Shildon & Dene Valley Independent Party

18/03/2021

Follow this link to see the Town Crier's interview of Luan Deakin

https://www.swd.news/

11/03/2021

COUNCIL TAX

I checked on the DCC website regarding Council Tax. It states the following:
Council Tax is used to pay for education and social services etc.

STC agreed, during difficult financial times for many people, to agree to the increase of Council Tax [other councils froze the increase].
Surely as we have been without a Secondary School for more than a year instead of an increase we should have received a REDUCTION due to a lack of an expensive service!!

05/03/2021

SHILDON SHOPPING
Growing up in the late 1950's and 1960's I vividly recall how Church Street [and to a lesser extent Main St] was a vibrant shopping area to the extent that it was never deemed necessary to leave the town to make any purchses or services.
When I returned to Shildon 4 years ago I was dismayed to see the current shopping area which has far too many fast food outlets and hairdressers and apart from 2 quality butchers and a greengrocer very little to attract the local shopper.
Since then Church St has lost, an optician, a national coffee shop and now Shildon Food for less.
This is really a sad state of affairs and I question whether STC and/or DCC have plans to arrest the further decline in shopping in Church St. and could they inform us of those plans.

28/02/2021

THE SANCTUARY
Our manifesto outlines our commitment to assisting with the development of necessary Mental Health provision and so it is with regret that we record the closing, due to a lack of funds, of The Sanctuary.
Luan Deakin has stated that she is determined to open the facility at a new venue ASAP following the lifting of lockdown.
This will only be achieved if more supportive donors, individual and corporate, can be found.
We will assist with seeking out new donors.

25/02/2021

SHILDON SECONDARY SCHOOL
We recognise that individual members of the Labour controlled STC have made great efforts to support the actions to preserve a Secondary School in Shildon.
As we have been fully committed to preserving the school since it was closed over 1 year ago [ with nothing forthcoming from DCC] we are pleased at the current coordinated STC campaign and urge everyone to sign the petition.
It is our opinion that this action would have had a greater effect and greater public support had it been mounted early last year when DCC initially reneged on its promise to deliver a report on the state of the school or following the closed meeting held between STC and DCC.
The cynic would see a possible link between the timing of this campaign and the upcoming elections in May!

23/02/2021

Shildon receiving a pavement clean up!--along with Bishop Auckland. Apart from that Bishop Auckland got everything! Shildon the town that DCC forgot! How did this happen and who is not fighting for this town?

Durham County Council’s towns and villages programme is transforming communities across , improving the areas where people live, work and visit. The council have listened to the issues we have told them are of most concern and have plans to address them.
The council has recently invested in the restoration of Bishop Town Hall, introduced free town centre Wi-Fi and done deep street cleans in Shildon and Bishop Auckland.
Upcoming development plans have been boosted by securing £19.9m from the Future High Street Fund and include:
• Opening pop up retail stores on Newgate Street in Bishop Auckland
• Car park improvements and extension at Kingsway
• Creation of an education space at Binchester
• Improvements to Woodhouse Close leisure centre
• New housing in the Canney Hill area
• Introduction of a new bus station and town centre car park in Bishop Auckland
• Redevelopment of the former King James School and the Queens Head Hotel
• Continuing the success of Bishop Auckland Food Festival
• Enhancing the walking and cycling routes between Stockton and the Darlington Railway
• Regulating private landlords with selective licensing
Find out more at: www.durham.gov.uk/townsandvillages

19/02/2021

The full manifesto can now be viewed in our party office window Church Street, Shildon

18/02/2021

LOCOMOTION
There are nearly 7000 people in Darlington who have signed a petition to have this iconic engine remain in Darlington. And only less than 400 have signed in Shildon for it to return to this town. Although Dr Sarah Price from SMG remains adamant that it should be returned to Shildon, experience would indicate that its those that 'shout' for something that eventually succeed. As such we need our MP, our County Councillors and our STC to encourage the people of Shildon to sign the petition started by Colin White in order to demonstrate that we care about having the engine in our town.

15/02/2021

Head of Steam in Darlington and National Railway Museum disagree over where Locomotion No 1 should be kept

10/02/2021

COUNCIL TAX
STC recently voted by a majority to agree to an increase in Council Tax despite a prevailing situation whereby many people are losing jobs and/or having reduced income.
Bishop Auckland voted to freeze Council Tax.
Could we have a record of those Town Councillors who voted against the freezing of the Council Tax and an explanation of their rationale for this decision.

03/02/2021

Welcome to the Shildon & Dene Valley Independent Party page. See attached for our manifesto - there are 7 pages in total. Please feel free to message direct or email [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions. Thanks S&DVIP

26/12/2020

https://www.swd.news/independent-party-launched-for-shildon-dene-valley/

A local community campaigner has launched an independent political party to challenge the status quo in Shildon. Fred Langley, a Shildon-born local resident and educationalist, who has been vociferous in campaigning to save Sunnydale School, has launched the Shildon & Dene Valley Independent Party,....