At a meeting of the Council held in Eastgate Village Hall on 4th March 2026
PRESENT:
Cllr M Brewin, Cllr Mrs S Thompson, Cllr D Craig, Cllr Mrs D Sutcliff, Cllr P Turton, Cllr L Blackett
Cllr Miss J Carrick – Chairman
Susan Anderson – Clerk
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Apologies for Absence
Cllr J Shuttleworth, Cllr Mrs D Wright, Cllr Mrs C Burdis, Cllrs Mrs S Smart, Cllr R Lawrie
Cllr Mrs Savory – as Chair of the Governors of Wolsingham School she was attending a rededication
service of the school library
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To Receive Any Declarations of Interest from Members
None received
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Minutes of the meeting held on 4th February 2026
Minutes were moved as a true and correct record and were signed by the chairman
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Matters Arising
Email regarding Frosterley issues
- An email was received on Wednesday 4th Feb at 5.10pm asking some questions regarding the
request for signage and speeding by Frosterley School. Progress has been made and
Highways and the Police have been out again just recently. There will be a little bit of new
signage going up. - Notices on Front Street, Stanhope – DCC have been up to Stanhope to remove the Notices.
The report has been resolved and closed. - Weardale Practice – The Practice Manager has sent out a Patient Access Survey and also a
Friends & Family survey. The surgery now has a good understanding of the issues faced by
some patients and are now looking for feedback to support decisions that the practice needs
to make to improve the patient journey. - Vape Stickers – D Hunt has had the lads remove the vape stickers on the bins on Front Street,
Stanhope. - Cambo Mine – An email has been received acknowledging our request for an update as to
what is happening at Cambo. Cllr Craig thought that Sharnberry was going to be last on the
list and that Nenthead and Grove Rake would be before Sharnberry.
1 - Bikes in the Dales Centre – The Police have been contacted and they will keep an eye out in
the Dales Centre for the children on their bikes. Last year they were spoken to and they were
happy to move on. - Sign outside of the Co-op – This has been added onto the works programme.
- Road Markings at the entrance to the Church, Frosterley – The request for road markings
has been reviewed and, on this occasion, it is not appropriate to install a new road marking.
This is because DCC would only consider the use of waiting restrictions (double yellow lines)
where road safety is being seriously compromised and the restrictions are necessary to
address a known and proven accident location with the support of Durham Constabulary.
With regards to white lining, it is the council’s policy to only introduce these markings in
residential areas where the obstruction is continuous and is a result of vehicles accessing
nearby business, retail, leisure or similar facilities. Any obstruction should be dealt with by
dialogue between residents or where this fails, through intervention by the local police. - St Thomas Church – Reordering – A letter has been received from the Registrar together
with copy Judgement. The email was sent to all councillors. - Dales Centre Tearoom, Stanhope – A new lease has been taken out by a different business.
- Burnhope Reservoir – Cllr Blackett mentioned that the northside drains of the reservoir have
been done but the southside has not been touched. Resolved: Clerk to contact
Northumbrian Water
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Correspondence Received - Bollihope, Frosterley – A complaint has been received concerning the rubbish at Bollihope
and that the bins are not there all year round. Also a request for an additional bin on the
Stanhope side of Bollihope. The gentleman who has reported this is a walker all year round
and is bitterly upset at the state of the areas concerned. He carries a bag with him and picks
up a lot of rubbish and puts it in his own recycling. He would like to know why additional bins
cannot be there and would like to speak to Clean and Green. The councillors did agree that
extra bins are needed. Resolved: Clerk to contact D Hunt - Cllr Miss Carrick reported that street light numbers 83 and 84 are on all day. Clerk reported
them to DCC. - Cllr Carrick reported that the drain that was recently repaired at East Gate House and the
one at Howl John need inspecting. Clerk reported them to DCC - DCC are consulting on the Discount Market Sale Supplementary Planning Document from
27th Feb until 13th April 2026. - A resident would like the footpath sweeping between Frosterley and Stanhope. All last years
leaves are still on the footpath and it doesn’t give a very good first impression for visitors.
Ideally a planned schedule of clearance and maintenance would be best. Resolved: Clerk to
contact D Hunt - Cllr Craig was concerned that an application SCR/25/00023 was not on the weekly list that
the Parish Council receives. A Screening Opinion request under Town and Country Planning
Regulations has been submitted. Through a Screening Opinion the Council decides whether a
development is likely to have a significant effect on the environment and therefore requires
an assessment under the EIA Regulations. Screening Opinion requests are not advertised on
the weekly list as they are not planning applications. Cllr Craig would like a letter sending to
Northern Lithium and Weardale Lithium for an update
2
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Planning Matters
DM/26/00243/FPA
Removal of 2no metal up and over garage doors and frames and insert timber framed double glazed
six pane window and door sets within existing openings. Internal garage conversion to form larger
utility and new study area.
8 Weardale House
Stanhope
DM/26/00202/FPA
Demolition of the existing single storey garage and construction of a new garage with first floor
storage area/workshop for domestic use.
High Fairhills
Huntshieldford
St Johns Chapel
DM/25/03539/FPA
Proposed construction of new dwelling and access
Land to the rear of
43 Hood Street
St Johns Chapel
A discussion took place and the main concern was the access onto the A689. Highways would be
consulted on this during the planning process.
DM/25/02838/FPA
Two storey extension with subterranean level and a single storey link on the footprint of the existing
hay barn (amended plans 26-01-26
Lea Foot Byers
Brotherlee
Cllr Craig would like the Parish Council to support this application. Resolved: Clerk to write to DCC
PLANNING APPROVALS FOR MARCH 2026
DM/25/02186/VOC
Removal of holiday let occupancy condition no 5 pursuant to permission 3/2008/0006
Hill Top Cottage
Lanehead
DM/25/02350/FPA
Formation of opening in wall into Parrock, installation of timber field gate and posts, creation of
dropped kerb- (partly retrospective)
Briar Barn
Briar Hill
Ireshopeburn
3
4
DM/25/02726/FPA
Install a solar pv panels on rear of property west facing roof.
7 Kirk Rise
Frosterley
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Finance
- We have received a letter that Westgate Village Hall have changed their bank details. St
Johns Chapel Church and St Andrew Church Westgate are now The Parish of West Weardale.
A letter has been sent to Barclays to change the details for the standing order that goes out
in May. - Bank reconciliation figures and the summary of receipts and payment have been sent for
approval. Resolved: Agreed - S Makepeace has sent a quote for the painting of the inside of Daddry Shield Toilets which is
£380 plus vat. This will be the walls and the floor. Resolved: Agreed
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Accounts for Payment
Mazars External Audit £378.00
Smith of Derby Westgate Memorial Clock £345.60
Smith of Derby Wearhead Memorial Clock £345.60
Smith of Derby Frosterley Memorial Clock £345.60
S Anderson Salary £844.21
HM Rev £164.13
S Anderson expenses £184.76
S Anderson Home as Office £35.00
S Makepeace £738.00
Eastgate Village Hall £30.00
Total £3410.90
Accounts for Receipts Allotment Rent £1454.00
5
Direct Debits
Anglian Water £86.71
Anglian Water £46.48
Anglian Water £23.61
EE £30.00
EON Ashcroft Playpark £31.68
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New Matters for Discussion
- Cllr Craig would like the Police to attend a Parish Council meeting to discuss the recent thefts
of quad bikes in Weardale. He also mentioned the recent motorbike accident and wondered
why the traffic could not have been stopped further up the road at Westgate and at Eastgate.
Resolved: Clerk to contact the Police - Cllr Blackett mentioned the cemetery at Cowshill that it needs a good tidy and some
weeding. Also, there are some spoil heaps left that need removing. Resolved: Clerk to
contact DCC - Cllr Blackett mentioned that there is a street light which is too bright outside a resident’s
house. Resolved: Clerk to contact DCC - Cllr Mrs Sutcliff would like an update on the two bridges at St Johns Chapel that need
repairing. The first one is the bridge by St Johns Chapel school and the second one is by
Pennine Lodge. The notice went up 30/7/25 for six months and the work has not
commenced yet. Resolved: Clerk to contact DCC - Cllr Turton mentioned the cars that had been bumped in Westgate and that the driver of the
car had been drinking in the pubs. - Cllr Mrs Thompson would like the footpath cutting from the Weardale Museum through to
Blackdene. Resolved; Clerk to contact D Hunt - Cllr Mrs Thompson saw that some damage has been done to the lighting box at Ashcroft
Playpark. Resolved: Clerk to contact an electrician - Cllr Miss Carrick would like an update on what is happening at Newtown House and
Stanhope Town Hall. Resolved: Clerk to write to DCC - The new Interim Vicar has been introducing himself to all the shop owners down Stanhope
Street. - Cllr Miss Carrick and the clerk attended the GDPR Training. This will be on the agenda for
next month
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Clerks Business
We now need to decide what the allotment competition will be this year.
The judge last year thought about the best flower planter.
The councillors liked that idea so the clerk will put some notices up.
