People are being invited to have their say on the future of Durham City.

Durham County Council is engaging residents, businesses and stakeholders; in the development of a new shared vision for the future of the city.

At a time of change in the way cities and towns are used, including changes in shopping habits, leisure activities, and transport; the council wants everyone who lives, works or studies in, or visits Durham City, to share their thoughts on its strengths, opportunities, challenges, areas for improvement, and their hopes for its future.

The authority wants to play its part in ensuring the city will be best placed to respond to these changes. By creating a shared vision that everyone can unite behind, the idea is that Durham will be able to look to the future as a thriving city people want to live, visit, and enjoy; and a place where businesses can thrive.

Consultation

Once the consultation is complete, the council will use the results to develop the vision, which will then guide the creation of spatial, economic and action plans tailored to Durham City's needs.

This approach follows the authority’s new Strategic Place Plan (SPP) model, a new way of ensuring the success of towns and communities across the county.

SPPs are being brought forward by the council as part of its Inclusive Economic Strategy and involve working with communities to develop their own visions, reflecting local priorities such as those which will be identified in the new vision for Durham.

The city is the second SPP to come forward following that for Spennymoor and eventually, there will be a plan for each of the county’s towns.

Vision

The SPP for Durham will - like the vision - be subject to consultation, again with a view to responses being considered and changes potentially made prior to adoption.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, the council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: "The nature of towns and cities and what people desire from them has changed. We need to look toward a modern, 21st century offer for Durham, and we need the public's help in creating this new vision for the city.

"We want to create a modern offer that attracts people to the city while also preserving Durham's unique charm and important heritage. But this plan needs to be shaped by the priorities of the businesses and residents of, and visitors to, Durham. We are keen to have people's feedback so that we can positively shape the city's future."

Masterplans

Spennymoor was prioritised for an SPP after being awarded £20m from the government’s £1.1 billion Long-term Plan for Towns fund in October last year.

The council has already established a Spennymoor Town Board and consulted with the public to understand more about their views on the town and decide on areas for improvement.

SPPs succeed the authority’s Masterplans, brought in in 2009 to guide funding and investment.  

In the last five years, the council’s masterplans for towns have helped it to secure £108m of national funding for the county and attract millions more in private sector investment, and shaped delivery of the authority’s £25m Towns and Villages programme.

As part of the consultation on the vision, the council has published a map showing the Durham City centre boundary, and ‘some of the areas linked to the city centre and which will have an influence on the vision.’

These eight ‘sites of influence’ are:

  1. Aykley Heads
  2. DLI Museum, Aykley Heads
  3. The Story at Mount Oswald
  4. Howlands Park and Ride
  5. Sniperley Park and Ride
  6. Belmont Park and Ride
  7. Houghall
  8. University Hospital North Durham

Consultation on the vision for Durham runs until 5pm on Monday 25 November. To find out more and to have your say, visit: Help shape Durham City's future - Durham County Council