Summer social

“A good idea is a good idea, regardless of who thought of it”

Such thinking in no small way makes the new, and first ever female leader of Durham County Council 132 years after its formation, the perfect candidate for the role. groups came together following the local elections when Labour lost overall control after holding a majority since 1919 (excluding the years 1922-25).

Now steering the ship, this new administration comprises ofConservatives, Liberal Democrats, independents and a Green councillor, and as a County Durham native through and through - Amanda is not only well placed to make her mark, she is determined to ‘make the entire county somewhere people want to be’.

We caught up with her, two months into her new role, in a sunny spot on the balcony outside the leaders’ office and she seemed very much at home in her new surroundings. Things are already starting to change for the better – for example, the leaders’ office is now open plan and operates an open-door policy – which marks a big operational shift, she explained with some satisfaction.

As someone who has been a councillor for 16 years (Amanda has represented the Framwellgate and Newton Hall ward for 13 years) and as a member of a smaller political party, where collaborative and partnership working are the norm, she keenly supports the view that a good idea is a good idea, regardless of the party that thought of it. This open mindedness will surely help her lead the administration through any challenges that lie ahead.

“It’s been a whirlwind, not just learning a new job, but being aware of what’s happening strategically and operationally,” she said. “Our single biggest concern is the Covid recovery and how we come back from it. horrendous time, we must recognise that we have created some inspirational business models too and discovered new ways of doing things.

“We can and must learn from the Covid experience. For example, we can make a significant reduction in our carbon footprint by adopting hybrid working methods. No more London meetings at the drop of a hat. The environmental benefits emerging from Covid are huge.”

As a long-time grass roots representative of local people in her role as councillor, she is of course, passionate about ensuring their future is assured, so the ‘Levelling up Agenda’ has come at an opportune time as she explains. Equality of opportunity for all, irrespective of where they live, is a key priority for her.

“We must also become more outcomes focused instead of process driven. We must not take three years to do things because we are so busy talking about them and not actually getting anything done. We need to take everyone on the same journey - not just the business sector - we must not leave anyone behind.

“The City of Culture submission is very exciting. If we win that in 2025, it will really put County Durham on the map. It would have a huge impact on equality of opportunity with the massive investment resulting from tourism and leisure alone.

“As a passionate supporter of our bid, I want to shout from the rooftops about how much County Durham has to offer. It is rich in historic parklands and Durham Cathedral is a UNESCO site, while several others have been designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The East Durham coastline is fantastic, then there’s the beautiful Dales, innovative industry, world class universities and an exciting calendar of all-year-round festivals.

“I defy anyone not to find something they want to see or do in County Durham, but the problem is, people don’t always know what we have here.”

The County Durham Plan has now been approved and will pave the way for almost 25,000 new homes by 2035, with the potential for more than 30,000 jobs. This is the blueprint for the future and must be worked through until 2035.

“We are fortunate in having several strategic sites in the county,” she continues. “Integra 61, home to the newly built Amazon distribution centre, is making a strong contribution to jobs and the economy, while Jade Business Park in Seaham is a solid contender for supporting Nissan’s expansion.

“We are also looking at opportunities to further develop NETPark in Sedgefield, which is home to a raft of world-beating innovative technology companies. We will be discussing our investment plans for developing Phase 3 of the NETPark site with cabinet in September and I am very excited about the huge opportunities we have here and across the wider county to help our businesses grow and develop.

“Very few people realise that there are satellites flying around in space which are using some of the technology developed at NETPark, and Kromek’s revolutionary biological threat detection system is absolutely amazing too, because it can indicate when someone coming through an airport is infected with Covid. Such technology has never been more vital to global public health, national security and the economy – and all this is being developed right here on our doorstep.” Amanda explains. The smaller sites, scattered around the county, are significant too, because of Carbon Zero.

“We want to create small business parks around the county, so people don’t always have to travel to work. These will revolutionise the way we work by facilitating hybrid working, which will contribute towards Carbon Zero. It goes back to making sure that everyone has the same opportunities within the county. As a new authority, I want us to lead by example in all that we do.

“SMEs are the future. They produce the jobs, drive and initiative. We must not be afraid to work with private industry.

“I am very much looking forward to working with our new CEO, John Hewitt, subject to full council approval, as someone who has also been born and bred in County Durham. It will be exciting once he is permanent to bring forward his ideas, drive and ambition for the county, which should result in greater stability and more forward thinking.

“It is a very exciting time, and I am honoured to be part of it.”

Only two months into her new job, it is not surprising to hear that 12-hour days for Amanda have quickly become the norm. However, with her ‘can do’ attitude and determination to abolish ‘heritage thinking’ it looks like there could be many more changes afoot in the next few months, aside from the seating arrangements in the leaders’ office.

The personal stuff:

What are your three main goals for the County while you are leader?

1. Promote County Durham nationally and beyond as a place where people can come to live 2. Enable a successful Covid recovery 3. The skills agenda – pinpoint exactly what we can do and what we need to do to increase skills

And your three personal goals?

1. To be a ‘Can do Council’ - we must find ways to do things that we haven’t done before. Let’s get rid of the heritage thinking - no more ‘this is how it has always been done’ 2. I would like people to view the Council more positively 3. I would like to leave things in a better state than we found them

What drives you mad?

Negativity, bureaucracy and how long it takes to get things done.

Lessons learned: Never go visiting in heels... I always have a couple of pairs of flat shoes in my desk drawer these days after an early and painful lesson learned!