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Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin Parish Council

Welcome to our website

The Parish Council serves the villages and surroundings of the villages of Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin, in beautiful Teesdale, in south west County Durham.

There are just over 1,000 electors in the Parish Council area.

We hope you find what you're looking for on this website — whether that's information about the parish councillors, what they do, how they spend the money they raise, what projects they're working on etc.

You'll find details of all Parish Council meetings, which are open to the public, and can see the agenda for forthcoming meetings and the minutes of previous meetings.

If there's something you'd like to know about the Council and can't find it here, then do please ask! Telephone and email contact details for the Council appear at the bottom of the menu on every page of the website.

Could you become a councillor?

Do you have a bit of time to spare?

Do you care about your local community?

Do you get on well with people and are willing to speak at a meeting?

There are currently six vacancies on Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin Parish Council.

If you're interested in finding out more about what being a councillor involves, then please ask one of the existing councillors, or contact the Clerk to set the ball rolling ...

Cover of Parking Review Report, December 2023

Parking in Middleton-in-Teesdale

In early 2023, the Parish Council appointed CTS Traffic and Transportation to conduct a review to identify current usage of parking available in Middleton-in-Teesdale and to make suggestions based on the observed information about potential solutions for any issues identified. A business survey was also conducted.

The aim of the Parish Council in commissioning the review was to have information to stimulate debate and to provide evidence for action to address parking ‘problems’ which the Council, residents and local businesses have long-believed to be hampering both the local economy as well as residents’ and visitors’ enjoyment and easy access to the village.

The final report from the Parking Review, dated November 2023, can be downloaded by clicking on the image of its cover.

Findings from the Parking Review

A summary of the key points for which the research provides evidence is:

· The Hill Terrace car park is at capacity and deters people from stopping – ie. There is clearly a parking shortfall in Middleton-in-Teesdale

· The problem of capacity is worse in the summer than in the spring.

· A certain amount of resident/business parking is inevitable, given the lack of alternative, off-street parking for many properties, and this ‘base demand’ contributes to lack of space for visitors and local shoppers from elsewhere in the dale

· There is no appetite among businesses surveyed for the introduction of any parking restrictions and/or charges

· ‘Soft options’, for example encouragement to make behavioural changes, or to increase and improve signage, to better mark out available spaces, and possibly more active management and possibly enforcement of ‘rules’ at the main car park, whilst worth exploring, will only offer minor improvement

· The principal need, though acknowledged to be a medium-term solution, is for an ‘out of town’ car park with long-term parking spaces for visitors, with suitable signposting to it, to free-up short-term parking spaces in the centre of the village.

What happens now?

The Parking Review and actions from it will be the major focus of the 2024 Annual Parish Meeting to be held at 6.30pm on Tuesday 26 March at The Pathway. This will be an opportunity for local people to comment on the findings and possible solutions. Following that meeting, the Parish Council will pursue options with other partners such as Durham County Council, Raby Estates and other landowners.

Want to comment now?

Four parish councillors are taking the lead on this, and would welcome you contacting them with any comments or questions. They are Cllr John Miller, Cllr Wayne Appleton and Cllr Colin Headlam (contact details are on the 'Parish Councillors' page.

Statement about bullying, harassment or intimidation

We treat everyone with courtesy and respect and ask for the same in return. We ask that you treat your councillors and council staff courteously without violence, abuse or harassment.

Councillors and council staff have the right to carry out their civic duties and work without fear of being attacked or abused. Any behaviour whether that be verbal, physical or in writing, which causes either councillors or council staff to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened, is totally unacceptable.

The zero tolerance policy includes abuse, aggression or threats made in person, over the telephone or in written communication, including on social media. The council considers threatening behaviour to be:

Attempted or actual aggressive, or physical actions made towards any councillor or member of staff.
The use of aggressive, or abusive language, (including raising of the voice, swearing, shouting or in writing) which threatens or intimidates councillors or council staff.

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Trading Standards

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