Wearside and County Durham stories making the news

Upset at plans for a new road, "unacceptable" problems at a railway station and a fundraising mission have all been making headlines on Wearside and County Durham over the past week.

Here are some stories you might have missed.

A teenager has run 10 miles (16km) to raise money for charity a decade after he was in a life-changing car crash.

Charlie Graver was four years old when he suffered severe facial injuries which exposed his skull and required him to have reconstructive surgeries.

Since then he has been doing challenges for Changing Faces, which supports those with visual differences, and has raised a total of £23,000.

The teenager's latest effort saw him go from Durham Cathedral to Chester-le-Street FC and his school before finishing at his home in the town.

• Read the full story here.

Residents of a housing estate have said they are devastated at plans for a new main road which could run alongside their back gardens.

The route, in Bowburn, is proposed as part of the second phase of the £250m Integra 61 development of industrial and manufacturing units.

Developer Citrus said the road, which would link to the A177, will reduce traffic in Bowburn, but resident Lynne Hodgson said the impact would be "huge".

Durham County Council, which is likely to deliver the route alongside Citrus, said it understood the concerns and would work with all involved to ensure the road would provide "as little disruption as possible".

• Click here to read more.

Campaigners in a long-running battle against a planned solar farm have criticised the lack of notice from a council for a key planning inquiry.

A three-week hearing was to consider a decision to refuse plans for the 92-hectare (227-acre) solar farm in Burnhope after developers Lightsource bp appealed to the government's Planning Inspectorate.

There were complaints Durham County Council failed to inform the public about the inquiry within the required time frame, and it has now been adjourned.

The authority has apologised for the error and said the inquiry will be rescheduled for next year.

• Read all about the story by clicking here.

An MP has publicly criticised Network Rail over "unacceptable" problems at a station that has undergone a £27m redevelopment.

A new southern entrance to Sunderland station was opened in December 2023 with Network Rail saying at the time that "finishing touches" would be applied in the next few months.

But Labour MP Lewis Atkinson said the new entrance had experienced prolonged periods where escalators, lifts, doors and toilets "were not functional".

Network Rail said it was aware of the concerns and it was working with local partners to address the issues.

• Click here to read more on this story.

People are being asked for ideas to help improve the towns they live in.

Durham County Council wants to develop long-term plans for Chester-le-Street and Crook in an effort to create new jobs and boost local infrastructure.

The council said its plans would be shaped by feedback from local residents, who would be at the "heart of decision-making".

Councillor Karen Allison said it was important to understand how people felt about the towns so it could "help shape a positive future" for them.

• Read all about this story by clicking here.

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