STANHOPE PARISH COUNCIL
AT a meeting of the Council held in Eastgate Village Hall on 2nd July 2025
PRESENT: Cllr Mrs S Smart, Cllr Mrs D Sutcliff, Cllr Mrs C Burdis, Cllr P Turton, Cllr R Lawrie, Cllr Mrs S
Thompson, Cllr D Craig, Cllr M Brewin Cllr Miss J Carrick – Chairman Susan Anderson – Clerk
Apologies for Absence
Cllr J Shuttleworth, Cllr Mrs D Wright, Cllr E Buchanan, Cllr L Blackett.
To Receive Any Declarations of Interest from Members None Received
Minutes of the meeting held on 4th June 2025
Point 9 Minute no 11092 should be Weardale Adventure Centre and not Pennine Lodge Minutes
were moved as a true and correct record and were signed by the chairman.
Foodie Book Club CIC – Lee Majhen-Todd
Cllr Miss Carrick welcomed Lee to the meeting. The Foodie Book Club CIC is a book club with a social
purpose who work to make a positive impact on both local and wider communities. The members
meet each month to discuss that month’s book and to plan fundraising ideas and the food related
community projects organised. As members increase so does the fundraising and so does the
community food related projects. On Saturday 30th August at the Charles Attwood, Wolsingham a
Great North East Sausage Roll will be held. There are two special guest judges who are Ahmed
Abdalla Head Chef at the Legacy AA Three Rosette. Grand Hotel, York. Kyle Bowman Executive Head
Chef of the Exchange 1856, North shields, North East Chef of the year 2023. Also, for the 16’s and
under they can bake and decorate a Disney/Marvel theme. The cost to enter is £5.00.
Matters Arising
- Bridge in Ashes Quarry – Cllr Turton asked the clerk when the bridge in Ashes Quarry would
be re-opened. The clerk asked the footpath officer for an update. - St Thomas Church Hall- We have received a Notice of inclusion on Durham County Councils
List of Assets of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011. The Council has decided to
list St Thomas Church Hall as an Asset of Community Value under the Community Right to
Bid legislation brought on under the Localism Act 2011 and the Assets of Community Value
9England) Regulations 2012. The asset will remain on the Councils List of Assets of
Community Value for five years unless the listing is reviewed by the Council and the asset is
no longer considered to be of community value. The owner has a right to an internal review
by the Council but must do so within eight weeks in writing. If the owner wishes to sell the
property whilst the asset is listed they must notify the Council and publicise a Notice of
Intention to Dispose of the property in the local area. If a community group wants to buy the
asset they have six weeks to express their interest and thereafter trigger a 6-month period
to enable them to prepare a bid for submission to the owner for consideration. During this
period the owner is unable to sell the property on the open market, other than to a
community interest group. At the end of the six-month period the owner is free to dispose
of the property on the open market. On 24th June an email was received that the owners of
the Church Hall have notified DCC that they intend to sell the Church Hall. Weardale
Together are holding a meeting at the Community Centre on 3rd July. Frosterley Village Hall
is run by 100% volunteers of 5. It was mentioned that there is a lot going on at the
Community Centre. The Church Hall rent was increased but some groups did not want to pay
the increase and bookings have fallen. The idea of groups using the church would not be
ideal as certain groups would not be able to use it. Bookings could be made and if there was
a funeral then everything else would be cancelled. At the church meeting when it was
decided to close the hall there were no minutes seen or accounts.
- Footpath Low Allers, Weardale Way – An email has been sent to the footpath officer to see if
a footpath diversion sign can be placed at Low Allers. - Cemetery Trees boarding Crosshill Care Home – The report has been passed to the tree
officers to request a tree survey. The trees adjacent to Crosshill Car Home are mature
Norway Spruce. The trees have been inspected and minor dead wood was found but this is
normal so no remedial work has been recommended. At the entrance to the cemetery one
of the Norway Maple has some dead branches and these will be removed. A cherry tree is to
be removed and a small sycamore tree. - Stoney Path, Ireshopeburn – The report has been forwarded to the relevant department for
consideration. - Killhope Lead Mining Museum – As yet there is no confirmed date as to when the museum
will reopen. The restoration work is ongoing and any update will be announced as soon as it
is possible to do so. - Hawthorn Tree at Wesley Garth – When the tree was struck down Historic England viewed
the photographs and determined there was little chance it would recover. The tree stump
was ground down and the site was tidied. At the meeting of the Trustees, it was agreed that
the landowner be approached to see if a replacement tree be planted and the conservation
contractor would also refresh the monument. - Phone Box in Stanhope – Only BT can clean the phone box DCC cannot touch it. The request
has been sent to BT - Weed Spraying – All the weed spraying has now been done in the areas mentioned. Simon
has been around and cleared it. - Weed Spraying at Ireshopeburn- This has now been done.
- Lime Tree Walk, Stanhope – The trimming back is scheduled for August as usual
- Lime Trees, Frosterley – These are on the list to be trimmed back
- Lime Trees Willard Grove, Stanhope – Simon will look at these trees
- Ownership of the ground down The Batts – A land registry search would have to done to
find out the ownership of the land. - Water Butt in the Cemetery – The request would have to go to Bereavement Services but
as there is a tap already there it would be doubtful that it would happen. There would be the
problem as to how it would be filled - Flower Bed at Wearhead- This was not a DCC flower bed it was a resident who looked after
it. - Meeting at Stanhope Surgery – Cllr Mrs Smart and Cllr Mrs Sutcliff have not heard anything
from the Practice Manager about the face-to-face meeting with her. Resolved: Clerk to contact
the Weardale Practice.
Correspondence Received - Cllr Mrs Wright had a lady that needed help in contacting the MP Sam Rushworth. The clerk
has contacted the MP to try and see if he is holding any surgeries in Weardale. - Cllr Mrs Thompson mentioned that the ground around the bins on Stanhope Market Place is
in need of a wash. The Community Highways Worker will do this possibly with the jet wash or if
not by hand. - A tenant from Crosshill reported that the water tap was broken and needed repairing.
- Cllr Miss Carrick reported that a street light on Stanhope Main Street needs repairing. This
was reported to DCC and has been resolved and closed. - DCC have been notified from APHA of a positive case of Avian Flu in the Frosterley area.
Officers from DCC have been in touch with known bird keepers and have put up information
notices. - Cllr Mrs Thompson would like the area around the bus stop in Ireshopeburn tidied up.
Planning Matters
DM/25/01373/AD Installation of a circular sign approx. 100cm in diameter above the doorway.
The sign will be back lit to enhance visibility at night. 63 Front Street Stanhope
DM/25/01292/LB Replace of 3 no. windows on north elevation 5-6 Newhouse Ireshopeburn
DM/25/01534/FPA Two storey side extension Virginia Cottage 6 Harthope Road St Johns Chapel
DM/25/0144/FPA Retrospective application of change of use of land to the north of the dwelling
to residential curtilage with the installation of a boundary fence and erection of an outbuilding
Rose Cottage Rookhope
DM/25/01590/PA56 Prior approval for proposed building, design specifically livestock
Pursuant to DM/25/01145/PNA Westernhopeburn Farm Westgate.
Finance
The quote for the Notice Board for Eastgate is now £100 less after Cllr Mrs Savory spoke to
Cornerstone, its now £750. Cllr Mrs Smart still thinks this is too expensive and would like a cheaper
version, not wood. Instead of the Notice Board standing on legs she would like it on the bus stop
wall if possible. Clerk mentioned about the Conservation Area and that for the Notice Board in
Stanhope planning permission was needed. Resolved: Clerk to contact DCC to see if they would give
permission for a Notice Board to go onto the bus shelter wall and to get a price for a not wood
notice board.
CDALC
No update
Accounts for Payment
DCC Community Highways Worker April 2025/March 2026 £18,302.
46 Eastgate Village Hall April, May, June, July Hall Hire £120.00
HM Rev £82.53 S Anderson Expenses £22.05
S Anderson Home as Office £35.00
Direct Debits/standing orders Eon Ashcroft playpark £23.90 Vodafone £47.34 Bank Charges £9.10
New Matters for Discussion
1.Cllr Craig was contacted by Weardale Community Partnership who thought he was chairman of
Wolsingham Parish Council. It was in connection with the new toilets at Wolsingham that they are
only accessible with a bank card and children do not have one. Resolved: Clerk to pass this onto
Wolsingham Parish Council.
- Cllr Mrs Sutcliff would like the grass cleaning out of the guttering at the toilets at St Johns Chapel.
Resolved: Clerk to contact D Hunt - Cllr Mrs Smart would like a new bus stop sign coming into Eastgate from Stanhope. Resolved:
Clerk to contact DCC - Cllr Mrs Smart mentioned the bollards by the red brick house that they need painting. Resolved:
Clerk to contact DCC - Cllr Mrs Thompson mentioned the state of the grounds in Newtown House where the old people’s
bungalow looks onto this. Resolved: Clerk to report to DCC - It was mentioned about the grass cutting that it is only a thin strip being cut. There is a vision
problem at Daddry Sheild as the grass is long and cyclists cannot be seen. Apparently, it is cut like
this for road safety reasons. - Cllr Mrs Burdis would like it clarifying why the flower beds have been planted in Wolsingham and
up the dale and not in Frosterley. Resolved: Clerk to contact DCC - Cllr Miss Carrick mentioned that the three stone planters have not been planted this year whilst in
other years they have. Resolved: Clerk to contact DCC - The planters by the cemetery in Stanhope need some plants in, this had been mentioned
previously. Resolved: Clerk to contact D Hunt - Last year there were some Lithium Grants available and Cllr Miss Carrick wondered if there had
been anymore updates on this.
Clerks Business
The clerks broadband through Vodafone went off on Thursday 26th June and was told that it would
be back on Thursday 3rd July.
Meeting closed at 7.52pm
