Previous Consultations

PREVIOUS PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Weekly list of planning applications:

15 May 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

9 May 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

2 May 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

Planning – 24 April 2023

17 April 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

10 April 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

Planning – 3 April 2023

Planning – 27 March 2023

20 March 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

13 March 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

6 March 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

27 February 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

Planning – 22 February 2023

13 February 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

6 February 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

30 January 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

23 January 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

16 January 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

9 January 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

2 January 2023 – no planning applications for Ferryhill

PREVIOUS CONSULTATIONS

Housing Strategy

Durham County Council would like to hear from you to help them write their next housing strategy. Join the housing conversation and help shape a new plan to meet your housing needs, your community’s needs and the needs of the county both now and in the future. Further details can be found below:

Join our housing conversation – Durham County Council

The closing date for all comments and surveys was 5.00pm on 14 August 2023.

Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 4 Consultation

Durham County Council wants to know what you think about the proposals to improve County Durham’s Public Rights of Way (PROW) for all users, ensuring they are fit for the 21st century.

Further information can be found here: Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) 4 consultation – Durham County Council

This consultation closed at 5.00pm on Wednesday 26 July 2023.

Supplementary Planning Documents Consultation

Durham County Council will be undertaking the following consultations between 09:00 on Tuesday 30 May and 17:00 on Sunday 9 July 2023:

1. Draft Solar Energy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

The draft SPD sets guidance to ensure solar panels are sited, designed and of a scale which protects County Durham’s unique landscape character, biodiversity, heritage assets and allows for the continued agricultural use of farmland. It provides guidance for three scales of solar development: solar panels for householders; solar panels associated with business and community uses; and commercial solar farms. It supplements policies in the County Durham Plan, in particular Policy 33 (Renewable and Low Carbon Energy).

Responses to the consultation will be considered in drafting a revised version of the Solar Energy SPD which will be subject to another full public consultation later in 2023. Following that consultation, any final amendments to the document will be considered and justified before completion and approval. Once approved, the SPD will be adopted and will be used to assess planning applications for solar development.

To find out more you can visit www.durham.gov.uk/consultation where you can also book to attend an online consultation event which will be held on Wednesday 28 June at 5.30pm – 6.30pm.

2. Parking and Accessibility Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

We want your views on the final draft of the SPD following the two rounds of consultation in 2021 and 2022. The SPD provides guidance to ensure an appropriate level of parking for a variety of modes of transport on all new developments.

To find out more you can visit www.durham.gov.uk/consultation where you can also book to attend an online consultation event.

Get Involved

You can make your comments known to us in a number of ways, but we would encourage you to submit your views online, via the consultation pages at: https://consult-durhamcc.objective.co.uk/kse

You can also send us your comments by e-mail to: spatialpolicy@durham.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can send us your comments to our freepost address (all you need to do is write this one line on an envelope – no other address details or postage stamp are needed): FREEPOST Spatial Policy.

Comments needed to be made by 5pm, Sunday 9 July 2023.

Details of the consultations and how to get involved can be found on the Council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk/consultation or by contacting the Spatial Policy Team on 03000 263967.

Have your say on the review of County Durham’s electoral boundaries

The Local Government Boundary Commission is reviewing the electoral areas in County Durham to make sure Councillors represent an equal number of people and the boundaries help with effective council work. As part of this review, the total number of Councillors will be reduced from 126 to 98 and will consist of 48 divisions, including nine single Councillor divisions, 28 two Councillor divisions and 11 three Councillor divisions.

To have your say on their proposals, visit County Durham | LGBCE

The consultation closed on Monday 10 July 2023.

Planning documents consultation

Residents were invited to have their say on a number of documents which will affect developments across the county.

The County Durham Plan, which was adopted in October 2020, sets out our vision for housing, jobs and the environment until 2035. It seeks to ensure the county is a successful place to live, work, invest and visit by focusing on supporting and creating vibrant communities.

Although this covers all aspects of planning, DCC are seeking views on four Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) it has produced to support decision making. They include: County Durham Design Code Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), Development Viability, Affordable Housing and Financial Contributions Supplementary Planning Document (second stage), Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and Trees, Woodland and Hedges Supplementary Planning Document.

You can find out more, at https://www.durham.gov.uk/consultation

Review of the Public Space Protection Order

Durham County Council are reviewing the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for dog ownership, which they have in place to deal with issues arising from irresponsible dog ownership. Despite improvements, following the PSPO’s initial introduction in 2017, dog fouling and other dog related issues remain a key concern for communities across the county, DCC are proposing to expand the PSPO to help. There are five countywide proposed additions to the PSPO and one location specific related to the ‘slope’ beach in Seaham. The consultation is open until 5pm on 13 March 2023. For further details visit Review of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for dog ownership 2023

In addition to the proposed specific seasonal ban of dogs on “the Slope” beach in Seaham, this consultation also includes the extension of the PSPO to include

Dogs being banned from more fenced off play areas such as MUGA’s and Tennis courts
Dogs to be on leads in churchyards, cemeteries and crematoria
Dogs to be on leads in identified marked sports pitches
Dog walkers to walk a maximum of 6 dogs at once (pretty topical following the recent death of a dog walker in the south of england)
All dogs in an open space to have a collar and tag

Review of Traffic Sensitive Streets

Durham County Council are currently reviewing the list of traffic sensitive streets following reforms to criteria made by The Department of Transport. Any roadworks on streets, or parts of streets, which are designated as traffic sensitive will have a bigger impact, so anyone wanting to carry out works must give a greater amount of warning and apply for permission. DCC are talking to businesses, contractors and other people who carry out work that may affect the use of these roads and footpaths eg need to dig them up. They are also interested in hearing the views of local businesses, organisations and those involved in organising major events or attractions in the county. This consultation closed on 24 February 2023. For more information visit Review of traffic sensitive streets

In County Durham there is currently a list of over 600 streets that are classified as traffic sensitive. This is a reduction in the number of Traffic Sensitive Streets from their previous review in 2019, which had over 800 streets listed.

From April 2023, DCC will define a street as traffic sensitive if it:

has an estimated traffic flow of greater than 500 vehicles per hour per lane (excluding bus or cycle lanes)
is a single lane two-way road, with a lane width of less than 6.5 metres and has a total traffic flow of more than 600 vehicles per hour
is within a congestion charge area
has more than 25% heavy commercial vehicles
has more than eight buses per hour in both directions
is within 100 metres of an important traffic lit junction, roundabout or gyratory (complex roundabout)
has a pedestrian flow rate of at least 1300 people per hour per metre width of pavement
is designated as an A road

DCC are particularly interested in hearing the views of local businesses, organisations and those involved in organising major events or attractions in the county. They want to know if you feel a street or area should be added to the list, why and when and also to tell them if you disagree with a designation currently on the list.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England

A 10-week public consultation has started inviting proposals for new council divisions and division boundaries for Durham County Council.

The consultation closed on 30 January 2023.

The new electoral arrangements will come into effect at the local elections in May 2025.

For more information about the consultation visit County Durham Unitary Authority (UA) | LGBCE Site

Police & Crime Commissioner for County Durham – Precept Consultation

The Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, Joy Allen, is currently carrying out a precept consultation which ends on Friday 13^th January. She has the responsibility for setting the budget for Durham Constabulary. The majority of this funding comes from the central government grant with the remaining coming via a precept on council tax.

She is seeking the views of the public and residents of County Durham and Darlington, as she would like to know what people think is affordable and what their policing priorities are.

You can find it at: Precept Consultation

The PCC website includes the following news story PCC Calls for Public Views on Cost of Policing for the Region | News | Durham Police & Crime Commissioner (durham-pcc.gov.uk).

This consultation closed on Friday 13th January 2023.

Physical activity in County Durham

Are you less active than you were? Do you want to be more active but do not know where to start, or you want to know what help is available for you in County Durham? This is your opportunity to help us to understand how we can help you to be more active in your everyday life.

Have your say on physical activity in County Durham

The closing date for comments was 5.00pm on 5 December 2022.

Budget proposals for 2023/24

Have your say on proposed budget savings and council tax rates for next year (2023/24).

Consultation on our budget proposals for 2023/24

The closing date for comments was Tuesday 22 November.

Consultation on the development of a new Children, Young People and Families’ Strategy 2022-2025

Development of a new strategy to support children, young people and families for the next three years is underway. County Durham’s Children, Young People and Families Partnership is leading on this work.

The Partnership has already done some initial work with children, young people and family groups, the voluntary and community sector and children’s services professionals, as well as looking at local data telling them what it’s like to live in County Durham. You can find information and a survey on the council’s website at: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/27541

Working with this information, the partnership has come up with a draft vision which outlines what we hope to achieve and seven themes to focus our work on. A short animation to support communication with the wider public and some easy read materials to be used with children and other groups who might need them has been produced. Click here for the short animation Growing Up in County Durham Consultation video

To help the Partnership check they are on the right track could you please take part in their consultation which is open until Wednesday 10 August.

The Partnership will use your feedback to finalise a draft strategy which will be available for further feedback in September.

If you have any queries, or would like to be further involved in the strategy’s development, please contact: consultations@durham.gov.uk

Thank you for your support – the Partnership looks forward to hearing from you.

This consultation closed at 5pm on 10 August 2022.

What do you think of the pharmacies and GP practice dispensaries in County Durham?

Pharmacies and, in rural areas GP practice dispensaries, are an integral part of our community and to ensure that they continue to meet residents needs, Durham County Council are
inviting you to tell them what you think, so your feedback can be used to help shape services over the next three years.

From 16 May to 14 July 2022, DCC held an online consultation with residents, which is part of a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). Producing a PNA is a
legal responsibility of the Health and Wellbeing Board and considers how accessible pharmaceutical services (i.e. services from pharmacies and GP practice
dispensaries) are for our residents and the types of services that are available.

The draft PNA for 2022-25 that DCC are now consulting on has already taken into account the results of public survey work conducted by Healthwatch and through the
Community Champions network.

Your views were important during this consultation to help shape pharmaceutical services now and in the future. Your response could influence your local
pharmaceutical services.

To take part, please read through the draft assessment for 2022-25 and submit your comments at https://www.durham.gov.uk/consultation or send your feedback to
pnaconsultation@durham.gov.uk

This consultation closed at 5pm on 14 July 2022.

Supplementary Planning Documents Consultations

Durham County Council undertook the following consultations between 09:00 on 22^nd April 2022 and 16:30 on 3^rd June 2022:

Development viability, affordable housing, and developer contributions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) consultation
Parking and Accessibility Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
Residential Amenity Standards
The Highway Design Guide

To find out more you can visit www.durham.gov.uk/consultation or attend an online information session:

Get Involved

You can make your comments known to Durham County Council in a number of ways, but you are encouraged to submit your views online, via the consultation pages at: https://consult-durhamcc.objective.co.uk/kse.

You can also send your comments by e-mail to: spatialpolicy@durham.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can send your comments to the freepost address (all you need to do is write this one line on an envelope – no other address details or postage stamp are needed): FREEPOST Spatial Policy.

Details of the consultations and how to get involved can be found on the Council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk/consultation or by contacting the Spatial Policy Team on 03000 261908 or 03000 263967.

The closing date for comments was Friday 3 June 2022 at 5.00pm.

Views Sought on Improvements to Dean Bank Dog Walking Area and dedicating it to the late Councillor Brian Avery

Ferryhill Town Council considered a proposal at its meeting held on 6th April 2022 to dedicate the dog walking area at Dean Bank to the late Councillor Brian Avery.

Brian was a big supporter of the dog walking area, contributing to its development from his Neighbourhood Budget. Councillors thought it would be a fitting tribute to name the area ‘Avery Walk’ after him. It was also thought that if the area could be designated as a dog walking area on a permanent basis it would be a lasting tribute. The opportunity could also be taken to improve facilities in that area.

The Dog Walking Area is located on former allotment land at Storehouse Allotments. Approval was obtained from the Secretary of State to use the land on a temporary basis with the proviso that if demand on that site increased it should revert back to allotment use. As the area is allocated on a temporary basis the Town Council is unable to obtain grant funding to improve facilities. Demand for allotments at Storehouse remains low, particularly at the bottom corner.

It has been the Council’s wish to extend the dog walking area to take in unused allotments towards the A167 and to request that the area be redesignated as recreational land on a permanent basis so facilities can be improved.

Resident’s views are sought on the proposals – Complete Survey

The closing date for the survey was Sunday 8th May 2022

Area Action Partnerships (AAPs) Community Priorities 2022/23

AAPs give you a say on how our services are provided. Durham County Council want you to have your say on the community priorities for your AAP area for 2022/23.

Area Action Partnerships (AAPs) Community Priorities 2022/23

The closing date for comments was 5.00pm on Friday 11 March 2022.

Libraries For You

Durham County Council want your your views on the library service.

Durham Libraries For You: get involved

The closing date for comments was 5.00pm on Friday 1 April 2022.

Our Big Econ-versation

The economy means different things to different people. It’s about how much money we take home, the quality of our high streets, the opportunities available to our children, and the kinds of jobs that are out there. The economy also matters for our businesses – influencing whether we have the right people with the right skills to fill jobs, and the opportunities for businesses to be successful. Durham County Council would like to have a conversation with you about the economy, talking about the things that really matter to you. Everything will then be gathered together and will be used to develop an economic strategy for everyone across County Durham. Your views, experiences and ambitions will help create the kind of economy needed for the lives we want to lead.

Our Big Econ-versation

The closing date for comments was 5.00pm on Friday 22 April 2022.

Views Sought on Proposed Boundary Changes

Residents in County Durham are being encouraged to give their views on proposals to change parliamentary constituency boundaries.

The 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies was formally launched in 2021 by the Boundary Commission for England. The commission, an independent and impartial non-departmental public body, is required to ensure that the number of electors in each constituency across the UK is ‘more equal’. In doing so, the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.

The commission is currently undertaking an independent review of all constituency boundaries in England and will present final recommendations to Parliament by July 2023. The rules that the commission work to are such that wide scale change is inevitable.

Any changes will not affect local council services, with the boundary changes relating only to parliamentary constituencies, which is the area an MP is elected to represent in Parliament.

Local knowledge is needed to help reshape the map of constituencies. As part of a second consultation following one which was carried out last year, members of the public are encouraged to visit www.bcereviews.org.uk to view maps showing the proposed new boundaries and also provide feedback. Views must be submitted before Monday 4 April 2022.

People can provide feedback on anything from where the proposed boundaries are, to the commission’s suggestions for new constituency names. The commission has published over 34,000 responses received from its first consultation and following the conclusion of all consultation periods, it will look at all the evidence received and form its final recommendations.

A total of 32 public hearings will also be held across the country, at which people can tell the commission their views in person as part of a ten minute speaking slot.

Hearings in the North East will take place at Newcastle Civic Centre on Monday 28 March and Tuesday 29 March and at Middlesbrough Town Hall on Thursday 31 March and Friday 1 April. Places to attend or to speak at the events can be booked at www.bcereviews.org.uk

If the commission’s proposals change, the organisation will hold a further four week written consultation on revised proposals inviting the public to give its views. There will be no public hearings at this stage.

Those comments will be published along with a final report, which will be sent to Parliament by July 2023 and subsequently made into law.

For further information and to provide views for the consultation go to www.bcereviews.org.uk

Previous Consultations

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