James Stephenson
Photo: Durham

Durham planning committee

Councillor James Stephenson

Vice-Chair, County Planning Committee

Seen at planning committee from September 2025 to July 2026

  • 100%attendance
  • 2agreed, no vote against recorded
  • 22decisions 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 James Stephenson attended 8 of the 8 planning committee meetings whose minutes list them, from September 2025 to July 2026. On 2 other decisions the minutes record no vote against, so Stephenson is counted as agreeing; they are left out of the shares below.

Meetings attended
8 of 8100%
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
22
Applications decided at the meetings they sat on, as the minutes record them.
Agreed, no vote against recorded
2
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 Stephenson and no voting chart is drawn.

Attendance

100%

8 of 8 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.

Present
20252026

County Planning Committee: 8 meetings

Show as a table
Every meeting
DateCommitteeAttendance
8 Jul 2026County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
2 Jun 2026County Planning CommitteePresent, Vice-Chair
4 Mar 2026County Planning CommitteePresent
4 Feb 2026County Planning CommitteePresent
3 Dec 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
5 Nov 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
20 Oct 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
3 Sep 2025County Planning CommitteePresent

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 Stephenson 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 on highway safety
    “Councillor Stephenson noted paragraph 248 of the report and the advice provided by the Planning and Highways Lawyer.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land East Of Carrs Farm South Hetton
  • Asked about heritage
    “Councillor Stephenson sought clarification regarding the distance between the proposed development and the Heritage Coast.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The East Of Stockton Road Seaham
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Stephenson commented that considerable public investment had been made in improving the Durham coastline and queried the extent to which those efforts could be affected by this development.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The East Of Stockton Road Seaham
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Stephenson acknowledged the concerns raised but accepted the professional and legal advice provided. He hoped that funding would be available to improve the safety of the roundabout and indicated his support for the Officer recommendation.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Stephenson highlighted the benefits of the scheme and that there had been few representations received.”
    Minutes, 2 Jun 2026, Land To The West Of Fenhall Lodge Greencroft Park Lanchester Durham
  • Spoke in support
    “Councillor Stephenson supported the scheme which would improve the existing building and resolve accommodation issues.”
    Minutes, 2 Jun 2026, Prince Bishops Shopping Centre High Street Durham
  • Spoke in support
    “Councillor Stephenson was supportive of the proposal which would provide homes close to the nearby industrial estate.”
    Minutes, 2 Jun 2026, Land To The North Of York Hill Road Spennymoor
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Stephenson queried whether the site was deliverable and if not whether the tilted balance was relevant.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Land North And West Of 3 Westerton Road Coundon
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Stephenson confirmed that Members had been misinformed about the status of the culvert, although it had been refused on landscape harm and there was no change. He was confused that the same application had been submitted when the reason for refusal still in play.”
    Minutes, 4 Mar 2026, Land North And West Of 3 Westerton Road Coundon
  • Spoke
    “Councillor J Stephenson, local councillor addressed the committee in objection to the application. He stated that the proposal was essentially the same as the scheme which was refused in September 2025.”
    Minutes, 19 Feb 2026, Land East Of Buckingham Terrace Leeholme
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Stephenson clarified that he had not stated that the Council had zero control over the matter, however there were no reasons to reject the application.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Land To The South Of Cockhouse Lane Ushaw Moor
  • Asked about heritage
    “In response to a question from Councillor Stephenson, the Senior Planning Officer confirmed that due to the County’s former coal mining heritage, most sites were located on former coal seams.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Whitworth Park Phase 6 Spennymoor
  • Spoke in support
    “Councillor Stephenson also supported the scheme. He suggested that there were good existing cycle routes that were used regularly and he noted the employment benefits.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Land West Of Unit 18 Bishop Auckland Retail Park St Helen Auckland
  • Seconded
    “He moved the recommendation to approve the application which was seconded by Councillor Stephenson.”
    Minutes, 20 Oct 2025, Land To The North West Of 17 Quilstyle Road Wheatley Hill
  • Asked about highway safety
    “Councillor Stephenson queried why the entrance was from Quilstyle Road and not to the north of the site which would reduce traffic through the village.”
    Minutes, 3 Sep 2025, Land To The North West Of 17 Quilstyle Road Wheatley Hill

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