I was contacted earlier this year by residents in Station Town concerned at the amount of speeding cars passing through the village. I got in touch with the police with a request for a community speed watch event to gauge the extent of the problem. Feedback from police suggested that there was evidence of speeding in the area and that traffic calming measures would be helpful in addressing the problem.
Highways officers from Durham County Council then carried out a consultation exercise and recommended that a chicane be installed on the hill coming into the village from Wingate, roughly where the steps are.
I feel that this is the wrong recommendation as the evidence points to speeding in the Milbank Terrace and Heaton Terrace areas at the other side of the village and this position is supported by the vast majority of residents who have spoken to me about this issue.
I contacted the highways section of DCC and asked for evidence of public consultation and was told that residents were not consulted as there were none near the recommended site! I think that this is the wrong approach to public engagement and as a result I have refused to support the proposal until a full public consultation is carried out to assess the feelings of residents on this matter.
There may well be a valid reason for highways engineers recommending a chicane at the above location as opposed to another area but I feel strongly that residents in the village have a right to have their say on an issue which is of considerable concern to them.
Please contact me if you have any concerns or comments to make in relation to this issue:
