The meeting started with a presentation from Durham Police Authority. Assistant Chief Officer Gary Ridley started by giving the Council very promising news about crime in the area – crime rates down, anti-social behaviour significantly down, and detection rates high.
Then Peter Thompson, Chair of the Authority, informed the Council that – having listened to the concerns of local people – the Authority was minded to have a presence in the town centre … perhaps in the Fire Station. He was as yet unable to supply any detail in response to councillors’ questions about hours, or what such a service would entail. He stressed also that no decision had yet been taken about what was to happen to the Police Station. Such matters, he said, awaited further clarification in September.
Next, members considered a request from the Planning Inspectorate for information the Council considered should be provided in E.On’s Environmental Statement (ES) accompanying its wind farm application for The Isles. Speaking to the motion, Councillor Clare explained that E.On had already provided an extensive scoping document outlining what they intended to include in the ES, but that this was a call for extra items.
The County Durham Association of Local Councils (CDALC) had already responded, but Cllr Clare listed a number of factors which GATC might wish to mention – including visual and landscape impact, amplitude modulation, data acquisition, impact against the Water Framework Directive, traffic disruption and noise during construction, socio-economic impact, cumulative and collective impacts, and the exploration of alternatives. He recommended that the Council send its comments ‘without prejudice’ (i.e. failure to mention an issue did not mean the Council did not want it investigating).
Cllr Clare stressed that this was not about opposing or supporting the wind farm application, but simply that the 30,000 people of Great Aycliffe have the right to know fully what impact the wind farm will have on their lives if it is built. The Council authorised the Town Clerk to work with Cllr Clare to submit comments from GATC (you can read the full submission at http://bit.ly/GATCscoping).
The Durham and Yorkshire Branch of the Scots Guards Association had written to the Town Clerk asking to hold repatriation services in honour of servicemen and women who have lost their lives. The Council authorised the Town Clerk to meet with representatives of the Scots Guards Association to see what assistance the Council can give.
Finally, Cllr Mary Dalton informed the Council that – at a meeting in September – the Normandy Veterans Association (who through age no longer feel able to meet) wished to give their standard to GATC for display in the Council chamber.
Cllr Fleming said the Council would count it a great honour, and would remind councillors of the many people who had given their lives in Normandy during the war so that we might be able to exercise our democracy in freedom.
