The Agenda has been published for a the next meeting of the Ordinary Meeting. It is to be held on Wednesday 7th February at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.30pm.
You can view the agenda here.
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next meeting of the Ordinary Meeting. It is to be held on Wednesday 7th February at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.30pm.
You can view the agenda here.
By Parish Clerk
Coxhoe Parish Council is currently developing its Neighbourhood Plan. Neighbourhood Plans involve the community and all residents, and businesses are welcomed and encouraged to take part and to get involved. To assess our progress and establish where we go next with this complex process, we employed an expert consultant to audit our work so far.
Shaun Hanson of Planning Advice Plus is a Chartered Town Planner with a wealth of experience in developing Neighbourhood Plans. He reviewed our consultations and results as follows.
Work Undertaken So Far
On 21 October 2015 we held an initial public meeting aimed at informing people about neighbourhood planning and the motivation for pursuing it as well as the opportunity to gather some initial views from the public and provide them with an opportunity to get involved in a Neighbourhood Planning working group. Over 50 people attended, mainly residents, with the following motivations discussed:
Further meetings were held 16 December 2015, 13 January 2016 and 24 February 2016, the minutes of which are all available on our website. In March 2016 we summarised, in an issue of the Chronicle, the range of issues which the NP could tackle:
A Neighbourhood Planning Community Engagement Event was held on 9 April 2016 at the Village Hall, alongside an initial community survey to ask residents:
Initial findings were as follows:
In late Spring of 2020 Colin Hunter and students from Newcastle University worked with the us as part of a nationwide project looking at neighbourhood planning.
On the back of our 2017 survey, further surveys were undertaken, one focussed on Coxhoe and one on Quarrington Hill, the purpose being
‘to confirm your views on some of the most important issues identified, and depending on the results, to draw up Neighbourhood Planning Policies based on your views for our villages’.
Coxhoe questions included:
Is the retention of a village identity important to the people of Coxhoe? (81% of respondents agreed)
Quarrington Hill questions included:
Does Quarrington Hill need more housing in the village? (84% of respondents said no)
(Full survey results are available, click here for Quarrington Hill and here for Coxhoe.)
Conclusion
Shaun Hanson’s feedback further to the above findings were that feedback received to date is sufficient to move forward with a Neighbourhood Plan. The plan would ultimately be built around an overall ‘protect and enhance’ theme as this reflects the clear messages that have emerged from community engagement and feedback to date.
Specifically, these messages include:
1) Protect (and enhance) the rural environs of these settlements by managing further outward development in order to: a) help maintain their ‘village’ character, b) prevent merging of settlements and c) maintain the attractiveness and appeal of the rural setting for those who live and work in or visit the Parish
2) Protect (and enhance) the valued attributes of Coxhoe and Quarrington Hill, namely their green spaces and valued shops, services or facilities
Next Steps
The Council will put together a set of Neighbourhood Plan Objectives to reflect these core messages, which can also be drawn together into an overall Vision for the plan. These would represent the building blocks of any future Neighbourhood Plan, upon which the Plan’s Policies and supporting text could then be developed.
The Vision and Objectives will be firstly shared with the Parish community to make sure that they accurately encapsulate the key messages which emerged in earlier feedback. This will then provide the community mandate and underpinning for the development of the Neighbourhood Plan around these themes.
What Can You Do?
It is important that Neighbourhood Plans are community led, with partnership working with the Parish Council, to reflect the views of the public and steer the direction of the plan with the messages most reflective of community want and need. While a Neighbourhood Plan is not a ‘No Entry’ sign for developers, it is authoritative and comprehensive enough to be consulted during every future planning application within the parish and will ensure consideration of context of local economy, heritage, social and business elements of the community.
If you wish to be involved in the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, please send your details to clerk@coxhoeparishcouncil.gov.uk.
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next meeting of the Youth Strategy Group. It is to be held on Monday 25th March at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.00pm.
You can view the agenda here.
By Parish Clerk
Plans have been submitted for the construction and operation of a leachate treatment plant and associated infrastructure within Coxhoe, details of which can be found here. Coxhoe Parish Council are liaising with the Strategic Planning Team within the principal authority to bring more information to residents and the opportunity to discuss the plans in more detail.
To deal with misconceptions around the proposal, leachate itself and the treatment process, Durham County Council have released a helpful fact sheet to answer the most frequently asked questions which can be found here.
Public concerns around health risks within the area have also been considered and, in response, Durham County Council have issued a briefing on Potential cancer cluster investigation within Cassop and Coxhoe which can be read below:
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next meeting of the Ordinary Meeting. It is to be held on Wednesday 7th February at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.30pm.
You can view the agenda here.
By Parish Clerk
Plans have been submitted for the construction and operation of a leachate treatment plant and associated infrastructure within Coxhoe, details of which can be found here. Coxhoe Parish Council are liaising with the Strategic Planning Team within the principal authority to bring more information to residents and the opportunity to discuss the plans in more detail.
To deal with misconceptions around the proposal, leachate itself and the treatment process, Durham County Council have released a helpful fact sheet to answer the most frequently asked questions (as below). Thanks to our County Councillors for sharing this with The Parish Council and concerned residents during the Ordinary Meeting 7th February 2024.
What is the need for a Leachate Treatment Plant?
The main source is from the former Coxhoe East Landfill site. This site was landfilled prior to 1998 and has no basal engineered containment. This type of landfill is commonly known as a dilute and disperse landfill. Landfill leachate is continually being produced and drains into the treatment ponds to the west of Coxhoe East Landfill Site. The reed beds that currently exist in the ponds are not able to sufficiently treat the leachate and therefore we need to improve the way that this is managed to give water quality improvements.
What is Leachate?
Leachate is the liquid that has percolated through waste within landfill sites. As it does so it picks up contaminants which needs management and treatment to prevent environmental harm.
Why can’t Coxhoe East Leachate be tankered away?
Coxhoe East produces 150 – 200m3 per day or 6 – 8 tanker loads, this would cost the Council in excess of £1million per year and is not sustainable along with increased traffic movements and a negative impact on carbon footprint.
What are the benefits of the treatment plant?
The water quality and associated ecology in the treatment ponds and the stream will improve once the discharge is stopped. We have worked with the Environment Agency to develop an acceptable proposal. There will be reduced traffic movements compared with current tankering of leachate from Joint Stocks. All leachate will be managed in house by Durham County Council.
Where will the plant be built?
The plant is proposed to be built adjacent to the Landfill Gas Power Generation Compound, and the Coxhoe Household Waste Recycling Centre, on land that is currently Hawthorne Scrub. This is the location specified in the Environmental Permit.
The nearest residential area to the plant will be 550 meters away at Lime Close.
What about the scrub land?
The scrub will be removed however the planning requirements mean we must prove biodiversity net gain – habitat will be created and replaced elsewhere.
Has the Environment Agency given permission?
The existing Environmental Permit allows for Leachate Treatment at the proposed location for the Joint Stocks Phase 2 Landfill, which is just one part of the site. We have applied to the Environment Agency to vary the Environmental Permit to allow all the leachate to be treated from the other leachate sources.
How will the leachate be treated?
The leachate will be stored and treated in sealed tanks that are positioned within a secondary impermeable containment bund. The proposed treatment plant will use biological treatment technology, based upon using microbes and aeration of the leachate similar to the treatment processes used at sewage treatment works.
What will the Leachate Treatment Plant look like?
The proposed plant will consist of a main treatment tank, two storage / balancing tanks and a treated leachate discharge tank and associated containers tanks for the housing of equipment and materials. The plant will be below the height of the existing exposed quarry face.
Where will the treated leachate go?
The treated leachate will be discharged to sewer and then on to Northumbrian Water’s Wastewater Treatment Plant for further treatment. This is the same treatment plant where all the domestic sewage goes for treatment.
What currently happens to the leachate?
The leachate from Coxhoe East landfill is treated through a reed bed system in the treatment ponds however these are no longer sufficient despite all efforts to make improvements. The leachate from the other sources is currently stored in enclosed tanks and then tankered off site for treatment and disposal at a third-party treatment facility.
Will there be increased traffic movements?
No – There will be less movements than current as tankers will no longer be required to remove leachate from Joint Stocks.
Which route will the vehicles use?
Vehicles accessing the site will use the current haul road to enter and exit the site. No vehicles will travel through the centre of Coxhoe, Kelloe or Quarrington Hill.
Is the new pond on Joint Stocks a Leachate Pond?
No – The pond constructed in summer 2023 is for surface water storage prior to regulated discharge. This is clean uncontaminated water only stored on site during periods of heavy rainfall. Leachate is currently stored in enclosed bunded tanks prior to collection by tanker.
Will there be noise / odour from the plant?
The treatment tanks associated with the new plant will be fully enclosed to prevent odour emissions. The plants mechanical equipment will be designed to not increase background noise.
What were all the construction works taking place during the summer?
The older part of the Landfill Site was capped and remediated to fully seal the site. All areas of waste are now fully capped and restored to improve environmental performance. Active gas management and extraction is ongoing generating electric for the national grid. The cap is designed to keep landfill gas in and the rainfall out to minimise leachate production. Surface water runoff is attenuated in the new pond.
Are there high levels of ill health in Coxhoe & Kelloe?
Statistical analysis has been undertaken by Public Health and there is NO statistical difference of ill health in Coxhoe and Kelloe compared to the rest of County Durham.
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next meeting of the Ordinary Meeting. It is to be held on Wednesday 7th February at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.30pm.
You can view the agenda here.
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next meeting of the Events, Environment and Finance Committee and the Youth Strategy Group. It is to be held on Monday 20th November at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.00pm.
You can view the agenda here.
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next Ordinary Meeting of Coxhoe Parish Council. It is to be held on Wednesday 8th November at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.30pm.
You can view the agenda here.https://coxhoeparishcouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Agenda-8.11.23.pdf
By Parish Clerk
The Agenda has been published for a the next Ordinary Meeting of Coxhoe Parish Council. It is to be held on Wednesday 4th October at Coxhoe Village Hall at 6.30pm.
You can view the agenda here.
Coxhoe Village Hall
Front Street East
Coxhoe
DH6 4DB
T: 0191 377 3658
E: clerk@coxhoeparishcouncil.gov.uk