MARCH 2019 www.stockton.gov.uk/stocktononteesnews The community magazine of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Big plans, bright future CONTENTS FREE Hours30 per week Childcare The sky’s the limit 09 Been to Preston Park? 27 Investing in your roads 34 Working parents of children aged 3 and 4 years old could be CONTENTS News Round Up Children and Adults entitled to up to 30 4 Young People 6 Services 9 hours free childcare a week, if they meet Health and ChildrenCommunity and Strong Wellbeing 12 YoungSafety People 2415 Communities 17 eligibility criteria. Visit www.stockton.gov.uk/30hours Arts, Culture Economic Regeneration Environment or call the Families Information and Leisure 22 and Transport 30 and Housing 38 Service on Tel: 01642 527225 for more information about eligibility. Your Council 41 What’s On 45 Stockton-on-Tees News is published by its partner organisations and local Communications Team and designed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and community groups and businesses. Every Twentyseven Design. Pictures courtesy distributed to households across the effort is made to ensure all information of Dave Charnley, Peter Mernagh, Gary Borough free of charge. If you have not is accurate and up-to-date at the time of Walsh, Gilbert Johnston, Doug Moody, MARCH 2019 www.stockton.gov.uk/stocktononteesnews received a copy please call 01642 526098 publication. Your views and comments Dawn McNamara, Andy Berriman, or email [email protected] are welcome. Gazette and others. Stockton-on-Tees News aims to provide Stockton-on-Tees News is produced by A special thank you to June Ross news and information about the Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Photography for the front cover image of Find out more Preston Park’s Victorian street. There is an audio version of Stockton-on-Tees News. Call 01642 526098 to order a copy or email [email protected] The community magazine of Stockton-on-TeesBig plans, Borough bright Council future www.stockton.gov.uk/30hours PAGE 3 WELCOME TO THIS MARCH EDITION OF STOCKTON-ON- Local Town centre lighting is set TEES NEWS. St George’s Day, International We’re making great progress on a series of major investments across the Borough and you can read all Elections Women’s Day and World Cancer about it in this edition. Ingleby Barwick Leisure Centre Day are just some of the occasions and the Borough’s new crematorium are coming on really On Thursday 2 May there will nicely and you can now sign-up for ticket updates for the that Stockton’s colourful town Globe, where work is also cracking on at a pace. Turn to be Local Council and Town and centre lighting will mark this year. pages 29, 30 and 35 to read more. Parish Council Elections across The Council’s Cabinet has agreed a programme to light We’ve got plenty of positive developments on the business Stockton Town Hall, riverside and Newport Bridge. front too. On page 32 you can read about four new arrivals Stockton-on-Tees. in Stockton town centre, including some independent The permanent lighting features, which change colour and shops and an intriguing change of use for one building, You must be registered to vote to have your say in these pattern, play an important role in the town’s programme elections. But don’t worry it’s quick and easy to do. of popular riverside events and are also lit up to mark while our regular Made in Stockton-on-Tees feature on nationally recognised commemoration days, including Turn to page 41 to find out how you can make your voice heard. page 33 shines a light on one Borough business that’s those of a particular relevance and significance. winning contracts across the world from San Francisco to Brisbane. The programme was agreed in January and will be reviewed every year. We also take a look at some of the great community projects supporting residents who are facing loneliness To see the full lighting programme visit and isolation, including a truly heart-warming scheme www.stockton.gov.uk/featurelighting bringing young and old together. Turn to pages 10 and 11 to read more. And on pages 15 and 16 you can read all about the OBITUARY work we’re doing to protect residents and consumers. New Stockton Lidl moves a step closer Schemes such as Setting the Bar and the annual Road In December Director of Billingham Safety Quiz are very different but both contribute greatly Plans to bring a new Lidl Work will soon start to build the 1,300 square metre purpose to our work to keep people safe, while there’s also a piece International Folklore Festival (BIFF), built shop on land at the southern end of Stockton High Street. Up to 40 new jobs will be created. on the tireless work of our Trading Standards service. Joe Maloney, sadly died. store to the heart of Stockton Once again, we’ve got a packed programme of events this It will see current buildings demolished and replaced with Joe, who was born in Middlesbrough in 1930, became the modern supermarket and customer car park. The spring and summer. We’re really proud of our events and involved with BIFF through Billingham Round Table and later town centre were approved by investment by Lidl is a huge vote of confidence for Stockton are particularly excited to host the Great North CityGames Rotary Club, running the festival club, which gave the people and will drive footfall into the town centre, encouraging for the first time this year. You’ll find more about this of Billingham the opportunity to mix with the international councillors in early February. shoppers to visit the town’s facilities, independent shops event and more from page 23 as well as the What’s On guests. He later became Vice-Chairman of the festival and and markets. section on pages 45 to 47. in 1998 was invited to work as the Festival Director, a role he It’s that time of year when the Council sets its budget. cherished and took immense pleasure in doing. On page 44 you can read more on our Medium Term In 2001 Joe became Secretary General of CIOFF – Financial Plan which sets out how we are getting on with the International Council of delivering vital services while continuing to make savings. Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts. He Finally, one of our young residents recently received an was the UK representative extra special birthday surprise thanks to the Council’s on this worldwide Care for Your Area team. It’s a really heart-warming story organisation. Joe spent his which you can read on page 39. lifetime promoting mutual understanding, friendship and peace all over the world. In 2014 Joe was very proud to receive a Civic Award from The Mayor of Stockton- on-Tees in recognition for all his Neil Schneider hard work and dedication to Chief Executive, the festival. Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council PAGE 4 NEWS ROUND UP NEWS ROUND UP PAGE 5 The school is a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) which supports pupils who don’t attend mainstream schools for reasons Excellent ranging from permanent exclusions to physical and mental illness. accolade for It’s one of only 173 schools nationwide to have earned the ‘Centre of Excellence’ status, of which only five are PRUs. Billingham school Headteacher, Emily Carr, said: “We are so proud of this important achievement. Inclusion is something we strongly Crooksbarn Primary School Greetings! I am Netanya, a 14-year-old, A specialist school in believe in and work hard to promote. We believe that every Year 10 Ian Ramsey CE Academy pupil. Billingham has been child deserves the best education possible and we educate I have always lived in the wonderful Borough of the ‘whole’ child – developing them emotionally, socially and Stockton-on-Tees. nationally recognised as a academically.” In order to reach out to my local community and make For more information visit myself heard I joined Bright Minds Big Futures (BMBF) ‘Centre of Excellence’. www.bishoptoncentre.org.uk as a correspondent to promote events and activities by Assessors from Inclusion Quality Mark commended Find out more about the writing blogs and posting on social media. Bishopton Centre on Marsh House Avenue for its listening and Inclusion Quality Mark at Recently, I have been given the opportunity to join communication, relentless leaders and polite pupils. www.iqmaward.com the BMBF – Big Committee, which provides a voice They reported that ‘pupils appreciate the patience and respect for young people in the Borough on issues such as Northfield School and Sports College they are shown and know that here, their voice matters. education, leisure facilities, health and wellbeing. The information collected will be used by the Council to help ‘In return, they work hard and have embraced the challenges them make decisions about services. to strive for more, being ambitious and taking pride in their achievements.’ Headteacher Emily Carr (centre) accepts Through BMBF, I have learnt new project, INVESTING IN the Inclusion Quality Mark award communication and teams skills. I would like to thank Jane Webb for helping me. OUR YOUNG I am also a member of the Stockton Police Cadets and am raising funds for RSPB, as I think it is important to PEOPLE Could you support a young care leaver? help protect wildlife – even if it is in a very small way. Supported Lodgings is an accommodation scheme This year, I am completing my Duke of Edinburgh-Silver A £37million programme of award. I am volunteering at my school library, doing my investment to improve schools for vulnerable young people aged 16 years and Diploma in piano and am also doing dancing as part of over.