High Court battle ends for councils

A long-running legal dispute between two north east councils has come to an end in the High Court.

The row between Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council stemmed from local government reorganisation six years ago.

A ruling on Thursday means Durham has failed in its bid to hand over control for a waste landfill site to Darlington.

But Darlington has also failed in an attempt to obtain a £1m interest payment from Durham.

Durham, which currently owns the site of the former Creebeck waste disposal facility, argued that it was the Darlington area and wanted to get rid of the site.

Legal costs

But the claim was contested by Darlington which receiving the backing of Mr Justice Stanley Burnton.

The councils were also in dispute over a £1m interest payment which an arbitrator had ordered Durham to pay last year.

Mr Justice Burnton upheld Durham's case who will not now have to pay the money.

Both sides were refused permission to appeal against the ruling.

Durham was ordered to pay the legal costs in determining the Creebeck issue.

Darlington must pay those incurred in deciding liability for the interest payment issue.