Spring news round-up

It is with sadness that January saw the death of Ken at no 7; followed this month by the death of Karen at no.9. This leaves two large holes in our small community.

The Charles Church development on the Feethams football field site has proceeded slowly and somewhat painfully, but it seems that we are past the worse of wagons and mud. Now we are in to the 'marketing' stage.

Feethams Green is now accessed by Greener Drive (Ron Greener), leading to Peverell Walk (John Peverell).

Quaint but unimaginative! Whatever happened to Lance Armstrong Lane or  Arthur Wharton Avenue?



Maybe we should take issue with the 'Quakers' and request a change of name?

With the development, we seem to have acquired a new garden. Residents are non-too-sure who will maintain it, but perhaps Darlington Guerilla Gardeners can be persuaded?

On the other side of Victoria Road, we hear that the £30m leisure complex is now 'topped out'.

The development will provide a nine-screen Vue Cinema, an 80-bed Premier Inn hotel, a Nandos, Purple Pig, Hungry Horse, Prezzo, Bella Italia and a Chinese buffet. We need never go hungry! Whilst residents have mixed feelings concerning the development, it has to be an improvement on the locality, compared with a derelict bus station or a large car park.

My letter to the developers requesting free tickets for the cinema opening clearly fell on deaf ears...almost as deaf as ours' following the thumping of the pile drivers. When the cinema is about to open I will have another go!

And now, the news that you have all been waiting for....the results of 'South Terrace in Bloom' Spring Edition.

There were five gardens in the short-list. Nos 5 

(Les & Joan), 18 (Jim), 19 (Yvonne), 20 (Gary) and 23 (Lorraine) - note I have named the gardeners responsible! A late vote from Miles Twist has resulted in a dead heat between no 5 and no 20. The prize is a pint in the club.

'The Best Gnome' award goes to Jim!

Gerald Lee Pocket Park - nearly the finale!

The Gerald Lee Pocket Park has been a great hit! I am informed that the bees and hoverflies are already visiting; and is it my imagination, or have some of those breadcrumbs on the bird table been eaten by a passing sparrow?

Certainly, passers by are commenting, and the Town Hall is excited that with Paul Harman's vision, the community can beat the council into second place when it comes to civic space.

You can now join our special Facebook group dedicated to the support of the Gerald Lee Pocket Park. Why not? It is free!

Our next event (or should I say adventure) is 'The Grand Opening' on Tuesday 29 July by the Mayor. I am reliably assured that he will be wearing his Mayoral Chain. This is your opportunity to stop by and take a bow for all of your hard work - whether digging, planting, or simply commenting in an encouraging way.






Of course we shall have to renew some of the seasonal planting by then. So we need colourful plants to replace the poppies. Take a look around your garden and split your most successful and showy clumps.









Here are the final pictures for now. Stephanie took them this afternoon following the laying of the paths. Let's hope the park stays as beautiful and glorious as it has started!

The Big Plant - Britain's Smallest Park

'The traffic will be stopped...
The road closed...
Bands will be playing...
Hot air balloons will be launched...
'Miss Darlington' will be here, and the Mayor to cut the ribbon.......'

Ok, maybe not quite that organised. But the South Terrace diggers and the planters will be reporting for duty between 0915 and 1300 hours in the back lane west at the rear of South Terrace.

The event, of course, is 'The Big Plant', intended to re-define horticulture at the gateway to our Feethams Village, creating the latest and smallest park in Britain - the 'Councillor Gerald Lee Pocket Park', named after the town's Mayor - one man who has done the most for a litter-free Darlington.

On 6 June - as you know - about 20 residents and Guerilla Gardeners gathered to attack a scrap of land beneath the billboard hoarding at 82 Victoria Road - near the Barker and Stonehouse roundabout. We set about 25 square yards with our spades, forks and even a pick. Eight sack-fulls of rubbish later, the ground was cleaned and cleared, ready for planting. We were there; and we will be returning for 'The Big Plant'.

21 June is a long and magical day. 21 is the smallest number of differently sized squares needed to square the square. So it is a highly appropriate day to undertake squaring our oblong smallest park. 

Our aim for the day is to set out our brand new pocket park, pegging the area for sitting and for footpaths, and to plant up the remainder. We are expecting lots of plants - colourful, herbaceous, evergreen, annual, shrubs, flowers, ground-cover, creeping, climbing, ancient and modern. Where possible they should be able to withstand a north facing exposed plot beside a busy road. But gardening is a pursuit of chance - everything will be given a place - and those that survive will prosper.

Litchfield is watching as their UK title to 'The Smallest Park' evaporates. Naturally, we shall have the security of South Terrace's domestic pets on hand to calm any Staffordshire intruders and spoilers. Additionally, we will deploy South Terrace's secret weapon - the 'Stephanie Tea Stall' - which will be serving tea and biscuits to the workers and residents.

As you are gathering, the event is generating huge interest, both locally and regionally. Radio Tees are to attend from 0915 hours, and the Northern Echo is desperate to get their fill of photos. For those who have grandchildren, remember - this is the day that you will be recalling to them over the next few decades as the day you took control, and created Britain's Smallest Park.

Persimmon Planning Permission

For those who do not visit the South Terrace Residents Facebook group, here is notification that Persimmon Homes have lodged their Planning Application notification for 82 homes on the Feethams Village site. 

This would replace the existing permission for 146 homes. 

This proposal is clearly preferable, being a 56% reduction in building work and commensurate reduction in traffic into Feethams South. 

To see the traffic impact figures click to this link , and hit the first list dated 20/01/14 to 26/01/14'. The application no is 13/01038/FUL and was received on 22.01.14. It is listed on the second page.

I have responded on behalf of the South Terrace Residents Group with this link. 

Persimmon - the new Feethams Village

Stephanie and I have endeavoured to speak to as many of you as has been possible, given the short consultation time scale (to 13 December). I am pleased to report that your overwhelming view of Persimmon's proposals is favourable.

Some residents would have favoured a further reduction in the number of homes to be built, but everyone consulted was in clear agreement that the current reduction from 146 to 82 homes was a move in the right direction.

It seems that you are happier with the prospect of 'homes with an executive feel', considering these more appropriate for the site. You also favoured Persimmon's move to mirror existing development and the chance to give the site a 'more mature feel'.

Some concerns have been expressed with regard to parking for the new residents and their visitors. I have been asked to check this with Persimmon to ensure that adequate provision is made within the development. You have observed that parking on the access road, or within South Terrace is out of the question.

There have been a few concerns raised about egress from Feethams South to Victoria Road. Traffic leaving the Victoria Road roundabout travels uphill (west) at such speed as to make getting out a very difficult task. This is an issue for Darlington Council Highways, and we shall be pursing it with them. 

It has been suggested that the development could be given a new name, that of 'Feethams Village'. Whilst we have not consulted on this, it may provide a greater sense of belonging to the new community. Do have your say on this!

I have reproduced below the reply sent on your behalf to Persimmon. Should there be anyone - not hitherto consulted - who has a different view, you may wish to contact Persimmon directly so that your voice is heard.

View from the air in 1961

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To Persimmon Homes

On behalf of the South Terrace Residents Group (100% of the residents of the terrace and Pease Cottages) can I thank you for your informative information sheet and invitation to 'Have your Say' concerning the new proposals.

We have consulted within the group as widely as we were able, given the time scales, and I am pleased to report that your proposals for the site meet with general approval from members.

The group recognises that this site is suitable for high quality residential development.
The transition to a reduced number of homes 'with an executive feel' is welcomed as more appropriate for this site.

The group welcomes the decision to mirror existing local development, giving the site a mature feel.

The group believes the plan to preserve the possibility of alternative access options (to Grange Road and Victoria Embankment) is wise, should these be needed in the future.

We were concerned that sufficient parking will be available for new residents and their visitors within the site. Clearly parking on the access road or in South Terrace will be out of the question. Perhaps you can reassure us that adequate provision has been calculated? 

Tom Wilkinson, Assistant Engineer at Lumsden & Carroll Civil Engineering for Esh Developments has sent us regular email updates, which we have posted on our residents' Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/southterrace/
and on occasions on our blog
http://southterrace.blogspot.co.uk/
May we invite you to do the same? 

Feel free to contact me should you wish to meet with the residents here, or to raise any particular topic associated with the development.
Stephen Twist

South Terrace lead the way in the Big Spring Clean

Darlington Council delivered the litter-picking equipment on Friday 5 April, and overnight we prepared for the South Terrace 'Big Spring Clean'. By 0930 hours on Saturday we were ready to start- our pickers, sacks, sack-hoops and gloves to hand, and a trestle table with tea urn, juice, biscuits and home-made cakes prominent at the head of the lane. As St Cuthbert's Church struck 9.30, pickers and planters arrived - eventually numbering 15 adults and six children.

Our very first South Terrace Big Spring Clean will go down in the history of the terrace. Never before has the bank between the lane and Victoria Road been so tidy and organised. Our first hour was spent on litter-picking. Every accessible bottle, crisp packet, take-away box and tin can has been removed from both sides of the bank into eight sacks- and with them scrap metal, old timber and an eight foot pile of debris. Dave, who arrived from Darlington's Street Scene, looked amazed at the sheer volume as we helped load his truck.

Our second hour was spent in planting. Our initial flora count of the bank discovered a wide range of plantsalready in evidence - lesser celandine, daffodil, snowdrop, crocus, bluebell, ramsons (wild garlic), cowparsley, nettle, bramble, ivy, and fern - to which we have added a mass of daffodils, snowdrops, wild geranium, primrose, primula and forget-me-not.

We must give a huge 'thank you' to Ben (no 14) and his friends at Paddock Farm Nursery who provided the bulbs and an amazing array of annuals, which now line the entry to Feethams South.

Further thanks go to Phillippa Scrafton (Darlington Street Scene) for arranging the 'Litter Free Durham and Darlington' event, Councillor Paul Harman for his support and encouragement, Dot at no 24 for the Yorkshire tea and biscuits, Stephanie (no 8) for running the tea stall, Veronica (no 11) for organising the troops. But the biggest thanks go to everyone who attended to make the event a social, community and practical success.

Feethams: then boots, now bulldozers

Its many years since we heard the sound of boots as fans queued to gain entry to the ground. But now we hear a distant bulldozer and the prospect of residential development on the old Feethams site. Is this the end of Shaun's dream for Darlington? 

 Football on the cricket field.

View from above - is that the old coach depot to the west?

Arthur Wharton, the first black professional association football player in the world was the Darlington FC goalkeeper. 

For the Darlo Uncovered thread

And for Shaun Campbell's interview
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20878659