This week in County Durham:

Fire Authority to Review Constitution Amidst National Pay Disputes

The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington met to discuss a range of issues, including proposed changes to its constitution and the ongoing dispute over pay for Green Book staff¹. The meeting also covered committee membership, representation on other bodies, member champion roles, and the Community Risk Management Plan. You can find the full agenda and reports here.

• Constitutional Amendments: The Fire Authority was scheduled to discuss several amendments to its constitution, including changes to the delegated authority of the Chief Fire Officer regarding severance payments and revisions to the mode of voting at meetings. These changes aim to reflect learning within the service and legislative updates, such as the Procurement Act 2023.
• Pay Award Updates: The meeting included an update on pay awards for Fire Brigades Union (FBU) members (Grey Book), corporate staff (Green Book), and the Senior Leadership Team (Gold Book). While an agreement was reached for Grey Book staff, the pay offer for Green Book staff remains unresolved, with unions indicating their intention to reject it.
• Community Risk Management Plan: The Fire Authority was scheduled to discuss the results of the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) consultation, which sought public views on key areas such as investing in vulnerable people, reducing deliberate fires, and improving the on-call response model.

The constitutional review and pay disputes highlight the challenges facing the Fire Authority in balancing operational efficiency with employee welfare and public safety.

Cabinet Approves Health Protection Report, Addresses Climate Change Concerns

The Durham County Council Cabinet met to approve the Health Protection Assurance Annual Report 2025 and discuss the Continuous Improvement Best Value & Corporate Peer Challenge Improvement Plan Progress Report. The meeting addressed concerns about climate change and the council's commitment to equitable services. Details of the meeting can be found here.

• Health Protection: The Cabinet approved the Health Protection Assurance Annual Report, highlighting achievements such as regional recognition for the council's immunisation steering group and increased testing rates for chlamydia and HIV. The report also identified areas for improvement, including meningococcal testing and childhood vaccination uptake.
• Climate Change Commitment: In response to a question from Mr. Chris Hood, Councillor Brown, Cabinet portfolio holder for all adults and health services, confirmed the administration's commitment to addressing public health issues resulting from climate change, stating that the council would support the Director of Public Health in their statutory role.
• Best Value and Efficiency: Councillor Andrew Husband, the leader of Durham County Council, emphasized the administration's focus on continual improvement and value for money, stating that the council would be taking a close look at new opportunities to eliminate waste.

The Cabinet's discussions reflect the ongoing efforts to balance public health priorities with financial efficiency and environmental concerns.

Planning Committee Considers Student Accommodation, Children's Home, and College Expansion

The Area Planning Committee (Central and East) met to discuss several planning applications, including proposals for student accommodation, a children's home, and a technical building for East Durham College. The committee reviewed applications for sites in Durham, Peterlee and Newton Hall. Details of the meeting can be found here.

• Student Accommodation: The committee was scheduled to discuss the conversion of Hallgarth Care Home into purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) comprising 48 studio bedspaces. The City of Durham Parish Council objected to the application, questioning the need for PBSA and the lack of consultation with education providers.
• Children's Home: The committee was scheduled to discuss an application for a change of use from a dwelling house to a residential care home for one or two children at 12 Salisbury Road, Newton Hall, Durham. Councillor Amanda Hopgood requested that the application be discussed at the committee due to concerns regarding amenity, highway safety and the safety of children due to the homes proximity to the east coast mainline.
• East Durham College Expansion: The committee was scheduled to discuss an application for the demolition of an existing garage block and erection of a new technical building to house plumbing, electrical and motor vehicle training facilities at East Durham College, Willerby Grove, Peterlee, Durham. The design of the building will be required to meet the requirement of the DfE' School; Output Specification Generic Design Brief, requiring development to meet the DfE's high standard on sustainable design such as providing a measurable net gain in biodiversity and being carbon net zero in operation.

These planning decisions have significant implications for housing, education, and community services in County Durham.

Other Matters

• The Police and Crime Panel met to discuss the Police and Crime Commissioner's Quarterly Performance Report, the Joint Independent Audit Committee Annual Report, and arrangements for the appointment of an Independent Co-opted Member. The full agenda and reports are available here.
• The General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee (1) met to discuss driver licensing matters, including the ongoing suitability of drivers and a new application for a private hire driver's licence. The full agenda and reports are available here.
• The Area Planning Committee (South and West) were scheduled to discuss planning applications, including a mixed-use development at Aycliffe Business Park, a change of use application to turn a residential dwelling into a children's home, and a request to remove a holiday occupancy restriction on a rural holiday lodge. The full agenda and reports are available here.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a list of upcoming meetings, including their main topics:

• Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board - Monday 23 June 2025: Review of the council's use of investigatory powers, an update on the Best Value and Corporate Peer Challenge, a performance management report, the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report, the board's work programme, and updates on petitions and key decisions.
• Appeals and Complaints Sub-Committee - Wednesday 25 June 2025: Consideration of an appeal from Resources.
• Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee - Tuesday 24 June 2025: Consideration of a new premises licence application for Chalkies Sports Bar, and a personal licence application.
• Area Planning Committee (Central and East) - Tuesday 24 June 2025: Planning applications for retail units at the Thinford Park Redevelopment Site, and to remove a planning condition restricting the use of a holiday let.
• Audit Committee - Friday 27 June 2025: Health and safety, audit strategy, financial management, treasury management and internal audit.
• Central Durham Crematorium Joint Committee - Friday 27 June 2025: A mid-year increase to fees and charges, to review the annual governance statement, and to review the revenue outturn and annual return.
• Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Monday 30 June 2025: Road safety, the Safe Durham Partnership, the quarterly performance report, and to refresh their work programme for the coming year.
• Charter Trustees for the City of Durham - Monday 30 June 2025: Governance, finance, and honorary appointments.
• County Planning Committee - Wednesday 02 July 2025
• Mountsett Crematorium Joint Committee - Thursday 03 July 2025
• Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Friday 04 July 2025

This week in County Durham:

Standards Committee to Review Councillor Conduct Amidst Rising Complaints

The Standards Committee was scheduled to meet to address a concerning increase in Code of Conduct complaints against councillors, with 58 complaints received this year compared to 55 last year¹. The committee was also scheduled to discuss updates to the Code of Conduct, the national picture on standards issues, its annual report, its work programme, and the recruitment of independent persons. The full agenda and reports are available here.

• Complaint Surge: The committee was scheduled to review 21 new Code of Conduct complaints received since March 5, 2025, alongside ongoing activity related to three prior complaints and one concluded investigation.
• Staffing Shortages: The report pack noted that complaints have taken longer to resolve due to staffing levels and workload as well as the complexity of the matters raised.
• National Examples: The committee was scheduled to be informed of two national cases, including a councillor recommended for removal from a planning committee for sending emails during a meeting and a Southampton councillor found in breach of the Code of Conduct for calling the interim Chief Executive a 'buffoon' on LinkedIn. The investigation into the latter cost £18,964.31.
• Independent Persons: The Standards Committee was scheduled to consider the extension of the appointment of two current Independent Persons and to agree to a recruitment exercise for a further two Independent Persons.

The rise in complaints and the need for independent oversight highlight the importance of maintaining ethical standards in local government.

Durham Charter Trustees Elect Mayor Amidst Discussions on Honorary Titles

The Charter Trustees for the City of Durham convened for their annual meeting, electing the Mayor and Deputy Mayor and appointing officers. The meeting also touched on the sensitive topic of honorary freedom arrangements, which had been deferred for further consideration. You can find the meeting details here.

• New Leadership: The meeting included the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
• Officer Appointments: The Charter Trustees were scheduled to appoint several officers, including the Pant Master, Billet Master, Macebearer, Swordbearer, Recorder, and Mayor's Chaplain.
• Honorary Freedom: Trustees revisited a previous discussion on honorary freedom arrangements, emphasizing that this highest honour should not be given too often. The Trust is seeking an agreed process for handling nominations, potentially delegating initial consideration to the Clerk, in consultation with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

The discussions around honorary titles reflect the importance of preserving the prestige and significance of such awards.

Pension Fund Committee Examines Investment Performance and Regulatory Changes

The Pension Fund Committee met to discuss the performance of the pension fund, regulatory updates, and the service plan. The committee reviewed the overall value of the Pension Fund investments as of 31 March 2025. Details of the meeting can be found here.

• Fund Value: The report pack noted that the value of the fund at that date was £3.702 billion, a decrease of £10 million (0.27%) from the previous quarter.
• Regulatory Changes: The committee was scheduled to receive an update on various regulatory and legislative changes impacting the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), including the government's response to the 'Fit for the Future' consultation, which proposes reforms to asset pooling and governance.
• McCloud Judgement: The committee was also scheduled to discuss the McCloud judgement, which concerns age discrimination in public sector pension schemes.
• Pension Fund Service Plan: The committee was scheduled to review the Pension Fund Service Plan for 2025/26 to 2027/28. The plan outlines the fund's aims, objectives, and actions for the three-year period.

These discussions are crucial for ensuring the long-term financial security of Durham's pension fund members.

Other Matters

• The County Planning Committee meeting scheduled for June 11th took place, but no transcript or minutes were provided. The agenda and list of attendees can be found here.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a list of upcoming meetings, including their main topics:

• Area Planning Committee (Central and East) - Monday 16 June 2025: Planning applications for student accommodation, a technical college building, and a children's home.
• General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee (1) - Tuesday 17 June 2025: Review of licenses for private hire and Hackney carriage drivers.
• Police and Crime Panel - Tuesday 17 June 2025: Quarterly Performance Report, Joint Independent Audit Committee Annual Report, and Panel's Annual Report and Work Programme.
• Cabinet - Wednesday 18 June 2025: Health protection, and a progress report on continuous improvement and best value.
• Area Planning Committee (South and West) - Thursday 19 June 2025: Planning applications for a mixed-use development, a change of use, and a request to remove a planning condition.
• Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington - Friday 20 June 2025: Community Risk Management Plan 2025 Consultation Results, Member Champion roles, and pay awards.
• Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board - Monday 23 June 2025: Review of the council's use of investigatory powers, an update on the Best Value and Corporate Peer Challenge, a performance management report, the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report, the board's work programme, and updates on petitions and key decisions.
• Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee - Tuesday 24 June 2025
• Area Planning Committee (Central and East) - Tuesday 24 June 2025
• Appeals and Complaints Sub-Committee - Wednesday 25 June 2025
• Area Planning Committee (North) - Thursday 26 June 2025
• Audit Committee - Friday 27 June 2025
• Central Durham Crematorium Joint Committee - Friday 27 June 2025

This week in County Durham:

Corporate Parenting Panel Discusses Support for Vulnerable Children

The Corporate Parenting Panel met to discuss several key issues affecting children in care and care leavers in County Durham. The panel reviewed the annual report, the pre-birth intervention service, the Future Hope programme, and performance data. You can read the full agenda and reports here.

• Outstanding Rating: The panel noted that Ofsted gave Durham Local Authority Children’s Services an overall grading of ‘outstanding’ following an inspection in March 2025.
• Children in Care: As of March 2025, there were 1,184 children in care in County Durham, including 49 Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children.
• Health Assessments: 69% of children in care received an Initial Health Assessment within 20 working days of coming into care.
• Education and Employment: 60% of care leavers aged 17-18 were in education, employment, or training, and 90% were in suitable accommodation.
• Pre-birth Intervention Service (PBIS): The PBIS aims to enable babies to remain with their parents or birth family where it is safe. The service focuses on teenage mothers under 16, care leavers up to age 25, and parents who have had a previous child removed through care proceedings.
  • The report highlighted that the development of a specific pre-birth pathway for parents with learning disabilities has been quoted within recent national good practice guidance by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory as a first in the country and a beacon of good practice.
  • The report also mentioned the use of 'Hope Boxes', which are provided to mothers when the plan is removal at birth to start early life story work and to provide the mothers with some comfort/hope during the early stages of separation.
• Future Hope: This program supports women who have had one or more children permanently removed from their care. Participants agree to take effective contraception and receive intensive support to tackle destructive patterns and develop new skills.
  • Over the past 12 months, Future Hope has reached out to 58 women who have had 162 children removed from their care. The program is currently working with 26 women who have had 85 children removed from their care, with 26 women on the waiting list.
  • The report included a graduate story of 'L', who before Future Hope attended accident and emergency frequently, was a victim survivor of domestic abuse, and was at a huge risk of exploitation. During/after Future Hope, L now uses her GP and pharmacy appropriately for health concerns, has moved home and likes where she now lives, and has been able to save small amounts of money.

These programs aim to provide vulnerable children and their families with the support they need to thrive, and the panel's discussions highlight the ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for these individuals.

Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) Discusses Curriculum and Support for Schools

The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) met to discuss various aspects of religious education in County Durham schools. The meeting included feedback from the NASACRE AGM, the Education Durham Report, and a personal perspective on faith and community.

• Education Durham Report: The report provided details on courses and networks offered to teachers and leaders, in-house Continuing Professional Development (CPD) support requested by schools, Ofsted deep dive updates, and workforce data.
  • Courses and networks included New to leading primary RE, primary networks, and RE courses covering disciplinary literacy, curriculum progression, Hinduism, and curriculum impact.
  • Secondary networks continue to have low attendance due to increased academisation across County Durham.
  • Evaluations of courses and networks have been very positive, with 100% of respondents saying that the sessions met their needs.
  • The report included examples of feedback from a cross-section of respondents, including this comment from a participant in the New to leading primary RE course:

“A real co-ordinator sharing good practice in an authentic and helpful way. She was passionate about her subject, focussed on the key messages and had a breadth of knowledge. The course was well-paced, motivating and comprehensive. I think it will help me prepare for upcoming SIAMs inspection and improve the quality of RE delivery in the school particularly the progression of skills in RE.”

• Ofsted Deep Dives: Two deep dives into Religious Education since the last SACRE meeting: one in a primary school and the other in a secondary school.
  • The primary school received feedback that, “in many subjects, teachers routinely revisit prior learning to ensure pupils remember things over the long term. However, this is not consistently the case. For example, in religious education, pupils learn about other faiths, but this learning is not deepened as these topics are revisited too infrequently.”
  • The secondary school’s RE feedback was intertwined with feedback around Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PHSE): “Pupils benefit from an exceptionally well-constructed taught personal, social, health and economic education (PHSE) programme. The programme skilfully combines provision from subjects, including religious studies, extended form time and assemblies. This supports pupils to develop a rich understanding of the world around them. Pupils are able to speak confidently about issues such as democracy, protected characteristics and the role that faith plays in people’s lives in the context of their own community and beyond.”
• Workforce Data: The report noted that there are some errors in the data that schools report. On reviewing Durham’s data, there are a couple of cases where schools have KS4 cohorts but have reported teaching hours as 0, so this data needs to be treated with caution. The report suggested that SACRE offer to support schools with their data returns in November 2025.

SACRE's work ensures that religious education in County Durham schools is high-quality and meets the needs of students and teachers.

Other Matters

• The Spennymoor Town Board meeting scheduled for June 6th was postponed. The agenda and list of attendees can be found here.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a list of upcoming meetings, including their main topics:

• Standards Committee - Monday 09 June 2025: Code of conduct update, annual report, recruitment of Independent Persons, committee work programme, and national standards issues.
• Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee - Monday 09 June 2025: CANCELLED
• Charter Trustees for the City of Durham - Wednesday 11 June 2025: Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, appointment of officers, and future meeting dates.
• County Planning Committee - Wednesday 11 June 2025
• Pension Fund Committee - Thursday 12 June 2025: Pension fund performance, regulatory updates, service plan, and audit reports.
• Highways Committee - Friday 13 June 2025: CANCELLED
• Area Planning Committee (Central and East) - Monday 16 June 2025
• General Licensing and Registration Sub-Committee (1) - Tuesday 17 June 2025
• Police and Crime Panel - Tuesday 17 June 2025
• Cabinet - Wednesday 18 June 2025
• Area Planning Committee (South and West) - Thursday 19 June 2025
• Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington - Friday 20 June 2025

This week in County Durham:

• At the County Council meeting, Councillor Robbie Rodiss was elected as Chair and Councillor Jackie Teasdale as Vice Chair.
• The County Council also saw Councillor Andrew Husband elected as Leader, who then announced his Deputy Leader and Cabinet members.
• The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington Human Resources Committee meeting was cancelled.

County Council - Wednesday 21 May 2025

At the annual meeting of the County Council, Councillor Robbie Rodiss was elected as Chair and Councillor Jackie Teasdale as Vice Chair. Councillor Andrew Husband was elected as Leader of the Council, who then announced his Deputy Leader and Cabinet members. The council also approved the scheme of delegation as set out in the Council's Constitution.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

Councillor Robbie Rodiss was elected as Chair of the council, succeeding Councillor Joan Nicholson. Councillor Richard Bell had also been nominated for the position. After the vote, Councillor Rodiss quoted:

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?

He also thanked everyone who voted for him, and acknowledged that others didn't, but that's democracy.

Councillor Jackie Teasdale was elected as Vice Chair of the council.

Leader's Announcements

Councillor Andrew Husband was elected as Leader of the Council. He subsequently announced the appointment of Councillor Darren Rhymes as Deputy Leader, and named the cabinet members. Councillor Joe Quinn was appointed to the resources, investment and assets portfolio.

Appointments to Joint Bodies and Other Bodies

The council agreed to appointments to various joint bodies and other bodies. These included:

• The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington, which comprises 21 members from Durham County Council and four from Darlington.
• The Business Durham Advisory Board, with membership including the Leader, Deputy Leader, and cabinet portfolio holders for economy and partnerships, housing and assets, and neighbourhoods and climate change.
• The Charter Trust for the City of Durham, with appointments made based on representation from electoral divisions within the original charter trust area. The council agreed to appoint three additional trustees: Councillor Rodiss as chair, Councillor Nicola Lyons as a member of the cabinet, and Councillor Mary-Lynn Franklin.
• The Durham Police and Crime Panel, a joint committee with Darlington Borough Council, comprising seven representatives from Durham, three from Darlington, and two independent co-opted members.
• The Joint Audit Committee for the Police and Crime Commissioner and Police, with a member appointed from Durham and Darlington councils.
• The North East Combined Authority (NECA), with the Leader of the Council appointed, and the Deputy Leader and portfolio holder for finance, plus the cabinet portfolio holder for economy and partnerships, appointed as substitutes.

Appointment of Council Bodies and Allocation of Seats

The council appointed members to various committees and the Corporate Parenting Panel, allocating seats to political groups and unaligned councillors. The allocation of seats was determined based on legislative requirements, ensuring that the political group with a majority of seats had a majority on each committee, and that seats were allocated proportionally to the membership of the full council. Councillor Amanda Hopgood congratulated Councillor Husband on becoming Leader of the Council and wished him and his cabinet well.

An amendment was proposed to change the chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board to Councillor Mark Wilkes, and move the vice chair of the Environment and Sustainable Community Scrutiny Committee to Councillor John Cook. Councillor David Freeman seconded the amendment. The amendment was put to a vote, but it failed with 30 votes for, 63 against, and zero abstentions.

Annual Review of the Constitution

The council approved the scheme of delegation as set out in Part 3C of the Constitution. The Director of Legal and Democratic Services has delegated authority, in consultation with the Constitution Working Group, to make future changes to reflect decisions of the council, other council bodies, changes in legislation, and to correct inaccuracies. The Local Government Act 2000 requires the council to prepare and keep up to date a document that contains a copy of the authority’s standing orders, a copy of the authority’s code of conduct for its members and co-opted members, such information as the Secretary of State may direct, and such other information as the authority considers appropriate.

Other Business

The council confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 19 March 2025¹ and agreed to the suggested dates for council meetings in 2025-26.

Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington Human Resources Committee - Tuesday 20 May 2025

The Combined Fire Authority for County Durham and Darlington Human Resources Committee meeting was cancelled.