Led by regeneration charity The Auckland Project (TAP) bosses say the scheme will replace the derelict Queens Head including 65 construction positions and 30 operational roles They add the development will create career opportunities for graduates of the town’s new Bishop Auckland College hospitality training school which opened in the historic McIntyre building last year Read more we believe that sharing positive news stories about successful businesses in County Durham is important for fostering a supportive and thriving business community We want to encourage business owners to send us their success stories so that we can share them on our website and celebrate their achievements We are committed to promoting the county as a great place to do business and providing a platform for businesses to showcase their successes +44 (0) 3000 261 261  enquiries@businessdurham.co.uk Starting a business Growing a business Moving a business Business premises About Business Durham Latest News Business Events Privacy Policy Contact Us Our website uses cookies to provide additional functionality You currently have cookies blocked so will have limited access to some features on the website Our festival returns to Bishop Auckland town centre in just over two weeks' time The food-filled weekend will feature cookery demonstrations from renowned celebrity chef Simon Rimmer; social media influencer and baker Jane Dunn of Jane's Patisserie; MasterChef 2024 champion Brin Pirathapan; TV judge and pastry chef Cherish Finden master chocolatier Paul A Young; Italian chef Francesco Mattana; and festival favourite TV presenter Chris Bavin There will also be ticketed workshops and a host of family-friendly street entertainment And while festivalgoers enjoy the entertainment try and buy produce from over 140 independent traders selling everything from savoury snacks to sweet treats For those looking to make a meal out of the festival there will be plenty of street food options with flavours from around the world including smash burgers Visitors can follow this up with a sweet treat or two crepes and Churros or take home cakes and puddings Festival-goers can also pick up a meal kit or two to recreate some of the mouthwatering food on offer at home as well as speciality condiments and sides including jams All this can be washed down with a beverage of choice from a range of local brewers and distillers See the full A-Z list of traders appearing at Bishop Auckland Food Festival Many of the traders cater to a range of dietary requirements including gluten free A full list of dietary information is on the Bishop Auckland Food Festival website There will also be retailers selling a mixture of goods including plants said: "We have some absolutely tremendous producers in County Durham and the wider region The best thing about Bishop Auckland Food Festival is that all these brilliant traders come together in one place and we get to have our fill of the fantastic goods on offer "I hope visitors are building their appetites for a deliciously fun-filled weekend." Sunday chefs at Bishop Auckland Food Festival County Durham's biggest food festival returns to Bishop Auckland on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April delicious desserts and fun-filled family entertainment There will be over 140 traders selling high-quality produce as well as the festival's signature cookery theatre featuring demonstrations from some of the most popular celebrity chefs We have recently announced the line up for Saturday which will see Sunday Brunch host Simon Rimmer and MasterChef winner Brin Piranthapan take to the cookery stage we have confirmed the remaining star chefs who will be entertaining audiences on Sunday Returning to the county is formidable TV judge and pastry chef who has previously appeared at Bishop's sister event Cherish is best known for her role as a judge on Channel 4's Bake Off: The Professionals where she delivers her trademark sharp critiques She has also featured as a mentor on Celebrity MasterChef and has appeared on programmes including Heston's Great British Food With over 20 years of international experience as a pastry chef Cherish has earned many awards in her career including leading the Singapore pastry team to win the 2000 IKA Culinary Olympics and receiving the Macallan Lifetime Achievement Award Francesco spent a lot of his childhood with his extended family learning about fishing farming and cooking traditional Italian cuisine Francesco worked as a chef in Italy before opening his own restaurant and pizzeria in Brisbane Francesco founded @our_cookingjourney on social media building a large following where he shares his vast knowledge and inspires people to get cooking Francesco is also an advocate for eating sustainably and reducing food waste something he learned from his Sardinian upbringing where they use the whole ingredient Also returning to County Durham to appear at Bishop Auckland is master chocolatier Named one of the world's finest master chocolatiers Yorkshire-born Paul grew up in Trimdon Station and trained to be a chef at New College Durham after baking with his mum and grandmother sparked a love for all things sweet Paul has appeared on several TV programmes including This Morning His London shop won Best New Chocolate Shop leading to the opening of three more chocolateries a one-to-one hands-on masterclass from his home kitchen teaching the fundamentals of chocolate-making And festivalgoers will be able to get a flavour of these masterclasses as in addition to demonstrating his skills on the cookery stage Paul will be hosting a series of chocolate workshops at Bishop Auckland Food Festival The hour-long sessions will take place at 11am and 3pm on the Saturday where visitors can learn how to make hand-rolled chocolate truffles Places on the workshop are limited, and tickets can be booked in advance on the Bishop Auckland Food Festival website our Cabinet member for economy and partnerships said: "We're delighted to announce the fantastic celebrity chefs who will be taking to the cookery stage on Sunday with their inspiring demonstrations Francesco and Paul make the final line up for Bishop Auckland Food Festival and I'm sure many will agree that this line up makes for a very exciting weekend "We're pleased to welcome back chefs who have visited our festivals before to enjoy to the warmth and vibrancy of Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland Food Festival is just one of the many cultural events taking place in County Durham this year cementing Durham's position as the 'culture county' and demonstrating our ongoing commitment to culture-led regeneration Bishop Auckland Food Festival returns to the town centre on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April There will be over 140 traders selling delicious food and goodies as well as cookery demonstrations from a line up of celebrity chefs including Simon Rimmer While visitors peruse the produce on offer or get a bit of cookery inspiration there will also be a host of street entertainment To keep updated on all the latest Bishop Auckland Food Festival news visit the event's website and follow its social media channels There will be several walkabout performers including festival favourite Granny Turismo a two-person comedy act featuring two delightful grandmothers and their speedy shopping trolleys Festival-goers will spot another walkabout act Ready to entertain visitors will be more acts familiar to the food festival including flame-juggling circus street performer Stanley Youngman; the mesmerising bubble master Bubble Play; and Bell & Bullock as Captain Bullock and Meranda the mermaid.  There will also be an accompaniment of musical performers including award-winning singer and songwriter Steve Pledger who will be performing a selection of original songs all presented with Steve's passionate delivery Citizen Songwriters' Sam Slatcher and Alex Summerson will be sharing original songs about County Durham drawing from their time running community songwriting projects Also appearing is the North Tyneside Steel Band one of the oldest bands in the North East which performs right across the region and beyond And performing in the grounds of Auckland Palace will be the Rock Choir singing a mix of pop and contemporary songs said: "With just over five weeks to go we can't wait to welcome visitors back to Bishop Auckland for a fun-filled weekend "With lots of food to try and cooking demonstrations from some of the nation's most popular chefs our programme of street entertainment is the icing on the festival's cake bringing an energy which adds to the lively and exciting atmosphere "Many of our entertainers this year are well-known and very popular with visitors so I'm sure many will be excited to see the return of their favourite performers." We have launched a consultation to gather views on how people who live or work in or visit Bishop Auckland feel about the town We have been delivering projects within the town as part of the Stronger Towns Fund from Government As the Bishop Auckland regeneration programme progresses and organisations to identify future projects and funding opportunities that can be delivered said: "Over the last few years we have delivered a number of improvements to Bishop Auckland including bringing empty properties back into use turning disused areas into attractive public spaces creating and improving transport infrastructure "As part of the ongoing regeneration programme we want to learn more about people's sense of community and the key features that make Bishop Auckland unique as well as understand how people interact with local cultural and heritage places and events within the area This survey will help establish a baseline for future regeneration and funding opportunities in the town." People have until Friday 13 December to take part in the consultation which can be done by completing an online survey Paper copies will also be available at Bishop Auckland Town Hall Find more information about consultations and how to complete the online survey A trader from Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2024 We have confirmed Bishop Auckland Food Festival will return to the town on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April Each year the two-day event attracts thousands of visitors for a jam-packed weekend full of food The festival will feature over 140 independent traders selling everything from street food Trader applications are now open for 2025 and vendors are being encouraged to express their interest before the deadline Companies are encouraged to go to the Bishop Auckland Food Festival website for more information and links to apply They will be asked to submit as much information as possible about their products images of their set up and links to their social media Businesses have until midnight on Friday 10 January to submit their application with those successful notified shortly afterwards Traders who wish to be part of Bishop Auckland Food Festival can apply online said: "Festival season may have finished for the year but here in County Durham we are already looking ahead and making exciting preparations for the return of Bishop Auckland Food Festival next year." "Being part of a festival such as this is a huge boost to independent traders Not only do they benefit from increased trade from the thousands of visitors that attend across the weekend but it also gives them the opportunity to meet new customers We would encourage traders to mark Bishop Auckland Food Festival in their calendars and get their application in as soon as possible so they can be involved in this amazing opportunity." As well as a host of traders offering delicious street food Bishop Auckland Food Festival also features a series of cookery demonstrations from a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs as well as a packed programme of live entertainment and fun family activities The streets were lined with over 150 stalls where visitors could try and buy regional food and drink from a range of street food traders and artisan food producers The streets were lined with over 150 stalls where visitors could try and buy regional food and drink from a range of street food traders and artisan food producersA star-studded line up of celebrity chefs cooked up a storm with their demonstrations on the kitchen stage which was hosted by TV presenter and returning festival favourite Chris Bavin The chefs serving up inspirational dishes included TV chef Simon Rimmer; social media influencer and baker Jane Dunn of Jane’s Patisserie; MasterChef 2024 champion Brin Pirathapan; TV judge and pastry chef Cherish Finden; master chocolatier Paul A Young; and Italian chef Francesco Mattana A star-studded line up of celebrity chefs cooked up a storm with their demonstrations on the kitchen stageBringing an extra flair to the festival atmosphere was a series of walkabout entertainers including Granny Turismo There was also music in the air with performances from singer and songwriter Steve Pledger Citizen Songwriters’ Sam Slatcher and Alex Summerson Durham County Council’s strategic manager for culture said: “What a weekend we’ve had at Bishop Auckland Food Festival The Lollipop Ladies“It’s been great to welcome our celebrity chefs who have wowed the crowds with their cookery demonstrations And lots of our traders had a really successful weekend which is a brilliant result for businesses “It’s also been lovely to see so many people come to Bishop Auckland across the two days and we’ve had lots of positive feedback from visitors This is just one festival in our culture and events programme for 2025 and we’re looking forward to bringing more exciting events to County Durham throughout the year.” For more information about the event, visit www.bishopaucklandfoodfestival.co.uk We are delivering S&DR200 in partnership with Darlington Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.  The festival offers something for everyone with highlights throughout the year including a recreation of the first journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway with a newly commissioned replica of Locomotion No exhibitions focusing on the history of railways and bringing together paintings of national significance and newly commissioned artworks showcased in public spaces Find out about new festival highlights across the year by viewing the latest programme at S&DR200.  All Change is an unmissable show in Bishop Auckland at 11Arches The event will speed through 200 years of railway history and major historical moments celebrating the transformative power of trains on the landscape and our lives.  Inspired by conversations with local historians the spectacle will bring history to life with large-scale set pieces The show will feature up to 100 performers from the local community made up of the same team of dedicated local trained volunteers.  All Change is created by award-winning performance company imitating the dog whose piece Arrivals & Departures was part of the opening events for Hull's year as City of Culture and movement directors Rocky Norton and Katie Pearson who both contributed to the grand spectacles of all four ceremonies at the Summer Olympics in London 2012 All Change will feature a fleet of 400 drones from world-renowned SKYMAGIC promising a breathtaking visual experience set against the night sky As pioneers behind the stunning drone and light displays at iconic events like the Queen's Platinum Jubilee SKYMAGIC will choreograph an aerial ensemble that weaves into the performance below All Change takes place on Saturday 29 March. Doors open at 4.30pm, with the pre-show starting at 6.30pm followed by the show itself at 7pm. Tickets cost £5 per person and £5 per car for the park and ride service. To book, visit S&DR200 All Change  said: "It must have been magical 200 years ago to witness the first journey on the Stockton and Darlington Railway bringing people together from all corners of the region and further afield for an awe-inspiring event I hope we can create an unforgettable memory for people of all ages offering them an exciting glimpse of the region's fascinating heritage while sparking further creativity and ideas over the years that follow The artists we have brought together for this one-off show really are the best in their fields." said: "We've been so inspired by the incredible story of Locomotion No from that first short journey to the massive impact it had across the world Our performance for the opening event explores how train travel opened up the possibilities for ordinary people to travel and to witness world events All Change will take audiences on a journey a whistlestop tour through 200 years of history and will be told through a combination of our trademark storytelling techniques of digital projection live performance and a newly composed soundscape We are thrilled to be working with Rocky and Katie P the team at 11Arches and SKYMAGIC to bring all of this together."  SKYMAGIC co-founder and chief creative officer said: "SKYMAGIC are delighted to bring our world-famous drone light show to S&DR200 As a global company with an office in the North we're always proud to support and work with cultural celebrations that champion achievements close to home It will be a pleasure collaborating with incredible local talent in order to bring our aerial storytelling to the festival's opening event."  27 September 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway The 26-mile journey  between Shildon and Stockton via Darlington on 27 September 1825 transformed how the world traded The S&DR200 festival will celebrate the region's pioneering past and look forward to its future with a series of large-scale outdoor events exhibitions and new art commissions in its public spaces Hopetown and The Story.  The first of these exhibitions will be Railway Pioneers at Hopetown in April.  We are funding S&DR200 along with Darlington Borough Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Other major funders include Arts Council England We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports our Public Safety and Subsidence team was made aware of the collapse in a farmer’s field and over a public bridleway in the Bishop Auckland area measuring 7 metres in diameter and up to 50 metres deep was quickly secured and planning work to fill it began immediately From our mining archives of more than 120,000 mine abandonment plans we were able to establish that the shaft was recorded on Ordnance Survey maps as far back as 1884 Ordnance Survey map showing the location of Old Shaft with more than 100 tonnes of aggregate and other material expected to be needed to fill the shaft and help determine its true depth The site will then be secured and and monitored to ensure there are no further issues It was essential that we acted quickly to make this collapse safe as it was affecting a public bridleway and posed a risk to the public The scale of the collapse was certainly a surprise It is unusual to see a shaft of this scale and that made it even more important to make the area safe as a priority We are thankful to the landowner for his cooperation during this work This is one of more than 600 incidents that our Public Safety and Subsidence team responds to every year call our 24/7/365 hazard line on 0800 288 4242 For media enquiries contact the community response team For emergency media enquiries (out of hours) call: 0800 288 4242.Only urgent media calls will be attended to Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Mind the Gap: Sign the Place North Viability Gap Campaign The town's regeneration efforts are ongoing and the council expects 1.5 million visitors each year from 2029 Work would include the demolition of the derelict Queens Head and Monaco buildings on the north side of the town’s Market Place Part-funded with £3.1m from the Stronger Towns Fund the rest of the project would be funded by The Auckland Project The not-for-profit has worked with Historic England and Durham County Council on designs for the hotel which would add to the town’s wider investment plan and has the potential to create more than 95 hotel jobs and 65 construction roles TAP is looking for public feedback on the proposals and is holding a drop-in event at 42 Market Place says: “We believe the proposed scheme is the best use of space in the town “Through careful planning with organisations such as Durham County Council and Historic England we are confident that the development will bring economic and social benefits to local residents and business We encourage people to take a look at the plans.” Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The housebuilder has purchased two separate parcels of land previously occupied by Northgate Hospital and plans to start construction work on 141 homes shortly has thrown its doors open and is now welcoming guests to the 118-bedroom venue Register for free North East property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Stay updated on the latest news and views in North East property views and opportunities in North East property By subscribing, you are agreeing to Place Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" 20242 min readBishop Auckland’s new bus station is taking shape as the building’s steel frame reaches completion Marking a key construction milestone on the project more than 120 hot rolled steel girders weighing a total of 23.49 tonne have been installed The steel was fabricated less than two miles from the development by South Durham Structures Ltd The bus station – which is being delivered by Esh Construction on behalf of Durham County Council – will offer modern and accessible facilities to passengers Sustainable technologies to boost the building’s environmental credentials feature within the design including solar photo voltaic panels on the roof a rainwater harvesting and re-use system and a Sedum green living roof to promote biodiversity learnt more about the work being undertaken during a site tour He said: “It was great to have a tour of the site and see how well the construction of Bishop Auckland’s new bus station is progressing “The new bus station is a key part of our regeneration plans for Bishop Auckland to bring new life to the town centre and make it a thriving place to live the station will be a modern transport hub that will attract more visitors to the town address shortages in car parking and increase town centre footfall helping to support the area’s businesses.” said: “It was a pleasure to take Cllr Bell through the latest progress on this important project that will enhance the transport infrastructure within the town centre “The next phase will see the progression of the external envelope specifically the construction of a timber beam roof on the concourse section alongside masonry works.” The bus station will include eight stands and improved passenger information alongside a retail kiosk Alongside it there will be a new 124 space car park which will include 22 electric vehicle (EV) charging points The development forms part of the council’s wider plans to regenerate Bishop Auckland town centre through a range of leisure and recreation projects including the repurposing and reopening of vacant properties and improving public spaces Esh Construction first commenced a package of enabling works on the site in February this year with the existing hard surface having to be excavated and cleared to pave the way for the new building The project is part of an £11.8 million investment in the town with funding secured through the Future High Streets Fund by Durham County Council and seeks to improve transport and parking facilities in Bishop Auckland Benjamin Clarke messaged Bishop Auckland MP Sam Rushworth last year saying he wanted to lock him in a building and set fire to it The 31-year-old appeared at Durham Crown Court on 28 March to admit a second charge of making threats to kill against the Labour politician No further details of the second offence were given in court A psychiatric examination has been carried out and a report will be prepared ahead of sentence that he will be sentenced on 12 May and he was remanded in custody in the meantime Previous court hearings were told that Clarke, of Durham Street, Bishop Auckland, contacted his MP in August on social media saying: “I cannot wait for your next public appearance you will be lucky to leave it in one piece.” Mr Rushworth blocked him from contacting him on the social media platform preventing any further malicious communications offences Clarke told two mental health practitioners that he wanted to find the MP and smash his head off a pavement to set fire to a building he was in and then “lock all the doors so I could hear him screaming” Clarke then began the process of applying to withdraw his guilty pleas to making a threat to kill and a malicious communications offence He has since decided not to proceed with that application Following the hearing in January where Clarke said he wanted to apply to change his guilty plea he was granted bail provided that he did not contact Mr Rushworth he has admitted making contact with the MP and threatening to kill him the following month In a statement today Mr Rushworth said: "It’s been a difficult experience for my family "This has been made worse by some of the politically-motivated commentary online by people condoning the treats we have received What starts with fake news and hate speech and can all too easily make its way into the real world "I believe members of the online community Mr Clarke associates with bear some responsibility I hope his guilty plea today can be a first step towards his rehabilitation." Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.. as eagle eyed residents have spotted signage at a unit promoting the chain has been decked out in Nando's branding as it teases "it's about to get hot in here" Read more The Spanish Gallery in Bishop Auckland town centre We are hosting the event to seek feedback on a number of proposed changes to the boundary of the conservation area We are also keen to get views on updates to the Bishop Auckland Conservation Area Management Plan which includes a character appraisal and management strategy said: "We're passionate about conserving our heritage in County Durham and have 93 conservation areas across the county "The Bishop Auckland Conservation Area takes in a wide variety of architecturally and historically important structures including Auckland Castle "The conservation area status and associated management plan enable us to bring partners together to preserve these historic features and manage the regeneration of the town in a controlled and sympathetic way we can ensure Bishop Auckland is a place that can thrive and be enjoyed for generations to come." The drop-in session takes place on Tuesday 23 July at Bishop Auckland Town Hall where our staff will be on hand to discuss the proposals People who are specifically affected by the proposed boundary changes are invited to attend between 6pm and 7pm and will be contacted directly Anyone with any enquiries or a more general interest in the plan is invited to attend between 7pm and 8.30pm There are 93 conservation areas in the Durham County Council area and we have a duty to review each one The Bishop Auckland Conservation Area was originally designated in 1969 and covered a small area focused on the Market Place and Newgate Street It was extended twice in the 1990s to include the parkland associated with Auckland Castle and more areas of Newgate Street and Etherley Lane resulting in some minor boundary changes and the publication of a detailed conservation area character appraisal You can have your say by completing an online survey on our Consultation webpage or picking up a paper copy from Bishop Auckland Town Hall or any of our Customer Access Points Alternatively, comments can be sent to our Heritage, Landscape and Design team - email design.conservation@durham.gov.uk or write to Heritage The consultation closes at 5pm on Monday 19 August Responses will be used to shape the boundary of the conservation area and the next draft of its management plan There will be a further consultation on the next draft later this year before the plan is finalised and adopted