Durham County Council

20/10/2026

Is your child starting secondary school next year? If you’ve not done so already, don’t forget to apply for a school place before the deadline!

The deadline for secondary school applications for the next academic year is Saturday 31 October 2026.

For a child to be eligible to start secondary school in September 2027, their birthday must fall between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2026.

Applications can be made online or by post. If posting, the form should be sent back using ‘signed for’ or special delivery services.

Primary school applications remain open until 15 January 2027.

Find out more on how to apply: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/37504/News-Reminder-to-apply-for-secondary-school-places

20/10/2026

County Durham’s story is one of innovation and ambition, making it an inspiring place to live, work, invest, visit and study. The county boasts historic Durham City, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stunning countryside and coast, innovative businesses with space for them to thrive, fascinating heritage and world-class culture.

See how our proud past is helping shape our future, in a new series of videos that showcase some of the incredible success stories that demonstrate that Durham is a county that really delivers.

County Durham's foundations are helping to drive a new era of innovation, growth and global recognition.

20/10/2026

Pop along and meet our Safer Places team and partners in Seaham this Wednesday (21 October).

We'll be at Seaham Library, St John's Square, SR7 7JE, from 10.30am to 12.30pm, alongside colleagues from the police, fire service, neighbourhood wardens, anti-social behaviour team, safer communities team and private sector housing.

Whether you have a question, concern or just want to find out more about the support available in your area, we'd love to chat.

✅ No booking needed – just drop in and say hello!

20/10/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the first ever Big Autumn Clean!

The results are in, 1,079 volunteer hours from members of the public helped us to collect 1,115 bags of rubbish.

Our first litter pick took part on Crimdon beach and since then we've been all over the county, from Teesdale to Shotton via Pelaw and Seaham tidying up! We've collected tyres, vapes, and plastic bottles among other discarded litter.

Building on our Big Spring Clean, the campaign aims to inspire new volunteers to participate in litter-picking, enhance the experience of existing individuals and groups and facilitate more organised events across County Durham.

19/10/2026

Residents in Crook, Tow Law, Peterlee and Stanley are being invited to have their say on new visions for their areas.
As part of the government’s Pride in Place programme, which will see £20 million awarded to each place over the next ten years, we are developing investment plans for the Crook North and Tow Law, Peterlee East, and Stanley South areas.

For the next two weeks, we are looking for feedback on draft visions for each area, which will help us develop investment plans to submit to Government for approval.
Residents living in these areas are encouraged to give their views on the Pride in Place draft visions by Sunday 8 November.

Find out how to take part 👇

19/10/2026

Our Resourcing team will be at the Durham Careers Fair this week! A chance to talk about the huge variety of career opportunities available at the council, as well as explore our current vacancies with you.

We can also support with application and interview guidance too! 👏

📍 Durham Town Hall
📅 Wednesday 21 October 2026, 10am - 2pm

Register your free place: https://www.ukcareersfair.com/event/durham-careers-fair/

19/10/2026

We’re looking for people who want to play an important role with us 🔎

We are calling for applicants to join our Audit Committee, which helps to review how we, along with our cabinet, govern, and manage our risks and finances.

A successful candidate will need to show their willingness to take part in meetings, and to take independent, unbiased and objective views based on evidence from documents provided to them.

Experience of audit, assurance and financial management would be helpful for the role, although not essential, along with an understanding of corporate governance, risk management, and working in a complex organisation.

📩 Those interested in applying can request an application pack by emailing [email protected].

The closing date for applications is 11.59pm on Sunday 1 November 2026.

18/10/2026

Get crafty and creative on Halloween at The Light Durham with Perfect Pippi Ceramics. 🎃

Perfect for older children and young teens, this ceramic painting workshop offers the chance to create a personalised piece inspired by autumn and Halloween.

🎫£10 per child
📅 Saturday 31 October, 11am and 2pm (90 minute workshop)

Children must be accompanied by an adult (accompanying adults attend free).

Get your tickets here: https://ow.ly/6hwf50ZXG1k

17/10/2026

Spooky season is upon us once again. 🎃
Don't forget if you're carving a pumpkin, and not using the pulp for a soup or a recipe, you can place it in your food waste caddy alongside your plate scrapings, egg shells and other unwanted food.

Place your black caddy out for collection every week with your rubbish or recycling collection.

More information on our food waste collections can be found at: www.durham.gov.uk/FoodWasteResidents

16/10/2026

We have set a date for a by-election in County Durham, and we are reminding residents to check their voter registration details 🗳️

A by-election for Craghead and South Moor County Division will be taking place on Thursday 19 November, following a vacancy.

Anyone on the electoral register and eligible to vote at our election will receive a polling card with details of their voting preference, with cards being delivered to residents from tomorrow.

Poll cards will let residents know whether they are registered to vote at a polling station or by post or by proxy.

To vote, residents must also be able to provide an acceptable form of photo ID, which includes a passport, driving licence, or concessionary travel pass, such as an older person's bus pass. A full list of acceptable forms of photo ID can be found on polling cards.

The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday 4 November, and 5pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026 for proxy vote applications. 📆