Theme Six: Enhancing The Durham City Experience And The Way It Is Communicated

It is important to consider how the City centre relates its functions to its users:

  • To shoppers
  • To City centre workers
  • To families
  • To young people
  • To residents
  • To visitors
  • To people wanting a good night out
  • To students
  • To “culture vultures”
  • To photographers, artists and historians 
  • To visiting business people

The City centre already has most, if not all, of the components that a City centre should offer to its users. The notable exception is a large cinema and conferencing facilities could be better. Hotel accommodation is being vastly improved. But while everything is there, it is not always of the right quantities or qualities, and some facilities are poorly managed.

The development sites can address many of the current deficiencies while better and more intensive use of land and buildings will address others. Securing development that does not always reflect most profitable uses will require robust policies and a steely resolve with pro-action.

There are a number of strategies in the wider Vision that address the software of the City centre, not what is offered, but the way it is offered. Such strategies are complementary to this Durham City Vision, and include:

  • Arts and events
  • City centre Management
  • Promoting City centre Entrepreneurship and Customer Service
  • Creating a sustainable communications strategy

These strategies are being addressed separately, and will be communicated to local stakeholders as they are developed. Action plans are being drawn up for each of these elements.

In addition the World Heritage Site Management Plan contains objectives that complement these strategies. This vision supports all objectives and in particular seeks to maximise complementary opportunities through:

  • Conserving the setting of the WHS and encouraging appropriate and sensitive development to support the ongoing regeneration of Durham and its environs.
  • Maximising the benefits brought to the region by the sustainable and appropriate use of the WHS and a visitor attraction, and maximising the benefit of the WHS to the local and regional development of Durham’s Tourism offer.