Nice to be recognised

This from the Area Highways Engineer we are working with:

"Just a quick email to compliment you on what you and the group are doing or trying to do.
It is heartening to see communities getting involved in their area and collectively trying to bring about improvements for all.
As you say Langley Park is a great area and the work of your group will make it even better."

cg

News Update

This is the email I sent to those on our mailing list:

Dear All,
What started in November 09 as a bit of therapy following my stroke is rapidly becoming a Movement - so at the outset, my personal thanks go to everyone who has offered support, or got actively involved.
The work below is being done because it is the stuff that interests and bothers those of us currently involved with We Are Langley Park.
There are huge swathes of the village currently not covered - but We Are Langley Park is about those of us that live or work here taking ownership and responsibility for the part of the village we live or work in. We Are Langley Park do not talk about "Them" - but "US".
This is our village. Councils can help (and have proved very willing to do so) but it is not their village. It is ours. We are Langley Park.

Here's the latest . . .


Village Centre

I don't know if you've noticed but the Front Street is virtually litter free - and has been for a week now.  It seems people are simply not dropping rubbish on the ground and the new bins are being used.  I stopped by the kids last night to say thanks.

Railway Line:
Kaysburn Rd to the Metal Bridges is now remaining virtually litter free.  The cans and tissues that were regularly dropped have now disappeared - and even the car park at Wallnook station is clear most days.
When the weather warms up, some of us will be going down and strimming the grass areas by the bridges and then repainting them.  If you want to come with us - or do some painting in your own time with your own friends, let me know and we can get you the gear.  Hopefully we can get some huge flat stones put down there to act as seats.
Bobby Robson Park to the end of the houses heading west is coming under control. with regular picks.  I am asking DCC if they can add a bag pick-up at that end of the village in addition to the one at Kaysburn Rd
Kaysburn Rd to Bobby Robson Park is the remaining problem stretch - though is being dramatically improved by the Probation Service lads clearing out the undergrowth where much of the litter gets trapped.
We are also looking to open up, maintain and signpost the entrances to the village from the Line.  Currently you could walk or cycle along the line and have no awareness that the village centre is even there - and if you did, you would not be encouraged to come in as you have to walk through a tiny, dirty path bordered with brambles and nettles.

Kaysburn Rd Entrance
The area between Wallnook Lane and Dean Street has already been improved.  The grass is cut, bushes cut back and the stone wall exposed.  DCC will be cleaning the stone wall in the near future now the snow has gone.  The redundant "Slippery Rd" sign has now been removed.
I have had site meetings at the Kaysburn Rd Entrance with The Area Action Partnership (AAP), Highways Dept, Countryside Service and Whittle & Jones to discuss the WALP plan which can be seen here: http://www.wearelangleypark.co.uk/docs/LPVehicleGatewayProposal.pdf
I have a further meeting with the AAP on Tuesday at 10am if anyone fancies coming down.
The Countryside Service are having a team meeting next Wednesday to determine when they can move the existing fencing.  As soon as the new fences are built we can move in and remove the old ones, and start landscaping the ground. 
We are in discussion with the Countryside Service about taking ownership of the closed Car Park.  Plans for this area are many and varied - but the opportunities are great.  Any thoughts you may have are welcome.

Riverside Ind Est to Langley Park Ind Est
I am hoping we have some people taking on responsibility for this stretch.  What could be one of the jewels in the village is one of the greatest eyesores.  I did about 25 metres from Diggerland and filled a bin bag.  Now the snow is gone this stretch is ready to be done. 

Kids Can

Kids drink beer.  This is a problem that we may not be able to solve - but there are 3 problems we can.

1.  The cans they leave

2.  These cans being land filled

3.  Nothing for the kids in the village. (though there may be something starting at Woodview soon)

The idea is to put a can recycling bin in the village - and all the money raised from the aluminium sale goes into a pot for the kids.  I am talking with DCC Recycling Officer today.

Dog Mess

The snow really showed up how much dog mess gets dropped and left in the village. It was shocking.  The campaign to rid Langley Pak of Dog Mess starts now. 

• Stickers are being put up throughout the village.
• As of next week, shops selling dog food will offer packs of dog poo bags to their dog food buying customers.
• Then the enforcement team will be operating in plain clothes to issue tickets.

Community Garden

Between Railway Street and the back of the Langley Park Hotel is what was a Community Garden - and what is now a dumping ground.  This is ripe for landscaping and making into a place for people to sit quietly.  Hopefully we can encourage the Young People of the village to help do this during the school holidays.

I am in discussion with the remaining members of the land owners - the now disbanded Railway Street Association - about handing it over to We Are Langley Park.

Wallnook Lane

The footpath near Kaysburn Rd has subsided - and the fence along the rest of the lane is in a pretty poor state of repair.  To fix these will be very expensive.

With the former chair of the residents association, I will be talking with Highways about possibly making a stretch of Wallnook Lane a Pedestrian Priority lane, with an advisory 10 mph speed limit - making the path unnecessary and opening up the lane to walkers and cyclists.

A gentleman has offered to litter-pick the entire lane regularly - and I will be dropping off his membership form and picker today.

What skills do you have?

- or do people you know have - that they can contribute. 

Designers, Photographers, Solicitors, Project Managers, Printers, Fund Raisers, IT gurus, Accountants, Fencers, Signwriters, Van Owners, Storage Owners, Painters, Leaflet Droppers, Journalists, PR People - all can have a role.

What Else?

Please share your ideas about what needs doing - and what you are doing about it.

I am redoing the website and replacing the discussion forum with a blog - http://wearelangleypark.blogspot.com/

If you want to blog about your exploits, let me have the link.

We have a Youtube site - http://www.youtube.com/WeAreLangleyPark

and are on Twitter - http://twitter.com/weRlangleypark

and Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=198380477877&ref=search&sid=731729304.1721659684..1

Also, if you have not joined as a member, please do so.  We Are Langley Park currently operates with zero money.  We are applying for funding to buy equipment, insurance and training - and the more members we have, the stronger our applications will be. (so maybe your spouse or partner could also join?)

I have attached an A4 sheet that you may like to print and cut and hand out to people that might want to get involved.

Thanks

I would like to thank the following 20 people who, in the last month, have either offered support or who have joined as members.:

Amber-Lea, Kayleigh, Karl, Nic, Gary, Chris, Jen, Anne Marie, Julie, Euchenna, Ikenna, Guy from Darcy Street, Kristy-Jo, Jenny, Jean, Gerry, Agnishkia, Guy from Wallnook, Woman from Wallnook, Tarquin.

Plus, Geoff from the Parish Council; Anthony from the Police; Andy, Andy(sic), Alec, Darryl, Mark, Gordon, Robert from Durham County Council; and Ken and Keith from Probation.

To those that have joined as members, I will be coming collecting your £1 as soon as the Co-operative Bank gives us an account number.

Meeting up for a pint or coffee?

A couple of people have suggested we meet up to get to know each other a bit.  As the only one that holds all the email addresses I guess I'm gonna have to suggest a time and venue.

How about next Sunday afternoon - 7th Feb.  If people say yes to that, I'll check which local pubs are open then.

Best Wishes

Cameron Gordon

Chair

We Are Langley Park

www.wearelangleypark.co.uk

0784 755 9694

Talking works

You can send out flyers, you can hold meetings, but nothing beats meeting people where they are.

This evening I stopped by the teenagers on the street to thank them for stopping dropping litter.  They do seem to struggle having sensible quiet conversations with adults - but that is probably because they have so little practice.

It seems the only time most adults talk to teenagers is either to mumble about them or shout at them.

They are what we created - and they seem quite happy to admit/boast about how much they drink and smoke.
It is an indictment on the community we adults have created that getting pissed in the bushes in the rain is better than anything else we have provided.

Dog Mess Campaign Update

Julie and I just popped in to see if the Dog Warden was in the office - and got to meet Gary and Belinda - Enforecement Officer and Boss - who are really keen to support our Dog Mess Campaign.

They will help publicise it, ensure we get the legal wording on our advanced notices and warnings - and will be able to go round in plain clothes.

Just got to check now with the Parish Council to see if they have sufficient suplies of dog bags - then we can be off and running in early Feb!

cg

Getting On With It

Today is the real start of making Langley Park a cleaner, greener and more pleasant place to live, work and visit.

Nick and Cameron got things going with 12 bin bag fulls of rubbish from around the village over the weekend.

The Community Payback lads have started clearing the undergrowth from the railway line behind Railway Street

The Diggerland Road has been swept and picked - thanks DCC guys!.

We have another new member - welcome Tarquin.

Wendy and Jean from Railway Street have been really supportive and we hope to bring the vacant land once owned by the Railway Street Association back into Community ownership.

More tomorrow

cg