Events and entertainment across the Coronation weekend brought communities together, but at a rather steep cost.
Individual councils across the North East intended to spend up to £40,000 apiece on Coronation-themed events, data from Open Democracy has revealed.
In our region, Durham County Council committed to spend the most out of North East councils, with £40,000 planned to spend on entertainment and events.
The data reveals how much each council intended to spend, and The Northern Echo asked these councils if those figures were reflective of how much was spent in reality.
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Darlington Borough Council
The coronation weekend was a roaring success in Darlington, including the entertainment in the market square and street parties on residential streets the following day.
According to Open Democracy, Darlington Borough Council intended to spend £30,000.
Darlington Borough Council committed £30,000 to the Coronation events, while the Tees Valley Combined Authority and BBC committed further investment for events in Darlington across the Coronation and Eurovision weekends.
A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said: “We were delighted to be able to host the Coronation events in the town centre which were enjoyed by thousands.
“Local communities also came together to enjoy street parties across Darlington with many more taking part in volunteering activities too.
“It was a wonderful way of bringing our community together to mark what was a truly historic occasion.”
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Durham County Council
Durham County Council intended to spend £40,000, but the council actually spent £25,000.
Steve Evans, Durham County Council’s head of corporate affairs, said: “Where possible, we used existing budgets to mark the Coronation.
“A good example of that is the red, white and blue bedding plants we’re putting in floral displays across the county as part of our regular planting programme.
“The majority of our spend was used to establish a Coronation grants fund to assist local communities from across the county to come together in marking this significant event in our nation’s history.
“We’ve supported a number of community events through the fund. These include street parties, parades, and City of Durham Parish Council’s Coronation eve event, which featured music, light and dance and drew a big crowd to the city centre.
“We also supported the projections of His Majesty’s image on Durham and Bishop Auckland Town Halls, and the illumination of the World Heritage Site Durham Cathedral in red, white and blue.
“Alongside this, there’s been support for legacy activities too. This includes the planting of King’s Oak trees in Hardwick, Wharton and Riverside parks and funding for a project which has seen commemorative medals being presented to local children.”
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Gateshead Council
With a more modest budget in mind, Gateshead Council planned to spend £6,205 on celebrations.
The council ended up contributing 3,532 to the joint Coronation celebration event held at Baltic Square.
A Gateshead Council spokesperson said: “To mark the once-in-a-lifetime event of the King’s coronation, the council worked in partnership with the BBC, Gateshead College and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts to host an event on Baltic Square as part of the BBC's Light Up The Nation Light Show.
“Guests enjoyed entertainment throughout Sunday evening, including performances from Gateshead College students and a guest DJ, as well as the national concert screened live on Baltic Square.
“We would consider the partnership approach to delivering the event a cost-effective way to bring the national celebrations to Gateshead residents and feedback on the evening from families in particular was extremely positive.”
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Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council did not spend anything on Coronation celebrations, but that didn’t mean the people of Newcastle missed out on the fun.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “The King’s coronation was a wonderful opportunity for communities to celebrate a milestone in our nation’s history.
“Residents in Newcastle came together to watch the live screening of the coronation in Times Square for free, which was funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
“The council supported residents with their requests to host street parties and libraries across the city held a variety of activities for communities and young people.
“The Tyne Bridge and Millennium Bridge also featured as part of the Coronation Concert celebrations.”
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