A decade after a remote dale was dealt a bitter jobs blow, its isolated communities still wait for a rescue operation to take shape. Catherine Priestley reports.

TEN years ago today, Lafarge UK announced it was to shut its Blue Circle cement works at Eastgate, in Weardale, County Durham.

Its closure – seven months later – saw the loss of 147 cement workers’ jobs and many more from supporting businesses.

“It caused devastation, dozens of families left the valley, schools lost children and with them funds,” said Weardale’s county councillor John Shuttleworth. “It led to the economic decline of the dale and ten years later nothing has improved.

“People of Weardale have been badly let down. Unless something positive happens soon it will be a vegetating area.”

The job of reviving the dale’s economy fell to the Weardale Task Force, which was headed by regional development agency One North East – now disbanded and replaced by a scaled down partnership of seven local authorities, the North Eastern Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Among its suggestions for reviving the area were: a Mr Bean playground to attract Asian tourists, selling Weardale produce in London delis and retraining cement workers as beekeepers.

“It was a disgrace,” added Coun Shuttleworth. “Some laughable ideas were put forward, opportunities were missed, money wasted.”

Nobody involved with One North East was available to comment but Paul Woolston, who chairs the new LEP, said: “This partnership wants to see all of the North-East developing, prospering and realising more of its potential and this, of course, includes Weardale and the former Lafarge site.”

The main proposal for Eastgate was a renewable energy village featuring geothermal, wind, solar, hydro and biomass power generators along with homes, a hotel, offices and leisure facilities.

John Hamilton chaired the Eastgate Task Force for nearly seven years, until the energy scheme won planning consent in September 2009.

He said: “The idea was costed and tested but it was never going to happen quickly. I said in a speech at the time, I didn’t know if I would ever see it fully completed.

“I’m 76 and though it may not happen in my lifetime I still absolutely believe in the concept, the idea as it stands with mixed-use developments is still good.

“It was unfortunate that the world came to a standstill economically and public funding was withdrawn.

“It needs something to kick start it. The interest is still there and I am confident it will go ahead as planned at some stage.”

Lloyd McInally, of Lafarge UK, which resumed control of the site from Durham County Council, said key elements were falling into place, with two renewable energy companies on course to become its first occupants.

Cluff Geothermal Ltd hopes to produce electricity by pumping naturally-heated water from 3km underground and Northern Energy Developments will generate power from biomass using chipped wood from local forestry operations.

Mr McInally said: “The substation and infrastructure have been tested and do have the capacity to pump electricity into the National Grid.

“We hope to get the biomass firm on site in spring. These are large projects and will take time but processes are being worked through.”

He is hopeful that with green energy generators in place, other occupants will be attracted to the site.

Coun Shuttleworth said: “I was critical of the energy village at first but it is the only show in town.

“If those two projects happen and create some jobs that is a positive and, hopefully, has the potential to be built on.”