WHEN virtually everyone is singing in unison, a contrapuntal, if not discordant note, is rarely welcome. But a columnist’s job is not necessarily to pump up harmony but tell matters as he/she sees them.

So it seems to me that County Durham, Bishop Auckland in particular, is getting a little too carried away with excitement over the so-called Eleven Arches project – the scheme to present historical shows - “a night-time sound and light spectacular” - on a former golf course, against the dramatic backdrop of Bishop’s Newton Cap former railway viaduct.

Anticipated to attract 180,000 spectators a year the £24m venture is being hailed as the key to regenerating Bishop Auckland and its wider region of South West Durham. But few seem to have noticed a flaw at its heart.

The idea is to present 2,000 years of British history “seen through the eyes of the North-East”. That’s a limiting aim. How many people beyond the North-East will want the nation’s history served up from a North-East perspective – and be prepared to travel to get it? This hardly seems the soundest means to not simply revive Bishop Auckland but, in the words of the scheme’s supporters, transform it into “a visitor and tourist attraction of national and international significance”.

That staggering audience forecast, too, might prove optimistic. Is it likely that, on average, 30 shows between May and September will draw 6,000 spectators, especially when the initial wave of North-East interest wanes? For what is on offer is essentially a modern pageant, staged largely by amateurs. Will that be enough to keep the punters coming?

Not too far down the road, Scarborough’s struggles for decades to make a success of its open air theatre could point to difficulties ahead. For the Eleven Arches is not a theme park but merely a glorified stage. Though there will need to be workshops for the production team and facilities for performers and spectators, the infrastructure required seems minimal – hence the expected opening within just over a year from this month’s planning approval.

It’s hard not to feel sympathy for the nearby residents, whose summer weekends will be ruined and homes devalued. Nor is the loss of a badger colony to be taken lightly.

If the Eleven Arches achieves its aims these downsides might be justified. One councillor compares the project to “the world-renowned Edinburgh Military Tattoo”. It can’t be denied that that event enjoys international fame despite, or probably because of, its Scottish slant. We must hope that the appeal of British history through North-East eyes proves equally as potent.

AND now – the Northern Powerhouse. Why has James Wharton, MP for Stockton South, been placed in charge of this Government initiative?

We’ll take it for granted he has the qualities for the job. More crucial is that he is a rare Northern Tory MP. But probably most crucial is that he has no link with Manchester or Leeds, the vital axis of the Powerhouse, possibly extended to Liverpool and Hull.

So neither the North West or West Yorkshire will be able to accuse Mr Wharton of bias. Trouble might loom, though, if he mounts any major push for Teesside or the North-East generally to figure in the Powerhouse - as he signals he will.