Dawn Bellingham
Photo: Durham

Durham planning committee

Councillor Dawn Bellingham

Vice-Chair, County Planning Committee

Seen at planning committee from September 2025 to March 2026

  • 100%attendance
  • 8agreed, no vote against recorded
  • 24decisions at their meetings
  • 1motion proposed

Councillor's page on the council's website

As at 17 September 2026, according to Plota’s analysis of Durham’s published minutes, Councillor Dawn Bellingham attended 9 of the 9 planning committee meetings whose minutes list them, from September 2025 to March 2026. On 8 other decisions the minutes record no vote against, so Bellingham is counted as agreeing; they are left out of the shares below. Bellingham proposed 1 motion the committee passed and seconded 1.

Meetings attended
9 of 9100%
Meetings whose minutes list them as present, sending apologies or absent. Minutes that list only those present cannot show an absence. 2 meetings as a substitute.
Decisions at their meetings
24
Applications decided at the meetings they sat on, as the minutes record them.
Agreed, no vote against recorded
8
Decisions the minutes record with no vote against and no count. Counted as agreeing, and left out of the shares.
Proposed or seconded
1 / 1
Motions the minutes say they proposed, then seconded, that the committee passed.
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 Bellingham and no voting chart is drawn. The minutes do name who proposed each motion.

Attendance

100%

9 of 9 meetings whose minutes list them.

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.

PresentAs a substitute
20252026

County Planning Committee: 7 meetings · Area Planning Committee (North): 1 meeting · Area Planning Committee (South and West): 1 meeting

Show as a table
Every meeting
DateCommitteeAttendance
4 Mar 2026County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
19 Feb 2026Area Planning Committee (South and West)Present as a substitute
4 Feb 2026County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
3 Dec 2025County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
5 Nov 2025County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
20 Oct 2025County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
1 Oct 2025County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
25 Sep 2025Area Planning Committee (North)Present as a substitute
3 Sep 2025County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair

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 Bellingham 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

  • Spoke
    “Councillor D Bellingham stated that there was a need for housing and there were green fields at the other side of the development which could be used as open space. She also reiterated that it was private land which could be taken away at any time.”
    Minutes, 19 Feb 2026, Land East Of Buckingham Terrace Leeholme
  • Spoke on a site visit
    “Councillor D Bellingham advised that she had attended the site visit and it looked like the perfect place to build affordable and social houses with existing facilities which was what was needed.”
    Minutes, 19 Feb 2026, Land To The North Of Redworth Business Park Redworth Road Shildon
  • Seconded
    “Councillor D Bellingham seconded the application for approval.”
    Minutes, 19 Feb 2026, Land To The West Of 14 St Gregory Close Staindrop
  • Spoke on the conditions
    “Councillor Bellingham referred to the significant need in Thornley for housing and moved approval of the recommendation with the updated conditions.”
    Minutes, 4 Feb 2026, Land At Coopers Terrace Thornley
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Bellingham referred to policies 10, 39 and 40 of the CDP and queried what analysis had taken place to throw the balance in favour of development.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land To The South Of Wagtail Lane Craghead
  • Raised concerns
    “Whilst there had been some discussion about horses in fields, Councillor Bellingham was concerned that the business would not be able to use bridleways due to the glare which would make it difficult to continue operating the business.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land To The South Of Wagtail Lane Craghead
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Bellingham, addressed the Committee as Local Member and made it clear that she was not opposed to redevelopment of the numbered streets and accepted the genuine need for investment in the area.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Third Street, Former Fourth Street And Fifth Street Horden Peterlee
  • Asked about parking
    “In response to a question from Councillor Bellingham, he confirmed that the TRO would alleviate existing parking issues ahead of the development and would be enforced by the Council.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land West Of Gladstone Terrace Coxhoe
  • Spoke on highway safety
    “Councillor Bellingham referred to a pattern at Committee of concerns being raised by residents about highway impact. She considered that if Officers were doing everything they could to alleviate residents’ concerns and that highway improvements would be delivered on schedule, she was supportive of the recommendation and moved the recommendation to approve the application.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Land To The South Of Cockhouse Lane Ushaw Moor
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Bellingham asked for further information about the grading of agricultural land.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Whitworth Park Phase 6 Spennymoor
  • Spoke in support
    “Councillor Bellingham supported the application, noting that there had been no objections from occupiers of the town centre.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Land West Of Unit 18 Bishop Auckland Retail Park St Helen Auckland
  • Spoke on highway safety
    “Councillor Bellingham referred to the highway issues which had been raised previously and the concerns which remained about the amount of traffic at the A181 junction which was a main route between the east coast and Durham City. She accepted that the harm from this development was considered to be limited but asked for consideration to be given to the existing issues if problems worsened.”
    Minutes, 20 Oct 2025, Land To The North West Of 17 Quilstyle Road Wheatley Hill
  • Seconded
    “He moved the application for approval, which was seconded by Councillor Bellingham.”
    Minutes, 20 Oct 2025, Land North And East Of Pelton House Farm Estate Station Lane Pelton
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Bellingham asked the developer to clarify their statement which claimed that the Planning Officers assessment was skewed.”
    Minutes, 1 Oct 2025, Land To The West Of St Michaels Rise Hawthorn
  • Seconded
    “Councillor Bellingham seconded the motion to refuse the application.”
    Minutes, 1 Oct 2025, Land To The West Of St Michaels Rise Hawthorn
  • Moved approval
    “Councillor Bellingham moved the recommendation to approve the application as per the conditions outlined in the report, which was seconded by Councillor Hope.”
    Minutes, 1 Oct 2025, Land East Of B1287 Seaham
  • Asked about the conditions
    “Councillor D Bellingham enquired as to the inclusion of any conditions that would require the employment of local apprentices on the development.”
    Minutes, 25 Sep 2025, Land West Of West Lea Syke Road Burnopfield
  • Asked about highway safety
    “Councillor Bellingham asked for some assurance that Highways Officers would work with the Local Member to improve the traffic issues in the area.”
    Minutes, 3 Sep 2025, Land To The North West Of 17 Quilstyle Road Wheatley Hill
  • Seconded
    “Councillor Wilkes moved a motion to approve the application, which was seconded by Councillor Bellingham.”
    Minutes, 3 Sep 2025, Land To The East Of Unit 7 Dragonville Retail Park Dragon Lane 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