Darlington Conservatives

16/10/2026

Darlington Library meet your new neighbour… 😬😬

The Council have announced plans to develop the site behind Darlington Library. This is actually something we started looking at under our administration around four years ago, so we’re surprised it’s taken this long to get anywhere. What we can say is that what’s now being proposed certainly isn’t what we asked for.

When the original plans came across Cabinet members’ desks, we made two things clear.

Firstly, if this was going to be the location for new offices, we wanted the building to obstruct as little of the library as possible. The original designs did make some effort to achieve that, although had we remained in control, we’d have pushed for more to be done.

Secondly, and probably more importantly, we wanted an architect to design something that would stand the test of time. Darlington Library is one of the most beautiful buildings in our town and the last thing we wanted was some ugly monstrosity built alongside it that, in 30 years’ time, would be an eyesore everyone wanted knocking down.

Looking at what’s now being proposed, it’s hard not to get the impression that Labour have simply gone along with whatever was easiest rather than challenging the design and pushing for something better.

But our biggest concern now is whether this is even the right location anymore.

When we originally looked at this site, Wilkinson’s was still open. Since then, the Council have dragged their heels, Wilkinson’s has closed and we’re now left with a large empty building in the town centre.

Surely that should be looked at as an alternative before we start building something that blocks the rear of our historic library?

We know the back of the library isn’t quite as ornate as the front, but it’s still a damn sight better looking than what’s being proposed next to it.

Just because a site was considered suitable four years ago doesn’t mean we should blindly press ahead when circumstances have changed.

We’d be interested to know what people think. Would the old Wilkinson’s site make more sense?

16/10/2026

Great to see promotion of this brilliant idea even if has been stolen.

We stand by our commitment, Darlington Conservatives will bring forward a Lane rental scheme.

Investing in our roads and local services.

16/10/2026

Darlington Conservatives welcome the new NHS guidance on single s*x provision for patients and facilities for staff. The update requires all people to be accommodated in line with their biological s*x rather than their gender identity. It also provides for trans patients and staff to be offered individual rooms or mixed s*x facilities where appropriate. It will ensure all patients and staff have the privacy, dignity and safety they need.

Our own County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust was recently found, at Employment Tribunal, to have discriminated and harassed female staff by allowing a biologically male colleague to use the female staff changing room at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

Bethany Hutchison, President of the Darlington Nursing Union, appeared on a panel at the Conservative Party conference 2026. The event was organised by Joy Morrisey, Shadow Women & Equalities Minister, to discuss how the NHS needed to improve its policies and services.

Bethany told us: “Biological s*x is not an optional belief. We therefore welcome this clear and necessary guidance from NHS England. The test now is whether NHS trusts will actually follow it. Too many NHS institutions have been ideologically captured on these issues, leaving frontline women to defend rights and protections that their employers should have upheld from the outset.

The Darlington nurses should never have had to take their own employer to court to secure privacy, dignity and lawful single-s*x facilities. Enforcement cannot continue to depend on the courage and personal sacrifice of individual nurses.

NHS England, regulators and trust leaders must now ensure that every NHS policy is brought swiftly and lawfully into line with this guidance, the EHRC Code and the Supreme Court’s ruling. There must be clear oversight, meaningful accountability and consequences for trusts that refuse to comply.”

11/10/2026

Labour Council to sign off the end of Darlington Market 🥲

After 162 years as a Market Building, sadly Darlington Conservatives have uncovered plans built up by the Labour Council and the current operator MAM.

These plans will see the whole building become one big Bar open till 2am.

Once a key anchor for Town Centre regeneration, now the retail element will end up on the skip.

Around £8️⃣0️⃣0️⃣,0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ of Taxpayers money wasted.

11/10/2026

It’s clear Labour have no interest in seeing Darlington Indoor Market thrive.

In fact it does not even appear once as part of their new Town Centre strategy 🥲

They said they would take back control of the market, they lied 🤥

They said the Market was central to Town Centre regeneration plans, they lied 🤥

So what are their plans 🤔

More on that to follow…….

Only Darlington Conservatives will take back control of Darlington Market.

09/10/2026

The Labour 🥀 Council need to update residents

There is a real worry that users find alternatives, losing more footfall from our Town Centre.

The Labour Leader needs to take charge of the situation.

09/10/2026

A loss for the Green Party Leader 🥳

With Local Greens still towing the party line, who will their sensible and genuinely kind voters choose next year?

08/10/2026

07/10/2026

When a lefty paper rings the Alarm 🔔 we really are in trouble.

“Largest fall in living standards since at least 1964 expected during the current Parliament”

07/10/2026

Some former Conservative voters were let down by the previous Government and have now chosen reform to defend against the loony left coalition of Labour led parties.

They deserve better than Reform politicians.

Kemi Badenoch explains why 👇👇