(Image: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL)
Andrew Husband, Reform UK leader of Durham County Council, sets out his vision for attracting billions of pounds of investment to County Durham and explains why he believes the county is “open for business”.
Billions of pounds of global investment are there for County Durham if we want it.
For the last 18 months since the local election, Reform have been doing things differently as we run Durham County Council for the first time.
Yes, we are fixing the council we inherited one step at a time.
For instance, our roads are improving – our pothole repairs using new mastic asphalt technology actually come with a warranty!
We are purchasing our own buildings to reduce the over-reliance on expensive private sector providers for things like supported living.
We are lobbying government to support kinship families, where young people are being brought up by relatives who are not their parents.
We have introduced ‘Article 4’ to prevent Houses of Multiple Occupation suddenly popping up as a nasty surprise next door to you.
We are battling the Labour government which is trying to purchase County Durham homes to house illegal immigrants, and we are pushing back against the same government’s obsession with plastering our countryside with solar farms and battery storage units.
We have shielded residents from maximum council tax increases, despite the government’s own ‘fair’ funding formula providing a shortfall in funding to councils so that councils are forced to raise council tax to the ‘recommended’ 4.99 per cent.
Just to be clear on this, the Labour government expects residents to face maximum tax rises every year – it is a stitch up.
But there is good news.
We are seeing something different in Durham.
We are seeing growth.
We are hearing from investors that they are encouraged that ‘Durham is open for business’.
The recent expansion of NETPark at Sedgefield (which the previous administration wanted to turn into a running track) is turning it into a global brand in the space sector, defence and advanced sciences.
We are talking to some huge world class brands about setting up their operation in Durham.
We are not just telling a story.
We need to ensure local people have the skills to access the opportunities being created and proactively invest in developing the workforce of the future.
This means investing more in support for residents to gain the skills needed to move into and progress in work.
Investing in our youth.
The biggest opportunity of all is in the AI growth zone we are developing in east Durham.
We have a unique geological advantage with billions of litres of unwanted mineshaft water, with an organic solution for it to be used by data centres.
In the discussions we are having with potential investors who want to take advantage of it, we are demanding that they create Durham jobs.
We are demanding that they use a Durham supply chain.
We are demanding that in order to get support from the council and residents, that they invest back into our left behind communities, in things like youth provisions and community projects which contribute to a rebirth of civic pride.
The tens of millions of pounds we receive in business rates from these new developments will certainly take the pressure off having to increase council tax every year, although Labour will no doubt try and find a way to take it off us again.
County Durham's strength lies in the fact that it combines vibrant towns, rural communities, world-class innovation assets and strategic transport links.
Few places offer that mix of opportunity and quality of life.
We will continue to work with cutting edge businesses in the technology and space sectors, data and artificial intelligence to bring investment to County Durham.
There is also a huge opportunity in geothermal energy from the natural hot water beneath the granite plates under our feet – again, unique to County Durham.
There are district energy opportunities to provide cheaper heating to local homes.
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We are also working on the extraction of lithium which the government needs for its renewable technologies – the irony of it.
This all needs to be balanced with jobs and investment in our local communities and the much needed infrastructure will be funded through developers not via the taxpayer.
We have a clear plan for County Durham.