Crossgate Community Partnership: Minutes

Minutes of the meeting, 4th September 2025

1. Attendance

Cllr Roger Cornwell (in the Chair), Joan Adams, Lesley Aers, Max Arnold, Robert Banks, Margaret Jefferson, John Knowles, Pat Mussett, Simon Priestley, David Ramsden, Jean Rogers, Malcolm Reed, Judi Webb, Sarah Wilkinson, Joe Witherspoon,
Cllr Liz Brown
Cllr Carole Lattin.

2. Apologies for absence

were received from Gillian Banks, Morag Crichton, Ann Evans, Martin Hiles, Chris Hugill, Ann Stokes,
Dinah Patt,
Cllr Toria Ashfield, Cllr Susan Walker.

3. Minutes

The minutes of the July meeting were approved as a correct record.

As a matter arising from those minutes, Cllr Liz Brown confirmed that she had contacted James Lee, (Refuse and Recycling Manager) at County Hall; he had not, however, been in touch with the CCP.

4. Hild / Bede College update

Dinah Patt continues in post for the coming year. Although she was unable to attend the meeting, she had e-mailed to tell is that the college move-in weekend for Freshers would be held on the 27th and 28th of this month. This will be like last year's move-in, with parents and students coming through Rushford Court with their cars in a one way system, entering on North Road and departing through our back gate onto Back Western Hill. There is overflow parking at the Durham County Council car park, and it was hoped that residents would not be disturbed too much. During the week,there will be a number of events on site, but they should follow all guidelines and restrictions. Our SRC and student exec will likely be sharing information with the neighborhood soon to make sure everyone is in the loop. She looks forward to connecting this new crop of students with the community as soon as possible.

5. The case of 19 Allergate - when is an HMO not an HMO?

Robert Banks explained that 19 Allergate was currently being advertised on a student letting site as available to accommodate 6 students; the agent was named as J.W.Wood. The house is currently let to five students, yet is not a registered HMO. This is not an isolated case.
Roger explained the legal framework: there are two separate sets of regulation. A property occupied by six or more people must be included on the HMO Register; five people sharing need not be listed on the Register, but must meet certain standards. Planning rules place these two cases in different classes, and planning consent is required to increase the number of occupants from five to six; however, a property which already had six occupants in 2016 may enjoy protected ("grandfather") rights.

6. Delivery of Livers' Out leaflets.

Simon Priestley reported that he was expecting this year's leaflets to be ready soon. He thanked all those who had already volunteered to help with deliveries, He thanked those who had already volunteered to help with delivery, but would still welcome more.
The meeting expressed the traditional request that leaflets should be made available earlier: students were already returning.

7. Bus Station update

Liz had a status report on the Bus Station: the Strategic Construction Services Manager is currently seeking tenders for the construction work needed. It is hoped that this will be complete by summer 2026: meanwhile the barriers remain in place.

8. Replanting in the Viaduct area

Cllr Carole Lattin, who is Chair of the Parish Environment committee, spoke about the provision of planters, which she and Cllr Victoria Ashfield manage jointly. She thanked Bob and Gillian Banks for looking after the planters in Allergate: more volunteers are still needed. Councillors will take care of initial planting, and ideally they would like students to be involved in maintenance, but they would like permanent residents to act as default. THis is also open to businesses: the Colpitts pub and the nearby beauty salon look after their planters. Roger suggested that Dinah Patt could help reach Hild / Bede students; Liz would also ask at Ustinov.

9. Neighbourhood Wardens' Report

With Kirk Thiis on long-term sick leave, we have a new duo of Neighbourhood Wardens. They had circulated a written report, in which littering appeared to me a major concern.
Liz added that the CCTV camera previously located by the bins in Sutton Street had been transferred to Back Alexandria Crescent; as a result, an (unnamed) restaurant had been fined for fly-tipping.

10. Report from County Councillor

Liz reported on the meeting organised the previous evening by NXCA (Necelle's Cross Community Association) about traffic on the A167: NXCA wanted a speed limit, enforced by cameras. The recently installed camera had led to a slight improvement. As of the current month, people are being fined (rather than just warned) for stopping in the yellow box at the junction. It was hoped that the Chief Constable may be more open to speed cameras than her predecessors.

The post of Cabinet Member for the Economy and Enterprise (formerly held by Cllr Elizabeth Scott) had been discontinued; it was not currently known what, if anything, would replace it.

She is a member of the Hate Crime Action Group run by the Office of the Police, Crime and Victims' Commissioner: they reported that the City is very much sheltered, but it is the exception within Co. Durham.

11. Reports from Parish Councillors

a) Carole reported that things had been quiet while the Parish Clerk was on holiday, but were now restarting. She and Toria had visited estate agents in the city, asking them to pass on the the landlords they represent a request for a payment equivalent to the Council Tax on their properties: the University had agreed to match fund this. As a result they had this year raised £9000; the Environment Committee will decide how it is to be spent, and some of the smaller landlords had also made suggestions.
Some students are putting up a website spotlighting good and bad landlords.

b) Roger reported on his personal experience of uploading dashcam footage to the police Operation SNAP.
He felt that July's meeting of the full Parish Council was the first at which all councillors were working as a body, and urged CCP members to attend the September meeting.
The Parish had reaffirmed that there is a Climate Emergency.
The County Council is reviewing the Conservation Areas: Liz had responded to their questionnaire, but felt the questions asked were not helpful.
He will represent the CCP in opposing the licensing application from the purported Morrison's Daily; Liz will represent the Parish.

12. Date of next meeting

The next meeting would be on Tuesday 7th October 2025.