The Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Durham County Council met on Thursday 10 September 2026 to discuss the council's five-year housing land supply, the financial outturn for the Regeneration, Economy and Growth services in the 2025/26 financial year, and the committee's work programme for the upcoming year.

Five-Year Housing Land Supply Position Statement

A key item scheduled for discussion was the council's Five-Year Housing Land Supply Position Statement as of April 2026. The report indicated that as of 1 April 2026, County Durham had an identified housing land supply equivalent to 3.92 years, falling short of the required five years. This shortfall is primarily attributed to an increase in the annual housing requirement from 1,308 dwellings per annum under the County Durham Plan to 2,036 dwellings per annum under the Government's Standard Method, following the fifth anniversary of the County Durham Plan. Despite this, the report highlighted that housing delivery within County Durham has remained strong, with a cumulative surplus of 1,739 dwellings delivered since 2016/17. The council is actively pursuing measures to support housing delivery, including engagement with developers and landowners, and is preparing a new County Durham Plan to establish an updated planning framework. The committee was recommended to note the contents of the statement, the identified housing land supply position, its implications for planning decisions, and the measures being taken to support housing delivery.

Overview of Place Plans

The committee was also scheduled to receive an overview of Place Plans. These plans are a crucial element in shaping the strategic vision for County Durham, outlining policies for housing delivery, employment locations, infrastructure development, environmental protection, and the improvement of residents' health and well-being. The discussion was expected to cover the strategic planning policies that guide development and the creation of locations for employment.

Regeneration, Economy and Growth Revenue and Capital Outturn 2025/26

The committee was set to review the final revenue and capital outturn for the Regeneration, Economy and Growth (REG) service grouping for the 2025/26 financial year. The report indicated an underspend of £1.274 million against a revised revenue budget of £43.918 million. This underspend was attributed to various factors across different service areas, including underspends in Culture, Sport, and Tourism due to the delayed opening of The Light venue, and in Planning and Housing due to staffing vacancies and underspends on planning fee reinvestment. The capital programme for REG had a revised budget of £75.568 million, with total expenditure of £60.573 million, representing an underspend of £14.995 million. This underspend was largely due to programme delays and reprofiling of funds in areas such as Bishop Auckland Stronger Towns funding and Horden Housing Phase 1A. The committee was recommended to note the final outturn position against the revenue and capital budgets.

Economy and Enterprise OSC Work Programme 2026/27

Finally, the committee was scheduled to review and consider its work programme for 2026/27. The report highlighted that the work programme is designed to be flexible to accommodate emerging issues and that members would be asked to consider if it remained appropriately balanced and focused on key priorities. The committee would also consider any proposed amendments to the work programme, taking into account available capacity and the need to reprioritise or remove existing items if new ones were added. The committee was recommended to review and agree the work programme.