Durham/County Durham
Main towns: The 12 main towns in County Durham are Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Consett, Crook & Willington, Durham City, Newton Aycliffe, Peterlee, Seaham East, Seaham North, Shildon, Spennymoor and Stanley.
Demographics: County Durham has a low black and minority ethnic population, with the figure standing at 2% of the population. The largest minority group is gypsies/travellers. However, the number of migrant workers, particularly from Eastern Europe, is increasing and as many workers bring their families with them, the overall proportion of immigrants living in County Durham is rising.
Deprivation levels are some of the highest in the country. 33% of the county’s population lives in the most deprived localities in the country. Skill levels are below the national average - as are weekly wages - and County Durham has some of the lowest car ownership figures in England. Only 38% of households own cars in Derwentside and Easington whilst in Teesdale the figure stands at just 20%.
Disability rates are high. Almost 50% of the county’s population describes itself as experiencing disability or limiting long term illness. Due to the number of people who were previously employed in heavy engineering jobs, there is a significantly higher number of deaf or deafened people in the county, with the figure standing at about 20,000 people. County Durham’s incapacity benefit claimant rate has been above regional and national averages for some time. The region’s life expectancy is below the national average due to ‘prevalence of obesity and of smoking’.
The Council is Labour controlled, with 53 out of 63 councillors belonging to the party. Liberal Democrats hold five seats, Independents hold three seats and the Conservatives hold two seats.
Population: County Durham has a population of 500,700. The population has been in a period of steady decline since the 1980s due to the closure of coal mines as well as steel making and heavy engineering industries. However, the current figure shows a small and recent increase. Approximately 79% of the county’s population lives in dispersed small communities. The number of people aged 85 and over is expected to rise by 84% by 2021.
Places of Interest: Durham is home to lots of exciting historical landmarks. Durham Cathedral in Palace Green, Durham City is considered by many to be the finest example of Norman architecture in the world. Also in Palace Green stands Durham Castle, which dates back to 1072. In 1832 the castle became the foundation college for the University of Durham. The city’s university has is now recognised as one of the best in the country.
In addition to historical landmarks, Durham offers an array of stunning landscapes. To the East is the Durham Heritage Coast and to the West are the Pennines. The High Force Waterfall, one of the biggest in the UK, is also located in Durham.
House/Flat Prices: The average property price in County Durham today is £230,000. The average price five years ago, in February 2004, was £156,000.
Planning issues: Controversy currently surrounds County Durham’s stance on billboard advertising. In 1984 billboards were outlawed in Durham but last year Fairway Outdoor Advertising, which owns most of the city’s billboards, requested that the council change its laws in order to allow the moving and upgrading of some billboards, whilst upgrading others to electronic billboards.
Public opinion expressed in email newsletter lists and letters to local newspapers was largely negative, leading Fairway to withdraw its application. However, the company is considering a new request and a joint city and county committee is currently considering a change to the law.