LOCAL NEWS
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News from Peterlee, Seaham, Hordon, Easington, Hartlepool, Blackhall, Wingate and the wider East Durham area
A brave six-year-old has celebrated his first Christmas since finishing intense cancer treatment, by lighting up a Durham City Christmas Tree. Harry Coulson, from South Hetton, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at just three years old and has spent much...
Kind-hearted council staff are helping children in the region’s hospitals this Christmas through a charity appeal. Members of Durham County Council’s DurhamWorks team have got behind the charity Children’s Hospital Pyjamas, which collects donations of new items of...
Television presenter, podcaster and author Tom Heap was the keynote speaker at an event aimed at strengthening County Durham’s response to climate change. The BBC Countryfile host, who has a podcast and book called 39 Ways to Save the Planet, joined representatives...
Young people who have been supported into employment, training and education have been honoured at a County Durham awards ceremony. Seventeen young people received recognition for their successes in the DurhamWorks Achievement Awards in an online video. Seven prizes...
Providing a range of tenancies to meet all housing needs and a safety net for residents in financial difficulties are the focus of a new strategy in County Durham. Following the impact of coronavirus and changes to legislation, Durham County Council is updating its...
An unqualified builder has received a 58-week prison sentence after he undertook several poor quality housing improvements. At a Durham Crown Court hearing, the court heard Darren Paterson’s company Jaxon Joinery undertook extensions, garage conversions and bathroom...
NOTICE OF AN APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OF A PREMISES LICENCE THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Notice is hereby given that we Dalton Old Pump House Limited, have applied to Durham County Council in respect of the premises known as: Dalton Old Pump House, Stockton Road,...
Bellway Durham has welcomed visitors to Wellfield Rise for the launch of its two new show homes. The Scrivener and Sawyer show homes were unveiled to the public on Saturday 23 October, providing buyers with the first opportunity to visit the Wingate development....
A new funding programme is giving groups in County Durham the chance to bid for tens of thousands of pounds. The Community Capital Grant fund has been created to help improve health and wellbeing, job prospects or improve the environment in neighbourhoods across the...
Durham County Council is once again lighting up six landmarks across the county as a stunning visual reminder of the poppies which bloomed on First World War battlefields. From Wednesday (10 November), until Sunday (14 November), Durham Town Hall, County Hall in...
As world leaders gather in Glasgow over the next two weeks for the crucial COP26 summit, key figures in County Durham got together to pledge their own efforts to tackle climate change. More than 70 attendees, including representatives from Durham County Council,...
One in four adults reported feeling lonely during the COVID-19 restrictions, signalling a review of community needs. An NHS and leading charity partnership is appealing for individuals and organisations to share their views on future befriending and peer support...
Thousands of households across County Durham will continue to receive help in covering the cost of their council tax bills after councillors agreed to the extension of a scheme. Durham County Council provides council tax discounts of up to 100 per cent to eligible...
Almost 200 high-quality, affordable homes are set to be delivered across County Durham. Durham County Council has teamed up with housing providers to meet demand, with the building of properties all over the local authority area now close to completion. The council...
Durham's New Elvet Bridge has reopened following a full refurbishment. The key city centre bridge closed in July 2020 for essential works, including extensive repairs to ensure the bridge remains structurally sound. With work complete, the bridge is being reopened to...
The owners of two County Durham businesses have been ordered to pay a total of almost £4,000 after breaching Covid regulations earlier this year. Durham County Council has successfully taken action against two people who continued to operate during the national...
This National Reptile Awareness Day (October 21st), the British Veterinary Association (BVA) is urging all owners to ensure they are meeting the welfare needs of their scaly pets and for anyone considering buying a reptile to #ThinkTwice and speak to a vet for advice....
Plans for a new £8 million affordable housing development in a County Durham town have been submitted for approval. The move will see proposals for 59 new two, three and four bedroomed homes and bungalows in Peterlee considered by Durham County Council planning...
A North East council has submitted proposals to the government to consider the reopening of a town’s railway station. Durham County Council has submitted proposals for Ferryhill after the government allocated £500 million to restore railways and reconnect communities...
Prince Bishops Place’s ever popular umbrella street has been a huge success this year, raising over £3,000 for Team Solan Connor Fawcett Family Cancer Trust. Customers were encouraged to purchase a wooden tag supplied by retailer, Elvet and Bailey, for a £5 minimum...
News County Durham is a step closer to being crowned UK City of Culture 2025 has been met with joy and resolve by the partnership driving forward the bid. Today, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced its longlist of eight locations that...
A man has been ordered to pay over £500 after he was found trading as a scrap metal dealer without a licence. Durham County Council took legal action against Jackson Bainbridge, of School Road in Houghton-le-Spring, after police discovered and seized a damaged vehicle...
County Durham residents are being given the chance to nominate the important local buildings and heritage items which they value the most. Durham County Council’s Local List project aims to seek out previously unidentified treasures across County Durham that members...
World-renowned scented candle brand, Yankee Candle, has become the latest new store to open at Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination. Stocking its hugely popular range of glass jar candles, homeware fragrance, accessories and gifts, the UK’s best loved candle brand...
Tackling neighbourhood nuisances and improving quality of life in a County Durham village are at the heart of a new partnership. Horden Together will see a range of organisations working closely with residents to address the issues and concerns that matter most to...
A trio of talented Peter Jones Business and Enterprise Academy students and their lecturer from East Durham College are celebrating after success at this year’s Peter Jones Enterprise Academy Award Ceremony. With over £7,000 worth of business investment up for grabs,...
News the BBC is to make its biggest investment in the North East in decades has been welcomed by the partnership spearheading County Durham’s Bid to be UK City of Culture 2025. The BBC has announced it will spend at least £25 million over the next five years in the...
A North East council has received national recognition for its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Durham County Council has been highly commended in two categories at the MJ Local Government Achievement Awards 2021. The awards celebrate the best in local public...
Illicit cigarettes and tobacco with a legitimate market value of more than £100,000 have been uncovered as part of an investigation. Durham County Council Trading Standards officers seized the items while executing warrants at three addresses in Blackhall Colliery and...
Leading letting agent, Kimmitt Lettings are proud to announce that it has been awarded exclusive membership of The Guild of Property Professionals for Houghton Le Spring, Seaham and Peterlee. The Guild is a nationwide network of approaching 800 leading estate &...
Dalton Park is proud to unveil its exciting new children’s playground. It was officially opened by Durham County Council’s Cllr Robert Adcock-Forster and Cllr Julie Griffiths, along with Dalton Park’s Operations Manager Jackie Johnson and Sophie Hardy, Placemaking,...
A north east council and volunteers, who conducted litter picks to keep the County Durham coastline beautiful, are urging visitors to leave the beach as they find it. Durham County Council is reminding the public of the importance of tidying up after themselves and...
County Durham’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025 has the power to bring transformational social and economic benefits to the entire North East, according to the partnership driving forward the campaign. The message coincides with an announcement from the Department...
The final homes have now been sold at a development in Seaham, as construction reaches the final stages. Bellway is delivering a collection of 75 three and four-bedroom homes at Byron Heights, off Dalton Heights Road, including six properties being provided as...
A housebuilder in Wingate has supported a local primary school’s campaign to provide the village with potentially lifesaving equipment. Bellway, which is building new homes at Wellfield Rise, off Wellfield Road, purchased a defibrillator for installation at Holy...
An abandoned greyhound racing track, which had become a hub for anti-social behaviour, has been cleared with support from Durham County Council. Since its closure in 2019, following a fire in one of its buildings, the former Wheatley Hill Greyhound Racing Track on...
East Durham College is thrilled to announce that A Level students at the college’s sixth form, ED6, have achieved 100% pass rate in all subjects for the sixth year in a row (2016-2021). ED6 Sixth Form, which is part of East Durham College’s Peterlee Campus, has...
A new Chief Executive looks set to lead the north east’s largest council. The Chief Officer Appointments Committee at Durham County Council has advised that John Hewitt is their recommended candidate for Chief Executive following an appointment process. John has been...
Forty community groups across the North East - including Acre Rigg Social Club and 2nd Peterlee Scouts Group in Peterlee - have won a share of an £11,500 prize pot from the Venator Community Fund. The Venator Community Fund has now awarded over £50,000 to schools,...
An £80,000 scheme to reduce the impact of flooding on one of only two roads into a County Durham village has been completed. During periods of heavy rainfall, the road linking Shadforth to the neighbouring village of Ludworth is frequently submerged in floodwater,...
A deadline is fast approaching for community groups to bid for up to £10,000 from a programme that has already distributed more than £150,000 to good causes across County Durham during the coronavirus pandemic. believe housing’s successful community programme was...
County Durham has today (Monday) launched its bid to be named UK City of Culture 2025 – with the hope the accolade will provide a major boost for the whole north east region. The initial bid is being submitted by Durham County Council on behalf of Culture Durham, a...
The demolition of an eyesore building that has blighted a County Durham community for more than 20 years is set to begin this month. The former Easington Colliery Primary School, in Seaside Lane, has stood empty since 1997. With various owners failing to find a viable...
Prince Bishops Shopping Centre has been renamed Prince Bishops Place. Over the coming weeks customers will see the refreshed branding replacing the original colour depiction of St Cuthbert’s Cross with a new, contemporary version on signs, in the car park, on...
Top television chefs Chris Baber and John Whaite are joining the line-up at this summer’s Seaham Food Festival. The TV favourites will head to the County Durham coast alongside cooking stalwart Rosemary Shrager and the county’s very own Masterchef contestant, Mike...
Patients being treated for long-term effects of coronavirus in County Durham and Darlington are benefitting from a new mental health and wellbeing initiative. The Reading Well initiative, by The Reading Agency, is providing book collections to support patients in the...
One of the region’s leading home providers has reconfirmed its support to anyone who has experienced domestic abuse. County Durham-based believe housing has become one of the first Accredited Members of the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance. The new membership scheme is...
Housebuilder Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes North East is continuing to support charities and organisations in the areas in which it builds with its monthly Community Fund initiative. This month, the housebuilder is supporting Hartlepool and East Durham Mind, an...
A seven-year restoration for a unique survivor from County Durham’s mining past has been completed. The 1904-built steam locomotive Horden was officially relaunched into traffic at Tanfield Railway. Beset problems ranging from historical accident damage to the theft...
Television favourite Rosemary Shrager is looking forward to cooking for the crowds at a County Durham food festival this summer. Seaham Food Festival will make its welcome return to the coast on Saturday, 7 August and Sunday, 8 August following a break last year due...
A football team from Seaham has won a high profile regional competition - the first time a team from Seaham has done so. Dawdon Welfare Park FC played Greenside FC at Harton & Westoe Miners Welfare in South Shields yesterday (Sunday, June 20) in the Durham Sunday...
Have a small electrical item collecting dust in your home? Residents in County Durham can now drop off unwanted electricals for recycling. Durham County Council has launched a new recycling project where residents can drop off small electrical or battery-operated...
A County Durham man has been ordered to pay almost £700 after flytipping close to a Household Waste Recycling Centre. Josh Wray, of Burnside Avenue, Horden, has appeared in court after waste was found dumped at Warren House Gill in the village, just beyond the Horden...
A working men's club and a busy marketplace will be among the destinations visited by the NHS vaccine bus as it continues its journey across County Durham. Run by health staff from Easington District, Sedgefield North and North Easington Primary Care Networks, the...
A brand new play park is due to open at the North East's largest outlet centre late this summer. Dalton Park has removed its previous well-used play park, and will soon replace it with a brand new suite of exciting and interactive equipment. The new park will include...
East Durham Creates has launched an art project which aims to brighten the day of isolated people while giving everyone a chance to make postcard art. Art Hit: Post Art is an innovative visual art project thought up by artist Eleanor Matthews working with East Durham...
When it comes to multiple sclerosis, I think a lot of people forget about the mental health effects of the disease. I for one have had my mental health affected a great deal in the past and it still affects me now. I believe that I developed anxiety at a young age,...
A two-year old housing association has earned a place on two prestigious Best Companies lists. believe housing has ranked #12 in the UK’s 25 Best Housing Associations to Work For at this year’s awards, making believe housing the only north east housing association to...
New measures aimed at improving road safety near a County Durham primary school are being installed later this month. Durham County Council is introducing a short section of road in Coxhoe which only buses can go through, known as a bus gate, following concerns being...
The donation of construction materials to a Peterlee school will help students build skills while rescuing a vital campus cabin. Dene Academy runs construction classes, offering hands on learning experiences to students that help to hone useful techniques while...
“If you are interested in fostering and you have got the time, the love and the energy and the space in your home, give it a go.” Those are the words of one relatively new foster carer from County Durham who has chosen to share her experiences during Foster Care...
Barratt Developments North East, has teamed up with new mortgage provider Generation Home, to help people across the region take their first step onto the property ladder, in a first-time collaboration for both companies across the country. This new mortgage product,...
A Blackhall Colliery registered care manager has fought off tough competition from across the country to clinch the titles of ‘Manager of the Year’ and ‘Pandemic Star of the Year’ at the first ever virtual National Care Group Annual Awards. Almost 1,400 National Care...
Young people aged 16 to 24 on Universal Credit will be able to apply for a number of job vacancies with a North East council through an employment scheme. DurhamWorks has secured up to 92 job placements with Durham County Council for young people who are currently...
A man has been ordered to pay almost £400 after CCTV footage captured him dumping tarmac next to a farmer’s field. One of Durham County Council’s neighbourhood wardens spotted the waste strewn across the entrance to a field on Petwell Lane, Easington Colliery, in...
Residents will be able to check if they have coronavirus without showing any symptoms as lateral flow test centres open across County Durham. Durham County Council has launched its Lateral Flow Device (LFD) Community Testing programme, where regular rapid Covid-19...
Public Notice for Haswell & District Mencap Society THE LICENSING ACT 2003 Notice is hereby given that we, Haswell & District Mencap Society, have applied to the Durham County Council in respect of the premises known as THE LISA DIXON CENTRE, BURT CLOSE,...
A County Durham housing association, believe housing, has become the first organisation in the sector to achieve the Carbon Neutral International Standard. believe housing is ‘thrilled’ to be the first housing association to achieve the Carbon Neutral International...
A group of students studying bricklaying at East Durham College are set to get a fantastic opportunity to hone their skills, thanks to an exciting new partnership with Ajay Brickwork Ltd which will offer apprenticeships to the students from the Peterlee-based college....
An employee at Seaham-based ResQ has won a prestigious national award. Aidan Sayers was awarded the Prince’s Trust Ascential Educational Achievement Award. Aidan is usually based from ResQ's Spectrum Business Park office though during the pandemic has been working...
The region’s largest specialist land-based college is celebrating today’s government announcement that it will receive multi-million pound government funding to develop a new state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility. East Durham College’s Houghall Campus,...
Recycling centres across County Durham are now open for longer as part of a move to summer opening hours. Durham County Council-run household waste recycling centres will be open from 9am to 6pm, although times at some sites may vary. The council has created a new...
Motorists are being reminded that they can now take advantage of free afternoon parking at many car parks around County Durham. Durham County Council has introduced free parking after 2pm in its on and off-street car parks. The change, which comes into force today...
A north east council has pledged to go further in the fight against fly-tipping as the number of incidents across County Durham falls for the fourth year running. According to figures released by DEFRA, Durham County Council dealt with 6,548 cases in 2019-2020, a ten...
Nearly 30 homes designed to help people in East Durham onto the property ladder have been snapped up within hours of reservations opening. The m!ne ‘Rent to Buy’ houses are being constructed on the site of a long-demolished working men’s club in Easington Village by...
A donation of 60 laptops is helping five primary schools across County Durham. believe housing has been working with specialist IT equipment recycling and disposal firm Protech to help local schools ease back into the classroom. A batch of laptops, no longer needed by...
Former railway tracks will be transformed into a public area that celebrates a County Durham town’s heritage as part of the next phase in a regeneration project. Work has begun this week on the second phase of Durham County Council’s Seaham Townscape Heritage Project,...
A former Army sergeant has taken the top job at a Peterlee care home – after a career switch inspired by his ill nanna. Dan Rigden has been appointed home manager at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, on Manor Way, in a culmination of his nine-year career in care after...
Plans to build three new state-of-the-art leisure centres across County Durham will move a step closer next week, supporting the county’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Durham County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve three preferred sites...
It’s a double day of celebration for East Durham College as it prepares to both open its doors to students returning to face-to-face teaching, and also celebrates its all-women leadership team in time for International Women’s Day. In accordance with government...
Free wi-fi is being introduced in Seaham next week as part of a multimillion-pound scheme to enhance the vibrancy of towns and villages across County Durham. Durham County Council has funded the installation of free public wi-fi in Seaham town centre to help boost...
A cowboy builder who ripped off customers in County Durham by carrying out sub-standard work on their homes has been handed a prison sentence of more than two years. Anthony James Gray, 57, who traded as Cathedral Home Improvements Ltd, defrauded a collective £39,600...
A council has successfully obtained a closure order against a County Durham gym for breaching health protection regulations by operating during lockdown. Durham County Council applied for the closure of Ed’s Gym and Fitness in Horden, also known as Ellwood’s Gym,...
Redu Group, a leading provider of employee benefit & retail marketing solutions, has announced the appointment of Karen Hubbard to their Board of Directors, as Non-Executive Chair to help drive further growth and expansion for the company. Karen Hubbard, former...
An innovative modular North East housebuilder is expanding the business by recruiting a team of people with a diverse skillset. CoreHaus, which recently set up a manufacturing facility in a 20,000 sq ft unit on Jade Business Park, Murton, near Seaham in County Durham...
Community groups have just weeks left to apply for grants from a successful County Durham funding programme. Food banks, sports clubs, schools and charities are being urged to apply for the last batch of grants from believe housing’s community funding programme before...
East Durham College has been announced as the winners of the Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Pears #iwill Award for Social Action and Student Engagement. During 2019/20, East Durham College created our own bespoke Community Action Projects for all learners to...
Residents are being asked to help uncover the identity of the location in an old photograph found in a collection belonging to an East Durham couple. The photo, which shows a greengrocers shop with many people outside of it, was found by George Kevin Bell, who was...
A £25million investment in the regeneration of communities across County Durham is to be presented to councillors for approval. Durham County Council’s Towns and Villages Investment Plan commits £20m to the county’s most disadvantaged communities and, following the...
East Durham College has announced two new direct routes as part of its ongoing partnership with Arriva North East. From September 2021, East Durham College will be offering a new, ED5, bus route directly from Darlington to its Houghall Campus in Durham. The new...
Organisations across County Durham are benefitting from a big book giveaway. Following a successful Facebook campaign, hundreds of surplus books which have been withdrawn from Durham County Council’s libraries, have been donated to new homes across the county. Each...
The Government’s decision to slash northern transport funding by more than half will deprive the region of vital investment at a critical time, as well as undermining promises to close the North/South divide. This is the view of Cllr Carl Marshall, Durham County...
Electric vehicle charging points will become more widespread across County Durham in a move to reduce carbon emissions and make it easier for residents to own electric cars. As part of an ambitious plan to ensure residents without off-street parking can access an...
Maximising the value of every pound spent in County Durham is key to developing a sustainable economy and driving forward recovery, councillors will hear. Next week, Durham County Council’s Cabinet will receive an update on the progress and next steps for Social Value...
Residents across County Durham are being invited to take part in a survey about digital services over the next month. Durham County Council is hoping the survey will help to identify any barriers facing people across the county, in a bid to improve access for its...
Thankful parents have praised a County Durham bin crew for going out of their way to bring festive joy to children on their route. Colin Hodgson, Paul Bailey and David Heslop, who all work for Durham County Council as refuse collectors in the east of the county,...
A Peterlee mum has undergone life-saving brain surgery – just 24 hours after doctors told her she had two days to live. Emma Selby was admitted to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough last week after doctors found she had a bleed from one of the three brain...
A further £10 million in funding has been provided to help support young people into education, employment and training across County Durham. The Durham County Council led partnership programme, DurhamWorks, has been awarded the funding from the European Social Fund...
Believe Housing has won the prestigious Homebuilder of the Year award at the UK Housing Awards. Judges were impressed by believe housing’s commitment to provide both affordable and quality homes in communities of greatest need across the region, from small rural...
As evidence reveals one in five people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK is now under the age of 30, a 17-year-old living with MS in County Durham, is shedding light on the need for new treatments as part of a £100 million charity appeal. Lucy Wood from...
County Durham community groups can now apply for funding to help make their neighbourhoods cleaner and greener. Volunteers can apply for a grant of up to £500 from Durham County Council, as part of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) It’s Your Neighbourhood...
Enforcement officers are warning flytippers that they risk being stripped of their vehicles this Christmas. The warning comes after a number of vehicles found to have been used in flytipping incidents in County Durham were taken off their owners for good....
