LEADGATE NEWS

Leadgate Area Partnership Charity No. 1098479 No. 01/16 – January HAPPY NEW YEAR The festivities are once again over for another year, I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and I should like wish all our readers a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2016. HAPPY RETIREMENT: On 31st December, 2015 one of our village’s doctors hung up his stethoscope for last time. Doctor David ASTLEY, who saw his last patient on New Year’s Eve, 2015, came to the Leadgate surgery in 1987 and joined Doctors LAWRENCE, FORSYTH and JACK. In 1994/95 Doctor ASTLEY went on an exchange to New ZEALAND and Doctor NEIL took his place. Over the years, three attempts had been made to close the Leadgate surgery, but without success, the third attempt taking place in 1995 with the building of a new surgery in Station Road, Consett. but as we know this was thwarted as can be seen from our wonderful surgery in Watling Street. By now Doctor ASTLEY had returned from New Zealand and had opened a temporary surgery in the Community Centre until the completion of the present surgery. Since the new surgery opened the practice has grown and now has nearly 5,700 patients Doctor ASTLEY was not only our G.P., he was also an Associate Sub Dean of Newcastle University’s Medical School and has spent time advising the University’s G.P. training scheme in Malaysia. His commitment to supporting training and development helped one his partners, Doctor Gareth FORBES reach the finals of ‘Pulse’ magazine’s G.P. Practitioner of the Year Award in November and receptionist Rebecca CURRY won an award from Derwentside College for Excellence in Business Administration Apprenticeship. With the retirement of Doctor ASTLEY, the practice has a new team member, Doctor Katie MAXWELL. Doctor MAXWELL trained at Newcastle University Medical School and has been with the practice since September, 2015. On behalf of everyone in the village and those further afield, I should like to wish Doctor ASTLEY a very happy and healthy retirement and to welcome Doctor MAXWELL to our village, I know everyone will make her very welcome. MISSED APPOINTMENTS: Since starting to publish the number of missed appointments at our Doctors’ Surgery I had thought by the end of the year, numbers would have started to diminish, but when you see the figures it seems they are not. Don’t forget, every missed appointment means someone else has been unable to see a doctor. May: 148 missed – averaging 37 per week June: 166 missed – averaging 42 per week July: 130 missed – averaging 33 per week August: l34 missed – averaging 34 per week September: 168 missed – averaging 42 per week October: 209 missed – averaging 52 per week (what happened this month?) November: 191 missed – averaging 47 per week (slightly less than October) December: 146 missed – averaging 36 per week It is realised in some cases it will not be possible to cancel, but not all. The total number of working days from May to December was 169, the total number of missed appointments 1,292, this means approximately seven (7) appointments were missed daily. Let’s see if in 2016 we can drastically reduce this figure. Page One PARTNERSHIP NEWS: The first Partnership meeting of 2016 took place on Wednesday, 20th January, 2016 in the Community Centre. The meeting had a guest speaker, Ms Lynne MILLER of Groundwork, who gave an overview of Groundwork’s plans for upgrading Watling Wood. Lynne informed the meeting money was available from Tesco Supermarket, from a scheme entitled ‘Tesco Local Community Grant Scheme’; this money is from the 5p now charged for plastic carrier bags. An application, entitled ‘Our Wonderful Watling Wood’, on behalf of the Partnership has been submitted. There is £30,000 available, three projects are to be shortlisted, the first would receive £12,000, the second £10,000 and the third £8,000. If the Partnership’s application was shortlisted and came third the sum of £8,000 would be received. Members of the public, Tesco’s customers, will vote for their choice. When voting starts customers will apparently be given tokens – no further information is available, nothing is displayed at the moment in Consett’s branch of Tesco’s. Once voting starts please go and shop at Tesco’s and vote for Watling Wood, the more people who vote the better chance we have of winning first prize. Groundwork is also delivering a new scheme entitled ‘New Year, New Neighbourhood’. There will be ten sites throughout the area and communities can nominate one ‘grot’ spot from their area and Groundwork will help to carry out small scale improvements. Those who use the cycle track may have noticed a lady litter picking. This lady is a new resident in our village and was so horrified by the amount of rubbish and dog dirt she contacted Durham County Council herself to find out what she could do. She was provided with litter pickers, a high visibility jacket and bin bags and was told where to leave the rubbish collected. She started before Christmas and it may interest you to know she has filled more than 64, yes 64 bags and has also collected over 50 vodka bottles. Apparently 80% of the rubbish collected is bottles and crisp packets and as we know the bottles could be recycled. Comment was made about no little bins on the cycle track; this is probably because the track is not owned by the County Council but by Sustrans. There are several wooden planters in the Pont/Bradley Bungalows area and this same lady has cleaned and re-planted them. COUNCILLORS’ REPORT: The Villa Real Bridge project has been beset by a series of ongoing problems: Utility companies caused innumerable delays from the first day of the bridge’s closure (Tuesday, 26th June) until 19th December, 2015. Initial ground investigation work (undertaken on behalf of the County Council) before the bore drilling by B.T. identified ‘top layered’ material (spoil/clinker) which could prove expensive to remove/reprocess, before disposal. Following completion of the utility works further ground investigation work identified that the level of spoil/clinker was predominant throughout the length and depth of the bridge embankments. Whilst there is nothing of any concern to public health, the expense which would be incurred to reprocess all this spoil/clinker material is prohibitive, therefore a redesign to the road alignment is being developed using the spoil/clinker as a sub-base, raising the profile of the road between 0.5m – 1.0metre along its length with additional landscape features/drainage requirements. Following discussions with the contractor regarding the redesign of the road layout, it is expected they will return to the site with a likely start date late March/early April with the probability of a shorter construction time. Councillors are extremely concerned that the extended closure of the Bridge is contributing to the ongoing commercial problems being experienced by local traders in Leadgate due mainly to the loss of passing trade. We have requested the County Council provide some financial/grant support to prevent the closure of any of these commercial businesses. Local Councillors will provide the community and residents of Leadgate (who have been extremely patient and tolerant of these delays) with regular updates on this project including the opportunity for a public meeting. We appreciate and understand the frustrations encountered with the original project timescales of 6 – 8 months being extended to nearly 12 months. Councillor Alan SHIELD (07500 125 327) Councillor Watts STELLING (07500 125 328) The next meeting of the Partnership will be Wednesday, 17th February, 2016 at 6.30 p.m. in the Committee room of the Community Centre, this room is at the rear of the Centre, the meeting is open to everyone, why not come along and see if you can make a difference in our village. POLICE NEWS: At the moment Leadgate is very quiet and has no real big issues. Two local youths have been issued with Harassment Warnings for causing issues on a number of nights at the ‘Tute’ and since issuing the warnings the youths have caused no further problems. /Remember Page Two Remember, keep all house doors/windows locked and lock your car. There has been a slight increase in house burglaries and theft from motor vehicles in the area and surrounding villages. The houses and vehicles broken into were all insecure. During the last 30 days the police received only 82 calls from Leadgate, this is quite a reduction, usually there are in the region of 120 per month. Contact numbers are: Consett Police (call centre) – 101: Emergency – 999: Crime Stoppers (for anonymous reporting) – 0800 555 111. The Police Facebook page “Consett Police” does have a private message facility but please note, the page is not monitored 24/7   ‘LEADGATE, ALMOST VINTAGE’: The above is the title of the latest Leadgate Book (number 17 in the series) published by Leadgate and District Historical Society. When the last book, No. 16 entitled ‘Leadgate Swan Song’ was published it was thought that would be the last as there were no more photographs available, however by popular request and an influx of photographs this latest edition has been made possible. It will be on sale by the time this newsletter goes to press, will cost £2.50 and be available at the usual venues. LEADGATE LEGACY GYM: Leadgate’s Legacy Gym, situated in the Community Centre is looking for additional volunteers. If you have any spare time and are looking to keep fit, why not become a volunteer at the gym. Training will be provided and first aid training paid for by the gym. A perk of volunteering is the use of the equipment free of charge. If you are interested please contact Miss Stephanie WALKER on 07450 860 905 or visit the gym and speak to the volunteer on duty. Please note, if no volunteer is available, the gym will be unable to open at its usual times, i.e. 9am – 12 noon or 5pm – 7pm ST. IVES ‘100 CLUB’ MONTHLY DRAW: COMMUNITY FAYRE The winning numbers for December, 2015 and On Saturday, 2nd July, 2016 January, 2016 are as follows: Leadgate Methodist Church December: 1st prize – No. 60: 2nd prize – No. 74: will be hosting a Community January: 1st prize – No. 86: 2nd prize – No. 35 Fayre on the Church green between 1pm – 4pm. If you would like further information, please contact Mrs. Hazel GRAHAM on on 01207 501581. Please note, all profits will be going to charity or designated org Page Three DIARY FOR FEBRUARY, 2016 1st St. Ives Church bingo, 7.30 p.m. in the Community Centre 6th Salvation Army coffee morning, 10.30 a.m. in the Army Hall 8th Salvation Army’s Ladies Fellowship, 2 p.m. in the Army Hall 11th Leadgate and District Historical Society meeting, 2 p.m. in the Leadgate Methodist Church hall, presentation by B. COULTARD entitled ‘Local Interest 13th Pont and Bradley Church coffee morning, 10 a.m. in Bradley Church Hall 15th Leadgate Women’s Institute meeting, 2 p.m. in the Community Centre, presentation by a representative from the Air Ambulance 17th Leadgate Area Partnership meeting, 6.30 p.m. in the rear room of the Community Centre 19th Leadgate Methodist Church’s ‘Messy Church’, 3.30 p.m. in the Church Hall 20th Two coffee mornings today: 10.15 a.m. – St. Ives’ Church held in the Community Centre 10.30 a.m. – Salvation Army’s held in the Army Hall 29th St. Ives Church bingo, 7.30 p.m. in the Community Centre Bingo sessions are held every Monday and Saturday in the Community Centre at 7.30 p.m. and at 1 p.m. in Leadgate Workmen’s Club. The Centre’s Legacy Gym is open every morning except Sunday between 9 am – 12 noon and Monday to Friday between 5 pm – 7 pm Leadgate Salvation Army has a Parent/Carer and ‘Toddler Group, every Tuesday 9.15 am – 11.30 am, it’s just £1 per child, for further information contact Envoy Gwen HALL on 07803 45299 If you have any items you wish to have published or advertised, any comments you wish to make, please let us know before 17th February, 2016 the contact names and telephone numbers are as follows: Brenda SURTEES, 01207 507506 or Jean HUGHES, 01207 506326. If you wish to contact either of our County Councillors their details are as follows: Councillor Watts STELLING – 01207 501674, mobile 07500125328: Councillor Alan SHIELD – 01207 562080, mobile 07500125327