Looking back at the week of August 12-18, 15 years ago…
A LANDMARK hotel was devastated by fire in 2008 and branded an eyesore that damages business in the city centre.
In August 2009, Darlington’s Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders were concerned that the King’s Hotel – still under scaffolding a year after the fire – was damaging the economy and placing an additional burden on traders during the recession.
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They expressed concern that no planning application had yet been submitted for the renovation and called on the company that owned the building to speed up the work.
But Moorfield Real Estate Fund, which owned both the hotel building and the Cornmill Shopping Centre, defended the continuation of the work and said it had not affected trade.
Darlington Council also denied that the scaffolding was damaging to business.
However, Darlington Conservative leader Heather Scott and Liberal Democrat leader Martin Swainston disagreed.
Councillor Scott said: “I think it’s having a very detrimental impact on the businesses, particularly those that have reopened under the hotel. I don’t think people are aware that they are fully open.”
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“It also impacts the entire city center. It’s a landmark hotel, but it looks like an eyesore.”
Young people helped preserve East Durham’s past by recording residents’ memories in writing in 2009.
The book of stories and anecdotes, compiled by members of the region’s Youth Forum, was to be presented to Beamish Museum upon completion.
Museum staff planned to include the publication in their research library to make it available to visitors.
Michelle Morton, coordinator of Durham County Council’s Youth Forum, said: “The young people became interested in the history of the area after working on a smaller research project on Easington Colliery.”
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They compiled the material at Easington Colliery Welfare Hall with the help of local author and historian Mary Bell.
Nine town criers, including Darlington town crier Peter Stremmer, brought a splash of colour to Darlington at his first crier competition in August 2009.
The two-day competition included a parade through the city center.
The award for best home cry went to Marjorie Dodds from Chester-le-Street.
