Leader Talk

First Area Action Partnership Board Meetings

27/07/2009

I am pleased that I have been able to attend the first meetings of a number of Area Action Partnership Board Meetings.  These Boards of local people will now be making decisions about their local areas including spending of neighbourhood budgets.

Across County Durham between £6 million and £7 million which has already been saved by the new Council is now being put into the new locality budgets with the aim of making improvements to local communities.

It is quite right that it should be local people making the decision of spending this money and I wish all the new 14 Area Action Partnership Boards well in achieving the aspirations of their own areas: they will be integral to the success of the new Unitary Council.

Be Enterprising

07/07/2009

Today I attended the Be Enterprising Event at Beamish Hall near Stanley.  This brought together a wide range of newly formed companies which have received assistance from our LEGI Initiative.  Those whom I talked to included people involved in brewing, chocolate making and children’s activities.  Many of them advertise now through the internet.  It is amazing the range of companies which have been set up in County Durham and is a reflection of the change in our economy away from traditional big employers.

I was really impressed with the way a number of people have managed to form their own businesses having worked for many years for large companies and equally impressed with the work going on in our schools to encourage pupils to think about setting up their own companies.  Even at a time of economic difficulty the event was a real good news story and bodes well for the future of County Durham.

LGA Annual Conference 30 June – 2 July

02/07/2009

This year’s annual Local Government Association (LGA) Conference was held in Harrogate.  This is always an occasion when we can meet with councillors and officers from up and down the country and share best practice.

I was particularly pleased that Durham was on the platform on three separate sessions including one on the international work done in our schools and another on promoting tourism.  There was a lot of recognition of the work done by Durham County Council and our ambitions for the future.

Elsewhere at the conference it was also interesting to hear speeches from leading political figures which gave some indication of the way national policies might develop over the next few years. 

All in all it was a very worthwhile experience.