Durham County Council

What Durham County Council does

Durham County Council is a unitary local authority established in 1888 under the Local Government Act, exercising the full range of statutory county and district functions across 223,260 hectares of County Durham in north-east England. The council serves a resident population of approximately 538,000 across an estimated 234,880 households, with 98 elected councillors representing an electorate of around 530,100. Its operational scale - a budget cited at approximately £1.4 billion (2017 reference) supporting 16,000-18,000 staff - covers waste management (226,000 tonnes of household waste annually, 78,000 street lights maintained), social care for adults and children, education liaison across 262 state-funded schools, housing, planning, licensing, leisure (15 leisure centres, 39 libraries), and community safety.

Its core digital product is the Durham Online Services Portal, built on the Granicus GovService CRM and integrated with Microsoft Office 365 internally and What3Words externally for citizen-facing location reporting of flytipping and similar service requests. Service delivery combines an in-house team (Civic Pride, environmental education, pest control, waste management) with third-party delivery partners such as Esh Construction for retrofit work and housing associations (Karbon Homes, Oaktree Living, Believe Housing, Livin) for affordable housing. Pricing is tax-funded for most services, with transaction fees applied to discretionary services such as pest control treatments priced at £52-£60 per visit (50% Council Tax Reduction discount available) and garden waste on a subscription basis; commercial rates cover Business Rates payers.

Revenue is derived from Council Tax (mandatory levy on the 234,880 households and businesses), retained Business Rates, central Government Grants, and minor transactional fees. Strategic direction is currently shaped by the Durham Innovation District partnership with Muse and Durham University, new cultural infrastructure (The Light, opening August 2026), and expanded housing delivery and energy retrofit programmes funded via Homes England. Political control transferred to Reform UK in May 2025, marking the first change in majority administration in over a century.

Name

Durham County Council

Legal name

Durham County Council

Website

https://durham.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Durham County Council is a unitary local authority in north-east England established 1888, serving 538,000 residents across 234,880 households with statutory services including waste collection, social care, education, housing, planning, and leisure via its online portal, libraries, leisure centres, and partner delivery network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Street & Public Space Litter Collection (Municipal Cleaning) (BPALAAAE), Scrap Metal & White Goods Aggregation Yards (EUAIABAH)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Waste collection services
• Social care services
• Planning and licensing
• Community recreation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary local taxation revenue collected from households and businesses in County Durham
2. Government Grants: Central government funding and specific program grants for services
3. Service Fees and Charges: Fees for various services including pest control, planning applications, licensing, parking fines, commercial waste collection
4. Business Rates: Levies on commercial properties in the county

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Durham County Council is the unitary local authority for County Durham providing statutory public services to 538,000 residents. Its portfolio includes household waste and recycling collection, council tax and business rates administration, social care for adults and children, education support across 262 schools, planning and licensing, housing services, road and street-lighting maintenance for 78,000 street lights, libraries, leisure centres, pest control, and environmental protection. These services are delivered via the Durham Online Services Portal, telephone contact centre, physical offices, 39 libraries, and 15 leisure centres, supported by AI-powered CRM tools.

Product overview

Durham County Council operates as a unitary local authority providing a comprehensive portfolio of digital and in-person public services to residents of County Durham. The council's digital presence centers on its Durham Online Services Portal, a unified platform providing citizen-facing access to over 100 services including waste management, pest control, planning, licensing, and transportation. Supporting this core platform are specialized service programs such as the Big Spring Clean community litter-picking initiative, environmental education sessions for schools, pest control treatment services, dog ownership support programs, and small electricals recycling services. The council also employs AI-powered tools within its CRM system (Granicus GovService) for computer vision analysis of uploaded images and generative AI for analyzing text-based feedback. The council utilizes Microsoft Office 365 for internal operations and has integrated third-party tools including What3Words for location-based reporting of environmental issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Durham Online Services Portal Self-service portal through which residents and businesses can apply for, report on, and pay for a wide range of Durham County Council services including council tax, waste collections, pest control, planning applications, business rates, licensing, housing, and transportation. Built on the Granicus GovService CRM platform and accessible via the council website.
• Pest Control Services Subsidised pest prevention and treatment service for householders and businesses covering rats, mice, fleas, cockroaches, ants, wasps, bees, bed bugs, flies, moles, squirrels and other pests, with fixed unit prices (e.g., £52-£60 per treatment) and a 50% discount available to Council Tax Reduction scheme registrants. Delivered by BPCA-qualified staff trained in CRRU responsible rodenticide use, in coordination with housing associations and Northumbrian Water.
• Big Spring Clean Campaign Annual community litter-picking campaign established in 2010 designed to engage volunteers and businesses in environmental stewardship across County Durham, delivered in partnership with LitterFree Durham and Keep Britain Tidy. The 2026 campaign logged 2,200 volunteers, 3,946 hours, 5,517 bags of litter collected across 442 events.
• Environmental Education Sessions Free educational sessions for schools, youth groups and community groups covering environmental crime issues such as litter, dog fouling and flytipping, delivered by trained DBS-certified Civic Pride staff alongside the Tidy Ted mascot.
• Flytipping Reporting Service Online reporting service allowing residents to report flytipping incidents, with integrated What3Words location identification to provide a precise three-word address for each three-square-metre location, enabling efficient dispatch and clearance of dumped waste by the council's enforcement and cleansing teams.
• The Light Cultural Venue Cultural venue at Aykley Heads opening on 22 August 2026, transforming the former Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery site. Situated within the emerging Durham Innovation District and supporting County Durham's cultural economy, which brings in more than £1 billion annually. The launch exhibition is 'Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light', featuring internationally renowned artists including Tracey Emin, Olafur Eliasson, Dan Flavin and Chila Burman.

Quantifiable outcome

• County Durham cultural economy generates £1 billion+ annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Heritage Coast PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Led the £975,000 magnesian limestone grassland restoration project between Nose's Point near Seaham and Blackhall Rocks in collaboration with Durham County Council.
• National TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Collaborated on the coastal grassland restoration project, one of only 20 funded nationally to halt species decline by 2030.
• Durham Wildlife TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2026Partnered on the magnesian limestone grassland restoration project with volunteers, schools and local groups.
• Karbon HomescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Housing association partner developing 50 new affordable and energy-efficient homes in Shildon with planning consent from Durham County Council.
• Oaktree LivingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 February 2026Joint developer of 50-home affordable housing scheme on Redworth Road in Shildon with planning consent from Durham County Council.
• Esh ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 January 2026Appointed by Durham County Council to deliver £2 million contract retrofitting 140 homes with energy efficient upgrades over three years, funded through the Warmer Homes: Local Government Grant scheme.
• MusecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025Development partner for the Durham Innovation District at Aykley Heads, working with Durham County Council and Durham University to create thousands of jobs and position the district as a national hub for research and innovation.
• Durham UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025Academic partner in the Durham Innovation District development, contributing research and innovation expertise alongside Durham County Council and Muse.
• Believe HousingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing association that Durham County Council pest control team works with when pest issues arise in their properties.
• LivinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing association that Durham County Council pest control team works with when pest issues arise in their properties.
• Durham Aged Mineworkers' Homes AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing association that Durham County Council pest control team works with when pest issues arise in their properties.
• Keep Britain TidyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational environmental charity that Durham County Council works with on litter-pick campaigns and cleanliness standards.
• LitterFree DurhamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal campaign organization partnered with Durham County Council for the Big Spring Clean annual litter picking campaign.
• British Pest Control Association (BPCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade association for pest control industry. Durham County Council pest control team is a member, with staff qualified through BPCA.
• Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign organization. All Durham County Council pest control technicians have completed CRRU training for responsible rodenticide use.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Sunderland City Council: Neighbouring metropolitan authority in the North East with overlapping service portfolio. Comparable in size and budget scale, though more urban-centric.
• Darlington Borough Council: Smaller unitary authority in the Tees Valley, also within the broader Durham economic catchment. Operates a similar unitary service mandate at a smaller scale.
• Newcastle City Council: Neighbouring metropolitan borough council in the North East. Operates a different authority type (metropolitan) but comparable services and a shared regional economic context with Durham.
• Tees Valley Combined Authority: Regional combined authority covering neighbouring Tees Valley councils with overlapping economic development, transport, and regeneration mandates relevant to Durham Innovation District.
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council: Unitary borough authority adjacent to County Durham providing comparable statutory services. Useful regional peer for benchmarking waste, social care, and regeneration delivery.
• Gateshead Council: Metropolitan borough council bordering County Durham, with comparable service portfolio and shared North East regional policy environment.

Direct peers

• Northumberland County Council: Neighbouring English unitary county council serving a similar mix of rural and small-town populations in the North East. Comparable scale, statutory responsibilities, and service portfolio including waste, social care, and planning.
• North Yorkshire Council: Large unitary county council formed in 2023 covering rural North Yorkshire with similar demographic and geographic challenges. Directly comparable in scale, budget, and unitary authority service mandate.
• Cumberland Council: New unitary authority established in 2023 in Cumbria, serving a comparably sized population with similar rural-urban mix. Delivers the same statutory local government service portfolio.
• Westmorland and Furness Council: Newly formed unitary authority covering a similar geographic footprint to Durham with comparable rural population density and service delivery challenges. Direct operational peer for benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/durhamcouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DurhamCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/durhamcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/durham-county-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/durham_county_council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Durham County Council