People in Wheatley Hill are being invited to play their part in improving their surroundings, as part of an eight-week action programme.
Durham County Council’s Community Action Team (CAT) will be tackling empty properties, fly-tipping and other environmental issues as well as improving health and wellbeing, from Monday, 5 June until Friday, 28 July.
As well as officers from the council, the CAT also includes representatives from Durham Constabulary, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and environmental charity Groundwork.
The programme will be split into three sections – establishing priorities, action and review.
The first two weeks of the project will be spent speaking to residents to establish priority areas of work. This will include an engagement meeting at the Greenhills Centre on Stephen’s Terrace on Tuesday, 13 June from 3pm to 7pm, which residents are welcome to attend.
The team will then spend four weeks working to address the issues raised. Drop-in sessions will be held over the four weeks at which residents will be able to seek updates, identify new areas of concern and report any issues. These will take place every Thursday from 10am to 10.30am at the Greenhills café, which residents are again invited to attend.
The final two weeks of the project will see the scheme reviewed and future objectives set for the council and its partners.
Joanne Waller, the council’s head of environment, health and consumer protection, said: “The drop-in sessions and residents meetings allow local people to have their say on the priorities on which we should focus our work and what is most in need of improvement. We’d encourage as many people as possible to come along.
“We’d also welcome residents and businesses that would like to find out more about the Community Action Team and the programme in Wheatley Hill.
“The CAT is currently completing a programme in New Kyo where almost 160 issues have been dealt with already, including rubbish hotspots and problems with drainage.”
This is the third CAT project to be carried out in 2017.
To find out more about the CAT’s upcoming work in Wheatley Hill, contact the team by phone on 03000 261 016 or e-mail communityactionteam@durham.gov.uk
More information about the CAT and its work is also available at www.durham.gov.uk/CAT