• Let's do more to bring the town's history alive for visitors.
• Denise, Barney
• What about a recreation and leisure section?
• Jo Bird
• Barnard Castle Vision,
  Teesdale House,
  Galgate,
  Barnard Castle,
  DL12 9EL

  Text VISION and your message to 07781474422, email us, or fill out this form.

About the Vision

What is Barnard Castle Vision?
Barnard Castle Vision is a 20-year plan for the regeneration and development of Barnard Castle market town. The Vision provides a means of accessing long term funding to transform the town into a leading rural service centre, a heritage destination of regional significance, a hotbed of entrepreneurialism and a preferred location for high value-added manufacturing and knowledge-based business investment. The Vision will benefit residents, entrepreneurs, workers, investors and visitors to Barnard Castle.

Where did the idea for the Vision come from?
The Regional Economic Strategy has identified Barnard Castle as one of four market towns (alongside Alnwick, Berwick and Hexham) that are priorities for strategic investment.

The Visioning process started with extensive community consultation led by independent consultants Ekos Consulting. This consultation is summarised in the report Barnard Castle Vision published in March 2007.

The Vision was commissioned by the former Teesdale District Council, Durham County Council, County Durham Economic Partnership, One NorthEast, Teesdale Marketing and Teesdale Local Strategic Partnership.

The Vision has also been informed by the findings of a Retail Distinctiveness Study.

How is the Vision directed?
The Vision is steered by a regeneration partnership comprising the major stakeholders and local stakeholders: One NorthEast, Durham County Council, Teesdale Marketing, The Enterprise Agency for Wear Valley and Teesdale, Teesdale School and NHS County Durham. There are a range of consultative processes in relation to projects to ensure community participation.

Who decides what gets done?
The Steering Group, funders and investors in Teesdale will implement projects that will realise the Vision.

In what ways can I participate?
We would welcome your input and ideas.  Under Our Projects on this website is information about the 1000 Voices.  Email or call Jill Cole to find out more.  You can also participate in conversations on this website.

What's the budget?
We anticipate several million pounds worth of public funding to support the implementation of the Vision. The Steering Group is actively seeking external funders and investors.

What kind of projects are you developing?
The Vision will realise capital projects and programme activity under the following themes:

• Science & Innovation
• Health Campus
• Agricultural Diversity
• Slow Food
• Community
• Artisan
• Crafts & Applied Arts
• Active
• Green

What's happening now?
There are a number of projects in progress.  Please visit the Our Projects and Latest News sections of this website to find out more.  We will update the information regularly, so please come back regularly to keep yourself informed about what we are doing.