Spennymoor - Long Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) programme

The Government has announced that Spennymoor will receive funding as part of the £1.1 billion Long Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) programme to assist with the regeneration of 55 towns across the United Kingdom.

Spennymoor has been selected by the Government to be a part of the Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) programme, which gives it funding over the next ten years to support local priority activities focussed on reviving high streets, tackling anti-social behaviour, improving transport and growing the local economy.

The funding must be used for projects which fall under the following three themes:

High streets, heritage and regeneration
Transport and connectivity
Safety and security including sport, arts or cultural activities for young people

The basis of the LTPT programme is that local people are at the heart of deciding what the town's priorities are.

This funding provides an opportunity to carry on with regeneration in the town, building on £7.5 million we have recently invested, including:

the redevelopment of the former Festival Walk
improved car park facilities
Market Place improvements
the creation of public space on Cheapside
investment in the leisure centre and re-location of the library

The map shows the boundary chosen for the investment by the government, and the Spennymoor Board will have a chance to shape the boundary further if needed. This area covers from the Thinford and Durham gate area in the north of the town and continues to Middlestone Moor in the south of the town, and also incorporates Tudhoe and the Merrington Lane area.

Boundary map for Spennymoor Long-Term Plan for Towns funding

Project update

During March-May 2024 we asked for views on a new long-term plan for the town in our first round of engagement for this project.

We attended 11 public events in Spennymoor, including a family fun day where we spoke to 130 people, and we talked to people locally, out and about in the town. We went to local primary and secondary schools and spoke to over 1,000 pupils. We went to businesses in the town and met with a number of local organisations including Spennymoor Town FC, South Durham Enterprise, Spennymoor Youth and Community Association and Livin Housing. We also separately received over 250 responses to our online survey.

Through these conversations and survey feedback, we learned what people like and don't like about Spennymoor. This covered a range of areas for improvement from transport, walking and cycling, safety and security and high streets, heritage and regeneration. We also learned how people would like to spend the £20 million government funding to resolve these issues.

Next steps

During July 2024 we will be visiting a number of locations throughout Spennymoor to share and talk to people about all the feedback we have received.
Please come along and talk to us at the following events:

Spennymoor Gala, Saturday 6 July 12:30-4.30pm, at Jubilee Park, Spennymoor DL16 6JJ
Spennymoor Brass Festival, Monday 8 July 6pm-8pm at Spennymoor Market Place , Festival Walk DL16 6DG
Spennymoor Youth Fest, Saturday 20 July 11am-3pm at Spennymoor Youth and Community Centre, Spennymoor, DL16 6PP

We will also be attending local community centres for which we will add details soon as well as a Spennymoor Park run event.

The Town Board are working to review all the feedback we have received to develop a draft long-term town plan which will include a vision for Spennymoor. We will share a draft of the plan which will be submitted to the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities for assessment on 1 August 2024, so that the first year of funding can be released.

The Board

The Board will be made up of:

an independent Chair - this post has an initial contract for two years until 31 March 2016
the Board - this will be made up of the local MP, community leaders, local employers, business people, and public sector agencies such as the police and local bodies

They will have a number of important tasks as a part of their overall role in overseeing the delivery of the long-term town plan such as:

developing a vision for the town in ten years' time
identifying the types of projects which should benefit from the new government funding
identifying issues and priorities to focus on for the town plan through discussions and working with a wide range of people such as local residents, community groups, businesses, and partners to understand needs and aspirations for the town
working with these people to design the town plan
ensuring that the town plan is delivered through a community-based collective effort, bringing together and making use of, existing community resources, assets, and powers, as required
looking for additional funding or encouraging extra investment to support some activities, if required

Spennymoor LTPT Board Members

Information about the Board members.

Alan Boddy (Chair)

Alan Boddy

Alan is an experienced leader with over 40 years' experience of working in local government and social housing, leading teams and Boards that are 'serving' communities.

Currently the Chief Executive of Livin Housing and Chair of the ALP Multi-Academy Trust, he has spent most of his career working in Spennymoor. Over the many years he has seen the challenges and changes the community has faced, has established many local connections and has developed a close affinity with the town.

Outside of work and his voluntary roles, Alan is a grandad who loves his garden and his ever-growing music collection. When his body allows, he can be seen running in the various local towns and communities which he really enjoys, albeit recently 'running' is stretching things a little!

Alan is enthusiastic and committed to playing a crucial part in bringing people and community partners together, listening to them and working with them to develop a plan that builds on the impressive work already done in the town. He understands how important it is for the people of Spennymoor that the best use of the Towns Fund is made to continue to improve Spennymoor and the lives of the people living and working in the town and adjoining communities for years to come.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott

Elizabeth is passionate about County Durham and wants to see it fulfil its true potential as one of the country's best places live, learn, work and play. She devotes much of her energy to initiatives which will help the local economy to thrive. She is also keen to support local organisations who are making a difference in the lives of Durham's residents and especially those who support the most vulnerable in society.

Elizabeth is a Cabinet Member and is the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economy and Partnerships, which covers economic development, regeneration and skills; planning and transport; tourism and culture; and libraries and archives. She is an active member on the boards of Beamish Museum, The Bowes Museum, Redhills CIC, Locomotion, Visit County Durham, The Durham BID Company, Durham Fringe Festival, CDC Enterprise Agency and Derwentside Enterprise Agency.

She has lived in Durham for most of her life, and lives and works on a small farm on the outskirts of Durham City with her husband and four children. She is currently a Governor at the Durham Johnston school and of St Margaret's CoE Primary School. Her professional background is in economic development and regeneration and she ran her own business for 13 years

Elizabeth has represented the Neville's Cross Ward on the County Council since 2017 and was elected as a Parish Councillor in May 2018.

Dehenna Davison MP

In 2019, Dehenna Davison became the first Conservative MP for Bishop Auckland since the constituency's creation in 1885. In September 2022, Dehenna became Minister for Levelling Up, focusing on social mobility and regeneration. She resigned in September 2023 due to chronic migraine.

At 13, Dehenna's dad was killed by a single punch, catalysing her journey into politics. In 2021 she founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on One Punch Assaults and campaigns with One Punch UK for justice and sentencing reform and continues to chair this APPG post-ministerial resignation.

Dehenna has been a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Science and Technology committee, but due to her ministerial appointment had to resign from her position on the committee. Alongside her constituency campaigning, Dehenna is focused on improving treatment pathways for chronic migraine sufferers, and campaigning for more research funding into Invasive Lobular Cancer.

Dehenna graduated from the University of Hull in 2016, having studied British Politics and Legislative Studies. Before becoming an MP, she worked as a Research and Development Analyst for a County Durham start-up, and has previously worked in local government in a digital transformation role, in video gaming retail, and in various roles across the leisure and hospitality industries.

Barbara Graham

Barbara is currently chair of Tudhoe Community Centre, Chair of Spennymoor Youth and Community Association and Chair of the Trust for both Centres.

For many years she has worked with committees and volunteers in partnership with organisations to benefit our local communities.

Barbara is looking forward to being a member of the board for the long term plan for Spennymoor.

David Stone, Leader of Children's and Civic Services

David Stone

In 1997, after working for the Department for Education David re-trained and qualified as a teacher.

Following a short period of time working in London, in 2000 he started work at Spennymoor Comprehensive School (now Whitworth Park Academy). Following 17 years in the classroom, in 2017, he had the privilege of being appointed Headteacher of the school and led it from being rated as 'Inadequate' by OFSTED to 'Good' in 2022. During his time, he instigated the development of the 3G pitch and Sports Hub at the Whitworth site; a facility that is widely used by all age ranges of the community and supported by Spennymoor Town Football Club and their Academy players.

In 2023 he left his role as Headteacher following his appointment to Advance Learning Partnership, the Multi-Academy Trust that runs Whitworth Park and 17 other Secondary and Primary Schools across Durham and Darlington. His role within the Trust is as the Leader of Children and Civic Services and involves ensuring the best possible provision for all 8000+ children across the Trust as well as working with key civic partners within each of the communities that they serve.

Cllr Dean Ranyard - Spennymoor Town Council

Cllr Dean Ranyard

Dean has been a member of Spennymoor Town Council since 2017, first representing the Middlestone Moor community and now representing the Spennymoor ward since 2021.

Dean served as Town Mayor in the 2022/23 Civic Year where he represented the Town Council within the local community and throughout the region, raising money for local charitable causes in the process.

He has been a Spennymoor resident for more than a decade and currently lives in the Tudhoe Grange area of the town with his partner and four children, who range in age from eighteen to two.

Dean cares deeply about the local community and is keen to see all opportunities taken to improve Spennymoor, enhance the town's profile and to make it an even better place to live, work and visit.

He is proud to speak up for Spennymoor and represent the views of local residents. He believes there is a strong sense of community pride within the town and is always keen to support the work of voluntary organisations, community groups and local businesses wherever he can.

Amy Harhoff, Corporate Director of Regeneration and Growth, Durham County Council

Amy Harhoff

Amy is Corporate Director of Regeneration Economy and Growth for Durham County Council, one of the largest local authorities in the UK.

Amy has previously held senior roles in local government in two large metropolitan authorities in the West Midlands and South Yorkshire. Amy is committed to delivering outcomes for communities and our potential for real inclusive economies. Amy has also held senior combined authority roles including, TfN, South Yorkshire MCA and Transport for Greater Manchester.

Amy is responsible for a wide range of Council front line business and community services and broad portfolio of regeneration themes, including transport, leisure, culture, corporate property, planning, commercial investment and housing as well as regional devolution.

Amy has a breadth of experience in delivering major projects, commercial developments, influential strategy and key front-line services, she is an active member of SOLACE and ADEPT committed to the DE&I agenda, community wealth building and advocate of the positive role that local government should play in place leadership and empowering communities.

Ian Geldard

Ian is Managing Director of Spennymoor Town Football Club, and an experienced community leader involved in several voluntary roles across the town including Spennymoor Cricket Club, Spennymoor Youth and Community Centre, and Tudhoe Community Centre. He has served as the Town Mayor 2023-24, and is a former County Councillor for Spennymoor, and former Leader of Spennymoor Town Council.

Ian heads up the extensive operation at STFC which not only competes in the National League North in front of regular home crowds of 1200+, but has a thriving Ladies Team, a Youth set-up involving over 300 local children from Under 7s to Under 18s, a college programme ran from Durham New College for 16-19s, and a wide range of local community impact projects under the banner of Moors in the Community. The club also host the Spennymoor Business Network.

Providing support and opportunities for Spennymoor residents of all ages, Moors in the Community runs a weekly Community Meals project; delivering over 100 meals to those who need them most every week, a youth intervention project 'Friday Night Football' aimed at reducing ASB, Disability Football, Walking Football, and an extensive community support programme around the festive period.

With a long record of community involvement in Spennymoor, Ian brings his passion, enthusiasm and experience to the board to achieve the best results from the opportunity the town has been given under the Long Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) programme.

Cllr Liz Maddison, Spennymoor Town Council

Cllr Liz Maddison

Cllr Liz Maddison is in her 22nd year of continuous service as a Town Councillor for Spennymoor.

In the last 20 years she has served as a School Governor at several schools and was honoured to be elected as Mayor for the Town 2020-2021. Before becoming a Councillor, she worked within senior management in the private sector, where she developed skills and knowledge for business, which she now uses in her current role.

Liz has lived in Spennymoor all her life, initially at Merrington Lane in Tudhoe Division, and latterly in Spennymoor Division. She is familiar with the challenges that face both communities but also the opportunities that exist to make things better for all Spennymoor and Tudhoe residents. She regularly attends the Police & Community (PACT) meetings and often joins other volunteers to litter pick in the local area.

She has been actively involved in the transformation of some parts of the town centre and has seen how investment has already made a difference to residents and is looking forward to continuing this transformation and regeneration journey.

Working alongside the Spennymoor Long Term Plan for Town partners and residents, she hopes to make the town a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Liz welcomes the Government's 10-year investment opportunity for regeneration projects with their £20m LTPT Fund for Spennymoor and is delighted to have been nominated to be the County Councillor representative on the Town Board.

Matt Tarling, Vicar, St Paul's church Spennymoor and Whitworth church

Matt Tarling

Matt has been vicar of St Paul's and Whitworth churches in Spennymoor since 2013 and during that time has become well known in the community. He's regularly involved in local schools, works in partnership with the other churches and with other local organisations. He was heavily involved in two 'Love Spenny' weeks and is an active member of the board of directors at The St Paul's Centre. Matt recently became a non-residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral and he is Area Dean of Auckland, which is a role supporting church leaders and members across the local area.

Matt sees his role a local vicar as more than leading a church. He loves living right in the middle of Spennymoor with his family, shopping locally, serving the people of the town. As a vicar he cares deeply for the community and wants to stand up for what is best for the people of the town and villages that make up Spennymoor. Experience of doing this and having a faith perspective is something Matt can offer to the board on behalf of the town.