Durham County Council has changed the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. From 1 April 2026, all working‑age residents will need to contribute towards their Council Tax.

We want to make sure you have the right advice and support. If you’re unsure how these changes might affect you, or what to do next, please contact Durham County Council on 03000 262 0000.

Community Spaces

We own, manage and lease community buildings in Ferryhill, Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Spennymoor. We support our partners using our community buildings to provide much needed activities and services that meet the needs of the communities they serve. Read our terms and conditions for booking our community spaces

Read the full CCTV policy or our summarised version.

CCTV Summarised Policy

The ARK, Newton Aycliffe

The ARK is situated in the heart of the West Ward of Newton Aycliffe and provides access to several smaller rooms which can be opened in to one large room, a kitchen and a fully equipped I.T suite. The ARK is open Monday to Friday and provides access to a foodbank, a credit union, a community café, a junior club, a walking group and a men’s health group. Most services are provided through one of our partners Junction 7 whose volunteers help run the hub. Livin provide outreach support from the ARK and you can arrange to meet staff who can advise on housing, employability and financial wellbeing.

Junction7 on Facebook Contact us Call the ARK

Foundations, Shildon

Foundations offers flexible space in the heart of Shildon for organisations and community groups. Foundations is fully accessible and offers excellent learning spaces including an I.T suite, a classroom with an interactive whiteboard, an outside learning space and a modern lounge and kitchen.

Our partners delivering services from Foundations include Wellbeing for Life (health trainers), Teesdale YMCA (Youth club), Bishop Auckland College (Special Education Needs and Disability - SEND initiative) and Cornforth Partnership (Social inclusion programme).

Foundations on facebook Contact us Call Foundations

Communal Lounges

We have lounges available to book across Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Spennymoor on a half or full day basis. The venues differ in size and can accommodate between 35 to 70 people.

If you need any support with your booking or have any questions, our Community Investment Manager can help. Get in touch using the form below.

Make a booking Get in touch

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.