Latest news with #GrahameMorris
Time Out
a day ago
- Business
- Time Out
The beachy English seaside town that is getting a new direct train service from London
Soon Londoners will have access to a brand new summer holiday destination, because plans have been revealed for a new train directly linking the capital to a seaside town way up in County Durham. The train, operated by Grand Central, will link King's Cross with Seaham, a seaside town known for its rugged, beautiful beaches and maritime history. The town is also home to a whopping 10 chippies, so come hungry. Beginning from December 2025, this will be Seaham's first ever direct rail connection with the Big Smoke. The Seaham stop will be added to Grand Central's service from King's Cross to Sunderland, which currently goes via Peterborough, York, Thirsk, Northallerton, Eaglescliffe and Hartelpool. The service is one of several new routes recently confirmed on the East Coast Mainline. Some of the top things to do at the harbour town are seeing its sweeping coastline, which is known to be an ideal spot for sea glass hunting, walking the coast path to Nose's Point, and visiting the East Durham Heritage & Lifeboat Centre, or perhaps the Mole Sanctuary, if that's your thing. Grahame Morris, the MP for Easington said: 'I'm delighted to share that the Office of Rail and Road has confirmed that Grand Central Trains will begin stopping at Seaham Station from December 2025 to December 2026. '[There will be] four stopping services per day in each direction.' He added: 'Although the approval is currently for a one-year period using five-car trains, I'm confident that these services will be well-used by residents across our community. 'This means that our constituency will now have direct rail links to York and London, alongside increased capacity to local destinations such as Sunderland and Hartlepool.' The Seaham train is one of a few new rail services that will link London with the north and Scotland coming later this year. Read about the new services arriving at Hull, Newcastle and Glasgow here.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Picturesque seaside town boasting 10 fish and chip shops will have direct train to London
Trains from London are planned to stop in this beautiful seaside town in the north of England, marking the destination's first and only direct rail connection to the capital Plans are progressing to establish a new direct rail link from London to the stunning Durham coastline in northern England. Starting December 2025, trains will begin calling at the town of Seaham in County Durham, renowned for its striking cliffs, sandy beaches, and fascinating maritime heritage. Visitors should arrive with an appetite too, as the town boasts no fewer than 10 fish and chip shops, according to Google Maps. The railway service will be operated by the Open Access operator Grand Central, supported by transport firm Arriva. Operators such as Grand Central remain outside the Labour government's nationalisation proposals, utilising their own finances, reports the Express. It comes after images show the cheapest seaside spot in England is full of abandoned £40k homes 'nobody wants'. READ MORE: New train stations will allow tourists to explore popular UK holiday destination Grahame Morris, the MP for Easington said: "I'm delighted to share that the Office of Rail and Road has confirmed that Grand Central Trains will begin stopping at Seaham Station from December 2025 to December 2026. [There will be] four stopping services per day in each direction." Home to roughly 21,500 inhabitants, Seaham is a bustling harbour town along the Durham Coast, boasting award-winning hotels, an extensive array of cafés and breathtaking clifftop vistas. Seaham Beach features a combination of rocky and sandy shoreline, extending roughly one mile along the town's coast, from the harbour wall to the northern edge of the settlement. Seaham is famous for vibrant sea glass - manmade glass that was previously discarded at sea before being tumbled and shaped by the water over several years and eventually washing ashore. A visitor said on Tripadvisor this past April: "Lovely beach with beautiful coloured pebbles and sea glass. There are car parks along the seafront - only cost £3 for the whole day. Town is within walkable distance and has a number of good fish and chips shop. Bell's fish restaurant has plenty of seating inside when the weather's cold. There's also a market. Great for a relaxing day out." The news emerges as UK rail regulators approved extended track access rights for Grand Central's current operations through to 2038. The trains will be manufactured at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe plant, the company's British manufacturing hub. Arriva officially submitted an application to the UK Office of Rail and Road, the appropriate authority, to broaden its Grand Central operations into Lincolnshire from 2026. The operator is also pursuing approval for plans involving two additional daily return journeys between Bradford and London, plus an early morning and late evening return from York to London, along with connections to Seaham, which would mark the town's first and only direct link to London. Morris added: "Although the approval is currently for a one-year period using 5-car trains, I'm confident that these services will be well-used by residents across our community. "This means that our constituency will now have direct rail links to York and London, alongside increased capacity to local destinations such as Sunderland and Hartlepool."
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
County Durham solar farm proposal turned down after objections
Plans for a large-scale solar farm in the countryside have been refused over concerns about noise and the impact on the landscape. Hare Hill Solar's proposal for the site in Haswell Plough was voted down by Durham County Council's planning committee after a developer hoped to operate the 154-acre (62.7 hectare) site at Harehill Farm alongside a battery storage system, but faced opposition from County Council's planning department had originally backed the development to provide clean energy to 17,600 homes, but the committee voted to knock back the plans. Resident Janice Ferguson said her family would become "prisoners in our own home" if the solar farm went ahead."In every direction we will be surrounded by wire fencing, security lighting and CCTV cameras," she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service."We will have to endure at least a year of dust and drilling while 90,000 panels are piledriven into the ground all around us." Residents' concerns Ms Ferguson was joined by 24 other objectors, including local MP Grahame Morris who opposed the proposal due to noise issues and the impact on the said: "The thought of residents being surrounded by rows of solar panels is understandably distressing."Kenneth Morton, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the application had been altered following local feedback and told a council meeting: "This scheme has planning officers' recommendation for approval, it seeks to minimise local impacts, enables the survival of two local businesses, supports jobs and supports biodiversity."Also supporting the plan, Councillor Mark Wilkes said there would be "no impact on farmland, which in any shape or form can be considered to be negative".However, a majority of committee members sided with the campaigners' Alan Bell said: "It's immense, it's enormous."The landscape harm is not going to be overcome." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
East Durham College housing plans expected to be refused
Plans by a college to build 54 homes on a disused playing field are expected to be Durham College wants to build the homes on an old running track at Willerby Drive in Peterlee, but a planning officer from Durham County Council has recommended the projected be refused Spurgeon pointed out a number of problems with the scheme and said it would result in a loss of playing fields in the Easington MP Grahame Morris has supported the application because it would bring the land back into use. He said the plans would "repurpose a neglected area and generate revenues to enable the college to continue to deliver high-quality academic and sports provision, as well as much-needed housing". 'Poor design' The site was last used as a playing field in 2019, according to the Local Democracy Reporting its planning statement the college said the field was overgrown and it had no "surplus funds or intention" to reuse it as a playing his recommendation to the council, Mr Spurgeon said the proposed development would lead to the loss of about two hectares (7.4 acres) of playing fields and the application did not show a surplus of such facilities in the England objected to the plans for the same Spurgeon said the development was of a "poor design" when assessed against the council's County Durham Plan Building for Life Supplementary Planning said it "would not be possible for an appropriate layout for something numerically close to 54 dwellings" to be built while adhering to the plans would also require prominent trees to be cut down and the development would cause significant harm to biodiversity in the area, Mr Spurgeon said.
