Witton-le-Wear
Witton-le-Wear is a village in Durham, England, with a population of around 567. The area has around 1 restaurant or café, 16 bus stops, and Witton-le-Wear railway station is 0.6 km away. In June 2026, there were around 4 recorded street crimes, most commonly anti-social behaviour. This page gathers weather, crime, food hygiene, transport, flood risk, house prices, population, deprivation and your local MP for the Witton-le-Wear area — all from official UK open data.
On deprivation, the County Durham area is among the most deprived areas in England (IoD2025). The wider council area has around 522,068 residents at roughly 234 people per km².
- Council
- County Durham
- County
- Durham
- Constituency
- North West Durham
- Police force
- Durham
My Area Score
Mixed
Ranked 222nd of 294 English council areas — better than 24% of them.
A percentile blend of eight open measures (100 = best in England); bars show this area’s England-wide percentile on each. See the rankings · methodology
Weather
9°CPatchy rain nearby
- Today: 10° / 6° · 72% rain
- Tomorrow: 10° / 7° · Patchy rain nearby
Source: WeatherAPI
Daylight
Sunrise 07:13Sunset 16:27
9h 13m of daylight today
Next bank holiday: Christmas Day, Fri 25 Dec
Source: sunrise-sunset.org · gov.uk
Air quality
34US AQI · Good
Main pollutant: fine particles (PM2.5)
Source: WAQI · Newcastle Centre, United Kingdom
Air pollution (PM2.5)
- 5.4 µg/m³ average fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration
- 4.1% of adult (30+) deaths estimated attributable to fine-particle pollution
Lower is better for both figures.
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2024
Crime
6 reported · August 2026▲ 200% YoY
- Burglary3
- Drugs1
- Possession of weapons1
- Vehicle crime1
Neighbourhood team: Crook (Crook Town) Howden Le Wear, Tow Law · Durham
Local policing priorities
- Increased ASB in Tow Law.
- Speeding Dans Castle
Source: data.police.uk (within ~1 mile)
Road safety
438 reported road collisions (2025)
177 killed or seriously injured · 561 casualties · 8.4 collisions per 10,000 residents
Source: DfT reported road collisions (STATS19)
Food hygiene
15 food businesses within 2 miles
- 11 rated 4–5 ★ (10 top)
- 1 rated 0–2 (poor)
Source: Food Standards Agency
Flood risk
Buses & trains
- Nearest station: Witton-le-Wear (0.6 km)
- 16 bus stops within ~½ mile
Live trains from Bishop Auckland (6.7 km):
Loading live departures…
Source: OpenStreetMap, National Rail
House prices
£140,788 average▲ 4.9% YoY
Across County Durham · to 2026-08
Source: UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry)
Private rents
£650 average monthly rent▲ 6.1% YoY
- 1 bed £456
- 2 bed £579
- 3 bed £693
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents · to 2026-08
Affordability
4.3× house price to earnings
A typical home costs 4.3 times median annual pay (3.4× for cheaper homes vs lower pay).
Source: ONS house price to workplace earnings ratio · 2025
Property sales
7,126 property sales in the last 12 months
12 months to May 2026
A busier or quieter market is not by itself good or bad. Monthly counts are small and volatile, so only the annual total is shown.
Source: HM Land Registry UK HPI, 12 months to 2026-05
Fuel prices
- Cheapest petrol: 135.8p · AppleGreen (6.9 km)
- Cheapest diesel: 142.8p · AppleGreen (6.9 km)
4 stations within ~8 miles
Source: CMA fuel price scheme
EV charging
19 charging locations within ~8 km
- 7 with rapid charging (50 kW+)
- Fastest nearby: 150 kW
- Nearest: Lidl Crook (4.5 km)
Source: Open Charge Map
Sport & leisure
- Sports pitches1
- Playgrounds1
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Population
522,068 residents in County Durham · 234/km²
- Under 16: 17%
- 16–64: 62%
- 65+: 21%
Source: ONS Census 2021 (local authority)
Internal migration
- Moves in from elsewhere in the UK29,076
- Moves out to elsewhere in the UK26,061
- Net moves+3,015
Residential moves between local authorities (counts of moves, not people) · ONS Internal migration, YE Jun 2025
Deprivation
Among the most deprived areas in England
Ranked 47 of 296 English local authorities (1 = most deprived)
17% of neighbourhoods are in England’s most deprived 10%
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2025
Council tax
£2,622 a year · Band D, 2026-27
Most homes here are Band A (56% of 255,650)
Source: VOA council-tax stock · MHCLG band levels 2026-27
Schools
279 schools · 73,361 pupils
207 primary · 30 secondary · 42 other
Ofsted: 97 of 114 graded schools rated Good or Outstanding (85%)
257 inspected under Ofsted’s 2024+ framework (graded by area, no single overall grade)
Secondary schools:
- The Academy at Shotton HallOutstanding
- Bishop Barrington AcademyGood
- Consett AcademyGood
- Dene AcademyGood
- Hermitage AcademyGood
- North Durham AcademyGood
- Parkside AcademyGood
- Seaham High SchoolGood
- Staindrop AcademyGood
- UTC South DurhamGood
- Whitworth Park AcademyGood
- Durham AcademyRequires improvement
- Greenfield AcademyRequires improvement
- St Bede's Catholic School and Sixth Form College, LanchesterRequires improvement
- Belmont Community School
- Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
- Easington Academy
- Ferryhill School
- Framwellgate School Durham
- King James I Academy Bishop Auckland
- Park View School
- Sedgefield Community College
- St Bede's Catholic School and Byron Sixth Form College
- St John's Catholic School & Sixth Form College
- St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham
- Tanfield School
- Teesdale School and Sixth Form
- Wellfield School
- Wolsingham School
- Woodham Academy
Source: DfE Get Information about Schools · Ofsted · County Durham
Care & health services
413 CQC-registered services
- Care homes145
- GP practices72
- Dentists86
- Homecare agencies66
- Hospitals & hospices13
CQC ratings: 94% of rated services Good or Outstanding · 2 Inadequate
Source: Care Quality Commission · County Durham
Heritage & planning
- Not in the Green Belt
- 30 listed buildings within ~1.5 km
Source: planning.data.gov.uk (England)
Planning decisions
431 applications decided
95.1% granted · 410 granted, 21 refused
Source: MHCLG planning statistics (PS2) · 2026 Q2
Your MP
Dr Sam Rushworth
Labour
Bishop Auckland
Recent votes:
- AyeDraft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026
- NoOpposition day motion: Support for British farmers
- AyeWithdrawal Agreement (Windsor Framework and Governance) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
- AyeDraft Code of Practice on Access and Unfair Practices During the Recognition and Derecognition Process
Source: UK Parliament
Council control
Reform UK majority
- Lab 5
- Con 1
- LD 15
- Grn 2
- Ref 50
- Oth 24
Source: Open Council Data UK (CC BY-SA)
Amenities nearby
- Schools1
- Parks & greens1
- Restaurants & cafés1
Source: OpenStreetMap (within ~1 mile)
Local businesses
18,115 active business enterprises in the area
Source: ONS UK Business Counts (2026)
Local economy
£661 median full-time weekly pay
3.2% of residents aged 16–64 claim unemployment-related benefits
£20,261 disposable income per head (2024)
Source: ONS / Nomis (claimant count · ASHE) · ONS regional GDHI
Energy efficiency
45% of homes rated EPC C or above
Most common band: D · 307,169 certificates
11.4% of households were in fuel poverty (2023)
Source: MHCLG EPC statistics · DESNZ sub-regional fuel poverty
Grid electricity
65% low-carbon electricity
Nuclear 37% · Imports 35% · Wind 25% · Solar 4%
1 gCO₂/kWh · very low intensity
Latest estimate for North East England · National Grid ESO
Health
Life expectancy: 82.1 yrs women · 78.3 yrs men
Healthy life expectancy: 55.4 women · 55.9 men
69% of adults overweight or obese
Source: OHID Fingertips · 2025
Wellbeing
- Life satisfaction7.6
- Feeling worthwhile7.6
- Happiness yesterday7.4
- Anxiety yesterday (lower is better)3.1
Average rating out of 10 · ONS personal well-being 2022-23
Health services
14 GP surgeries · 9 pharmacies in DL14
- Station View Medical Centre
- Auckland Medical Group
- Bishopgate Medical Centre
Source: NHS Organisation Data Service
Local petitions
Open UK Parliament petitions most signed in Bishop Auckland:
- Mandate standardised cancer training for all GPs in England242 local signatures · 18,645 nationwide
- End the mandatory fortification of white flour with folic acid immediately151 local signatures · 76,640 nationwide
- Support the Ceramics Industry and protect British manufacturing jobs and skills148 local signatures · 111,154 nationwide
- Change surrogacy law to recognise intended parents from birth147 local signatures · 113,305 nationwide
- Launch a public inquiry into illegal migration in the UK135 local signatures · 78,478 nationwide
Source: petition.parliament.uk · as of 2026-10-05
Notable places nearby
Witton-le-Wear · 0.1 kmWitton-le-Wear is a village in County Durham, North East England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Wear, 6 km (3.7 mi) to the north-west of Bishop Auckland.
Witton-le-Wear railway station · 0.5 kmWitton-le-Wear railway station is a railway station on the Weardale heritage railway serves the village of Witton-le-Wear in County Durham, North East England, and is the penultimate stop for most of line's eastbound…
Witton Castle · 1.2 kmWitton Castle is a much-altered 15th-century castle, which is the centrepiece of a holiday and caravan country park at Witton le Wear, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Witton-le-Wear (SSSI) · 1.5 kmWitton-le-Wear (SSSI) is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located in the valley of the River Wear, immediately east of the village of Witton-le-Wear in County Durham, England.
Bedburn Beck · 1.8 kmBedburn Beck is a 16.8 kilometres (10.4 mi) long, upper tributary of the River Wear in County Durham, England. The beck and its tributaries, including the Euden, Harthorpe and South Grain becks, have a catchment of 76…
- Wear Valley Junction railway station · 2.1 km
Wear Valley Junction railway station primarily served as an interchange between the Wear Valley Line and the Weardale Extension Railway (WXR) between 1847 and 1935. It was the closest railway station to the village of…
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA)
Nearby towns
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Witton-le-Wear?
- Witton-le-Wear is a town in Durham, England, in the County Durham local authority.
- What is the population of Witton-le-Wear?
- Witton-le-Wear has an approximate settlement population of 567.
- How deprived is Witton-le-Wear?
- The County Durham local authority, which includes Witton-le-Wear, is among the most deprived areas in England on the IoD2025.