I HAVE been asked, what is Durham County Council (DCC) doing about the North Eastern Hotel in Spennymoor?

It was a very important building in its time, but has stood empty for several years.

This person, quite rightly, says that the flower beds in the roundabout, at the bottom of Whitworth Terrace, Spennymoor are outstanding, but it is spoilt by the poor condition of the North Eastern.

I did take a regeneration officer from DCC during 2011 and it was in poor condition then and has deteriorated since.

Spennymoor is a good small town and is better condition overall than most other towns in our area and the north in general.

I did call successfully for shop front grants, whilst serving on Sedgefield Borough Council.

These grants transformed a lot of the Spennymoor high street shops, apart from Festival Walk which plans I am awaiting going out to public consultation.

This area spoils the heart of Spennymoor and I have pointed out that I would like all of the shops in this outdated shopping mall demolished and re-built.

We may not require as many shops and require more parking spaces. DCC should increase its £600,000 contribution from extra money collected from the hundreds of new houses built each year.

Ben Ord, Spennymoor