Council calls for Levelling Up Fund judicial review

Durham County Council claims it was left in the dark regarding bidding feedback

Councillors in County Durham have agreed to consider seeking a judicial review of the government’s levelling up funding process, after £1.2m was spent on five failed bids.

The county council's cabinet will now discuss whether to take action, after all parties backed a Labour motion.

It comes after the local authority wrote to the government in November asking for the money to be repaid.

The Department for Levelling Up said the council had received £39m from other schemes, including the Future High Streets Fund.

The council, led by an alliance of Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Independents, had been awarded levelling up funding in the first round, for projects in Bishop Auckland.

However, it failed in rounds two and three of the bidding process.

It included plans to regenerate town centres, improve transport connectivity and create cultural attractions in Stanley, Horden, Newton Aycliffe, Willington, Crook and Tow Law, and Bowburn

It was only told after the announcement that County Durham had been “removed as a priority one status area” before round three was decided, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A rule change, later admitted by the government after round two was awarded, meant any successful areas in round one would not benefit in the next round.

The council claims it was left in the dark regarding feedback from the second round and before the latest announcement.

'Wasted money'

Labour's Kevin Shaw said a judicial review was needed to expose alleged failures with the process.

“This is a direct challenge to the government, exposing the process for the unfair charade that it was,” he told a recent full council meeting.

Fraser Tinsley, Labour, who seconded the motion, described levelling up as a "great concept", but he added: “What the problem is that, as a council, we wasted £1.2m and that is our residents’ money.

"The way the government acted is just plain wrong, they’ve taken us for fools."

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokeswoman added: "The £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund is giving a major boost to our towns and cities and is improving everyday life for people across the UK."