Labour has demanded answers on the County Council’s lack of action to resolve long-standing issues in an East Durham Community, following its disastrous Levelling Up failures.
Horden missed out on a potential windfall of millions, after the Coalition running the Council failed with a five Levelling Up bids, in the last round.
County Durham Labour has written to Council Leader, Amanda Hopgood, asking for an explanation as to why vital sections of the Horden submission were not included in the bid.
Horden was one of five failed round two submissions by Durham County Council, the others being for projects in Durham City, North Durham, North-West Durham, and Sedgefield.
Cllr Kevin Shaw, shadow member for resources, investment and assets, wrote to Cllr Hopgood to ask who recommended sections of the bid be removed and how a part of the county, deemed a priority under Labour, was being so poorly served by the Coalition.
He said:
“As Blyth was securing £20m in Levelling Up cash, Horden was receiving its rejection letter, despite the identified need being incredibly similar.
“Labour’s commitment to Horden was absolute. A Parliament debate secured by Easington MP Grahame Morris, constant contact with government and Homes England, a huge consultation exercise leading to the “Horden Masterplan”, a widely-researched, evidenced and verified document that included a new education hub – a document primed for Levelling Up submission…but torn up by the Coalition, and replaced with a cackhanded bid.
“We were told the Council’s eventual bid didn’t include the numbered streets because, “Due to funding rules and deadlines, we cannot use it to improve the numbered streets.” – why?
“The deadline argument holds no water as everyone had the same deadline and Labour’s heavily researched and consulted masterplan was detailed and evidenced. To use an awful phrase often used by Tory ministers, it was oven ready! Why was the numbered streets detail not submitted?
“Was it due to “funding rules and deadlines” that all five DCC Levelling Up bids failed? Or was it due to yet another failure to grasp the importance of clear, researched and decisive decision made by this Coalition of chaos?”
Horden was a priority of the former Labour-run Council, which helped deliver a £10m rail station alongside £6m of ringfenced investment for delivering the Horden Masterplan.
This funding was necessary to deal with social and economic problems, including crime and anti-social behaviour, environmental issues, empty properties due to housing market failure that alongside high unemployment and a lack of training opportunities which was to address an area listed in the top 3% of the most deprived areas in England and Wales.
Labour Leader, Cllr Carl Marshall, said:
“So, Blyth was successful while Horden was not. A kick in the teeth for a community that had been in line for life-changing generation. So, what is the Coalition plan for Horden, having failed to deliver Levelling Up funding?
“Who advised the removal of the numbered streets from the bid and why? It was the main reason for submitting a bid for and the basis for the need of a Horden Masterplan. Was guidance provided in-house or from consultants?
“As Leader, Cllr Hopgood appears confident bids were well put together, so I assume she’ll demand Judicial Review into the government’s decision to change criteria preventing authorities successful in round one from accessing funding in round two? It’s only right we recoup costs incurred by county taxpayers when a Tory government moves the goalposts.”