Agenda item

The Leader of the Council provided the Council with an update of business discussed by Cabinet at its meeting held on 14 December 2016 (for copy see file of Minutes).

The Chairman informed the Council that one question on the Cabinet report had been submitted in advance and requested Councillor Thompson to ask his question.

Before asking his question, Councillor Thompson informed the Council that Spennymoor’s Festival Walk was deteriorating and looking more derelict with each passing day.  He had held meetings with Officers and Members of the Council and had been asked to be patient and understanding of the problems involved.  However, there came a point when the concerns of constituents needed to be restated and Councillor Thompson asked the following:

Due to lack of progress, in regards to the regeneration of Festival Walk Shopping Centre in Spennymoor, does Durham County Council need to seek a new approach?

Councillor N Foster, Portfolio Holder for Economic Regeneration thanked Councillor Thompson for his question.

The Cabinet report presented to Council highlighted the Masterplans for six communities in County Durham and referenced that several further reports had been presented in January.  This was done and included the revised Masterplan for Spennymoor.  As a Board Member of Spennymoor AAP Councillor Thompson was well aware that Councillor Foster regularly reported on economic regeneration issues for the area, including proposals for Festival Walk.  Councillor Foster had endeavoured to keep all local Members appraised of the situation and had promptly addressed all issues raised.

Whilst it was taking longer than hoped for this project to be brought forward, Councillor Foster was reassured by the private sector partners that matters were moving in the right direction.

The private sector owned and were behind this development and it was excellent to see a multi-million pound private investment being brought forward in Spennymoor town centre after so many years when this was not achievable.  However, the Council also had its own plans for a new car park and took the bold step of being the first party to announce their plans to invest £600,000 into the Festival Walk area.  This was part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to improving town centres across County Durham in partnership with private sector developers.

Councillor Foster remained very hopeful that the private parties would come forward with their plans which offered significant investment for Spennymoor and a positive way forward.