Durham County Council has now advised secondary schools NOT to reopen on June 1 – and is now suggesting June 15 as a date for phased reopening. The local authority has provided the update after new scientific advice was published on Friday, May 22, and due to concerns that key issues outside of its control have not yet been resolved. The...

Keen gardeners across County Durham are being invited to take part in a photography competition to share how outside spaces have helped them through the coronavirus pandemic. Durham County Council’s civic pride team is calling on residents to show off the green spaces and floral displays they’ve been nurturing during lockdown in its Garden...

Tributes to the hard work of the NHS have been painted on roads across County Durham to show gratitude to frontline workers during the coronavirus outbreak. Durham County Council has been installing rainbows and messages of thanks on the county’s roads to show support to dedicated NHS workers who are working through the pandemic. The...

A Newton Aycliffe school student is set for a soccer adventure in America after getting a US scholarship. Greenfield Community College year 11 student Sydney has been chosen to join team USA on a Soccer Scholarship in the States, with a contract due to start in August 2021. Sydney made a great impression at a Newcastle showcase event...

Warrens Emerald Biogas has launched a new food waste safety campaign to shine a light on its keyworkers and the hazardous jobs they do in tackling food waste. The campaign features online safety tips and resources to help keep people and the environments in which they work, safe and healthy. In recent weeks, food waste has become public...

Proposals to create thousands of jobs and new homes across County Durham are to take a step forward with further consultation beginning this week. Durham County Council’s County Durham Plan will move a step closer to being adopted, with people being given eight weeks from Tuesday (May 26) to comment on modifications made to it. Much of the...

Steel fabricated in Newton Aycliffe has helped to complete an £8.5m office complex in the heart of Darlington town centre. Finley Structures fabricated and erected 330 tonnes of steel for the five-storey, state-of-the-art development, which was funded by Darlington Council, the Tees Valley mayor and combined authority and the European Regional...

County Durham’s fire service has come to the rescue of a local café thanks to a new volunteering unit aiming to support local organisations during the coronavirus pandemic. The partnership was set up by County Durham Together as part of its work to match organisations in need with businesses and individuals who have volunteered their...

Community venues across County Durham are being encouraged to apply for financial support to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. With the government’s Business Support Grants scheme having now been extended, Durham County Council is urging community centres and venues, which might not have thought themselves eligible, to apply. To...

A temporary relaxation of concessionary travel arrangements in County Durham will end next week to help bus companies manage social distancing. As more people return to work, public transport operators across the region face the challenge of meeting this extra demand, while ensuring a safe environment for passengers. Passenger numbers are...