NORTHUMBRIA-in-Bloom judges have been impressed by community involvement in Middleton-in-Teesdale’s effort to beautify their village.
The village won gold in last year’s environmental competition and hopes for more success this year are pinned on new strategy of providing bee and insect-friendly plants.
Northumbria-in-Bloom judges Rod Mathieson, John Richard and Ian Sutherland visited Middleton last week to see how the village has prepared for spring.
Middleton-in-Bloom chairwoman Pam Phillips said weekly work parties meet each Monday to litter pick, clean beds and do planting. About five regulars take part with others joining occasionally. She added: “The parish council organised a spring clean and about 16 people came out, which was good.”
Mrs Phillips told the judges that Durham County Council officers had given great support and advice, particularly the clean and green team. She added that the county council had given the committee £1,000 towards buying equipment.
Judge Ian Sutherland said: “I think County Durham are pretty good darn good.”
County councillors Richard Bell and Ted Henderson had given some of their neighbourhood budget to the committee and a coffee morning had raised another £250 for the group, the chairwoman said.
Middleton’s Co-op store also held a raffle and donated plants to the group.
She went on to say the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership’s bee expert, Mandy Oliver ,had given advice on how to attract more insects by planting particular types of flowers and planting had already begun.
She added: “This year we are going over to perennials where we can, so many of the barrels are a bit bare. We are trying to steer away, as far as we can, from annual bedding.”
The success of the village team in improving the village had led to more people joining in with new committee member Jo Lee saying: “I have been here (in Middleton) just over a year. I have seen the things they have been doing and I decided I want to be part of that.”
Briefing of the judges on progress was completed at Rumours coffee shop, followed by a tour of the village.
The judges are expected back in the summer ahead of the awards later in the year.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
