Eyes & Ears 20.02.26
This week: A revolutionary cancer breakthrough in Newcastle; a beach named one of the world's most unique; padel, pickle and basketball; and an SOS (Save Our Sheepshearers)
Election eye Pt 1
The Reform-led administration in Durham has approved a four-year financial plan which includes a council tax rise of 1.99% this year - one of the lowest in the country.
The council reassessed its budget for 2026-27 and reduced its proposed tax increase of 3.1% after receiving additional Government funding. Leader Andrew Husband hailed it “the best budget this council has seen over the last 15 years”.
The 1.99% increase is eye-catching, but cynics may say that Reform were determined to produce a headline-grabbing figure to signal that they could be trusted with holding municipal purse strings ahead of the local elections in May.
To come up with that figure, £12.9m of cuts and savings are planned over the next year and the council’s budget says the authority faces a deficit of about £9.5m in the next year - with an additional deficit of around £42m for the following three years.
Independent councillor Chris Lines said short-sighted decisions had been made. “The current administration now appears to be pursuing ideology over fiscal responsibility or fairness to try and score a PR point, while at the same time cutting services and reducing support for the poorest residents.”
United front
In a rare display of unity, the Reform and Labour opposition groups supported Northumberland County Council’s budget plans after the Conservative-led administration accepted their amendments. The budget includes a 4.99% rise in council tax and cuts and savings totalling £18m.
Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Holland summarises the latest on the council tax rises for all seven councils in the North of Tyne Combined Authority area here.
Election eye Pt 2
The fight to keep the National Glass Centre in Sunderland open has become a political flashpoint says The Guardian.
North of England correspondent Hannah Al-Othman says the cause had already been adopted by the Lib Dems and what she called the far right. “They’re going on marches with placards saying ‘Deport the immigrants’, but also ‘Save the glass centre’,” one person connected to the university told her.
Labour councillor Denny Wilson temporarily lost the whip last year after he broke ranks to back the campaign to save the venue from closure. Now Labour has come out against the demolition. “It appears likely they have one eye on the May local elections,” writes Hannah, “when Reform is expected to make significant gains from Labour – and has ambitions to take control of the council.”
Meanwhile, more than 200 glass and ceramics practitioners have signed an open letter in support of the proposed glass-making hub in the city which is planned to replace the glass centre.
Cancer ‘revolution’
“One in two of us are going to get cancer - most of those cancers are inside where you can't see them, so this is part of that revolution of finding them before they get to you.”
Those are the words of Sir John Burn, professor of clinical genetics at Newcastle University where a test has been developed, with a team from Newcastle Hospitals, that could save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Hailed as a breakthrough by scientists, the test can now be used on a urine sample to identify difficult to detect cancers in the urinary tract before any symptoms are apparent.
“This is a really exciting breakthrough,” said Sir John. “The pilot study results are unprecedented. We’re extremely grateful to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity, which has provided £74,000 of funding towards a larger trial.”
It’s coming back
The Mercury Prize is heading back to Tyneside. After a landmark debut outside London in 2025, the prestigious awards show will return to Utilita Arena Newcastle on October 22, 2026, with Newcastle City Council and Generator once again partnering with the BPI.
Last year’s ceremony felt like a statement of intent. A sold-out arena, a week-long fringe programme spilling out across the city, and a defining hometown win for Sam Fender combined to create a moment many described as historic. Now, organisers are betting that lightning can strike twice, as Sam Wonfor reports in Cultured. North East.
Not such a sure start
A healthy meal along with 30 minutes of free childcare at the start of the day. That was what the Government said they would fund, with a national roll-out due to begin in April.
But Chris Zarraga, chief executive of Schools North East, which represents more than 1,000 schools, said many primaries could not introduce breakfast clubs even if they wanted to because the central funding is insufficient to cover the costs involved.
Divided community
Sir David Attenborough got people from all over the world to contribute, and two recent donations totalling £1.5m means that a federation of 47 conservation charities are more than a third of the way to raising the £30m needed to buy the Rothbury Estate from the Duke of Northumberland’s youngest son Lord Max Percy.
They have until September to raise the £30m needed. Polar explorer Conrad Dickinson, president of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “Over 18,000 people want to support this - from people who’ve given a million pounds, to school kids giving their pocket money or their birthday money, and other people wanting a memory for their father who used to walk in these hills.”
But not everyone in the community is supportive of the campaign, as the BBC’s Mark Denten reports in his article ‘Bid to buy Rothbury Estate as divisive as Brexit’.
‘Starting with a bang’
It was hoped that a new urgent treatment centre (UTC) at the RVI in Newcastle would help ease the pressure on A&E by providing an alternative space where people with urgent, but not life-threatening, conditions could be seen.
That certainly seems to be the case with 1,500 people being seen in the first two weeks. “They really did start with a bang,” said Caroline Docking, the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust’s director of communications and corporate affairs, at a Newcastle council health scrutiny committee meeting: “Around 90% were seen within four hours.”
University to open
A new university is coming to Newcastle. Not a university university if you know what I mean. More a university of the private variety. Or open, you could say.
Arden University offers flexible, online and blended degree courses aimed at adults, career‑changers and people who need to study around work. It will move into the first four floors of The Spark in Newcastle in the spring, bringing the building to full occupancy.
Shear folly
In all the talk about immigration you don’t hear much about sheep shearers.
Around 75 of them from Down Under come to the UK every year and shear approximately 2 million sheep during the 90 days they are permitted to work here. Were permitted to work here, I should say - the Home Office is now putting an end to their Immigration Rules concession.
Rothbury councillor Steven Bridgett has written an open letter to MPs Joe Morris and David Smith asking them challenge the decision following concerns he has had from local farmers.
“Many of those who now return are second-generation shearers, the sons of those who first came to assist our farms,” he writes. “These individuals do not simply come for employment, they come to support, to share skills, and to learn. The vast majority of their earnings are spent within our local communities. They are an invaluable asset in addressing the significant workforce gap in shearing.”
Jobless rate rises
The unemployment rate in the North East has hit a 10-year high of 7% - that’s 1.8% higher than the UK average. The number of vacancies are down 9.2% on the same period a year ago, with 14 of the 18 sectors reporting a fall.
Economic inactivity among people aged 16 to 64 was 25.7%, a decrease of 0.3% compared with the previous month. “While this still means around one in four working-age adults in the North East is economically inactive, the rate remains 4.9% higher than the UK average, underlining the scale of the challenge facing the region,” said Josh Maratty, policy adviser at the North East Chamber of Commerce.
Covid compo claims
Newcastle and Northumbria are among 36 universities to have received a pre-action letter from a group representing more than 170,000 current and former students who claim they did not receive the full education they paid for during the Covid pandemic. It follows a settlement between University College London (UCL) and the Student Group Claim.
Former leader honoured
Former Newcastle City Council leader David Faulkner was awarded the Freedom of the City this week.
Nitin Shukla, who recently retired as the programme lead for equality, diversity and inclusion at the office of Northumbria’s PCC, said: “This honour is so well deserved and recognises David’s outstanding and selfless service to Newcastle over many years - through his leadership, commitment and genuine care for the communities he has supported.
“It was wonderful to see so many friends present at this moving ceremony - a reflection of the deep respect and affection David inspires.
A quick word
The new Bishop of Durham has been named as the Venerable Rick Simpson, formerly the Archdeacon of Auckland. The appointment ended a long search to appoint a successor to the Right Reverend Paul Butler, who retired in February 2024. Gateshead Council is expected to agree next week to demolish a housing block near the civic centre. Warwick Court was built in 1965 and has 111 flats - but only six residents. The Walker, Elswick, Byker, and Benwell areas of Newcastle are set to benefit from the Government’s Pride in Place programme which will see a total of £40m spent on the areas in the next 10 years. Dozens of dead puffins have been found on North East beaches. “The cause is yet to be determined,” said an RSPB spokesperson. “However, several recent storms, another indicator of the impacts of climate change, could be a key factor.” A new academy combining education and football has been formed by Middlesbrough College and Middlesbrough FC giving students access to professional coaching and first-class training facilities. Conservatives in Darlington have re-launched a petition to bring back free parking in the town centre. Marti Pellow and Gabrielle have been named as the headliners for a new two-day music festival at Lumley Castle in September. Teesside University graduate Russell Bowen is part of a four-strong team to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects for his work on survival drama The Lost Bus. NE1 beat off the challenge of more than 300 Business Improvement Districts to be named BID Champion of the Year 2026. It also won the Best Seasonal Campaign award. A revised application for 450 homes near Sunderland’s Stadium of Light has been submitted after the club said the original proposal had homes too close to their ground and risked preventing future expansion. A nature reserve will be created at the Bradley surface mine, situated between Leadgate and Dipton, after Banks Mining agreed to donate the land and £127,000 of funding for its long-term management with Durham Wildlife Trust.
Wild accolade
Boulders Beach Penguin Colony in South Africa and Isola Bella in Sicily are ahead, but the Sleeping Bear Dunes of Michigan are behind. So, being named the third most unique beach in the world in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards is not too shabby for “wild, wide and unforgettable” Bamburgh.
Triumphant return
After six years away, Sunday for Sammy roared back with two unforgettable shows - honouring its past, embracing a new generation of performers and renewing its mission to champion North East talent.
It was a night of celebration, surprises and full circle moments - as my friend and colleague Sam Wonfor so vividly, and emotionally, describes here. If you were there, you should read this. If you weren’t there, then I strongly recommend you read this.
“Sunday for Sammy is woven into my family’s story,” she writes. “I think I’ve been at every one of the fundraising gigs bar the first. My dad, Geoff, was the man behind the cameras, directing the shows for the DVDs which sold in their droves, helping to swell the pot that has now raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for young performers and creatives across the North East.”
Padel or paddle
There’s padel, which I’ve heard of, and pickleball, which I haven’t (and it’s played with a paddle).
Padel is a fast-growing sport (played with a racket) and blends elements of tennis and squash. Leisure operator Pure Padel has received planning permission for “the UK’s first purpose-built warehouse designed exclusively for padel” at Gosforth Business Park in Longbenton.
Pickleball, meanwhile, is said to be a quick, easy-to-learn rally sport with elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. A unit at the All Saints Industrial Estate in Shildon is to be transformed into the House of Pickleball by co-founders Ryan Watson and Chris Moody for players of all ages and levels of ability.
Be supportive
On to basketball, a sport you will definitely have heard of. Great Britain’s men return to Newcastle’s Vertu Arena on Friday February 27 to take on Italy in a crucial World Cup qualifying match. GB coach Marc Steutel will be on familiar ground - he is also the coach of the Newcastle Eagles, aka ‘The most successful British basketball team of all time’. Italy are one of Europe’s strongest basketball nations so the GB team could do with all the support they can get. Tickets start at £19 (£14 for under 16s).
Abu takes over
Talking of basketball (this must seem seamless to you), Abu Ali, a partner at FRP Corporate Finance, and a big supporter of the Eagles, has just been named Chair of the homelessness charity CEO Sleepout. He replaces founder Andy Preston, who becomes a trustee.
Abu first got involved with CEO Sleepout after the body of his childhood friend Lee Halpin was found in a derelict building in Newcastle in 2013 while making a documentary about homelessness.
“I went through school with Lee, and his death cut through our friendship group,” said Abu. “It was a global story, and I wanted to raise funds in the hope we could help finish Lee’s documentary and leave a legacy for him.”
Business bites
Stuart Ashman, CEO of Newcastle-based SkinBioTherapeutics, has resigned after an investigation began into claims that he misrepresented material information. The AIM-listed company expects results for its 2026 financial year to be “significantly below current market expectations”. MTC Training is to open a new facility at Quorum Park in North Tyneside in the summer, training an initial 48 apprentices. Backed by Lloyds funding, the centre will be a sister operation to existing MTC training sites in Coventry, Oxfordshire and Liverpool. Tekmar Group has secured a £4m deal to send cable protection systems and associated apparatus to a European offshore wind farm. Professor Colin Herron, who spent nearly three decades at Nissan before joining One North East to shape early electric vehicle strategy, has joined battery-tech firm Titanvolt as an advisor
2009 ad break
I got my eyes tested this week. So, for no other reason than that, I give you this 30-second classic from Specsavers which was first screened in 2009: “What sort of cheese was that?”
THE WIDER VIEW
It’s big - and getting bigger
I don’t know how I didn’t know about Something Big Is Happening until yesterday.
It’s an essay by AI entrepreneur Matt Shumer who warns that AI capabilities are accelerating far faster than most people realise and that many white-collar jobs - legal work, financial analysis, writing and content, software engineering, medical analysis, customer service - will be heavily disrupted sooner than expected
To say Something Big Is Happening has gone viral would be an understatement. Shumer’s words have been viewed more than 80 million times on Twitter alone.
In 2022, AI couldn’t do basic arithmetic reliably. It would confidently tell you that 7 × 8 = 54.
By 2023, it could pass the bar exam.
By 2024, it could write working software and explain graduate-level science.
By late 2025, some of the best engineers in the world said they had handed over most of their coding work to AI.
On February 5th, 2026, new models arrived that made everything before them feel like a different era.
You can read Shumer’s essay here. He has since said that his piece was never intended to alarm people. Instead, he said, the essay was written out of a sense of responsibility to share what AI professionals are witnessing behind the scenes.
Did you know?
Spandau Ballet’s True is a love song about Clare Grogan, the Gregory’s Girl star and Altered Images singer.
The two bands come from different ends of the country but they used to hang out a lot when when they were first making their way up the charts in the early 80s. The teenage Clare suspected that 22-year-old songwriter Gary Kemp liked her - but didn’t know the extent of the crush until the Spandau Ballet star released his memoir several years later.
Altered Images are touring the UK in September and it includes a Newcastle date at The Grove in Byker on Wednesday the 16th where they will play their Happy Birthday album plus a few other hits.
You’ll all check this
Nicholas
History lesson
From Harold Wilson to Liz Truss: Martin Farr, senior lecturer in contemporary British history at Newcastle University has taken a look at what the fates of former prime ministers can teach Keir Starmer.