Kenny Hope
Photo: Durham

Durham planning committee

Councillor Kenny Hope

Member, County Planning Committee

Seen at planning committee from September 2025 to April 2026

  • 69%attendance
  • 2agreed, no vote against recorded
  • 18decisions 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 Kenny Hope attended 9 of the 13 planning committee meetings whose minutes list them, from September 2025 to April 2026. On 2 other decisions the minutes record no vote against, so Hope is counted as agreeing; they are left out of the shares below.

Meetings attended
9 of 1369%
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
18
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.
Proposed or seconded
0 / 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 Hope and no voting chart is drawn.

Attendance

69%

9 of 13 meetings whose minutes list them; apologies for 4.

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

County Planning Committee: 5 meetings · Area Planning Committee (North): 4 meetings

Show as a table
Every meeting
DateCommitteeAttendance
23 Apr 2026Area Planning Committee (North)Present
26 Mar 2026Area Planning Committee (North)Apologies
4 Mar 2026County Planning CommitteeApologies
26 Feb 2026Area Planning Committee (North)Apologies
4 Feb 2026County Planning CommitteePresent
29 Jan 2026Area Planning Committee (North)Present
18 Dec 2025Area Planning Committee (North)Present
3 Dec 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
5 Nov 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
20 Oct 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
1 Oct 2025County Planning CommitteePresent
25 Sep 2025Area Planning Committee (North)Present
3 Sep 2025County Planning CommitteeApologies

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 Hope 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 Hope advised that whilst taking photographs of the roundabout, an employee at a nearby garage had commented that motorists frequently asked whether the business's CCTV system covered the junction due to the number of collisions and incidents that occurred there.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Spoke on highway safety
    “Councillor Hope suggested applying caution to the two representations in support of the application which he believed had been submitted on the basis that they were supporting highway improvements. He explained that he had initially misunderstood the application, believing that it was to secure improvements to the junction and he suggested that many residents had formed a similar understanding.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Spoke on the conditions
    “Councillor Hope advised Members that on 5 June 2026 a separate similar application was received regarding the removal of the same condition and he sought clarification on this.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Asked about highway safety
    “Councillor Hope queried whether there was any means by which a related planning decision, already approved under delegated powers, could be challenged and was advised by the Planning and Highways Solicitor that there was no planning appeal mechanism available against such a decision.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Asked a question
    “Councillor Hope asked for important applications such as this to be provided to Members in an alternative user-friendly format.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Spoke
    “Referring to the design of the junction itself, Councillor Hope stated that local residents often referred to the roundabout as "the dot" because of its size and layout. He argued that drivers frequently misused the roundabout, travelled directly across it rather than around it and he noted that road markings and surfacing often required maintenance.”
    Minutes, 8 Jul 2026, Land To The North East Of Explorer House Iveston Lane Iveston
  • Spoke on the conditions
    “Councillor Hope agreed that the condition needed to be more robust and seconded this motion.”
    Minutes, 4 Feb 2026, Tarmac The Quarry Old Quarrington Durham
  • Seconded
    “This motion was seconded by Councillor Hope.”
    Minutes, 4 Feb 2026, Land At Coopers Terrace Thornley
  • Spoke
    “Councillor K Hope explained that while he understood the points raised by the local resident in objection, the Committee had to assess the application objectively. He noted national policy in terms of promoting sustainable transport, reducing carbon emissions.”
    Minutes, 18 Dec 2025, Site Of Former Go North East Bus Garage Picktree Lane Picktree
  • Spoke
    “Councillor K Hope noted that given the comments from the Officers at the meeting, together with the report and presentation, he could see nothing that was contrary to policy in terms of the application. He noted that therefore he would move that the application be approved, with the amendments to conditions and additional condition as referred to by the Senior Planning Officer.”
    Minutes, 18 Dec 2025, Site Of Former Go North East Bus Garage Picktree Lane Picktree
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Hope considered the scheme to be a risk to the health and wellbeing of humans and in breach of Policy 10 and 33 of the CDP.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land To The South Of Wagtail Lane Craghead
  • Spoke
    “In response to questions from the Planning and Highways Lawyer, Councillor Hope explained that whilst there was a need for renewable energy, this location was inappropriate.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land To The South Of Wagtail Lane Craghead
  • Spoke on neighbours' amenity
    “Following advice from the Planning and Highways Lawyer, Councillor Hope confirmed the reasons for refusal were due to the impact on recreational amenity and the unacceptable harm on the landscape.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land To The South Of Wagtail Lane Craghead
  • Spoke
    “Whilst he appreciated the frustration of residents, Councillor Hope advised that 51 of the properties were empty. He would not want to lose his own home but there was a need for newer, sustainable housing with better cohesion in this area.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Third Street, Former Fourth Street And Fifth Street Horden Peterlee
  • Seconded
    “The park and stride was essential to assist with road safety and he moved a motion to approve the application, which was seconded by Councillor Hope.”
    Minutes, 3 Dec 2025, Land West Of Gladstone Terrace Coxhoe
  • Raised concerns
    “Councillor Hope referred to the to the proposed outdoor space and raised concerns about the proximity of the play area to the SUDS.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Whitworth Park Phase 6 Spennymoor
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Hope stated that a number of good points had been raised by Local Members, but disputed that there was a sharp bend on Carr Street as it was 800m in length.”
    Minutes, 5 Nov 2025, Whitworth Park Phase 6 Spennymoor
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Hope was satisfied that the issues raised during the previous meeting had been addressed and therefore supported the decision to approve the application.”
    Minutes, 20 Oct 2025, Land To The North West Of 17 Quilstyle Road Wheatley Hill
  • Spoke
    “Councillor Hope referred to the clear need for new properties and noted the statement from the MP had taken reference to the government’s house building manifesto to build 1.5m homes by 2029.”
    Minutes, 1 Oct 2025, Land To The West Of St Michaels Rise Hawthorn
  • Seconded
    “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
  • Spoke on flooding and drainage
    “Councillor K Hope noted that drainage protection advised a change in design to consider a basin side slope gradient no steeper than 1 in 5, a climate change allowance of 45%, the discharge rate to be no greater than QBAR rural Rate.”
    Minutes, 25 Sep 2025, Land West Of West Lea Syke Road Burnopfield

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