Latest news with #Consett
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Derwentside immigration centre phone problems continue
People at a women-only detention centre continue to struggle with poor mobile phone signal despite the Home Office previously saying that finding a solution to the problem was a "priority piece of work".The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said there had been "no progress" in improving phone reception at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre in Consett, County Durham, since first detailing the issue in problem affected the women's contact with their family and friends as well as their legal cases, the IMB Home Office has been approached for comment. In 2024, 1,130 women arrived at Derwentside and, while the majority left detention within 14 days of arrival, there were examples of detainees staying at the facility for several months. More than 60% of the women released from Derwentside IRC were granted bail, the IMB said. 'Difficult and frightening' The watchdog said residents were "frequently noted to be hovering by open windows or outside" while waiting for or taking part in calls, "regardless of the weather and temperature".It said it had been more than two years since the Home Office said it was looking to introduce the ability for detainees to make calls via wi-fi, rather than mobile signals, as a potential solution to the site's poor government had called it a "priority piece of work", the IMB said, though this technology has "not yet been introduced", Dr Helen Groom from, the No To Hassockfield campaign group which seeks the closure of Derwentside, said this issue was particularly significant because many of the women were from other parts of the country so relied on phone calls to stay in touch with loved ones. The IMB report also said Derwentside was "generally safe" and there were few incidents involving violence or the use of the overnight transfers to and from the site still remained "too high", the board IMB said women at the site may have been trafficked and experienced "difficult and frightening" journeys in the past, so long overnight trips may contribute to their "anxiety and fear".It said about 24% of the women sent to the facility in 2024 had arrived overnight, which was an improvement on the "limited information" it had been given about overnight transfers in 2023. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- BBC News
Consett Holly Lodge 'fully destroyed' in arson attack
A house which police described as an "amazing property" has been destroyed in an arson Lodge in Ebchester, Consett, which was empty at the time but had been home to a family for five decades, was gutted in a fire on Constabulary is asking the public to alert them of any videos circulating on social media of the blaze at the site, which they said was "popular with urban explorers".Officers confirmed no-one was injured in the blaze. A spokesman said: "The fire has fully destroyed this amazing property which was home to a family for over 50 years."He added the building had been deemed unsafe which "means that even the emergency services will not be able to enter the property". Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Staff shortages force Consett medical clinic to cut hours
A hospital's urgent treatment centre (UTC) will be shut overnight for three months due to staffing UTC at Shotley Bridge Hospital in Consett, Durham, will no longer be open 24 hours and instead be shut from 00:00 BST to 08:00 Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said it was due to difficulties staffing overnight shifts "safely and consistently".The nearest medical facility for urgent overnight help will now be 13 miles (21km) away, at University Hospital of North Durham. UTCs provide urgent medical help for non-life-threatening emergencies, such as cuts and trust said between January and June this year it had been forced to shut the UTC overnight 65 times due to staffing also said on average just five people attended the site each night.A spokesperson said staff shortages had risen this year due to a combination of vacancies, sickness and maternity said the decision to temporarily shut the site overnight was so "daytime care could be protected"."We'll be reviewing the impact of this change closely and listening to feedback from local people and partners throughout the closure period," they added. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Consett cycling event brings European champion to town
A cycling event which brought a European champion to a town needs to remain a yearly fixture, local businesses have said. The Tour of the Reservoir and an accompanying cycle festival took place in Consett on Sunday for the first time since Michels, from Belgium, was one of the 100 men to compete and he said he was keen to take part again despite it being the "hardest race" of his life. Local businesses said the event would continue to grow and they were already feeling the benefits. Festival organisers said the return of the event was not a "one-off" with plans to bring it back in 2026 and 2027. It was set up to celebrate the resilience of Consett and highlight it as a cycling hub, however was halted due to the Coronavirus year's events were also held as a tribute to former race organiser Mike Hodgson, who died in 2020. For European Cyclocross Champion Mr Michels, it was his first road race in England."It was the hardest race I've done in my life," the 22-year-old said. "Consett is a really nice place and the scenery is something you can never find in Belgium."He said his grandparents also joined him in Consett and he would "absolutely" take part in the Tour of the Reservoir again. "I don't know what the day will be, but when it's released that's a date I will mark to make sure I compete again." Talks are set to take place next week to discuss the future of the O'Connor, chair of regeneration body Project Genesis Trust, said: "It wasn't just another one-off event, hopefully we'll be able to do it next year and the year after."It's important for the people of the Consett area to have events to look forward to and also to show off the town in its best colours." Family-run business AH Events organised the festival on behalf of the Scott Hillary said it brought a lot of people to Consett and showed the town off "in a very positive light". "I think it's very important. I think the event will grow and grow as more people become aware of it," Mr Hillary said. "It's something that we want in the annual calendar." Holly Knight, marketing and youth coordinator at the Hub Consett, a cafe and community space helping support neurodivergent people in business, said it was "absolutely fantastic"."It gives a great opportunity to present local businesses such as ourselves," she said. Ms Knight also said it had been "really nice" to speak to the community and having a stall at the festival helped the business make new connections. "It's definitely already starting to pay off a little bit," she said. "Any event that brings Consett together is more than welcome."Mr O'Connor said the events would help show the changing picture of Consett as a new hospital and surrounding developments start to emerge on the race's route. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Consett housing estate building work stops over blocked nest fears
Building work at a housing estate has been stopped after concerns it could block swifts from accessing their in the Bridgehill area of Consett, County Durham, raised the alarm on Friday amid fears potential nesting sites could have been boarded up during ongoing roofing association Home Group said it had halted the work and would take scaffolding down. Save Newcastle Wildlife, which had called for workers to down tools immediately, said the action meant the remaining swift population in the area was safe. Surveys by the campaign group in recent days found more than 19 nests and about 50 birds were also counted."Sadly, we were told by residents that some houses that had nests had already been boarded up," they Watson, a maintenance project surveyor at Home Group, said they were aware nests could be present before the start of the works and "as a result there have been no nests affected".A spokesperson added any existing scaffolding was at properties where there were no Police, which was contacted by the Save Newcastle Wildlife, said the housing association had agreed to pause the building works until added there were plans to fit bird boxes. The swifts, which are red-listed over declining global populations, arrive in the UK from Africa each said a colony had been nesting in the estate for at least 50 years. A spokesperson for Save Newcastle Wildlife said it was one of the largest in the area. "They really mean quite a lot to people," they resident said the birds reminded him of his father - with the family getting a tattoo of a swift shortly before he died."I love the swifts, the whole family does," he said."We always keep an eye out for them."He said he was worried the birds might not return to the estate."Next year is going to be a good tell tale to see how many do come back." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
