The Pride in Place Programme (PiPP) Board for Crook North and Tow Law met on Friday 5 June 2026 to discuss the progress of the programme, including its governance, updates on engagement, and proposed boundary changes. The board was scheduled to review the programme's vision and investment plan, which is a key requirement for accessing significant government funding.

Pride in Place Programme Update

The board was set to receive a comprehensive update on the Pride in Place Programme (PiPP), a £5 billion government initiative aimed at supporting long-term, community-focused regeneration across Great Britain. The Crook North/Tow Law area is one of four neighbourhoods in County Durham selected to participate in Phase 2 of this programme, which is set to receive up to £20 million in funding over 10 years. This funding is linked to the development of a Pride in Place Investment Plan, comprising 63% capital and 37% revenue funding.

The programme's core objective is to empower local residents to shape the future of their neighbourhoods and support transformative local projects. The strategic aims of the programme are to build stronger communities, create thriving places, and enable residents to take back control of their areas.

The report pack detailed the actions and activities initiated to ensure a vision and accompanying 4-year investment plan could be submitted to the government by 28 November 2026. Key dates and milestones were outlined, including the confirmation of neighbourhood boards and any proposals to alter the 'default' boundary by 17 July 2026, and the submission of the final Pride in Place Plan to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) by 28 November 2026.

The board was scheduled to consider the recruitment process for the Chair and Board Members. The report highlighted that 31 expressions of interest were received for board positions, with filled positions made in consultation with the Chair and the local Member of Parliament (MP).

Significant engagement with residents, community groups, and local schools had commenced, with various sessions held, including drop-in events, a cyber event, and a village hall meeting. Feedback from these sessions indicated positive reception to the programme, with suggestions for improvements to the high street, such as planting programmes and the reduction of large planters to create more space, as well as requests for better park equipment for older children, improved walking and cycling routes, enhanced bus services, increased parking, public toilets, and more activities for young people. A targeted survey commissioned by MHCLG and delivered by ZenCity also highlighted similar findings.

The board was to consider progress with launching engagement events, revised Terms of Reference, and the revised boundary.

Governance and Terms of Reference

Discussions were scheduled to cover the governance arrangements for the formation and operation of the Board, ensuring compliance with established programme guidance. This included the establishment of a standard agenda item for the 'Declaration of Interest'. The report pack indicated that the board had discussed the governance arrangements, including the equality of votes among democratically elected members and council officers. The focus of the board is on the community, with the aim that 51% of the board comprises local people, and decisions are ideally reached by consensus.

The board was also to consider proposed amendments to the Terms of Reference. These included provisions for emergency meetings, ensuring at least 51% community representation, and clarifying that enquiries should be referred to the MP and the Accountable Body. Amendments were also suggested regarding the removal of board members, extending the possibility to all members who fail to meet their obligations, not just the Chair.

Concerns were raised regarding a potential lack of trust from the community and questions about where funding would be spent. It was noted that engagement feedback would serve to build relationships with the community. The potential involvement of Police and Crime Team (PACT) chairs was discussed, with the explanation that the board operates strategically, and working groups would tackle specific subjects. Opportunities for community involvement were highlighted, with the council working with the youth council to send a representative.

The report pack also addressed the question of whether board meetings could be open to the press and public. It was explained that due to the Local Government Act and the nature of financial discussions, meetings were not eligible to be open to the press and public. However, information discussed at board meetings is made public and published online 10 working days after the meeting. The public is provided with a general email for the programme and the Lead Officer's phone number for queries.

Approved Interventions

The board was scheduled to review the approved intervention themes for the Pride in Place Programme. These themes provide a broad framework for the types of activities the board could deliver, including regeneration, high streets, heritage, housing, work, productivity, skills, cohesion, community power, health and wellbeing, transport, safety and security, and education and opportunity. The report pack noted that most projects would fall within these themes, with a need to balance immediate spending with sustainable investment to grow the local economy. A specific project involving public transport, potentially delivered by Weardale Transport for £100,000, was mentioned as a potential consideration, with the possibility of tapping into other funding sources like NECA.

Boundary Discussion

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to discussing the proposed boundary for the Crook North/Tow Law area. There was considerable discussion about neighbouring villages that were excluded, with a feeling that areas such as Sunniside, Stanley Crook, Billy Row, and Crook Town Centre should be included. Consideration of the impact of demographics and population was deemed necessary for including these larger communities. The Lead Officer was to pass this information to the corporate research team for data analysis, with a full board expected to discuss this further at a subsequent meeting. J. Anson was also to liaise with MHCLG regarding these potential changes. The report pack included maps of the original and revised boundary proposals.

Next Steps

The next steps outlined for the programme included confirming neighbourhood boards and any proposals to alter the 'default' boundary by 17 July 2026. A draft submission of the vision and Pride in Place Plan was to be presented to the Board by October 2026, with the final submission to the government due by 28 November 2026. Engagement activities were planned to continue, with events being booked. The Lead Officer was also tasked with amending the Terms of Reference, confirming the impact of proposed boundary alterations, and producing a Capacity Fund Application Form.

Other Business

Given that community representatives had not yet been appointed, the board noted the importance of showing improvements as soon as possible was stressed, with assurances that the corporate team would cross-check to prevent project overlaps. The date and time of the next meeting were to be confirmed.