much of us good burghers. Instead, the council’s cabinet are going to consult us on which of five possible names we’d like for the new body.

The local press reported recently that a series of consultation meetings will be convened to discuss proposals for how the council should provide people with more “local choice” and “local voice” over council services. (You can imagine a late night meeting in the council chambers; our leaders sitting around trying to come up with something snappy as a slogan. “I know”, says one bright spark, “local choice; local voice”. “What does that mean?” says another. “Does it have to mean something?” says bright spark. “It just sounds sort of, well, nice; and cuddly; and local”. Vote carried unanimously).

I’m sorry, dear reader, I went off on one there – I put it down to worry; and lack of sleep, obviously. Where were we? Oh yes….

Five names. And here they are:

Durham County Council

County Durham Unitary Council

Durham Unitary Council

County Durham Council

Durham Council

I’m a simple soul (you’ve probably realised that already), but it occurs to me that Durham County Council would be a good choice. It’s not new; it’s not radical; but it is familiar.

It strikes me that it’s also the ‘zero-cost’ option. We’ve already got the all-important logo. And there’s probably a mountain of paper stored away already, beautifully printed and proudly bearing the name Durham County Council, just waiting to be used for all sorts of official and important correspondence.

Call me an old cynic if you will, but a new or different name will mean two things for certain.

First, it will mean branding consultants (or whatever trendy name they’re called these days) are brought in to ‘refresh’, ‘re-invigorate’ and (probably) ‘re-position’ the Durham brand. They will (for a modestly outrageous fee no doubt), create a new logo, a new corporate identifier, that will take Durham boldly into the future (probably ‘to infinity and beyond’ to borrow from Toy Story).

Second, thousands of trees will die. They will die in order to give us lots more paper to be stored away, beautifully printed with the new shiny name and logo….

I don’t want these trees to die. See now why I’m losing sleep?

We Durham burghers will, no doubt, look upon this new shiny authority with its crisp and clean logo and pronounce it to be a thing of beauty, a joy to behold……

But wait. Do you want a council that could end up being known as SEEDUC (County Durham Unitary Council – you have to say it out loud for best effect), or even just DUC (Durham Unitary Council)? We’ve already got Toilet Duck, so there’s room for confusion there I fear…..

No, I’m afraid Durham County Council does it for me every time. It does exactly what it says on the tin.

It’s a Council.

It’s county-wide…

And it’s Durham.

I could do well in this branding consultancy lark. And if our cabinet leaders are reading this, my bill is in the post.

Now, to sleep……..my work here is done.

(And because this is a democracy, your thoughts count too. Tell us what you think….)

Al-Qaeda in North Durham?

2008-06-25T01:54:00.000-07:00

On July 16, the deserted Co-op building in Stanley was fire-bombed in the early hours of the morning.

Witnesses say three men made a getaway in a white van found a few streets away.

The fearless leader of soon-to-be-abolished Derwentside Council, Alex Watson, is quoted as describing the attack as "an act of terror".

Obviously, with such local knowledge, Al-Qaeda must have a Stanley cell which picked out the Co-op - earmarked for demolition anyway - as a key UK economic target on which to wage Jihad

Labour's internment without trial plans

2008-06-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

By 'Runnymede'

Cobbler's children don't usually stray much beyond the boundaries of the Prince-Bishopric, but one happened to be in Westminster last night as the result of the 42 day detention (internment without trial) plans were 'approved'.

The Government 'won' by 9 votes - and it seems the Northern Ireland DUP members (who number, er, 9) were persuaded at the last minute to back the plan.

Reactions amongst Labour MPs overheard in the corridors were of some interest......

"A win's a win, as they say at Upton Park" - Cabinet Minister to Home Office Minister

"The Lords will throw it out, so we'll have to do it all again, unless the PM quietly lets it die" - Ministerial aide.

"I wonder if we can do that again" - Irish peer, on the reported 'bribe' of £200 million to the DUP to vote with the Government.

"Vote DUP, get Labour" - Labour cynic

"That bribe will come out of the defence budget" - Opposition MP (It is said that £200 million from sales of defence assets in Northern Ireland will be given to the Northern Ireland Executive instead of the hard-pressed MOD)

prison officer’s leader launched a scathing attack on a Labour MP with three jails in her constituency.

2008-06-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

Colin Moses, the National Chairman of the Prison Officer’s Association,
accused Roberta Blackman-Woods of “betraying” union members.
But the Durham City MP strongly denied the claim and accused the union
leader of trying to put pressure on the Government by targeting MPs in
marginal constituencies.
The attack follows the GMB union’s decision just days ago to stop giving
financial support to Dr Blackman-Woods.
She is one of 30 Labour MPs set to lose thousands of pounds a year for
allegedly failing to support the union.
Now the POA has also heavily-criticised Dr Blackman-Woods and warned her
that members could desert her at the next election if she does not do more
to help officers.
Dr Blackman-Woods has three prisons in her constituency – Durham,
Frankland and Low Newton. They employ around 1,500 prison officers and
support staff.
She had a majority of just over 3,000 in the 2005 election, when she took
over from Labour MP Gerry Steinberg.
Mr Moses said: “She has betrayed the trust put in her by prison staff.
“She is an MP with one of the largest POA memberships in her constituency
and she has shown scant regard for the views of the POA.
“We have asked to meet her on several occasions but those meetings have
been cancelled. Her silence on prisons has been deafening.
“Our pay claim of 2.5 per cent has been reduced to 1.9 per cent. You would
expect her to come out in full support of prison staff.
“Instead, she voted with the Government in introducing anti-trade union
laws against the POA.
“Under section 127 of the Criminal Justice Bill, prison officers are now
banned from taking industrial action.
“This has incensed many POA members who have loyally supported the Labour
MP over the years.
“If she wants their support between now and the election time, she will
have to start showing support for the prison officers in her
constituency.”
Dr Blackman-Woods said: “Mr Moses’ comments couldn’t be further from the
truth.
“I work really hard to represent the views of the POA. Unions can lobby
MPs like anyone else but, at the end of the day, we have to do what we
think is the right thing.
“The only reason why I can think they are picking on me is because I’m in
a marginal seat and they can get at the Government.
“It is a shame Mr Moses has launched an attack on me seemingly because I
had to postpone a meeting with him recently due to conflicting
parliamentary business.
“I have been in correspondence with the Ministry of Justice and HMP Durham
very recently about matters of concerns to some POA members.
“I am always mindful of the fact that I have three prisons in my
constituency and I represent a large number of prison officers. As I hope
my local prison officers know, I have great respect for the work they do.
“I look forward to continuing my positive relationship with the POA
locally in Durham, and look forward to meeting Colin Moses soon.”
Mr Moses added: “The POA is not affiliated to any party but I have been a
life-long Labour Party member.
“The prisons are the largest employer in the constituency outside the
health service and the local authority. Indeed, we probably employ more
than the local authority.
“She only has a majority of 3,000.”

Enid - an Independent woman?

2008-06-02T03:14:00.000-07:00

By 'Returning Officer'

They say it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind.....but if I were a member of the electorate in Newton Aycliffe's west ward, I'd be wondering if it wasn't at my expense.

The woman in question is Enid Paylor, who stood as an independent candidate in the recent local elections.

She did very well; she topped the poll, taking one of the two seats up for grabs. Labour's Mike Dixon took the other one - and another Labour candidate, Vincent Crosby, came third and missed out by just a few votes.

Here at Cobblers, we've heard rumours that Enid has either joined - or is about to join - Labour.

I reckon if I'd voted Independent in Newton Aycliffe it would have been because (for whatever reason) I wanted an alternative to Labour. If I wanted a Labour councillor, I would have put my X in the appropriate box. Seems a simple enough choice to me.

One independent councillor we spoke to said..."I know there will be a great deal of the electorate who would be disappointed". Disappointed? Here at Cobblers we could think of a few more - and disappointed doesn't come close.

Enid told the local press: "It is, after all, my decision whether or not I join the Labour Party, or any other party, for that matter."

We'll remember that, Enid. Next time round, it will be our decision whether or not to vote for you - after all, many of us in the electorate are just as 'independent' as you (were)!

(And even though we've never met Vincent '3rd place' Crosby, we reckon he'll be just a bit miffed as he has his breakfast this morning)

Are we seeing the 'Curse of Cobblers'?

2008-05-28T02:03:00.000-07:00

First we see Albert Nugent's departure.

Now we learn that Dr Les Grant, the boss of 'controversial waste management firm' Premier Waste Management has left his post 'with immediate effect'.

Regular readers will know we've looked closely at Premier on a number of occasions - as have the BBC and many others.

The company won't comment on the circumstances of Dr Grant's departure - which leads us to wonder what more will come out now he's gone?

Never fear, we'll be keeping an eye out for any developments - and we'll let you know what we find.

Keep right on digging that hole, Albert!

2008-05-28T01:28:00.000-07:00

Dear old Albert Nugent just doesn't seem able to put down his shovel, does he?

Currently suspended by the NEC in a row over female candidates, you would have thought that even Albert would have noticed that the hole he's in is pretty deep already.

But rather than look up, Albert just digs merrily away - "I've got a shovel and I'm going to use it" seems to be his mantra.

Last week he defied orders to attend the DCC meeting and support the appointment of his successor - and now he risks possible expulsion from the Labour Party for his pains.

A Party spokesman said "Under the terms of his suspension, Albert Nugent is supposed to vote with the Labour whip."

Albert's response? "They can please themselves what they do. They (the Labour Party) humiliated me and I was not going to be humiliated again.

"I was told I had to go, but I said I was not going to."

Oh dear, Albert, oh dear.....

DCC: plus ca change.......

2008-05-28T01:02:00.000-07:00

By 'Returning Officer'

Last week came the news that Durham County Council's new cabinet had been hand-picked. Described by some as a 'cabinet of all the talents', it looked like some common sense was coming to the fore after all the recent shenanigans under the leadership of the dear-departed Albert '21 jobs' Nugent.

However, if we have learned anything at all from watching DCC in recent times, we expect excitement; we expect confusion; we expect argument - and we're rarely disappointed.

Last Friday saw the annual meeting of DCC's 126 members. Top of the agenda was a vote to confirm the appointment of the 10-strong cabinet. The Lib Dems got hot under the collar because attempts by them to offer alternative candidates for cabinet positions were thwarted. The Labour group made sure an effective whip was in operation and so the already-selected cabinet was elected en masse in one single vote.

Newly-elected Lib Dem Carol Woods cried 'T'ain't fair' (or similar) and was shouted down by new chairman Len O'Donnell.

From where I stand, you'd have thought that the spanking Labour took in the recent elections would perhaps have taught them some humility.......oh well, maybe not.

Durham Miners' Association - then and now

2008-05-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

(or....What's In A Name?)

By 'Historian'

Your humble scribe often wonders about how our language can sometimes - and so easily - be debased.

For an example of what I mean, let's first have some history......

When Peter Lee became Chairman of Durham County Council in March 1919 it was a moment of real historical importance. Not only was Lee a coal miner - and the first working man to hold real power in local government - he was to lead the first Labour administration in the country.

The rise of Lee and the Labour Party was symptomatic of a power shift from mineowners to miners; the age of the Labour bastion had arrived.

From 1919 until the outbreak of World War 2, the Durham Labour movement - dominated by the Durham Miners' Association (DMA) - constructed a political apparatus that supported and returned between 9 and 11 of the county's 18 MPs.

The DMA established the Durham Miners' Gala as a major Labour Party platform, and it helped shape the careers of key Labour figures. People like Sidney Webb, Hugh Dalton, Emmanual (Manny) Shinwell and Ramsay McDonald.

Now, let's 'fast-forward' to the present day......and here's what I mean about how our language (and in particular a title) can so easily be debased.....

Durham North MP Kevan Jones is never shy of poking sticks into murky waters. He's soon to meet officials from the Ministry of Justice because he wants to investigate the finances of the Durham National Union of Mineworkers.

In a nutshell, the Durham union has de-registered and has 'morphed' into a claims handling company. And guess what? This morphing has seen the 'creation' of (you guessed it) the Durham Miners' Association.

Which, of course, is where we came in. See what I mean about debasing?

It's not our place in this posting to debate the rights and wrongs of this company's finances - although Kevan seems to think there's something rotten in the state of Denmark - or Durham in this case.

You can find out more by checking the Northern Echo website - the story, headlined 'MP wants inquiry over miners' cash appeared on Saturday May 24

Meanwhile, echoing down the years, is that the sound of Peter Lee turning in his grave over how the DMA's name and reputation could have been so cheaply hijacked in the 21st century?

Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me!

2008-05-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

By 'Simple Scribe'

The local press is full of claims today that ‘former council boss’ Albert Nugent is seeking legal advice in an attempt to claim unfair dismissal.

Wor Albert is accusing the Labour Party – who suspended him indefinitely just prior to the recent election for the post of council leader – saying “All the literature I get from the party tells me to work for the party. So if I am employed by the party, then I can sue them for constructive dismissal.”

Now Albert, forgive this simple scribe’s naivety, but we all thought you were an elected representative of the people and not an employee.

Did we miss a trick here? Weren’t you supposed to be ‘working’ for the good of the electorate?

When political figures suffer a downturn in fortunes, it’s often described as a ‘fall from grace’. Dear Albert, we have all recognised your fall – but so far we can see very little ‘grace’ on your part.

Good luck with your action Albert; it will be more than interesting to see what advice your legal eagles give you. (While you’re waiting, we can always give you the address of your local Job Centre; then you can find out for yourself what happens when ‘ordinary people’ lose their jobs).

Albert told the press today: “There are people in the North East Labour Party who should wake up and realise that the public aren’t stupid.”

Do you know what, Albert….I think they DO realise it, and we – the public, the electorate – can confirm it, too!

(If you thought you recognised today’s headline, it’s a steal from the classic film Carry On Cleo. The marvellous Mr Kenneth Williams [parish thespian], as Caesar, delivers the line as he’s faced by the conspirators with their daggers drawn. I just couldn’t resist – sorry Albert!)

Darlington Council taken to task on overspends

2008-05-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

By 'Bean Counter'

Eighteen months ago, it was announced that the scheme to pedestrianise Darlington’s town centre had gone more than £2 million into the red.

Now it has been revealed that the Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor link-road scheme has plunged £1.9 million into the red, costing £14.4 million instead of the originally-budgeted £12.5 million.

After the pedestrianisation debacle, the Council undertook an internal management restructure, but it has now been revealed, (in an external consultants’ report costing £22,000), that a new post created at that time to prevent problems blighting future projects was never actually filled – because the Council’s Chief Executive decided against it.

The report doesn’t pull any punches apparently. It claims that the Council was guilty of a series of oversights which allowed this latest scheme to spiral out of control.

Up to £1m in compensation payments for home owners was not considered – and the contract signed with builder Birse Civils left the Council liable for costs incurred by a delay in the project start date

We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert…..

2008-05-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

By ‘Insider’

When, in our last post we posed the question ‘is time running out for Albert Nugent?’ we hadn’t seen this one coming……

Durham County Council leader suspended on eve of crucial election

The crucial leadership vote did indeed take place on Saturday May 10^th – and Simon Henig was declared the new leader of Durham County Council, with Clive Robson retaining his position as deputy leader.

But Albert played no part in the proceedings, owing to the ‘slight difficulty’ of him being suspended ‘indefinitely’ from the national Labour Party along with four other councillors.

On the eve of the DCC election, Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) suspended Albert Nugent, Alan Napier, Robert Crute, Audrey Laing and Alice Naylor over allegations that they reneged on a deal aimed at bringing more women into politics.

For the full story, we recommend you click on this: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2262007.0.ive_been_kicked_in_the_teeth_by_labour.php

(and while you’re there, have a look at some of the interesting – and diverse – comments posted online by concerned voters, too!).

All of this put your Insider in mind of a song written by Paul McCartney many moons ago, before he was a ‘Sir’ and when he fronted the band Wings. (We’re sure Sir Paul won’t mind if we reproduce some of the lyrics here):

We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
We're so sorry if we caused you any pain.
We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But there's no one left at home
And I believe I'm gonna rain.

We're so sorry but we haven't heard a thing all day,
We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But if anything should happen
We'll be sure to give a ring.

We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But we haven't done a bloody thing all day.
We're so sorry, Uncle Albert,
But the kettle's on the boil
And we're so eas'ly called away."

New Council – new start?

2008-05-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

By ‘Insider’

With the dust now settling after the recent local elections, Cobblers asks ‘is time finally running out for Albert ‘nine-jobs’ Nugent’?

Labour now has a majority of eight seats on Durham County Council – and Albert is beginning to feel the heat.

He survived a vote of confidence at a recent cabinet meeting, hitting out at his opponents within the Labour group who had questioned his leadership abilities.

But this Saturday (May 10) will see Nugent’s credentials severely examined when the 67 members of the Labour group cast their vote for the man whom they want to lead them into the transition to unitary government.

Make no mistake – Nugent is up against two strong contenders.

Peter Brookes, the council’s former head of community services, won Trimdon division in Sedgefield and was one of the ‘famous five’ who helped Tony Blair secure his nomination for the Sedgefield constituency back in 1983.

Simon Henig has been a Chester-le-Street councillor since 1999 – and deputy leader since 2003. He is a senior lecturer in politics at Sunderland University and has written several books on the subject.

The strong message from both Mr Brookes and Mr Henig is that of ‘unity going forward’.

It’s going to be an interesting weekend…………….

The votes are in.....let the struggle begin!

2008-05-02T01:18:00.000-07:00

by 'Returning Officer'

All the votes in yesterday's local elections have been counted and the results for Durham County Council look like this:

Labour: 67 seats
Lib Dem: 27 seats
Independent: 22 seats
Conservative: 10 seats

They are the bald statistics, but let's have a look behind them.......

As you can see, Labour took control, with the Lib Dems in second place - but Labour won far fewer seats than their worst nightmare. (Our source within the Party revealed their private forecast was that they would be 'doing badly' if they got "only" 80!)

Surveying the numbers will be an uncomfortable experience this morning for Council Leader Albert Nugent - he may have topped the poll in Deneside but even he will be wondering where exactly he can go from here.....

Can he possibly survive? We don't know for sure, but we wouldn't bank on it.

One thing that does seem certain is that we're about to see a real power struggle begin between councillors from the North and South of the County.

There's an old Chinese proverb that says ' may you live in interesting times'.

One thing's for sure: life within the Labour Party in Durham is about to get very 'interesting' indeed. Watch this space.....

Somebody's Watching You.....

2008-04-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Durham County Council has been declared Britain's top 'snooping' authority, with the revelation that Council staff used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) no less than 144 times in the last 12 months, mainly to spy on businesses in its area.

RIPA was introduced to fight serious crime and help prevent terrorist attacks, but has allowed council officers to spy on people for a range of misdemeanours. The powers allow councils to use “physical surveillance”, giving them legal permission to follow and monitor dog walkers and shopkeepers.

Other Councils in the North East are also near the top of this particular snooping league table.

Critics say there are too many examples of powers designed by Government in response to fears about terrorism being used for matters which they were never intended to cover.

DCC's spying record included surveillance against traders suspected of the possession, distribution and sale of counterfeit goods. A spokesman said: “The authorised surveillance operations were approved in respect of retailers, generally in relation to sales of age restricted products. “All of the above took place for reasons of the prevention or detection of crime.”

You can draw your own conclusions by reading the full story as reported in today's Newcastle Journal:
http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/04/28/critics-hit-back-at-the-town-hall-spies-61634-20828723/

"Weak Leader" attacks his own members

2008-04-17T23:49:00.000-07:00

by “Lastman”

Durham County Council Labour leader Albert Nugent, criticised by the Audit Commission for his “weak leadership”, has hit out at members of his own party he claims are plotting against him.

The Audit Commission report says there have been “significant weaknesses in the political leadership provided by the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet” and “there is limited visible political leadership in key priority areas such as economic development.” Leading councillors were not consistently “holding officers to account.”

For the full story, see The Journal http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/04/18/council-leader-under-attack-61634-20782541/

"Compulsory woman" candidate suspended

2008-04-14T04:34:00.000-07:00

by "Lastman"

One of Labour's "comulsory woman" candidates has been suspended by the party following allegations of benefit fraud.
Crook South candidate Rose Seabury has been suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation into alleged benefit fraud. Cllr Seabury was imposed as a "compulsory woman" candidate for the Durham County Unitary Council elections on 1st May. As a result, long-serving Labour councillor Eddie Murphy resigned from the party to stand as an Independent in the South ward. He blamed local MP Hilary Armstrong for having "too much influence" over the selection of candidates.
Cllr Seabury's suspension came too late for her to be removed from the ballot paper. Labour Party members in the ward will still be expected to vote for her, in the hope that after the election she will be reinstated. This is the reverse of the situation in Easington, where the whole membership of the local party has been suspended but was still urged by regional party officials to canvass for the elections.
To add another twist, Cllr Murphy is currently chairman of Wear Valley District Council, and Cllr Seabury is vice chairman and would normally expect to become chairman at the council AGM in May.
Click here for the full story

STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

2008-04-09T09:19:00.001-07:00

Six fined for selling alcohol to youngsters.
Click here for the full story

Shop assistant fined for selling alcohol to tenagers.
Click here for the full story

CONSETT ACADEMY - HILARY PUTS BOOT IN

2008-03-31T09:30:00.001-07:00

by “Lastman”

Hilary Armstrong, MP for North West Durham, has obstructed a plan for an Academy School at Consett that has the backing of local councillors, according to an informed source. Instead, she favours an Academy sponsored by Sir Peter Vardy and Bob Murray, despite the fact that there is a great deal of local opposition to their scheme.

Last week Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families, announced government approval for an Academy at Durham, sponsored by DEEP (Durham Excellence in Education Partnership) which includes Durham University and Durham County Council. DEEP has also proposed to set up two other Academies, at Consett and Stanley. The minister has confirmed that one of these will definitely go ahead, probably at Stanley.

A Westminster source has told “Cobbler” that the only reason that Consett was not included in Mr Balls’ announcement was due to representations by local MP Hilary Armstrong. She and former PM Tony Blair strongly support a rival bid for an Academy at Consett by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF) whose backers include businessman Vardy and ex-Sunderland FC chairman Murray.

Hilary Armstrong has often taken advantage of the first-class hospitality at the Stadium of Light – free of course – when she goes to watch Sunderland. In the official register of Members’ interests, under “gifts, benefits and hospitality”, Armstrong has declared: “during the 2006-07 season I attended ten football matches at the Stadium of Light, as guest of the Chairman of the club, Niall Quin. At eight of the matches I was accompanied either by my husband or my brother.” [see “Free Hospitality for Hilary” in this blog, 13th March 2008].

STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

2008-03-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Shop assistant fined for selling beer to teenagers [Northern Echo 28th March 2008]. For full story CLICK HERE

COUNCIL PAID TOP EXECS THEY DIDN'T NEED!

2008-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

by Lastman

Durham County Council has made an astonishing admission – that they employed three highly-paid senior officers they did not need. The three have left the council but have not been replaced [Northern Echo 29th March 2008]. If they didn’t need them atall, or if their jobs are now being done by more junior (ir less highly paid) staff, then why employ them in the first place?

From 2005-2007 Durham County Council employed six staff earning more than £100,000 a year. Chief Executive Mark Lloyd, paid £151,000 to £190,000, has left to join Cambridgeshire County Council at £200,000pa. As “blogger” Roger Cornwell told “Cobbler” on this weblog on 16th March, “that’s £12,389 more than the Prime Minister’s salary of £187,611!”

SOMETHING TO TELL COBBLER? E-mail to cobblers4@gmail.com
XXX

LABOUR SPLIT

2008-03-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

[Northern Echo 27th March 2008]
LABOUR SPLIT
YOUR article (Echo, Mar 22) concerning the admissions criteria for Durham Johnston School, in Durham City, gave a flavour of the debate at County Hall two days earlier, but had one major deficiency. It failed to reveal that a one-party Labour council cabinet split in public with the deputy leader voting against the leader of the council.
I have been a councillor for almost 23 years and this is the first time ever that I have seen divisions in the ruling Labour group so graphically and publicly displayed. Yet no mention of this momentous event was in the article. If they were not already in such disarray, voting against the leader in public would surely lead to expulsion from the Labour group.
When that happens, perhaps it will be reported in your columns.
Councillor Nigel Martin, leader, Liberal Democrats, Durham County Council

SEND US YOUR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

2008-03-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

To “Cobblesagain” and other concerned citizens – email us your confidential information to: cobblers4@gmail.com
- Cobbler's apprentice

COUNCILLORS ASK FOR WASTE MEETNG

2008-03-29T01:41:00.000-07:00

[Northern Echo 29th March 2008]

Councillors have called on a waste management company to meet people who had contaminated compost dumped on their doorstep. Wear Valley District Council is urging Premier Waste Management to explain its handling of waste on the Todhills Landfill site to people living in nearby Newfield, County Durham. The company was ordered to bury 10,000 tonnes of compost.

Council leader Neil Stonehouse said: “The people of Newfield need answers and we hope that a meeting will provide them. Durham County Council and Premier Waste have been backward in developing a strategy for waste disposal and are way behind other areas of the country.

[see earlier WASTE stories]

LABOUR BOSSES BACK DOWN

2008-03-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

by Cobbler’s apprentice

Labour Party bosses have backed down in the face of a grass roots revolt against the compulsory imposition of women candidates, although the local party involved remains suspended.

All members of Easington Constituency Labour Party are still suspended, but the candidates they chose – 18 men and only four women, in defiance of the national rule that one in every two candidates must be a woman - are to remain in place. The 22 will now go on to contest the elections to the new Durham County Unitary Council on 1st May.

Local executive member Alan Cummings called the original decision “positive discrimination gone mad.” The regional Labour Party has appealed to the suspended Easington party members to canvass for Labour in the elections, despite being excluded from party meetings.

Academy - no chance for Emmanuel

2008-03-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

by Cobbler's apprentice

There is no chance of Emmanuel College sponsoring a new Academy at Consett due to the strength of local opposition, says a local councillor and school governor.
In a letter to the Journal, County Councillor Bob Young says that public consultation , governors, staff and parents, have all ruled out proposals for an Academy by Emmanuel, which is co-sponsored by businessman Reg Vardy and Bob Murray, former chairman of Sunderland FC.
Cllr Young, who is a governor at Moorside School, says that governors and elected representatives at the school will not agree to the creation of an Academy unless and until they are totally satisfied that an appropriate sponsor is approved by the local community and school governors. Trade unions have also expressed their opposition and will not give any support to Emmanuel College, he says.
"In making our own assessment, we believe that the County Council in partnership with Durham University could potentially provide a workable and acceptable way forward for the introduction of an Academy in Consett, but this will have to be worked up in conjunction with ourselves and including the co-operation of existing staff at both affected schools," says Cllr Young, "We are all trying collectively to find a formula for success that will stand the test of time for the benefit of our children now and for many future generations to come."

COUNCIL CHIEF BANS "COBBLER"

2008-03-23T00:45:00.000-07:00

by “Lastman”

Durham County Council Leader, Cllr “21 Jobs” Albert Nugent, has ordered his minions to ban all DCC employees from gaining access to this website. Council employees attempting to log onto the “Cobbler” blog now find “access denied.” If they do want to find out what is really going on at County Hall, they will have to do it from the comfort of their own homes.

This follows questions we have put to Albert, such as how much he gets paid for the eight directorships he holds, in addition to his £35,000+ council “pay.” Needless to say, Albert has signally failed to answer any of our questions – but now he won’t be able to log onto this site (at least, not from his office at County Hall).

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Question: what’s the difference between Cllr Albert Nugent, Leader of Durham County Council, and the Prime Minister of China (Chinese: 国务院总理 pinyin: guowuyuan zŏnglĭ), Wen Jiabao? Answer, very little.

1. Both run a one-party state where their respective parties have enjoyed a monopoly of power for decades;
2. Both clamp down ruthlessly on all opposition;
3. Both restrict access to the world-wide web;
4. Both are vulnerable to opposition from within their own parties.

STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

2008-03-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Durham County Council to spend £8,000 on car parking spaces for councillors, while telling the rest of us to “park and ride.” To read full story CLICK HERE

Councillors to claim compensation for losing their seats. To read full story CLICK HERE

Durham County Council has spent £24,000 for private investigators over two sacked employees, one of whom was suspended on full pay for a year before being dismissed. To read full story CLICK HERE

Vardy woos University over Acadamy

2008-03-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

by “Lastman”

Sir Peter Vardy, thwarted over his plans to establish one of his Academy’s at Consett in the face of local opposition, now wants to join forces with Durham University who have been promoting a rival bid.

Vardy is head of the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, which has sponsored the Trinity Academy at Thorne near Doncaster. Vardy and ex-Sunderland FC chairman Bob Murray are co-sponsors of the plan to set up an ESF Academy at Consett which has the support of former prime minister Tony Blair and North West Durham MP Hilary Armstrong, but has been strongly opposed by county councillors not least because it would involve the closure of two existing schools.

Lord Adonis, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, has said he will not impose a solution on the county. The County Council favours a bid by the Durham Excellence in Education Partnership (Deep), a consortium led by Durham University, to set up three academies.

My spies tell me that Sir Peter met with the vice chancellor of Durham University Christopher Higgins today (Monday 17th March) to discuss a “merger” between the two rival schemes. It seems that Sir Peter is determined to have an Academy in Durham, one way or another. Perhaps he realises that there is no way that Lord Adonis will accept his bid, so he has been forced to go to his rivals to join them.

COUNCILLORS GAGGED ON WASTE PROBLEMS

2008-03-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

by “Stinky”

Members of Durham County Council have been prevented from speaking about the problems of Premier Waste, the council-owned waste disposal company that has been stopped from dumping untreated household waste at a site near Coxhoe.

Waste disposal was on the agenda at today’s (Monday 17th March) meeting of the council’s scrutiny committee, but the item was passed “on the nod” and nothing was said about Premier Waste. This is despite the fact that twice this month the BBC’s “Inside Out” television programme has highlighted problems at two waste disposal sites in the county, at Coxhoe and Newfield near Bishop Auckland. At Newfield, residents have complained of terrible smells coming from the tip and an analyst found traces of potentially lethal E.coli.

The press were present at the scrutiny committee, but at the Labour Group meeting earlier in the day Labour members were warned by the council leadership “not to raise any embarrassing questions” about Premier. As a result, nothing was said.

Question: why does the Labour leadership of the Council not want to have any open discussion about the failings of their own waste disposal company? Could it possibly be connected with the fact that Council Leader, Cllr “21 Jobs” Albert Nugent, is a director of Premier’s holding company Durham County Waste Management Co Ltd?

COUNTY WASTE DISPOSAL SHUT DOWN BY ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

2008-03-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

By “Stinky”

Premier Waste, the Durham County Council-owned waste disposal company, has been ordered by the Environment Agency to stop dumping “compost-like” material at the Joint Stocks site near Coxhoe. This follows a BBC television programme which exposed the fact that Premier had been spreading unsuitable material on another site at Newfield near Bishop Auckland.

Newfield residents had been complaining of the awful smell from the tip, due to waste being spread that had not been properly treated. Not only did the did the process produce a terrible stink, it was also a health hazard. Two out of four samples sent for testing by the BBC showed E.coli was present, and one “far exceeded Government test levels.”

The BBC1 “Inside Out” programme, broadcast on Friday 14th March, said that more than 1,000 lorry-loads of waste had been dumped at the Coxhoe site since the end of December. Tipping cannot resume until the Environment Agency is satisfied the process is safe. The BBC also reported that Premier’s waste processing site at Thornley, the source of the “unsuitable” material, had been shut down. Premier admitted they had nowhere to spread the material it produces.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A VIDEO OF THIS ITEM

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ORIGINAL BBC REPORT

Challenge for Cllr "21 jobs" Albert Nugent

2008-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

How much are you paid for your 21 jobs, Albert?

by “Lastman”

Durham County Council Leader Cllr “21 jobs” Albert Nugent, whose total remuneration directly and indirectly via the taxpayer is unknown but substantial, has failed to declare his interest as a director of Durham County Waste Management Co Ltd. DCWM is the parent company of Premier Waste Management which is responsible for the “Big Durham Stink” at Newfield waste disposal site near Bishop Auckland.

Nugent was appointed as a director of DCWM in May last year, but failed to include it when he last updated his Declaration of Interests in July. As of today (14th March) he still has not declared it.

UPDATE 5th April 2008: Albert still won't tell us what he gets paid for his directorships, but a Fredom of Information request by a friendly journalist (which took three weeks to answer) has revealed that Cllr Nugent holds three directorships as Leader of Durham County Council: County Durham Development Co., Durham County Waste Management Co., Newcastle International Airport. He doesn't get paid any extra for these three positions, but the question remains: what are the other five directorships, and how much does he get paid for them?

Albert is a busy, busy man. As well as DCWM, he is a director of seven other companies. He represents the council on at least 20 different organisations - all this in addition to being Leader of the Council. Nugent’s county council “pay” for 2006-07 was £10,521.00 basic allowance, plus £25,749.56 “special responsibility” allowance (= £37,270.56), plus travelling and subsistence expenses of £5,291.39.

A question for Albert “Twenty-One Jobs” Nugent: we know you are a busy man, but will you find time to order a full enquiry into the failure of Premier Waste Management (owned by the Council through DCWM) to comply with government regulations in its failures to properly treat and dispose of household waste, and will you make the findings public?

And when are you going to declare all eight of your directorships and how much you get paid for each of them?

PS: Twice recently some of Albert’s Labour colleagues on Durham County Council have moved a vote of no confidence in their Leader. Albert survived both attempts to remove him from office, but how much longer will he survive?

Labour branch suspended over "compulsory women" candidates

2008-03-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

From the Northern Echo 15th March 2008

Labour candidates face deselection - “positive discrimination gone mad”

The regional Labour Party has suspended the Easington constituency over its refusal to appoint 50% “compulsory women” candidates for the upcoming local elections on 1st May this year.

Easington Labour Party is refusing to accept the national Labour dictat that half of all local candidates selected must be women, regardless of any other considerations. With only four women out of 22 candidates chosen by the local party for the Easington area, at least seven men are certain to be deselected, and it could be more.

Easington executive member Alan Cummings describes the ruling as “positive discrimination gone mad.” Leading Wear Valley Labour councillor Charlie Kay, who has twice been thwarted by Labour’s selection process, says: “why should we have half women nominations when only 30 per cent of our members are female?”

Cobbler's apprentice writes: Cllr Kay is remaining loyal to the party, but his fellow Wear Valley councillor, council chairman Eddie Murphy, has handed in his Labour party card and will fight as an Independent. He blames the “one woman” rule for his failure to be selected, and accuses North West Durham Labour MP Hilary Armstrong of having an undue influence on the selection process.

[see later story "Labour bosses back down" 28th March 2008]

New Council Chief to get £200,000 a year

2008-03-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

From the Northern Echo 15th March 2008

“Old” councillors set up new Chief Executive appointment

Sitting Durham County Councillors have decided to advertise for a £200,000 a year chief executive to run the new Durham County unitary council that comes into being on 1st April next year, despite the fact that there is no guarantee that any of them will be members of this new body. Elections to the new council take place on 1st May this year, just a few weeks away, but the existing county councillors can’t wait.

Heading the committee that will make the appointment is Labour leader Cllr Albert Nugent, who recently survived two “no confidence” votes from his own members.

Cobbler’s apprentice writes: Yet Durham County Council has just lost the services of an excellent chief executive, Mark Lloyd, who was widely regarded as doing a good job at £160,000 a year. Lloyd has now been appointed as the new chief executive for Cambridgeshire, at £200,000 a year. He is rumoured to have left because he would have had in effect to re-apply for his own job. Has DCC been “penny wise pound foolish”? Apart from the salary, the cost of advertising and interviewing will cost many thousands of pounds.

HILARY'S HOWLERS - 1

2008-03-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

North West Durham MP and former Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong tells how she has cherished childhood memories of helping her father Ernest Armstrong in his elections, but in one instance at least her memory is seriously at fault. Born in Sunderland in 1945, Hilary claims she remembers (at the age of nine) her father Ernest Armstrong being narrowly defeated “in the constituency she now represents.” [source: Times on Line]. A Labour man “narrowly defeated” in North West Durham – then a rock-solid Labour seat - in 1954/55? Not possible, my friends.

In the general election of 1955, Ernest WAS narrowly defeated, but not in North West Durham. It was in fact in Sunderland South (a Tory gain). Ernest was again defeated in Sunderland South in 1959, even more narrowly, but was finally elected as MP for North West Durham in 1964 with almost 70% of the votes cast. Daughter Hilary “inherited” her father’s parliamentary seat in 1987.

Free hospitality for Hilary

2008-03-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

by Cobbler’s apprentice

North West Durham MP Hilary Armstrong isn’t slow to take advantage of the first-class hospitality at the Stadium of Light – free of course – when she goes to watch her beloved Sunderland. In the official register of Members’ interests, nder “gifts, benefits and hospitality”, Armstrong has declared: “during the 2006-07 season I attended ten football matches at the Stadium of Light, as guest of the Chairman of the club, Niall Quin. At eight of the matches I was accompanied either by my husband or my brother.”

Hilary Armstrong not only supports Sunderland, she is also a big supporter of having a Trinity Academy in Consett, despite the fact that it would involve the closure of two local secondary schools and is strongly opposed by local county councillors. The co-sponsors of the Trinity Academy are businessmen Sir Peter Vardy and Bob Murray. Vardy’s are Sunderland sponsors, and Murray is a former chairman of the club.

Only a hardened cynic would suggest that getting lavish hospitality at Sunderland games could possibly influence Ms Armstrong’s support for a Trinity Academy in her patch. There is of course no connection whatsoever between the two.

WASTE DISPOSAL - QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED

2008-03-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

By “Stinky”

The BBC television programme “Inside Out”, screened on Friday 7th March 2008, raised a number of issues around the operation of the Parc system by Premier Waste Management, the company 85% owned by Durham County Council.

Fundamentally the programme alleges that the Parc system does not work; that it has not operated in compliance with relevant regulations; that waste material is placed on landfill sites as a supposed restoration material; and that this material does not provide nutrients that would be beneficial to soil.

The programme stated several times that material was taken to the Todhills landfill site near Newfield directly from the Thornley processing plant. Material is only sanitised when it is correctly processed. It should then be composted to mature and stabilise before being put to land. Only screened material, free from plastic and the like, can be put to land for use in restoration. The Environment Agency (EA) should insist on tests on this material to prove its value as a soil substitute before it is put to landfill.

This material, when used for restoration, is likely to be counted as landfill diversion by Durham County Council in its returns to government. Premier claim that the material placed at Todhills is simply being stored there rather than being used in restoration. This can hardly stand up to real scrutiny. Premier would have to demonstrate they had permission from the EA for this operation. This is placing waste without any environmental protection – containment, leachate and gas collection etc. There are no circumstances where the EA would allow this.

The allegations in the “Inside Out” programme are potentially very damaging to Premier, as its future strategy for growth is based on the Parc system. In addition, it raises the possibility that the County Council has misrepresented its landfill diversion
performance to government – a very serious position for the County to be in.

Questions to be answered:
1. Can Premier demonstrate beyond doubt that the Parc system has been operating throughout operated in full compliance with all its permits?
2. Can Premier demonstrate that all material processed through Parc has been properly sanitised, matured and composted before been placed in restoration schemes?
3. Can Premier guarantee that the tonnage reported as being diverted from landfill have been properly processed?
4. The programme calls into question the integrity of the Parc process and the sustainability of its business strategy. How are Premier proposing to reassure clients on the viability of its core business proposal?
5. How can Premier be trusted to deliver a sustainable waste management solution?

RUBBISH FIRM'S RUBBISH CLAIMS

2008-03-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

By Cobbler’s apprentice

Durham County Council-owned Premier Waste has “rubbished” claims in a BBC television programme that it had dumped “potentiually hazardous waste” near peoples’ homes.

The “Inside Out” programme on BBC1 on Friday 7th March featured the village of Newfield near Bishop Auckland where residents have been complaining of appalling smells coming from the nearby Todhills waste disposal site. Two out of four samples sent for testing by the BBC showed potentially lethal bacteria such as E.coli was present, and one “far exceeded Government test levels.”

Household waste is given heat treatment to render it into harmless compost-like material before being used to “cap” landfill sites. But if the temperature does not reach the required level – as alleged in the BBC programme – it could be a dangerous health hazard. The programme can be viewed online (see links below).

Dr Les Grant, Premier’s chief executive, told the Northern Echo of 8th March that the samples tested for the BBC “may well have been contaminated by e-coli after they have left the plant.” But he admitted that there had been “a bad smell” in and around Newfield, and this would continue until the site was completely capped.

BBC EXPOSES ROTTEN STINK IN DURHAM

2008-03-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

“POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS WASTE” DUMPED NEAR HOMES

The BBC has highlighted a “rotten stink” in County Durham. The BBC1 “Inside Out” programme on Friday 7th March said that the BBC “has discovered that the company which was set up to provide a green alternative to tipping rubbish in landfill sites in County Durham is dumping potentially hazardous waste yards from people’s homes.”

The company involved is Premier Waste Management, which is 85% owned by Durham County Council.

The story involves the people of Newfield near Bishop Auckland and the huge Todhills landfill site close to their homes. The stench has come from waste that has not been fully composted. Two out of four samples sent for testing by the BBC showed E.coli was present, and one “far exceeded Government test levels.”

Hilary blamed for deselection

2008-03-07T03:36:00.000-08:00

by Cobbler's apprentice

Not Hillary Clinton, but Labour MP Hilary Armstrong has been blamed by a long-serving Labour councillor for his failure to gain selection as a candidate for the new Durham Unitary Authority elections on 1st May this year.

Ms Armstrong, former Labour Chief Whip, who succeeded her father Ernest Armstrong as MP for North West Durham in 1987, is a strong supporter of Labour's policy of having a "compulsory woman" in every ward. With two candidates to be selected in each ward, at least one must be female. This has meant Labour councillors with long experience being set aside for women candidates who may have little or no experience of local government and in some cases are new to the area.

Even if the local party votes for two male candidates, as has happened in some wards, the Regional Labour Party has then imposed a woman candidate.

"Due to this rule about women candidates, they've selected a women for my ward that no-one has ever heard of," said one Labour councillor. Another Labour councillor with many years' service blames Hilary Armstrong for his failure to gain selection. "Hilary has far too much influence on what should be left with the local party," he said.

A number of Labour councillors who have not been selected are expected to stand as Independents in May.

A stink in County Durham

2008-03-04T02:59:00.001-08:00

by Cobbler's apprentice

A council-owned waste management company faces a claim for £10m compensation for loss of business from a private company it previously employed to recycle waste.

Premier Waste Management, part-owned by Durham County Council, is in dispute with private company Delta Reclamation Ltd. Graham Brown, Paul Bennett and Chris Grindell set up Delta in 2006 to recycle waste tyres for Premier. The two companies have been in dispute since October last year, since when, claim Delta, Premier have effectively stopped them from operating.

This followed a meeting at which Delta made allegations that some of Premier’s operations fell below required legal standards for the treatment and disposal of waste.

Following an investigation, last month (January) Premier admitted that over 400 tonnes of waste which should have been recycled had been buried on a landfill site. 70 tonnes of compost-like material for use on brownfield sites had been buried, and a further 370 tonnes had been used to cover the landfill site. Delta directors Brown and Bennett claim there have been many more breaches of regulations by Premier who deny these allegations.

Another company run by Brown and Bennett, Delta Recycling Ltd, is also claiming against Premier for £70,000 worth of unpaid work done up to the end of 2007, as well as Delta Reclamation’s claim for the loss of potential profit of half a million pounds a year for 15-20 years. In addition, they are disputing Premier’s valuation for machinery which was to be transferred from Delta to Premier. Delta value the machinery they have installed on Premier’s site at Coxhoe at £1m.

Brown and Bennett both have over fifteen years experience of the waste disposal industry. In 2005 they set up Delta Recycling to recycle household waste, and in 2006 they set up Delta Reclamation to recycle used tyres. Both companies had only one customer – Premier Waste.

At first Delta Recycling operated from a site at Walker in the Newcastle area, but after a disastrous fire there in December 2006 they moved to the Joint Stocks waste disposal site at Coxhoe, becoming tenants of Premier Waste. Delta Recycling set up their own machinery to deal with plastic and other difficult waste and turn it into material suitable for recycling/recovery. In a separate arrangement, Delta Reclamation shred waste tyres which can then be used as a drainage layer on landfill sites.

“When Premier increased its throughput of domestic waste through its aerobic digestion process at Thornley by over 60%, we realised that we would need to invest in bigger machinery,” said Brown, “up to this point, Premier had encouraged us, even to the extent of writing a letter to our bank supporting our request for further borrowings. Although we had a long-term contract with Premier for the treatment of tyres, we did not have one for the waste treatment.

“To justify our spending a further good deal of money – around £150,000 - on new machinery, we asked Premier for the long-term contract that they had been discussing with us for some time. This was for the work we had been doing for Premier, dealing with domestic waste. We already had a substantial investment in the business including overdrafts, finance and personal monies, and Premier was our only client. Instead, they suggested we set up a joint venture between the two companies, and this was still under consideration when there was a serious disagreement between us and a complete breakdown of relations.”

The disagreement occurred at a meeting at Premier’s Aykley Heads headquarters near Durham City in October last year. The meeting broke up acrimoniously after Brown alleged that some of Premier’s operations breached government regulations. “From our point of view, we were trying to help Premier by pointing out certain deficiencies, which they dismissed out of hand. It was only when we realised that Premier were in effect trying to put us out of business that we started to investigate further,” said Brown.

“The very next wagon that arrived on site to deliver waste to our plant was stopped at the gate,” said Brown, “although we were able to continue working for a few more weeks, Premier made it virtually impossible for us to run our business. In the end it seemed to everybody that the only way forward was to seek an exit strategy acceptable to both sides. So far, there has been no such agreement and we will take it all the way to a full court case if all else fails.”

In an attempt to keep their business going, the Delta Reclamation directors sought an injunction on Premier to get them to honour their agreements, but this failed. Delta was ordered to pay Premier £25,000 costs, which Brown has paid. Now Brown and his fellow-directors face the long-drawn-out process of arbitration and possible legal action. “The two Delta companies are not operating at present, but we are attempting to avoid going into administration by paying off company creditors from our own resources,” said Brown.

Dr Les Grant, Group Chief Executive of Premier Waste Management Ltd, has refused to comment on Delta’s claims.

The allegations against Premier Waste are the subject of a BBC television programme to be broadcast this Friday March 7, “Inside Out” on BBC1, 7.30pm.: “The causes of an unpleasant odour in a County Durham village” (Radio Times).

Councillor quits Labour Party

2008-02-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

by Cobbler's apprentice

Long-standing Labour councillor Eddie Murphy from Crook has quit the party over its policy of giving priority seats to women candidates. He intends to fight the elections for Durham’s new unitary authority on May 1 as an Independent, and predicts that more will follow his example.

Cllr Murphy, who has been chairman of Wear Valley District Council for the past two years, failed to gain selection after Labour installed Ruth Seabury as the “compulsory woman” in one of the two seats in the Crook South ward. “I don’t believe in discrimination of any kind and this is going too far,” said Cllr Murphy, “I have also been uneasy ever since the invasion of Iraq. I had hoped that things would change when Gordon Brown took over as prime minister, but nothing has.

“Other local Labour parties in County Durham have yet to select their candidates, and I predict that quite a few other people will find themselves in my position.”

Cllr Murphy has been a councillor for 13 years and a Labour party member for over 20 years. After serving in the RAF for 15 years he worked for Durham City council and was NALGO branch secretary for 13 years.

Entrance features “only” cost £160,000

2008-02-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

(from the Northern Echo 25th February 2008)

Sedgefield Borough Council has denied rumours that two entrance features to the newly-named Aycliffe Business Park will cost £800,000 by saying that they will cost “only” £160,000.

The council, to be abolished next year when the new Durham County unitary authority will take over, has re-branded the former Aycliffe industrial estate and is modernising it at a cost of £800,000. This will pay for environmental improvements, installation of street furniture and extensive planting. The £160,000 is for two sets of three entrance walls at the junction of A167.

Health Hazards at three Durham Schools

2008-02-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

(from the Journal, 25th February 2008)

Health inspectors found hygene problems and other health hazards at three schools in County Durham in 2006 and 2007.

Montalbo Primary School, Barnard Castle (inspected Sept 2006): no soap at basin.
Kirk Merrington Primary School (inspected Oct 2006): not able to guarantee a safe catering environment, both in terms of food hygiene and health and safety. Several flies present in kitchen; adequate procedures must be in place to control pests.
Spennymoor School (inspected March 2007): “health hazard” reported from drainage problems.

Councils' planned spending spree

2008-02-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is an adapted and abridged version of 'Councils' cash curb' (Newcastle Journal, 8 February 2008).

The government is set to impose financial controls on district councils in... County Durham to stop them "blowing" budgets before new unitary authorities are established in 2009.
The Communities Secretary is likely to delegate power to committees of district and county
leaders leading the unitary move, before the role passes to new countywide authorities being elected in May.
Details emerged after Durham North MP Kevan Jones called for controls after expressing concern over the risk of “ludicrous” contracts being signed by district councils as MPs discussed legal orders that will formally begin the countdown to unitary status.
Mr Jones strongly backed a unitary Durham authority but claimed Derwentside district council was spending £10m on “a mausoleum” for the previous council leader – which his office later said referred to plans for a new leisure centre at Berry Edge, near Consett. “I would not want the new county council to come into being with a long list of commitments or to find that in the meantime land had been divested to various organisations,” said the Labour MP, with Communities Minister John Healey promising controls would be used to protect taxpayers
Alex Watson, leader of Derwentside council, warned £11m in reserves held by his “good house-keeping” authority, with £10m set aside for the Berry Edge leisure facility, would be spent elsewhere because of the “draconian” financial controls. He defended Berry Edge, saying two old sites were past their “sell by date”.
Durham County Council leader Albert Nugent, who chairs the county-district group overseeing reorganisation, said councils were running on a “business as usual” basis with checks to ensure any decisions creating an “unreasonable liability” for the unitary council were properly considered.
Durham County Council holds general reserves of £11.8m and earmarked funds of £68.9m

Rubbish: Round one

2008-02-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

Waste should have been recycled and not buried
Northern Echo, 9th January 2008

More than 400 tonnes of waste which should have been recycled was buried in landfill, an investigation has revealed. Waste management company Premier Waste Management, which is part-owned by Durham County Council, immediately called in the police when it discovered the error, at its recycling plant in Coxhoe, County Durham.

Premier process - the PR spin

2008-02-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

Recycling firm set for towering performance
Newcastle Journal, 18 January 2008

A crucial time is looming for a towering vision of how up to 300,000 tonnes a year of North-East waste can be dealt with. Premier Waste Management already uses a system of biological digestion in three towers at Thornley in County Durham to process 62,000 tonnes of household waste by the sophisticated and controlled mix of microbes, water, air and temperature.

Fat Buddha upset City chiefs

2008-01-11T02:27:00.000-08:00

Chinese chef Eddie Fung has upset council mandarins – after naming his restaurant the Fat Buddha. We couldn't resist retelling the story. You decide who had a point here!
Durham City Council’s cultural gurus asked his company to change the name - after claiming it would offend Buddhists.
But Eddie, who was born in Hong Kong and is a Buddhist, said the complaint was crackers.
He said: “No Buddhist is going to be offending by the term Fat Buddha.
“The Fat Buddha is a sign of health and happiness back in China.”
Eddie, 38, came to Britain when he was just 17 and built up a chain of restaurants in Northern Ireland.
He opened his first Fat Buddha restaurant in Belfast, offering Chinese and other Asian food, without anyone complaining about the name.
But he ran into big trouble as he prepared to open a similar restaurant in Durham.
Eddie’s company, Utopian Leisure, wanted to nvest £1.3 million in the development, which would employ around 60 people.
But the entrepreneur was surprised when his company received a letter from Durham City Council.
Tracey Ingle, Head of Cultural Services, claimed: “The unit itself is in a very prominent position and will be seen by thousands of people crossing the A690 daily.
“The name of your restaurant implies an eastern offer as it is associated with a religion that grew from Asian countries.
“It does not, however, offer vegetarian cuisine solely, nor does it refer to Buddhist belief systems in either its operation or offer.
“The name is therefore an evocative tag line that does not clearly brand your exciting restaurant offer and, I have to say, in my view, the name is provocative.
“To use the name of a major religion’s deity in your restaurant brand runs contrary to this city’s reputation as a place of equality and respect for other’s views and religious beliefs.”
But Eddie said: “I was very surprised when I was told about the complaint.
“I don’t want to offend anyone, let alone other Buddhists. I just want to run a restaurant.
“The Fat Buddha has been very successful in Belfast. We are serving more than 2,000 meals each week.
“After Durham, we want to open in Newcastle, Leeds, York and Harrogate. We are also looking at opening Little Fat Buddha takeaways.
“Hopefully, in three years time we will have about a dozen and in five years we will have around two dozen across the country.”
Buddhism was founded 2,500 years ago in India, by Siddhattha Gotama, who was later to be called Buddha.
There are now around 350 million Buddhists in the world, including more than 150,000 in Britain.
The Buddha is not considered a god by his followers and is not worshipped.
Chueh Yann, Director of the Fo Guang Buddhist Temple in London, said: “Buddhists are not easily-offended.
“The Fat Buddha that you often see is not the real Buddha. He is a Chinese tradition.
“In China, fat symbolizes happiness. If you see someone who is fat, it just means they have got enough to eat.”
A spokesman for the Buddhist Society said: “Buddhists don’t take offence because it doesn’t follow Buddhist teachings.
“Also, Buddhists regard the Fat Buddha as lucky. He is a bit like a Friar Tuck figure.”
When questioned, Miss Ingle said she stood by her comments in the letter, although she admitted the council was powerless to remove the sign.
She said: “I think it has an impact on the reputation of the city.
“The particular restaurant is in a very prominent position and I asked them to consider changing the name.
“I don’t want this completely blown out of proportion. I have made my views clear and we are where we are.
“We are always willing to continue to talk to the business owner about the possibility of changing the name.”
Miss Ingle declined to give details of her salary, although it is believed to be around £40,000.