Dear Sir,
I am informed that a plan is to be carried out by DCC to remove lighting along the C35 Middridge Lane area. I cannot recall any consultation with the public on this matter but assume members of the public who use these areas will be less than chuffed.
It has been DCC policy since 2012 to remove lights in non-residential areas where deemed safe to do so.
Readers will recall the furore last year when DCC tried to remove lighting from the A167 when business and public alike campaigned to retain lighting. This was only saved by intervention by Councillors of Great Aycliffe Town Council who negotiated a deal whereby funding was found to save the lights from GATC coffers.  This solution resulted in a case of double taxation whereby DCC were paid in our rates to supply lighting yet rates we pay in Newton Aycliffe were then spent on saving the lighting.
Clearly we cannot keep adding to the costs of GATC to subsidise the much larger Durham County Council who are hoarding vast reserves of cash therefore I believe that our County Councillors should try to fight these cuts and keep the public informed.
In a similar vein livin housing are discontinuing garden services to the elderly due apparently to austerity measures imposed by the government.
A further communication from livin has been published detailing changes to the board. It is of course the groups own business who it appoints to its governance board. I have to note that the members to be removed are tenant board members.
It seems to me that as the stakeholder which supplies the revenue should be represented on the board and the 4 Durham County Councillors should instead be reduced. Working in the community I am hearing complaints from across our area about standards of repairs in livin properties. Particularly of concern are complaints of damp in Simpasture court which despite the intervention of WASPS residents association has still to be resolved.
Ken Robson
Town Councillor