Labour candidate announced for Barnard Castle council seat

Author Chris Foote-Wood will represent the party in next year’s election.

The new position has been created following boundary changes, which have split the town from Upper and Lower Teesdale.

Councillors had shared responsibility for the town as well as the dale.

There will now be an Upper Dale seat with one member instead of two, while an extended Lower Teesdale seat will retain two members.

Teesdale Labour branch secretary Phil Hunt said: “Getting an individual county councillor for Barnard Castle was a change we fought for long and hard, and we were able to persuade the Boundary Commission to support our view that this would be better for the town and dale alike.

“Chris Foote-Wood has over 40 years’ experience as a local councillor, he is a former Durham county councillor, and for the past four years he has been an active and effective Barnard Castle town councillor.”

Mr Foote-Wood, 84, is a former civil engineer and semi-retired journalist and broadcaster.

He has written and published more than 20 books and is the current Barnard Castle deputy Town Mayor.

He said: “I have known and loved Barney since coming here on holiday as a child.

“After leaving Durham University I settled in Bishop Auckland, visiting Barney regularly.

“I was a Bishop county councillor for 12 years, and leader of Wear Valley district council for six years.

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“I am currently a member of the Durham County Standards Committee which deals with complaints about councillors.

“If elected, I will devote the majority of my time to the job and will always be open to meet people and take up local issues.”

At a Labour Party Teesdale branch meeting held at Marwood Social Centre last week week Mr. Foote-Wood was unanimously selected as the candidate for Barnard Castle in the upcoming county council elections in May.