Evenwood & Barony Parish Council

21/08/2026

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL'S chief executive, John Hewitt, has lambasted councillors over "unacceptable" emails sent in the past week which could pose a "significant legal risk" to the local authority. He said: "Having worked in local government for over 35 years, for many different administrations, I have never witnessed officers being singled out in this manner in an email circulated to the entire membership of a council, with allegations being presented as fact without any evidential basis. This is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated."

Durham County Council chief executive John Hewitt says he has never seen such behaviour before.

18/08/2026

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL'S DIGITAL DURHAM'S work is helping residents develop confidence and skills in using digital technology. They work with communities across the county to support people to get online, improve their digital skills, access services more easily, and stay safe when using the internet. The team will be holding FREE Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) support sessions at the Randolph Community Centre in Evenwood during September. These informal drop-in sessions are open to anyone who would like help with a 'phone, tablet or laptop, or who simply has a digital question they would like support with. Wednesday 9th September; Wednesday 16th September and Wednesday 23rd September 2026 - drop in anytime between 10am – 12pm. No booking required. Just turn up.

16/08/2026

UPDATE ISSUED ON EVENWOOD GATE DEVELOPMENT.

Plans to redevelop a long-stalled housing estate, located next to the A688 at Evenwood Gate, near Bishop Auckland, dubbed a "ghost town,"…

07/08/2026

A VACANCY HAS ARISEN in the office of parish councillor for the Witton parish ward and, because no requests for an election have been received, the Parish Council can now proceed with co-option to fill the vacancy. If you are interested in applying, please contact the Parish Clerk for further details. The deadline for applications is no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday 4th September 2026.

05/08/2026

EVENWOOD AND BARONY PARISH COUNCIL was the first local council to object in December 2024. This is an amenity used by many local people within Evenwood and Barony Parish Council's boundary. It was unanimously RESOLVED that the Parish Council shall submit an objection on the following grounds:-

The County Durham Plan adopted in 2020 - Policy 21 Delivering Sustainable Transport - clearly highlights that traffic and roads infrastructure should be considered. Currently the C31 road into Hamsterley from the A68, normally its busiest road into the village, is closed and has been for some years. There are no plans or finances currently in place to re-open the road. The road where traffic is currently being diverted to, has a single lane bridge at Linburn Beck; this bridge has suffered a number of vehicle impacts recently and the verge on the Hamsterley Village side of the bridge is currently collapsing and awaiting works. The increase in traffic will have a knock-on effect on the surrounding area and villages. There are currently no buses into Hamsterley.

The County Durham Plan adopted in 2020 - Policy 35 Water Management - states that development adjacent to, over, or in a watercourse should consider opportunities to improve the river environment and water quality. The amount of water both required for use and waste, is completely unsuitable for the development area, which has neither mains water or waste sewage. This means that the whole development would be dependent on a bore hole. The foul water, sewage, and chemically treated water from the twice weekly emptying and cleaning of the lodge hot tubs would be discharged into Bedburn Beck affecting the ecosystem of the river and having an impact on water courses in the surrounding area and beyond. During summer months and high dependence periods, the current water supply to residents in the forest runs out.

The County Durham Plan adopted in 2020 - Policy 10 Development in the Countryside states: ‘New development in the countryside must accord with all other relevant development plan policies and by virtue of their siting, scale, design and operation must not: give rise to unacceptable harm to the heritage, biodiversity, geodiversity, intrinsic character, beauty or tranquillity of the countryside either individually or cumulatively, which cannot be adequately mitigated or compensated for’. In an increasingly hectic world, Hamsterley Forest is currently an oasis of calm and tranquillity and supports National Health Service (NHS) targets in improving mental and physical health. The sheer size of the proposed project would adversely affect this.

If approved, the site could accommodate up to 368 guests at full capacity

01/07/2026

NOTICE OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING: The next monthly meeting of Evenwood and Barony Parish Council will be held in the Cornerstone Christian Centre, Swan Street, Evenwood, DL14 9RN, on Tuesday 8th September 2026, commencing at 7:00 p.m. The agenda setting out the business to be transacted will be displayed on the main notice boards in Evenwood (Manor Street) and at Evenwood Gate, at least three days before the meeting. There are no meetings in August during Summer recess.