Andrew Eales
Photo: Durham

Durham planning committee

Councillor Andrew Eales

Member, Area Planning Committee (Central and East)

Seen at planning committee from September 2025 to September 2026

  • 83%attendance
  • 5agreed, no vote against recorded
  • 23decisions at their meetings

Councillor's page on the council's website

As at 17 September 2026, according to Plota’s analysis of Durham’s published minutes, Councillor Andrew Eales attended 10 of the 12 planning committee meetings whose minutes list them, from September 2025 to September 2026. On 5 other decisions the minutes record no vote against, so Eales is counted as agreeing; they are left out of the shares below.

Meetings attended
10 of 1283%
Meetings whose minutes list them as present, sending apologies or absent. Minutes that list only those present cannot show an absence.
Decisions at their meetings
23
Applications decided at the meetings they sat on, as the minutes record them.
Agreed, no vote against recorded
5
Decisions the minutes record with no vote against and no count. Counted as agreeing, and left out of the shares.
Declared interests
0
Decisions on which the minutes record them declaring an interest.

Voting record

The minutes we hold do not give each member's vote at these meetings, so no vote is counted for Eales and no voting chart is drawn.

Attendance

83%

10 of 12 meetings whose minutes list them; apologies for 2.

The typical member of this committee attended 86% (the median of 31 members listed at 5 or more meetings).

Every meeting

Each square is a meeting whose minutes list them, oldest first.

PresentApologies
20252026

Area Planning Committee (Central and East): 7 meetings · County Planning Committee: 3 meetings

Show as a table
Every meeting
DateCommitteeAttendance
8 Sep 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present
29 Jul 2026County Planning CommitteePresent
21 Jul 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present
14 Jul 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Apologies
8 Jul 2026County Planning CommitteePresent
9 Jun 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present
2 Jun 2026County Planning CommitteePresent
12 May 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Apologies
10 Feb 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present
13 Jan 2026Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present
7 Oct 2025Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present
9 Sep 2025Area Planning Committee (Central and East)Present

Decisions

Every application decided at a meeting they sat on, newest first, with their vote where the minutes give it.

Show
Their vote
Outcome

In the minutes

What the minutes record Eales moving, seconding, asking or saying on each decision, in the minutes’ own words. Passages that name more than one councillor, or a member of the public, are left out.

Subjects in what the minutes record

  • Seconded
    “He supported Councillor A Bell’s motion seconded by Councillor A Eales to go against officer recommendation and refuse the application on the same basis as was upheld in the High Court.”
    Minutes, 29 Jul 2026, Land To The North Of George Pit Lane Great Lumley
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor A Eales asked at what point would the saturation limit be reached for these renewable energy projects when there was no need for any more, and queried if this was in any plan.”
    Minutes, 29 Jul 2026, Land To The East, South And West Of Benridge Farm, Fillpoke Lane Blackhall Rocks
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Eales commented that Members found themselves in a difficult position when balancing national policy support for renewable energy against local concerns and landscape impacts.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land East Of Carrs Farm South Hetton
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Eales sought clarification regarding whether the application was linked to the previous infrastructure proposal considered by the Committee and commented upon the level of public support recorded during the consultation process.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The East Of Stockton Road Seaham
  • Raised concerns
    “Councillor Eales expressed broader concern regarding the way accident data was collected and utilised within planning assessments.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Seconded
    “Councillor A Eales seconded the motion for approval.”
    Minutes, 9 Jun 2026, Fernhill Newcastle Road Crossgate Moor Durham
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Eales noted that it seemed likely that Members would be in support of the application later should satisfactory information be submitted. He suggested moving to a vote.”
    Minutes, 2 Jun 2026, Land To The West Of Fenhall Lodge Greencroft Park Lanchester Durham
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor A Eales asked as regards the education contribution. He noted that the amount referred to three pupils at £17,000 being £51,000 rather than the £73,000 referred to within the report.”
    Minutes, 10 Feb 2026, Land To The South Of South Parade Thornley
  • Spoke
    “Councillor A Eales noted that with DCC bringing forward an application, he felt they could have been a bit cleverer and clear up those issues before the application was before the Committee, adding it should not have been for Members to bring up those points.”
    Minutes, 10 Feb 2026, Land To The South Of South Parade Thornley
  • Spoke
    “Councillor A Eales noted that there could be impact upon those residents with mobility issues if the footpath was blocked, or those with young children in a pushchair, making it impossible for them to get past and they would have to walk down the middle of the road.”
    Minutes, 7 Oct 2025, 43 Oak Avenue Sherburn Road Estate Durham
  • Spoke
    “Councillor A Eales noted that while the matter was a planning one, he would have been interested in any business plan for the proposed holiday let business.”
    Minutes, 9 Sep 2025, Bowburn Methodist Church Ash Terrace Durham Road Bowburn Durham

How this is worked out

Everything here is read from Durham’s published planning committee minutes, 34 meetings from September 2025 to September 2026. A councillor is matched across meetings by the council’s own member number where it has one, otherwise by full name.

Each vote shows how it is known. Named in the minutes: the minutes, or the council’s own recorded vote, list each member with their vote. From the count and the names: the minutes give the numbers and name the members in the minority, and every member present is known. All members present in favour: the minutes say every member voted for it and the members present are known. No vote against recorded: the minutes record the decision with no vote against, no abstention and no count, at a council whose minutes print a divided vote when there is one, so each member present is counted for. Unanimous vote: the minutes call the decision unanimous, or give a count with no one against and no one abstaining, and each member present is counted for. From the meeting recording: the vote was heard on the council’s recording of the meeting and closes exactly with the members present. Where none of these holds, the vote is left as “Not recorded” and is not counted.

Votes are on the resolution the committee passed, so a vote for is a vote with the majority. A vote is a decision on the application in front of the committee, not a statement of the councillor’s views. A percentage is shown only with five or more votes, decisions or meetings behind it.

Source: Plota analysis of the council’s minutes. The party is from the council’s own list of councillors.

Also on this committee

All Durham committee councillors