Powers for council to buy up Horden homes a ‘last resort’

The use of a compulsory purchase order (CPO), if used, would allow the authority to buy up the land and remove a number of remaining residents along streets marked for demolition.

This comes after plans to flatten a total of 112 homes across three streets to build 105 in their place in the former mining town were given the green light in December last year.

Residents in Horden’s numbered Third and Fifth Streets opposed to the planned demolition. (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

The £10.7m plans would see Third and Fifth Street reduced to rubble and the former Fourth Street site developed into two, three, and four-bed homes and two-bed bungalows.

However, the plans were made subject to a legal challenge earlier this year by a group of Horden residents who are fiercely opposed to the plans, meaning the council have paused progress.

But the authority says it wants to “work with residents” to bring the development to life, and emphasised an order such as a CPO to remove residents would not be taken lightly.

Mike Allum, Durham County Council’s strategy and delivery manager, said: “We’re very ambitious about doing everything we can to make our council area a great place to live, work, visit and invest and that is why we have committed £10m, alongside the North East Combined Authority, for new housing in Horden.

“Due to a legal challenge to our planning consent, our timeline is currently on hold, but we want to deliver this housing by working with residents.

“This includes seeking to buy their properties through negotiation, compensating them and offering them support in finding new homes.

“Use of compulsory purchase powers would always be a last resort.”

As reported, residents in line to lose their homes due to the plans served the council with a challenge on January 23.

The council said it will “review and consider this challenge” – but a decision has not yet been reached.

One resident involved in the battle is Ray Bellingham, 68, who, alongside sister Moira, has lived in their Third Street home since they were children.

He is hoping the legal challenge can overturn the council’s plans in their entirety, as the siblings “don’t want to move”.

He told The Northern Echo earlier this year: “It has been non-stop all the time.

“If other people were in the same position as us, they would realise what pressure we are under. We are trying to save our homes.

“Other people are not in the position of having bulldozers take their homes away from them.”

Moira previously told the Echo: “They can send the bulldozer straight through the house and I’ll still be stood there.

“They will have to kill me.”