Title

FINANCE

Council to consider levelling up fund judicial review

Durham County Council will consider seeking a judicial review into how the Government allocated levelling up funding after the authority spent £1.2m on failed bids.

Durham County Council will consider seeking a judicial review into how the Government allocated levelling up funding after the authority spent £1.2m on failed bids.

Durham made a successful bid for the town Bishop Auckland in round one of the funding allocations in 2021.

The local authority said it then spent £1.2m on bids for five other constituencies in the second round of funding.

These bids were unsuccessful. Former levelling up minister Dehenna Davison admitted that after round two bids came in, a rule was introduced that meant councils that were successful in round one could not win cash in the next round.

In November last year, the Government announced that the third round of funding would go to unsuccessful bids from round two.

At a full Durham CC meeting last week, members voted unanimously for the cabinet to consider seeking a judicial review of how bids were determined in rounds two and three.

The cabinet will discuss the issue ‘at an upcoming meeting'.

FINANCE

A year to remember...

By Martin Ford | 17 December 2025

A devolution priority programme combined with a wider council reorganisation that could be seen from space; Reform UK limbering up to terrify a Labour Govern...

FINANCE

APSE's annual polling generates good and bad news for councils

By Mo Baines | 11 December 2025

Highlights from APSE’s major annual Survation poll has found a divergence of views amongst the public and councillors on asylum accommodation and unwelcome ...

FINANCE

Budget: The effects on combined and strategic authorities

By Tiffany Cloynes | 05 December 2025

Tiffany Cloynes looks at at the financial implications of the Budget for combined authorities and strategic authorities. She says that while the introduction...

FINANCE

Budget: Putting stability in the spotlight

By Dan Corry | 28 November 2025

Dan Corry says that if the measures in the Budget can lead to some stability that allows growth to emerge then we will all gain.

Popular articles by Ellie Ames