Harrowgate Hill Ward Focus team

The Harrowgate Hill ward Focus team are hard at work in the ward. Alan Macnab, Anne-Marie Curry and Ray Bennett have carried out a complete survey of the ward, to find out about local residents' concerns. They are campaigning for youth and community facilities, for improvements to roads and pavements and for a limit on redevelopments.

Their contact numbers are:

Alan Macnab 482015

Anne-Marie Curry 482415

Ray Bennett 244293

The Harrowgate Hill Focus Team

The Harrowgate Hill Liberal Democrat Focus Team

Alan Macnab, Anne-Marie Curry and Ray Bennett, the Harrowgate Hill Focus Team, were the Liberal Democrat Candidates in the local elections in May 2007. The result of the election was:

Ray Bennett (Lib Dem) 532

Burton (Labour) 706 elected

G Cartwright (Conservative) 712 elected

M Cartwright (Conservative) 689 elected

Anne-Marie Curry (Lib Dem) 456

Foster (Green Party) 223

Galletley (Conservative) 554

Hart (Labour) 663

Hoodless (BNP) 296

Alan Macnab (Lib Dem) 468

Vasey (Labour) 614

The Liberal Democrat team in Harrowgate ward had a huge response to their survey of the ward. Lots of individual issues and problems were raised. The issues which were most often mentioned were traffic problems on North Road, the threat of overdevelopment - particularly on Glebe Road and on the site of the White Horse Hotel - and the lack of community facilities for all age groups. The team is now working with our Liberal Democrat Councillors in North Road ward to find solutions to the problems of traffic congestion on and around North Road; to press the Council for community facilities for all age groups and to improve the condition of North Park.

Traffic on Longfield Road

One of the many issues raised by local residents was from a mother with small children having problems crossing Longfield Road to get to Harrowgate Hill Primary School. As a result, the Focus team wrote to the Road Safety Officer for Darlington Council and asked that traffic on Longfield Road be monitored at the start and end of the school day. If such a study revealed a problem existed, we have asked that a pedestrian crossing be installed were necessary. This would surely also improve road safety for pupils from Longfield School.

Cycling to school

Questions were also asked about the dangers of cycling to school. Alan Macnab is vice-chair of the Governors of Harrowgate Hill Primary. He knows the school has been working very hard to introduce a safer route to school to enable children to cycle and walk to school as an alternative to using the car.

The Governing Body and Headteacher are extremely concerned about cars using the back lane to drop children off or pick them up, at the very time when hundreds of children are milling around. They do fear that there is an accident waiting to happen. These fears have been made known to the Council.

The Council was asked to come up with a solution to the problem by the start of the autumn term: but nothing was done about it. The Governors and Head are actively pursuing the issue, supported by the Harrowgate Hill Focus Team and our Liberal Democrat Councillors in North Road ward.

Former Beaumont Hill School site

The Focus team at the Thompson St crossroads, on the edge of the ward. Access to North Road has become more difficult since the slip road was blocked off.

Now that the old school buildings on Glebe Road have been cleared, the next question is, "What's going to be developed on this site?" Planning officials tell us they will only be allowing building to take place on the "footprint" of the previous buildings. This doesn't necessarily have to be on exactly the same space, but it must retain the full amount of green space as at present. If the redevelopment involves the building of town houses, the Focus team has asked where any children who will live there will go to school. Harrowgate Hill is full, so how far will the children have to travel to get to school?

There is also the likelihood of more traffic being generated, especially on Salters Lane and Whinfield Road.

November 2007 update: final proposals for this site are expected soon. Here is the report to Council, November 29th, 2007.

"It is expected that formal submissions will be tendered to the Council within the next two weeks in respect of the delivery of new affordable housing on three surplus school sites at Beaumont Street following initial short listing. The Housing Strategy, Estates, Planning and Building Control teams have been working closely with private developers to deliver new affordable housing on each of the three sites in accordance with the Council's adopted Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document. The detailed s106 planning agreement has been agreed and each of the three sites will boast mixed tenure housing options including outright sale, shared equity and social rented accommodation to meet local housing aspirations. The three sites which are owned by the Council represent a pioneering approach to the delivery of affordable housing in accordance with best practice published by the Housing Corporation and will incorporate new higher design and quality features to meet the Corporation's new enhanced design and quality standards guidance published in April 2007."

Campaign for youth facilities

Alan Macnab with Vickey Coe and the completed Youth questionnaires

For some time now, residents in Harrowgate Hill have been trying to get some facilities for young people in the area, as an alternative to having them hanging around on the streets or in the parks.

The Harrowgate Hill Liberal Democrat Focus team carried out two surveys. The first was to every house in the ward, which showed that many residents were concerned and sometimes intimidated by groups of kids hanging around. Many asked that facilities should be provided for young people, perhaps in the old Harrowgate Hill Infant School building.

The second survey was carried out with the help of Vicky Coe, who works in the Premier shop on North Road. Questionnaires were handed out to young people in the shop, to find out what they wanted to see in their area.

The Focus team approached the Youth Service and were given details of their plans for the ward. These include a number of community based initiatives and projects based on Longfield School. There is also the possibility of youth facilities being developed in the old Rise Carr School buildings. The Senior Youth Officer offered to meet with the community and the young people to discuss youth provision in the ward.

The completed questionnaires have been analysed and the results presented by the Focus team to the community, the young people and the Council. These views will be a vital part of the Youth Service's thinking about what facilities are needed in the ward.