Durham to get £73m of reallocated HS2 funding

County Durham is the only North East area to get a share of the funding

County Durham will benefit from almost £73m of reallocated HS2 funding.

It is the only area in the North East to receive a share from the redirected £4.7bn pot.

Durham County Council leader Amanda Hopgood said the money would help "increase travel options".

It is not yet known which other projects in the county will benefit from the funding.

The rest of the region is due to receive money separately from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which will be awarded to the incoming North East mayor.

Durham was a late joiner to the new North East devolution deal, which meant the county was excluded from a reported £147m of extra CRSTS money already earmarked for Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland.

Paul Howell, Conservative MP for Sedgefield, said the funding reflected "our dedication to empowering local and combined authorities to spearhead transformative projects tailored to their unique priorities. ”

Councillor Amanda Hopgood, Lib Dem leader of Durham Council’s coalition administration, said she was “delighted” with the allocation and that it would “support our work to improve the transport network, helping us to increase travel options and connect local people with opportunities across the region”.

After 2027 Durham will be part of a phase two CRSTS settlement of £1.8bn for the entire North East Mayoral Combined Authority area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.