Information about Durham County Council’s replacement HQ

Work to build a smaller, more affordable headquarters for the region's largest council started in August 2019. This paves the way for a new multi-million-pound business district at Aykley Heads, creating up to 6,000 new high quality jobs and delivering a £400 million boost to the county.

New HQ in Durham City

Aykley Heads in Durham is already home to more than 30 businesses employing 1,300 people but in order for the site to realise its full potential, it is necessary for Durham County Council to relocate its headquarters from Aykley Heads.

The authority is creating a new, more modern base in the heart of the city centre which will be less than a third of the size of the current County Hall. As part of the construction, approximately 250 new jobs will be created by Kier, who will be building the new HQ. These will include opportunities for apprentices as well as people who are currently unemployed across the county. There will also be opportunities for local and regional suppliers and contractors.

The new building on the Sands car park in Durham City centre will not only mean a reduction in running costs, it will also enable staff to embrace modern ways of working and boost year-round trade within the city centre.

Where will it be built?

The new HQ will be built on the site of the current Sands car park on Freeman's Place in Durham City opposite Freeman's Quay Leisure Centre. As well as freeing up the Aykley Heads site for a new business park, creating thousands of jobs and an economic boost to the county, relocating the new HQ into the heart of Durham City will help provide an all year round boost to the local economy.

When will work start?

Initial works started in mid-August 2019, with the main construction taking place from September.

When will the new HQ be completed?

The new HQ is expected to be completed in Autumn 2021.

Who is building the new HQ?

Contractor Kier is building the new HQ.

How many staff will be based at the new HQ?

The new HQ will be a third of the size of the current County Hall and have 700 work spaces. Around 1,850 staff currently work in County Hall, of which 1,000 will be based at the new HQ and approximately 850 will relocate to our four key council office sites being developed across the county in Crook, Meadowfield, Seaham and Spennymoor.

The city centre has excellent connectivity; via the train station, buses and our park and ride facilities and by introducing more modern ways of working, our staff will be able to work from other council buildings, closer to residents, or from home. 

At a time when many high streets are struggling, locating office accommodation in our towns and Durham City centre will help provide confidence to businesses and attract more businesses.

Are there facilities for the public?

The new building will be available for community use, with a number of rooms to hire. There will also be a small café for staff and the public to use and there will be a new public square.

The new HQ will also see significant public realm improvements in the area which will open up the riverside for the public to enjoy. 

What is happening to enable building work to begin?

The Sands car park and coach park closed in August 2019 to enable construction to take place. As part of the development, the council will re-provide the 136 public parking spaces currently at the Sands car park within a new multi storey car park, which will provide 277 spaces in total.

The coach park was relocated to a larger site with improved facilities at Belmont Park and Ride.

Any tree removals on the site of the new HQ and multi-storey car park have been planned in advance as part of the planning application process, and are being carried out following the advice of ecologists and at times of day which cause the least disruption to traffic.

What will the building look like?

The design of the new HQ has been developed to ensure it respects the history and landscape of the city and graduates down in height towards the riverside. The building has been designed with the local environment in mind and landscaping is a key part of the site.

Historic England has welcomed the design and appearance of the HQ building.

The building has also been designed in line with the principles of BREEAM ("Very Good" rating). It will use natural ventilation and cooling where possible and the lights will turn on and off when unoccupied and dim when there's enough natural light.

What plans are in place for adverse weather?

Construction phase

• A comprehensive flood risk management plan is in place for the construction phase, approved by the Environment Agency.
• A silt fence has been installed next to the river whilst construction is underway.  This is designed to prevent any site run-off overflowing into the river.  This has worked effectively. 
• Preparations ahead of Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis, in line with the flood risk management plan, have meant that work on site has continued normally with no impact to the work programme following either of the storms.
• Construction works are at an early stage, progress to date has involved installing piles and foundations but the HQ itself will be built on a raised plateau. The ground floor of the HQ will be at the same level as the ground floor in the existing NS&I and HM Passport buildings. For context, this is several metres above the level of flooding during Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis.

Building design

The HQ building has been carefully designed to take into consideration the potential for flooding.  Several measures have been included in the building's design and are detailed in the planning application, which was also approved by the Environment Agency.

• The building incorporates underground tanks, whereby in the event of a major flood, the tanks will fill with water and then slowly release back into the river as the flood levels recede.
• In addition, a flood barrier system will prevent water ingress into the public spaces on the site and between the new HQ and the National Savings building.

Landscaping

A variety of mature trees will be planted as part of landscaping around the new HQ and multi-storey carpark once construction is complete.

Trees are also being planted in the city and other areas of the county as part of projects such as the Durham Woodland Revival Project and the Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

New coach park

Tourism is crucial to our economy and we are committed to working with our partners to increase visitor numbers. The former Sands coach park had no facilities for coach drivers or visitors, and accommodated a maximum of 11 coaches. There is limited space available within the historic city to provide expanded coach parking facilities.

As a result, we've relocated the coach park to a new larger facility with 30 spaces next to the Park and Ride site at Belmont. Anyone visiting by coach will continue to be dropped off and picked up by their coach at the existing bus stop at Freeman's Place in Durham City centre which is similar to schemes in other historic cities such as York. The Cathedral bus will continue to operate from the bus stop at Freeman's Place.

The new coach park continues to be free and provides coach drivers with access to better facilities. Drivers are able to empty chemical toilets, clean their vehicles inside and out and use existing on site washrooms at the Park and Ride site. See Coach parking in Durham City for further information.

Coaches will continue to pick-up and drop-off visitors in the city centre.

Related information

• Access to Freeman's Place
• Car parking in Durham City
• Coach parking in Durham City

Website feedback

Dog waste at Crimdon beach

The little gift bags hanging from the fence at Crimdon beach have been removed following a request I issued this morning for the area to be cleared. 

The clean and green team has agreed to check this location each morning for the foreseeable future, but in the long term it would be helpful if dog owners picking up after their pets could deposit the filled bags in the bins provided.

There are 14 waste bins along the front at Crimdon, including 3 at the top of the main access steps alone, so it’s understandable that visitors to our coastline (including responsible dog owners) become irate when they’re greeted with the unseemly sight shown in this post when it could so easily be avoided.

Please clean up after your dog and put the waste in the bins provided.

Council contact details over the Christmas and New Year period

Some council offices and services will close later this week for the Christmas and New Year period. However, in the event of an emergency, residents can still get in touch by using the information published below in a DCC press release.

For information on bin collections please see post dated Wednesday 16 December 2020.

Customer Access Points remain closed until further notice in line with government guidance. 

In the event of an emergency, residents can still contact the council on 03000 26 0000 or use the 24/7 automated payments line on 0300 456 2771.

For any coronavirus related support, residents can contact County Durham Together, the community hub. From Monday, 21 December to Wednesday, 23 December, the hub will be open from 9am to 5pm. It will be closed from 11am on Christmas Eve and will reopen from 10am to 2pm from Tuesday, 29 December to Thursday, 31 December. It will then close until Monday, 4 January. The hub can be contacted by calling 03000 260 260 or emailing communityhub@durham.gov.uk

If you are concerned about someone who is vulnerable or at risk, you should contact Social Care Direct on 03000 267 979. The service will be open across the Christmas and New Year period.

Online services will still be accessible over the festive period but requests may not be processed until council offices reopen on Monday, 4 January.

Register offices will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Monday, 28 December and New Year's Day. Bishop Auckland and Durham register offices will be open between these dates for appointments only. To make an appointment call 03000 26 6000.

Leisure centres will be closed on from 4pm on Christmas Eve until Tuesday, 29 December. They will also close at 4pm on New Year's Eve and will reopen on Saturday, 2 January, except for Abbey Leisure Centre, which will reopen on Monday, 4 January. 

The Libraries pick and collect service will be closed over the Christmas period however, eBooks, eMagazines and eAudio can still be borrowed through Library online. Users should check closing dates with their local library. The pick and collect service will reopen at 10am on Monday, 4 January.

Please note that some information may be subject to change should there be further updates to local and national coronavirus restrictions.  For the latest coronavirus information, please visit our coronavirus advice and information web page. Residents can also keep up-to-date with any changes to council services by following @durhamcouncil on twitter or /durhamcouncil on Facebook.

Pathways day centres for adults will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Hawthorn House short-break service will be closed from 10am on Christmas Eve until Monday 28 December.

Family centres are working in new ways to provide support with all buildings closed. Users are advised to call 03000 261 111 for advice, support and guidance.

The council's Welfare Assistance Service will be closed on Bank Holidays and weekends and will be open reduced hours, from 8.30am to 12pm on Christmas Eve, and from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday, 29 December to Wednesday, 30 December. It will also be open 9am to 12pm on New Year's Eve. The service can be contacted on 03000 267 900.

Sevenhills DLI research and study centre, in Spennymoor, remains closed until further notice due to coronavirus restrictions.

Durham County Record Office also remains closed due to coronavirus restrictions. However, staff are responding to online enquiries up to 5pm on Wednesday, 23 December. This service will then resume on Monday, 4 January. Information is available at the web page.

The Park and Ride service will not operate on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Monday, 28 December or New Year's Day. It will operate as normal, from 7am to 7pm, on all other days except Sunday, 27 December and Sunday, 3 January. On Boxing Day, there will be free parking in all council on and off-street parking bays and parking continues to be free after 3pm up to 31 December.

Update on Covid-19 vaccine appointment cancellations

Earlier this week I shared a post on social media from a local GP practice advising that scheduled Covid-19 vaccination appointments for patients in the Blackhall and Peterlee area had been cancelled at short notice because they would no longer receive the vaccines from NHS England.

The text of the post is reproduced below:

For those patients who may not be aware, we have had to cancel our covid vaccine clinic that was due to take place next week.

Unfortunately this has been out of our control.

We have been working extremely hard to put everything in place to administer the vaccines and we were set up and ready to go from Monday.  However, we received a call from NHS England late yesterday afternoon to advise us that we now wouldn't be receiving any vaccine next week, and would receive a new supply in January with the date to be confirmed.

We appreciate that patients will be disappointed, as are the staff who have worked so hard to get this set up.

We will be in touch with patients in due course once we know when our next vaccine delivery date will be, however this is unlikely to be before January.

Alarmed at this development, and following a number of calls from concerned residents, I contacted the Director of Public Health to ask for any information that would explain this sudden change of plan. I received an update this afternoon from the Director of Integrated Community Services at the Council Durham Care Partnership setting out a little more detail:

Thank you for your enquiry.

 

With NHS partners we had planned to open vaccination centres in 5 GP Practices on 21 December 2020 to give the vaccination to the over 80s and some care home staff. These were in addition to 3 GP Practices which opened on 14 December and 6 opening on 16 December.

 

Unfortunately we were asked, by the NHS centrally, at short notice, earlier this week to delay the opening until early January 2021. We share the disappointment of the residents of Peterlee and Blackhall. 

 

We expect vaccination to start from the delayed sites in January 2021. If the Oxford vaccine is approved we are planning to vaccinate many more of our residents across an increased number of sites.

In addition to this response I’m also aware that our MP Grahame Morris has written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking for a full explanation of the circumstances behind this development.

Road works in Blackhall Colliery and Hesleden

I’ve received advance notification from the highways office this afternoon of works scheduled to take place early in the new year along the A1086 Coast Road in Blackhall Colliery and on the B1281 between Hesleden and Castle Eden:

Road No.	Location	Description	Traffic Management	Start Date	End Date	Responsibility
A1086	Coast Road, Blackhall Rocks	Carriageway resurfacing	Phased 2 way lights with traffic under convoy control (7:00am -7:00pm)	8 January	15 January	Durham County Council
B1281	Castle Eden to Hesleden	Clear Ducts	2 way lights	5 January	7 January	Netomnia

Bin collection days over the Christmas and New Year period

There will be changes to refuse and recycling collection arrangements over the Christmas and New Year period. This will apply particularly to residents in those areas where bins are normally emptied on a Friday each week. Please see below for full details:

Residents in County Durham are being reminded of some changes to rubbish and recycling collections over the Christmas period.

Bin collections across the county will take place as normal up to and including Thursday, 24 December 2020.

Changes will only apply to Friday collections, which fall on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day this year. Those collections will instead take place on Monday, 28 December and Monday, 4 January 2021.

Normal collections will resume on Tuesday, 5 January.

Residents are also being reminded not to overfill their glass recycling boxes over the festive period and put out their glass box for every collection to spread out the amount of glass to be collected.

Meanwhile, the council is once again offering to collect real Christmas trees free of charge. Residents can book their new year collection by visiting www.durham.gov.uk/christmastreecollections or calling 03000 260 000, before Thursday, 7 January.

Residents are being urged to book a collection, or take their real tree to any of the council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), as it is an offence to deposit unwanted trees on the roadside or in an unlicensed area.

Further information about HWRC locations and opening hours can be found at www.durham.gov.uk/hwrc

Festive refuse and recycling information can also be found on the ‘My Durham’ section of the council’s website if residents enter their house number and postcode: www.durham.gov.uk/mydurham

Security measures at Chicken's Green and East Street

A few weeks ago when the council's Community Action Team was in Blackhall Colliery I published two separate articles setting out proposals to install 'target hardening' measures to prevent illegal access by off-road vehicles at Chicken's Green and the open grassed area at East Street (please see posts dated Saturday 19 September 2020 and Saturday 7 November 2020 for background details).

I'm pleased to report that I received confirmation late last week that funding to install security measures at Chicken's Green and East Street has now been secured. This means that works can begin as soon as the materials have arrived and the scheme is fitted into the council's clean and green team's works programme.

I'll update on progress as soon as the service team confirms a date for the works to go ahead.

A19 Roadworks from Monday

I've received notification from the highways section at county hall that the A19 Northbound from Sheraton to Wellfield will be closed overnight for four nights from 8pm Monday 30 November 2020 to allow for carriageway resurfacing works. 

Full details below:

Road No.	Location	Description	Traffic Management	Start Date	End Date	Responsibility
A19	Sheraton to Wellfield	Carriageway resurfacing	Northbound road closure (8:00pm - 6:00am)	30 November	3 December	Autolink

Street Walkabout and Environmental Issues

As the latest Community Action Team programme drew to a close earlier this year we made arrangements to hold additional regular walkabout sessions in Blackhall Colliery to help ensure that the positive changes made in the village during the scheme would be sustained over the longer term (please see posts dated Tuesday 4 August and Saturday 29 August 2020 for background details about the Community Action Team).

The latest walkabout session took place yesterday morning and consisted of neighbourhood wardens, environmental health and housing officers, the parish clerk, the local PCSO and the community safety officer making up two separate groups to allow for social distancing measures. One group started at First Street and the other at Eleventh Street, with the intention of meeting somewhere in the middle.

The immediately obvious issue were the recent incidents of graffiti mainly around Ninth and Tenth Streets. These were reported earlier in the week for removal and work was scheduled to begin yesterday afternoon with completion expected by today. 

As the walkabout progressed it was noticeable that most of the rear yards of empty properties that were cleared of rubbish and debris recently had remained cleared - especially in the bottom half of the village. There were a few additional incidents of fly-tipping in other yards in and around Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Streets however, and these have now been reported for clearance. In addition there were a few incidents of white goods and furniture left in the street and these have now been reported for clearance too (although it wasn’t clear whether some of these items had been abandoned in the street or whether they had been put out for collection).

Being out and about regularly is one of the most effective ways of keeping in touch with developing issues in our community, and it also offers the perfect opportunity to stop and chat with residents and others going about their daily business. Yesterday was no exception and alongside reporting the issues we came across we also got to hear first hand from residents about the things that affect them most, and what their expectations are for the future.

Our next scheduled walkabout has been arranged to take place next month. In the meantime however if there are any environmental issues you want me to know about, either in these streets or elsewhere in the villages of the Blackhall ward, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and I’ll do whatever I can to help out.

Crimdon and the Durham Coast

Regular readers of these pages will be aware that the redevelopment of Crimdon and the maintenance of the Durham Heritage Coast are among my main priorities and that I see them both as essential components of plans to attract more visitors to our area and give our businesses and the local economy a much needed boost. From the correspondence I receive on a regular basis I know that the people I represent from the Blackhall area and the rest of East Durham share that aim.

Members of the Environment & Sustainable Communities committee at Durham County Council also share that ambition and continue to follow recent developments with interest. Consequently they asked recently for an update report on a few of the latest issues affecting Crimdon and the Durham coast. I’ve published the report in full below:

Background 

The Durham coast has seen a doubling in coastal path users this year (110% year on year from counter output) as a direct result of Covid-19 restrictions. This is reflected in car park use and destination experience. 

Local businesses report a 30% reduction in turnover at the end of the summer with a consequent reduction in seasonal jobs. 

Nationally the coastal visitor economy has been severely impacted with a £10.3bn loss in tourism spend reported by the National Coastal Tourism Academy, resulting in 7% of businesses permanently closed, those surviving operating at 60% of capacity. Rural coastline has been the top choice for visitors with day visitors up by 60%; reflecting local experience. 

Clean and Green have maintained standards across the whole coast and have dealt with the impacts of this remarkable influx of day visitors with no drop-in service.

Natural Environment 

The natural environment on the Durham coast has the highest statutory protection available reflecting its importance nationally and locally. We are required by law to protect and enhance these habitats and their species whilst our communities’ benefit from its use as a recreational, educational and community asset. The rapid increase in visitor numbers and the associated levels of disturbance and adverse impacts will require management; particularly access routes and user behaviour. 

The Heritage Coast team is working with Durham County Council Ecology on a programme of investment of developers’ funds to minimise and mitigate the disturbance from users. We are working with Durham Constabulary and with partners to improve our Coast Watch initiative. Coast Watch is effectively Neighbourhood Watch for the coast addressing anti-social behaviour and environmental crime.

Current position - Overview

Crimdon Coastal Hub: 

Following the redesign and final approval from Cabinet in early October construction work on site started on 19 October 2020 and is programmed for completion in June 2021. This is a £1.6m investment supported by the Coastal Communities Fund and Durham County Council. It comprises a 40-seat café, public toilets with full Changing Places provision and an inside space for volunteers and community group use. 

Work continues to secure finance for on site interpretation and waymarking as well as working with local schools and community groups so that they can participate in the production process. 

This is a key gateway investment on the coast that will reduce the impacts of visitors on our natural environment and provide a location for schools and community groups to learn more about our wildlife, its value and how to prevent damage. It will also provide a location for volunteer groups involved in the management and maintenance of the Heritage Coast. 

The process of appointing an operator is running parallel to the construction of the building. 

Tyne to Tees Shores and Seas – SeaScapes Partnership: 

National Lottery Heritage Fund finance for this ambitious programme lead by Durham County Council was approved in early March. Subsequently Covid-19 restrictions and the longer-term impacts meant that an interim start for this exciting and long-anticipated £5 million North East coastal and marine project was agreed that allowed immediate and urgent work to progress as restrictions permitted. 

TheSeaScapes Delivery Manager is now in post and recruitment of the delivery team has started. 2021 will see the programme emerge with a significant regional and national profile; starting its four-year programme in earnest. The scheme will benefit communities in Durham, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Hartlepool by delivering 23 projects – both on-shore and beneath the sea - from South Shields to Teesmouth. 

Horden Station 

Horden rail station opened 29 June 2020. As a key transport location we are working with local members to develop and source funding for on station information, interpretation and waymarking. 

England Coast Path 

The England Coast Path is set to become the world’s longest managed coastal trail with work completing in 2021. Locally, the England Coast path was created in 2016 and has extended northwards and southwards. This is a National Trail in the same family as the Pennine Way. Locally the Heritage Coast provides the secretariat for the managing partnership. The National Trail website is now https//www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB 

We have seen the importance of this National Trail as a wonderful local and national asset emerge through 2020. 

County Durham Plan 

The adoption of the County Durham Plan in October is also a significant step for the coast, as this brings extended statutory protection to our landscape in addition to our designated wildlife sites. 

Next Steps 

The Heritage Coast Partnership will continue to protect and enhance our natural environment, particularly our protected sites and focussing on how progress on how we manage access to and along the coast. 

Once the Crimdon Coastal Hub is complete it is expected that an opening ceremony will be required. 

The tourism offer along the coast away from Seaham is still in an embryonic phase. Current investments will change the way that we access the coast, including in our inshore waters. New products and services will develop, and management will adapt and change to reflect this as each opportunity will be expected to contribute to the protection and enhancement of our natural assets

Conclusions 

Current investment and initiatives will assist in local recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 and legacy issues for our local communities’ wellbeing and mental health, environmentally and economically. 

The Heritage Coast Partnership’s Management Plan will continue to guide the work of the partnership with the Business Plan providing direction for project development, resourcing and delivery.