County Council Update: October 2025

End of Life Care Motion
I recently put forward a motion to the County Council about “End of Life Care.” It’s important to note that this motion is not about assisted dying, which is a decision for Parliament, not the council. I will share the outcome of this debate with you soon as there was no time to discuss it at the  October 22 council meeting.

Road Repairs and Potholes
There have been ongoing issues with potholes and road repairs in our area. After successfully getting Crook Lane fixed, I was told that Victoria Road—a much bigger project—would be repaired in November. Unfortunately, this has now been delayed until sometime in 2026. I have identified 30 areas that need attention, and these have been marked for future work. Similarly, the full resurfacing of Newgate has also been postponed to 2026. At first, the council said the potholes weren’t deep enough to be dangerous, but after I pointed out the £6 million set aside for pothole repairs, they agreed to do the work, though with a delay.

Supporting Local Businesses
I have been talking with business owners in Barnard Castle about ways to improve the town. I am organizing a meeting with all local business people and county officials to discuss improvement ideas. One main topic is the “Targeted Business Improvement Scheme,” which offers grants to help refurbish the outside of properties. There are also grants for making improvements inside businesses. Other Teesdale councillors will be invited to join these discussions.

Barnard Castle Strategic Place Plan
The Barnard Castle Strategic Place Plan will be made public in February 2026. I will be involved in meetings leading up to this date. It will be interesting to see what progress has been made since the Barnard Castle Development Framework was created in 2012.

Community Support Fund
I am pleased that the new administration at County Hall has not cut the community support fund for councillors, at least for this financial year. This fund has allowed me to support local groups such as Barnard Castle Football Club, the Demesnes Parkrun, the Men’s Shed at the TCR Hub, the Witham, and Bright Woods Forest School. I have also offered funding to help with the running costs of the Citizens Advice service at Woodleigh, the Meet, and the Archery Club. Together with local residents and the town council, I am supporting a project to provide new outdoor play equipment at Dawson Road Play Area.

Local Events and Initiatives
As a fundraiser for the Witham, I am reprinting the official 1913 Barnard Castle Town Guide, “Picturesque Barnard Castle.” The new edition will be launched at the Witham at 11 am on Saturday, November 1st, and will be available for sale there.

My “Drop-in” Surgeries continue at the Witham Café every Saturday from 10 to 11 am. Usually, one or two people come with questions or problems, but many others stop by to say hello. I plan to keep these sessions going for the foreseeable future. Also, every Saturday at 9 am, I volunteer as a marshal at the Demesnes Parkrun, which had its first event on October 11th. Everyone is welcome to join, whether you want to run or walk.

Political Issues
The Labour group is opposing the current administration’s plans to abolish rate relief for the very poor and to cancel plans for solar panels on buildings across Durham. We are also supporting “Maya’s Law,” which aims to strengthen child protection laws.

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Cllr Chris Foote-Wood, Barnard Castle