Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to regenerate town centres (a) in Chester-le-Street, (b) in Stanley and (c) elsewhere.

This Government is committed to delivering a five-step plan to support high streets and town centres across the country, including in Chester-le-Street and Stanley. We will tackle anti-social behaviour with 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs, roll out banking hubs, replace business rates with a new system of business property taxation, stamp out late payments and give communities a strong new ‘right to buy’ beloved community assets to revamp high streets and end the blight of empty premises.

The Government will also work with local partners in the North East to deliver economic growth, supporting local town centres. We will work with the North East Combined Authority on a Local Growth Plan, which will be both locally owned and aligned with the national Industrial Strategy. This is part of our plan to move power out of Westminster and put it in the hands of those with the greatest stake in our country’s future.