STC Annual Report 2015-16

The Council has published an Annual Report to inform residents about the projects, initiatives and events the Council has been involved with over the last 12 months.  There is also information about grant funding the Council has provided and a breakdown of the Council’s finances.

The report is linked HERE (22MB, PDF)

The Council will hold it’s Annual meeting for electors on Tuesday 17th May 2016 at 6.30pm in the Civic Hall.

The meeting is open to all residents of Stanley and it’s purpose is for you to raise issues that concern you in an open forum. The Agenda for the Town Meeting can be found HERE

Stanley Family Cycle – Now Free to enter – Sunday May 1st

With the Stanley Family Cycle day just a couple of weeks away, the introduction to cycling around the area has been given a boost.
The organisers and the Town Council have got together and made the event available to all by making the day a free event.
Council Chairman Joan Nicholson is looking forward to the day and hopes the people of the parish will get behind the project. “This ride is very much geared to the people in the Town and surrounding area.  The Council is putting on small events across the year that are looking to bring back even more of the community feel. This is just part of what we are doing for the Town and we hope people of all ages will get behind this and other events throughout the year.”
Centred on the town’s Oakey Park, the focus of the day will see a fabulous ride of around 6 miles showing off some great landscape and countryside on the way to Beamish. To make sure it isn’t too had on the legs, we will have a half way rest up where we can hone the bike skills with the Council’s Cycle Proficiency team.
Colin Wilkes, part of the organising team: “This is an ideal way to introduce the cycle ways around the Stanley area to a wider audience.  People still need to ‘sign up’ so we know how many to expect – although there will be a limited amount of on the day spaces available.  This is all due to the extra funding that we can offer a great day without charge.”
Along with the ride, there will be other stalls including bike protection marking by the local police, and also some advice on healthy lifestyle.
The event, on Sunday 1st May, will be an opportunity to see some of the best of the countryside around the Stanley area and will also publicise the planned opening of a new link route from the C2C route into Stanley town centre.
For more information, please see the facebook page: Stanley Family Cycle

Shield Row Station to re-open in 2022

Tobyn Hughes, Chief Executive of Nexus has announced that the Tyne & Wear Metro will reach Stanley by 2022.  In a statement issued yesterday, he stated that Nexus had reached an agreement with Sustrans and the North East Combined Authority that would see a new line being created across former North Eastern Railway lines that would link Washington, Chester, Beamish and Shield Row with the existing Metro line which terminates at South Hylton.

Mr Hughes said “It has always been our goal to extend the Metro into County Durham and thanks to Stanley Town Council’s investment of £1 billion into stations and infrastructure that is now possible”.

Cyclists who currently use the Sustrans route have been advised to try the A693 instead, which is apparently just as nice.

Next Week’s Meetings – Agendas Uploaded

There are three meetings of Council next week:

Planning – Tuesday 5th April at 6.00pm – the application for change of use at Stansfield House in Joicey Square will be considered.

05-04-16 Planning Agenda

Personnel – Tuesday 5th April at 6.30pm

05-04-16 Personnel Agenda

Crime & Community Safety – Wednesday 6th April at 6.30pm – Mini Police funding, Durham Money Advice Service funding, updates from Police & Partners

06.04.16 Crime & Comm Safety Agenda

Play in the Park – 1st April, South Moor

Play in the Park – This Friday, South Moor Memorial Park 10 – 3

The Town Council has organised some FREE half term activities for families in the Park this Friday. There will be loads of free activities including skittles, ball games, messy and creative play, outdoors skills and even a fairy trail. There will also be some kids rides, a bouncy castle and an ice cream van. (not free)The forecast for Friday says no rain, (sadly no sun either probably!) so come along and join in.

Announcing Blooming Good Fun 2016

The Town Council are launching this year’s ‘Blooming Good Fun’ competition.

It is to encourage gardeners from right across the Parish to make a special effort to brighten up their surroundings – and everybody else’s by bringing colour and floral displays to Stanley.

Entry is FREE and there are CASH PRIZES to be one.  There are awards for the best garden, tubs, window boxes, back yard, open space or communal space and trade premises so it’s open to everybody.

To get an entry form, see our Blooming Good Fun page