Easington - Down Your Way

Concerns have been expressed by parish councillors and residents on vehicles both parking and driving across Easington Village Green. During the wet weather the grass has been churned up in an unsightly manner. Letters were sent to those who were known to be responsible as this is illegal and could lead to prosecution. It was decided to put No Parking signs around the Green for a trial period, unfortunately, vandals have already caused damage.

Toddler Praise is held on Mondays from noon to 1pm in the Church of the Ascension with puppets, playing, praying and lunch. All are welcome.

Easington Activity Programme is holding a children’s disco in Easington Colliery Social Welfare Centre on Monday, February 15, from 1pm to 3pm. Entertainment by DJ Marky Mark, mascots Minnie and Mickie Mouse and free bouncy castle. For a charge there will be face painting, glitter tattoos, raffle, tombola and refreshments. Tickets for adults and children are £1 from Clare on 07748238471. Activities are funded by Durham County Council councillors David Boyes and Angela Surtees from their neighbourhood budget.

The Barn at Easington is celebrating confirmation of a change of use and is now able to start on the initial stages of creating it community/cultural garden. A big thank you to every one who has supported the events at the Barn at Easington over the past year. Your ongoing support and belief in its vision for a community and cultural garden is very valuable them.

A fundraiser for Easington Colliery Band will be held at Easington Social Welfare Centre on Saturday, February 13, with a Valentine Dinner entertainment by R’N’R also raffles and bingo. Tickets are £10 each, available from the Welfare or Sandra Atherton.

Easington Village Notice Board is challenging you too to help share as many local businesses as possible so as many people as possible know what’s on their doorstep. Go to its Facebook page to share information or events.

Plans to build a solar power farm by Zaravolt Development, of Swindon, has got the go-ahead by Durham County Council. The firm visited Easington Village Parish Council last year to discuss their plans for farmlands off Durham Lane. It believes it could create sufficient power for 1,930 UK households and offset 2,220 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. A total of 20,000 solar panels are to be installed on 25 acres of agricultural land, near Peterlee’s North West Industrial Estate. They would be mounted on fixed frames at 25-degree angles, with a maximum height of 2.5m and have a potential capacity of five megawatts, generating about 5,000 mw hours per year. National planning policy is supportive of energy generation by renewable means, and this includes solar energy development. The site lies within undesignated landscape. There would be limited negative landscape impacts, but these are judged to be slight, localised, and capable of mitigation through hedge planting which can be conditioned.