Reform UK - North Durham

07/09/2026

Apply for the Stanley Community Fund

Community groups, charities, schools, residents' associations and local organisations across South Moor & Quaking Houses, South Stanley, East Stanley, and Craghead & The Middles can now apply for grants of £1,000 to £5,000 to help deliver projects that make a positive difference in their communities.

With £30,000 available, funding can support a wide range of community-led projects, including environmental improvements, community events, skills development, biodiversity projects, community gardens, flood awareness activities and more.

Application deadline: Monday 28 September 2026 at 1pm

Find out more and apply online: https://stanleysuds.co.uk/

07/09/2026

03/09/2026

27/08/2026

WHO SHOULD HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON DURHAM’S GREEN BELT? MAYOR KIM JONG-NEWCASTLE, OR YOUR COUNCIL?

The Government is set to hand over new powers that would allow the North East Mayor to take over planning applications.

Once the regional Spatial Development Strategy is adopted, the proposed categories also include buildings providing 1,000m² of floorspace on Green Belt land.

You local councillors in Durham would consider the application first. The Mayor could then leave the council to decide, direct refusal, or call the application in and determine it herself.

This would be an extraordinary removal of power away from your local council to a newly emboldened Mayor Kim Jong-Newcastle.

Why should a regional mayor be able to take over a planning decision after Durham’s elected council has reached its view?

You Reform council strongly opposes devolution if all it means is handing power from Whitehall bureaucrats to a Newcastle-centric Mayor.

17/08/2026

From today, the HMO loophole in County Durham is closed.

And let’s be clear why this matters.

Home Office contractors procuring asylum accommodation have been able to use smaller shared properties that can fall below mandatory HMO licensing thresholds and, until now, could also be converted without a planning application.

That changes today.

Our Article 4 Direction means new small HMOs will normally have to come through the planning system. Residents can see what is proposed, scrutinise it and object.

Central government should not be able to impose housing decisions on communities while keeping those communities in the dark.

Reform in County Durham will insist on proper scrutiny, local accountability and the strongest planning controls available to us.

13/08/2026

Andrew Husband writes in his latest column

12/03/2025

Labour have scrapped key subsidies for British farmers with just 30 minutes notice.

As Keir Starmer continues Labour’s war on farmers, Reform UK will always stand up for our rural communities.

12/03/2025

Reform is surging in Scotland.

We are ready to offer an alternative to the failed parties in Holyrood.

Scotland Needs Reform.

12/03/2025

The number of registered businesses decreased in the last three months of 2024, thanks to Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes. It’s the first time this has happened since records began.

Labour is crashing our economy.

Britain needs Reform.