A short but moving film premiered in Horden last week, challenging negative perceptions of the village and giving residents an opportunity to explain their opposition to Durham County Council’s demolition plans for the Numbered Streets.
Produced by the campaign group Fair Deal for Horden, the film argues that there are alternatives to demolition and presents a different vision for the future of one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the former mining village.
Residents invited Council leader and deputy leader to attend the screening, reserving seats for them at the front of the venue. However, neither of them were able to attend.
Strength in Numbers
‘Strength in Numbers’ produced by Fair Deal for Horden is a moving documentary short which focuses on the lives of the residents of the Numbered Streets. Through interviews within their homes, residents explain their family history, backgrounds and the opinions that they feel have not been taken into account in the Council’s regeneration process.
The filmmakers’ layer both present-day Horden with memories of its mining heritage, whilst also providing a recognition of the place Horden has become, blending in the stories of many people who have moved to the streets from other parts of the UK and abroad, and have come to call it home.
Family photos, anecdotes and memories of a Horden as a busy, vibrant community are built on the lives of miners’ families. Residents are adamant that the comradery and spirit of that time is still there in Horden.
Regeneration plans
The regeneration plans for the streets include demolishing homes on Third Street and Fifth Street of the Numbered Streets area initially with further demolition to follow. This means residents are at risk of losing their homes and being pushed out of the area they’ve been living in for years or even decades.
In response to the Council’s consultation process, which they felt did not sufficiently take into account the views of the Numbered Streets residents, the campaign has carried out their own extensive survey of and found that 71% of those within the affected area were against demolition. Indeed, one resident in the film stated that they could offer her £1 million and she still wouldn’t give up the home she lives in and was her parents’ home before her.
One resident described the importance of the streets, saying:
“These streets were built for the miners. From First Street to Thirteenth Street, they were all built for the miners. They’ve taken the mine away and now they want to take the rest of it.”
There is another way
By engaging with specialist architects and regeneration academics, the campaign argues that there is another way forward for the area. Campaigners believe alternatives to large-scale demolition and the displacement of residents should be fully explored, given the significant human and environmental costs involved.
They argue that Horden needs investment to create genuinely affordable social-rent homes. Decades of neglect by property investors and landlords have left many private tenants living in poor conditions. However, residents maintain that the basic fabric of most of the housing stock remains sound and could be refurbished to a good standard, as has been achieved in similar neighbourhoods across the North East and beyond, including The Green in Hartlepool.
Campaigners also argue that Horden’s homes are part of the area’s heritage and deserve to be valued in the same way as more traditionally recognised historic buildings. They believe decision-makers must acknowledge the history of local people and avoid losing the community’s culture and identity.
Residents suggest that refurbishing existing streets could help revive the village as a whole, building on the strengths of the community that already exists rather than replacing it with people who can simply afford to pay more.
Many residents say they can imagine a positive future for Horden, with a thriving and cohesive community. They argue that improving the area for existing residents would make it a more attractive place to live, helping to bring empty properties back into use as demand increases.
Interview with representative of ‘Fair Deal for Horden’
Campaign spokesperson Pippa Rook, a resident of Sixth Street in Horden answered our questions.
What are the Numbered Streets?
“They were originally built to house miners. Over time the houses have been sold to investors resulting in lots of lots of empty houses and social problems. There are now more owner occupiers and long-term residents and they have a long-term view and a really good community. We have all seen the YouTube videos [about Horden] and it’s quite uncomfortable as it is quite exploitative, and it is looking to show the worst of the area. This area is so much more than boarded up houses and people with addiction issues.”
Why do people feel so strongly about them?
“A lot of people feel this is their home and neighbours are family and we support each other. The idea of being ripped out of that and being dropped as a stranger into an unfamiliar place is really jarring.”
What are the council’s plans?
“The overall plan is to knock down all the streets, although starting with just two streets the Third and Fifth in order to be replaced by a slightly smaller number of mostly social housing. The plan is not specific about how much of the new development will be social housing and how much will be private housing.”
What is the purpose of the film?
“The purpose of the film is to reframe the narrative around the area and counter Youtubers who show the very grim parts of it and to give people living here a voice so they can give their point of view across and to show why they like this area and why they would like to stay.”
What do you think should be done by and for the people of Horden?
“What we would like to see is regeneration without demolition. That gives the people who care about the area and are deeply embedded in it the opportunity to stay. This has been done in Hartlepool. There they kept the original character, but made surroundings more open and welcoming and this is a better way going forward.”
Council response
Durham County Council was given the opportunity to respond to the concerns raised by Fair Deal for Horden.
Cllr Joe Quinn, the council’s Cabinet member for planning, assets and investments, said the authority had committed more than £10 million, alongside the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, to the regeneration of Horden. He said the proposals were intended to address issues including the number of empty properties in the Numbered Streets and that there had been “several periods of consultation with local people over a number of years”.
Quinn acknowledged that some residents had strong attachments to their homes but said the external funding available “simply does not allow for the refurbishment of properties”. He also argued that refurbishment “would not deliver the same level of benefits as the proposed new homes”.
He said the council believed demolition and replacement was “the only achievable way” of providing a higher standard of housing, with the new homes available for social rent.
Quinn added that the council wanted to negotiate with residents to buy their properties, offering what it described as fair market value, access to independent valuations and support in finding alternative homes if they chose to move.
The resolute spirit of Horden
There is a determined, resolute spirit in the residents of the Numbered Streets and they are prepared to stand up to be counted. Plans for the mine-water, geothermal energy scheme in Horden, which could provide cheap energy for residents, are currently still in the development stage. It would be a fitting way to honour the mining heritage of the village if this could be part of future regeneration plans too. This was an uplifting and moving evening in a much-maligned village, which has been through a hard time. Clearly the residents are prepared to fight for their homes.
Further information:
Ministry of Housing and Local Communities: ‘Demolition and Redevelopment or Retrofit Research.’ Quantitative research report March 2026.
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