The All Together for Spennymoor Town Board meeting on 25 April 2025 was scheduled to cover updates on the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, including changes to the programme's scope, funding, and focus, as well as governance and boundary updates. The board was also expected to discuss community engagement and the involvement of young people in the programme.

Plan for Neighbourhoods Programme Update

The board was scheduled to receive an update on the Plan for Neighbourhoods (PfN) programme, formerly known as the Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT). According to the Public reports pack Friday 25-Apr-2025 13.00 All Together for Spennymoor, the PfN expands the scope from 55 towns to 75 areas and focuses on:

• Creating thriving places
• Building stronger communities
• Empowering local areas to take back control

The report pack indicated that the interventions previously available for funding, including high streets, heritage and regeneration, safety and security, and transport and connectivity, have been expanded to give the board flexibility. The new interventions listed in the report pack were:

• Regeneration, high streets and heritage
• Transport
• Safety and security
• Housing
• Work, productivity and skills
• Cohesion
• Health and wellbeing
• Education and opportunity

The Public reports pack Friday 25-Apr-2025 13.00 All Together for Spennymoor stated that a Long-Term Investment Plan, consisting of a 10-year vision coupled with a 4-year investment plan, was required to be submitted to the government to access funding.

The report pack also noted that additional capacity funding payments of £200,000, due to be paid in the 2025 to 2026 budget year, would only take place once membership and boundary arrangements are formalised.

The Public reports pack Friday 25-Apr-2025 13.00 All Together for Spennymoor included a detailed implementation timeline, with key dates for confirming the chair, neighbourhood boards, and submitting regeneration plans.

Community Engagement and Youth Involvement

The board was scheduled to discuss community engagement, including the Spennymoor Youth Voice. According to the Minutes 06122024 All Together for Spennymoor, the Spennymoor Youth Voice was established to work with young people, and they had been tasked with naming their group. Responses given by children and young people during consultation work highlighted their interest in activities like yoga, volleyball, and silent discos, along with heritage activities within the Spennymoor Gala.

The Public reports pack Friday 25-Apr-2025 13.00 All Together for Spennymoor noted that the youth consultation had been active since December and had received over 200 responses. Further consultation was scheduled to take place at events in Spennymoor and newly added locations to further develop projects for the long-term plan for towns in Spennymoor on the existing and newly added interventions.

Membership and Boundary Update

The board was expected to discuss and formalise membership and boundary arrangements. The Public reports pack Friday 25-Apr-2025 13.00 All Together for Spennymoor stated that the board had agreed to retain its existing chair, Alan Boddy, and that this was to be confirmed to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) by 22 April 2025. The board was also scheduled to confirm a change to the previous built-up area boundary map to incorporate Byers Green and Kirk Merrington, which also forms part of the new local network.

Events

The Public reports pack Friday 25-Apr-2025 13.00 All Together for Spennymoor mentioned several upcoming events:

• Spennymoor Town Vibrancy event at Spennymoor Market Place on 24 May 2025
• Spennymoor Gala at Jubilee Park on 5 July 2025
• Spennymoor Brass Festival at Spennymoor Market Place on 10 July 2025