Introduction

Your Council has 21 Councillors – 8 representing the Grange and the Colliery and 13 representing the Village – and are as follows –

The Village Sheila Appleton John Burton Lily Burton Denise Davison Michael Davison George Terrans Bernadette Thompson Julie Thompson (part year) Keith Thompson Paul Trippett Andrew Varty Christine Varty Rita Welsh (part year) Grange/Colliery Anderson Chapman Eileen Dickinson George Elliott George R Elliott Mary Elliott Lucy Hovvels Margaret Hughes Derrick Redden

The Council Chair and Vice-Chair for the year were Christine Varty and Derrick Redden respectively.

Income

For the year in question the Council raised income as follows –

Council Tax Cemetery Fees Allotment Rents Grass cutting contracts VAT Refund Other £149975 £3470 £385 £12158 £4281 £72

In considering the level of Council tax for the year the Council took into account the general rise in inflation and the need to increase financial support to Trimdon Community College in order to avoid its closure and to increase general maintenance of the environment in line with the findings of the Environmental appraisal for the parish as prepared by the former Sedgefield Borough Council.

Expenditure

Apart from the salaries of the part time Clerk, 2 permanent full time grounds maintenance staff and 1 summer part time temporary worker, the Council is responsible for the following –

Maintenance of the football fields and cricket pitch at the Village Community Centre Cutting the Village Greens on the Front Streets Cutting the football pitches at the Grange Cutting the grassed area on the land attached to the former Community Centre at the Colliery Cutting the Millennium Green in the Village The cemetery The flower tubs around the villages The grassed areas at the Village Junior and Infant Schools and St William’s Primary School (this work is paid for by the schools concerned General maintenance of the play areas in the 3 villages Financial support to community groups. Maintenance of the 3 allotment sites in the Parish Maintenance of bus shelters

Overall the Council’s expenditure included –

General supplies Contractors (grass cutting Cemetery maintenance Allotments Machinery (purchase maintenance) Wages Administration costs Insurances Skerne Play Park security Council van and grass cutters (lease and fuel) Grants were given as follows – Village Community College Grange Community Centre Colliery Community activities Village Hall National Play Day Trimdon Utd Juniors FC Learning Library Trimdon Youth Club St Mary Magdalene Church St Alban’s Church United Methodist Church Miners Banner Association Poppy Day £5905 £6247 £5340 £1670 £2595 £63578 £7524 £4735 £1845 £8804 £11600 £1025 £1000 £1000 £1000 £170 £100 £1000 £424 £100 £100 £100 £50

Traditionally the Council has given financial support to the Citizens Advice Bureau.

As the CAB has its own financial problems we have agreed not to give a grant as there was no way to guarantee that the service would continue to be provided in the Parish.

We have however agreed to pay the costs of the CAB when attending in Trimdon by the payment of its expenses directly to the Village Hall, whose premises it uses, thus ensuring the continuation of the service to local residents.

Other activities

The Council also works in partnership with all the local schools, community centres and village halls by providing assistance when possible free of charge.

It reviews planning applications and comments in ways that will protect or enhance the Parish.

The Council also regularly meets with the local Police and raises issues relevant to its area, particularly with reference to anto social behaviour and drug related offences.

Many local issues of provision are solved following intervention by your local County Councillors where Durham County Council is the provider of service.

The Council is represented on the Management Committees of all the Community Centres and Village Halls, the Sedgefield District Relief in Need Charity, the John Airey Trust and a number of Parish Council management related groups.

Council Spending in the Future

In November 2010 the Council was informed that Durham County Council was to suffer significant reductions in its expenditure (£135m over the following 3 years) as a result of the National Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

There was a distinct possibly that the Village library would close as well reductions in financial support to the Village Community College.

As it happened the library was reprieved for 12 months but financial support was withdrawn from the Village Community College and the cost of caretaking and cleaning was withdrawn from the Grange Community Centre and the Village Hall in Trimdon.

Former Car Park at Myrobella

The Council has ensured that the car park at Myrobella, the former home of Tony Blair remains as a public asset available to the local community.