Cold Calling Given the Cold Shoulder in Heaton

North Heaton has a low rate of crime and is one of the safest parts of the city. The North Heaton Lib Dem team are keen to keep it that way and have worked with the council's trading standards officers to introduce a No Cold Calling zone in the Bungalows area, between Debdon Gardens and the Coast Road, which has a number of elderly and disabled residents.

Unscrupulous traders and con-men often try to take advantage of vulnerable folk by offering to undertake building or other work, then overcharge or fail to carry out the work. They often Cold Call uninvited and pressure people into buying something they don't want or need.

North Heaton Ward Councillor Doreen Huddart has persuaded the council to introduce a bye-law creating a zone where door-to-door selling is not permitted for the Bungalows area and hope to extend it to other parts of the ward including Cochrane Park.

Residents have now had letters informing them about the scheme and many have already replied in agreement. Notices will go up in the autumn and residents will receive stickers to place by their windows or doors.

Doreen says 'We think this scheme is ideal for our residents and will be popular in the area, and are pleased that council officers have been really helpful in taking steps to introduce this in the Bungalows area as one of the first phases of their programme".