Fury in UK's cheapest seaside village as council tries to buy and 'wipe out' £30k homes

A village is fighting back against its council as plans to demolish historic homes advance, with one resident calling it "social cleansing". Durham County Council has submitted a planning application to demolish 100 homes in Horden's 'Numbered Streets'.

An area of the village which includes First Street to 13th Street, The Numbered Streets were originally built in the early 1900s for the large community of coal mining families in the area. Their demolition is part of a £10.7 million regeneration scheme, with current homeowners being asked to sell their homes to the council so new homes can be built in their place. But residents told the Daily Express that they have widely been opposed to the plans since the original consultation in 2019. Joe, a Shelter community organiser, said when he first visited, it was "immediately obvious it wasn't what people wanted", saying that, at a parish council meeting, "people were furious". Campaign group Fair Deal For Horden found that 72% of the community wanted refurbishment, with only 2% being in favour of demolition.

Joe added: "The council says there’s widespread support. I beg to differ." Shelter’s analysis shows that acquiring and refurbishing empty homes for social rent can require around 20% less grant funding than new builds, once clearance and compensation are counted.

Raymond Bellingham has lived with his sister in a mortgage-free home on Third Street since he was nine years old. This year marks his 60th anniversary in the residence.

He opposes the plans, saying locals are looking for refurbishment to bring the area back to life rather than demolishing people’s homes. A similar scheme was completed in The Green in Hartlepool, renovating run-down Victorian homes rather than knocking them down.

Raymond said: "There was originally talk of other plans - renovation, refurbishment, etc. But all of a sudden, all other options disappeared, and the council has gone down the path of total demolition. They’re totally ignoring the people living here, refusing to do another consultation."

He insisted the streets' bad reputation is false, "a misrepresentation", adding people have it down as "gang-laden - people carrying machetes with dangerous dogs" - but this "couldn’t be further from the truth".

Joe noted the irony that this year marks the 125th anniversary of Horden as a village: "What better way to celebrate than by wiping out the historic homes of the people who built that community, the people who contributed to British industrial progress?"

Raymond said "there’s not much to celebrate", adding: "The council wants to wipe out this community, to build new houses and obliterate heritage and history.

“It’s affecting people who still live here. They want to clear the area, trying to buy homes for £30,000-£35,000, way below market price. That’s what actually makes the area undesirable. Exactly what they’re supposed to be avoiding.

"It might sound drastic, but it’s a form of social cleansing. Good people live here, and they’re being driven out of their own homes, their village, their community. They don’t care about the people here; they have no sentiment for this community."

Joe said that Horden is one of the most deprived places in the country, saying: "Locals do need something to happen. It does need regeneration, but what cost does that come at?

"This plan shouldn’t come at the cost of people's lives being torn apart. If the council went the refurb route, it could do more for the Numbered Streets."

There is a relocation package for residents who sell their homes to the council, but Joe says "many feel they'll be financially worse off". Leaving Horden would be expensive, in addition to the personal cost of uprooting their social network and families. Joe said this only "perpetuates a cycle of instability for lots of people".

Michael Kelleher, head of planning and housing at Durham County Council, said: "The Horden Masterplan has received strong support from residents following extensive consultation carried out over a number of years, which provided us with a representation of community feeling in the area. We have worked hard throughout the process to ensure residents feel heard and represented.

"Following our consultations in 2018, 2019 and 2022, the demolition, clearance and provision of new housing was consistently ranked higher than refurbishment by residents.

"The aim of the masterplan is to regenerate the village and improve life for local people by tackling issues such as the high number of empty properties in the Numbered Streets, supporting those with housing needs, enhancing community facilities and paving the way for new council housing that is truly affordable. All while respecting the history and heritage of Horden.

"We understand this is an unsettling time, and we are working closely with owners and landlords to negotiate the purchase of their properties and help people to find alternative accommodation should they need it."