East Terrace, Hesleden returns to the light

I am reliably informed by John Bell (Potter) and friends at Hesleden WMC that the street lighting has at last been restored at East Terrace in Hesleden (see post dated 19 March 2013).

I acknowledge that there were a number of unavoidable delays in carrying out these repairs and I would like to thank residents for their patience.

I will continue to press the street lighting department to restore the lighting on the roads between Hesleden, High Hesleden and Blackhall, but in the meantime if  you are aware of any other areas in need of street lighting repairs please contact me in the usual way.

Bus services - demand for public service before private profit

Following complaints about disruption to the Go North East 206 bus service in my ward I have now had the opportunity to contact the scrutiny office at county hall to request that representatives from GoNE be invited to meet with me and members from other wards affected to explain the reason for their service reduction which was implemented without either prior warning or public consultation (see post dated 26 March 2013 for background details).

I have serious concerns that, since deregulation of the industry, bus companies are focused solely on shareholder profits rather than on providing an efficient service for paying travellers. This clearly has a detrimental impact on the people and communities in my ward and I believe that it's about time that bus companies were made more accountable to the customers they claim to serve.

I will update on progress through this site but in the meantime I will continue to press for a service which is based on customer needs rather than on company profit margins.

Residents have their say on traffic issues in High Hesleden

Following complaints about speeding traffic in High Hesleden I arranged a site meeting to take place this morning to give residents the opportunity to relay their concerns directly to representatives from the police and the highways department at the county council (see posts dated 18 & 25 March 2013 for further information).

Quite a number of residents turned out for the meeting, held at The Bungalows, despite the sub-zero temperatures and biting gusts of wind from the coast. A strong local presence is always a huge help in circumstances like this because more weight is attached to first-hand reports of residents.

Representatives from the police and highways section listened to my concerns and those of people from High Hesleden about long-running problems associated with vehicles speeding in the village. It was reported that there had been a number of accidents and near misses, leading to fears that a serious accident is almost certain to happen at some point in the near future.

In response the county highways engineer, with the support of the police traffic management officer, has agreed to draw up a traffic calming scheme involving the use of speed cushions similar to those installed on Mickle Hill Road at Blackhall Rocks. It was felt by all present that this measure would be the most effective in slowing traffic down, particularly on the approaches to the tight bend between The Bungalows and Fillpoke Lane.

Any proposals will be subject to full consultation and I have asked that all residents in High Hesleden be contacted to enable them to express an opinion on their preferred option.

In the meantime please contact me if you have any queries, comments or concerns relating to this matter.

Progress report on drainage works at Hutton Henry and Blackhall

Works began recently to investigate the reasons behind the long-running road drainage problems at Rodridge Hall, Hutton Henry and at Chicken's Green, Blackhall and to carry out any repairs necessary (see post dated 29 January 2013 for further background information).

Whilst significant progress has been made, works will continue until the problem of surface water is completely resolved and I will ensure that residents are kept informed of further progress through this site. I have reproduced below an update sent to me from the senior area drainage engineer from the county council which explains the current status of the works:

Work is on-going (at Rodridge Hall), there have been machines on site this week, residents will notice an immediate improvement as the investigations have involved a lot of silt removal from the highway drains but there is still much more to do. A couple of possible partial collapses have been identified which may need to be excavated. I should have more information soon and I’ll pass it on.

With regards to the job at St Joseph's school on the coast road (Chicken's Green), the highway drain runs across the road and through the open space opposite, a collapse has been identified near the play area and I’ve issued an order to excavate and repair. This should be done very soon and it will allow us to follow the drainage further to check the condition.

Easter events at Blackhall Community Centre

I have reproduced below details of Blackhall Community Association's programme of events for the Easter period:

0191 5867396

Easter Extravaganza

Booking is ESSENTIAL

…………………..First Week……………………

Monday 1^st April 2013

Easter Monday Centre Closed

Tuesday 2^nd April 2013

10am – 11am Multi Sports Age 5-8 years £1.00

11am – 12pm Multi Sports Age 9-13 years £1.00

4pm – 5.30pm Hi lights Disco Age 12 and under 50p a head

Café and Bar will be open

 Wednesday 3^rd April 2013

11am – 12pm New Age Curling FREE

12pm – 2pm Dance Mats £2.00

Thursday 4^th April 2013

10am – 12pm Easter Craft with Lorna £1.50

5.45pm – 6.45pm Salsa Fusion (similar to Zhumba) £3.00

5.45pm – 6.45pm Art Class for Kids £1.50

Friday 5^th April 2013

9.30am—11am Funky Feet (Mums and Tots) - £1.50 per child

4.30pm-5.30pm Fit Kidz Age 10-13 years - £1.50

…………………..Second Week……………………

Tuesday 9^th April 2013

10am – 11am Multi Sports Age 5-8 years £1.00

11am – 12pm Multi Sports Age 9-13 years £1.00

4pm – 5.30pm Hi lights Disco Age 12 and under 50p a head

Café and Bar will be open

Wednesday 10^th April 2013

11am – 12pm New Age Curling FREE

Thursday 11^th April 2013

5.45pm – 6.45pm Salsa Fusion (similar to Zhumba) £3.00

5.45pm – 6.45pm Art Class for Kids £1.50

Friday 12^th April 2013

9.30am—11am Funky Feet (Mums and Tots) - £1.50 per child

4.30pm-5.30pm Fit Kidz Age 10-13 years - £1.50

Note To Adults

4^th May – Live Music – VERTIGO

1^st June – 80s Disco

15^th June – Alf Langthorne Trio

29^th June – Hypnotist with live music Claire Marie Project

13^th July – Next Family Disco with Mr DJ man

Reduced 206 bus service in Hesleden, Castle Eden & Hutton Henry

The frequency of the 206 bus service has been reduced recently affecting the villages of Hesleden, Castle Eden and Hutton Henry.

Following enquiries made by Monk Hesleden Parish Council on behalf of residents I have received the following information from the section manager of network planning at the county council:

The 206 bus service has been run on a wholly subsidised basis, operated by Go North East (GoNE).

When the county council put the service contracts out to tender last summer, for operation from 27th Oct 2012, GoNE took on the main part of the network without any subsidy. Only the Saturday journeys and the later afternoon and early evening journeys still ran under a subsidy contract with the county council.

The changes subsequently made by Arriva to improve their commercial network in east Durham from 27 October 2012 have taken passengers away from some of the GoNE services and this has had an impact on their viability. By way of example, passenger numbers on the 206 service have fallen considerably because there are now two Arriva buses per hour between Station Town, Wingate and Peterlee (services 21 and 21A) instead of just one and there are now four Arriva buses per hour between Peterlee, Blackhall and Hartlepool (as opposed to three previously).

GoNE's partially subsidised services in the Easington Colliery and Horden area have also been affected, where quite a number of passengers have begun to use Arriva's new services in this area. This meant that GoNE had to take urgent action to stem the resulting losses.

The DCC budget for subsidising bus services is already fully stretched and is unable to support an unchanged network of GoNE's services. To maintain costs in line with what the council can afford, the services in Easington Colliery and Horden have been reduced. This means that extra subsidy can be allocated to the 206 service. However it is still not possible to avoid a reduction in its frequency.

Whilst the above information gives some kind of explanation, the situation with the bus companies is far from acceptable. Since deregulation in 1987 bus company services and routes which failed to make a profit have not been sustained and GoNE considers that the villages of Hesleden, Castle Eden and Hutton Henry do not generate sufficient passengers to support an hourly 206 bus service. 

To make matters worse, the drastic reduction in central government funding to local authorities means that councils constantly struggle to subsidise unprofitable services, which in turn has an adverse impact on passengers when bus companies pull the plug.

I intend to maintain contact with the company and local authorities to ensure as far as possible that the reduction in the 206 service has a minimal impact on our communities.

Coastal Survey

I have received notification from the heritage coast officer that a survey is to be carried out this week as follows:

A coastal user survey will be carried out over the next ten days at key entry points to the coast.

These are:

• .       Seaham Hall Beach
• .       Nose’s Point, Dawdon
• .       Easington Colliery
• .       Cotsford Lane, Horden
• .       Blackhall Rocks
• .       Crimdon

 The survey is to evidence who uses the coast, why and when. It will be repeated in more detail in the summer.

The company carrying out the work is called Blue Grass Research and will carry a letter from Niall Benson.

We have only just commissioned this work and the data collected will underpin the Local Plan as well as the Heritage Coast Management Plan.

DCC Composting scheme

I have reproduced below a press release from DCC publicising a scheme to make cheap composting bins available across the county:

Get composting

Green-fingered residents are being urged to get composting as they clear out their gardens for spring.

Compost bins are available through a Durham County Council-backed scheme for £16 plus a delivery charge.

Anyone with a larger garden or who teams up with a friend of neighbour to buy a bin can also get a second half price until the end of March.

Spring is the perfect time for composting as winter deadwood from planters and flowerbeds can produce a great source of nutrition for gardens.

Organic kitchen waste, fruit and vegetable peelings, teabags, coffee grounds and even the contents of your vacuum can also be added.

Order a compost bin online by visiting www.getcomposting.com or by calling 0844 571 4444.

Site meeting to discuss speeding traffic in High Hesleden

Following a number of complaints recently about speeding traffic in High Hesleden I have arranged a meeting in the village on Thursday morning with highways engineers and the police traffic management officer (see post dated 18 March 2013 for further information).

This site meeting will give the police and council officers the opportunity to see for themselves the background to residents reports of speeding in the area. I will ask for advice and options to address this problem and ask that residents in the village are given a say in any recommended solution.

I will report on the outcome of the meeting on this site later in the week.

Sewer repair works close the rear of Middle Street

The rear of Middle Street in Blackhall is to be closed for about 4 days from today to allow for repair works to a damaged sewer. The works follow reports to the county council of flooding in this area.

I have reproduced below a letter of explanation sent to residents:

Rear Middle Street, Blackhall

Temporary Road Closure

Owing to a damaged sewer it has been necessary to temporarily close to vehicular traffic a 50 metre length of rear Middle Street between property numbers 44 and 58, Blackhall. 

The closure, which is being effected by means of Notice under Section 14(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 is necessary by reason of likelihood of danger to the public and to permit works to be carried out to repair the sewer and build a new manhole. 

There is no signed alternative route for vehicular traffic.

The maximum duration of the closure under this Notice is 21 days.  However, it is anticipated that the closure will be effective from Monday 25 March 2013 for an anticipated period of four days.

Station Town issues from the STNG meeting

The Station Town Neighbourhood Group met last night at the Millbank chapel to discuss a number of issues affecting the area.

The main issue for discussion was the ongoing problem of traffic speeding through the village. From reports elsewhere on this site it can be seen that speeding has been a problem for some time. Following complaints from me and a resident to the PACT meeting in Wingate last year the police carried out a community speed watch scheme in the village to assess the volume and speed of vehicles in specific "hot spots." This was followed by a council-run exercise which recommended that traffic calming measures ought to be installed on the incline as Station Town is approached from Wingate.

My concern at the time was that whilst I supported the installation of traffic calming measures I was not convinced that residents had had sufficient input throughout the consultation process. Consequently there was no guarantee that the proposed measures would carry sufficient public support or that they would be effective in that particular location. However, the problem of speeding traffic continues and a workable solution, supported by the people of Station Town, must be found.

I have contacted the council again to ask them to revisit this matter and review the position and type of traffic calming measures required in the village. I think that residents should have a say on the location and STNG members will do whatever they can to facilitate this once I have a response from the council's highway engineers.

I updated members of the STNG on progress on the flooding problem at Rodridge Hall between Station Town and Hutton Henry. Senior highways engineers at county hall have instructed their contractors to begin further investigatory works in the area this week  following local intelligence which may identify the source of the problem.

I also reported on matters arising from the recent coffee morning held at the Millbank chapel last Tuesday, 19 March. One pressing issue was that of the untidy condition of a number of privately held properties in Station Town. I have passed this matter onto the council's private sector initiatives officers to ask them to track down the owners or landlords of these properties to request that they bring them up to a decent standard. This is often a long, drawn out process but I will ensure that the council does all in its powers to address this problem.

Finally, the STNG is to sponsor a litter pick in the village within the next few weeks as part of the council's Spring Clean initiative. I have the application forms ready and a time, date and location will be agreed soon. Let me know if you have any ideas or if you would like to be involved.

If you have any issues you would like me to take up, or if you would like more information about the STNG please contact me through this site.

A busy day in Station Town, Hutton Henry and Blackhall

I spent almost all of yesterday in either Blackhall, Blackhall Rocks or Station Town meeting residents and talking about their local problems and concerns. 

The day began early with my usual weekly visit to the coffee morning at the Blackhall Rocks Residents Association at Kasko House. I later moved on to the Station Town Neighbourhood Group coffee morning at the chapel in Millbank Terrace where I spoke to residents about the general condition of some of the private sector housing in the village, in particular those empty properties owned by absent landlords. I heard about a number of reported incidents of anti-social behaviour in these areas, despite the attention of neighbourhood wardens. I have contacted the private sector initiatives section at county hall with a request that these landlords are traced and held responsible for the condition of their properties. This approach has met with considerable success in other parts of my ward and I intend to pursue it in Station Town for the benefit of residents there.

Later in the day I also received further complaints about the flooding problem at Rodridge Hall in Hutton Henry (see other posts on this site for background details). The highways engineers have confirmed that further investigatory works are to be carried out in this location later this week following additional information received from a local farmer which may identify a cause of the flooding. I am assured that I will receive regular updates on developments as they arise and I will post these on this site. Acknowledging that this is long running problem for residents, I am determined to find a solution.

Yesterday evening saw a return to the Residents Association meeting at Kasko House in Blackhall Rocks. Along with following up on the usual day-to-day issues I have requested a replacement litter bin at the bus shelter at Coast View and issued requests for pot hole repairs in a number of streets, including the one directly outside St Joseph's church in Blackhall Colliery. 

Update on lighting repairs at East Terrace, Hesleden

Following a request from residents for an update on repair works to the street lights at East Terrace in Hesleden I have received confirmation that the works to re-route the overhead supply network and erect the control box were completed today (see post dated 12 March 2013 for background information).

The final transfer and connection onto the network will be completed later this week and it is expected, barring unforeseen circumstances, that lighting will be restored by the weekend.

Speeding traffic in High Hesleden

I have been contacted again by residents in High Hesleden concerned at the amount of traffic speeding through the village (see posts dated 8 September 2012, 14 October 2012 & 3 March 2013 for further details). It will be noted from these previous posts that, following a site meeting a while ago, I had the council carry out a traffic survey and I am currently awaiting the results of this so that officers can identify the most appropriate level of traffic calming measures in the village.

However, I have heard further reports of accidents and near misses in certain parts of High Hesleden recently and residents are understandably worried that there will be a more serious incident if traffic calming measures are not installed soon. I share their concerns so I have contacted the police traffic liaison officer along with the parish clerk and officers from the county council's highways section to ask for a further site meeting with me and residents as a matter of urgency.

Once I have a date and time agreed I will contact residents in High Hesleden again so that they can have a direct say on exactly what they wish to see in their village to address their concerns.

If you have any accident reports or specific comments to make about this matter please contact me:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Spring Clean litter picking events

Durham County Council is helping communities to organise litter picking events over the next few weeks as part of its Spring Clean initiative.

I have already been contacted by residents in Blackhall Colliery and Station Town who are keen to take part and lend a hand to keeping their communities clean. I have contacted the civic pride team to ask for the forms to register our interest and I have also arranged to meet residents later this week to decide when to hold our litter picking events and, perhaps more importantly, where.

If you want to become involved in your community, or if you have any specific areas in mind which would benefit from the Spring Clean initiative, please contact me on:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Garden waste collections to begin next week

Durham County Council will resume collections of garden waste from Tuesday, 19 March.

Householders who are part of the collection scheme will shortly be receiving a leaflet showing their specific collection dates.

Collections may not match rubbish or recycling collection days, so residents are asked to check the dates carefully before leaving their garden waste out for collection.

 The following items can all be placed in the garden waste bin:

• Small branches
• Flowers
• Leaves
• Grass cuttings
• Weeds
• Prunings
• Hedge clippings

Oliver Sherratt, Durham County Council’s head of direct services, said: “Last year, we collected more than 20,000 tonnes of garden waste from our kerbside collections, showing what a valuable service this is to residents.”

The county council collects garden waste from more than 150,000 homes in County Durham for it to be turned into compost to avoid it going to landfill.

For more information about Durham County Council’s garden waste collections visit www.durham.gov.uk

Progress on Hutton Henry and Blackhall drainage issues

I have worked closely over recent months with the clerk of Monk Hesleden Parish Council on two particularly stubborn drainage problems in my ward at Chicken's Green, Blackhall and Rodridge Hall, Hutton Henry (see previous posts dated 26 September, 26 November, 27 November & 6 December 2012 and 17 January, 29 January & 19 February 2013).

The clerk asked for an update report recently and received the response reproduced below, which confirms that real progress has been made on both issues. 

A large amount of material has been removed from the highway drains near the primary school. The drainage will be much improved, the only outstanding work is to survey the system downstream to add the details/route etc. to our records. This will allow for greater future maintenance and will make the reaction to any future problems much quicker.

Rodridge Lane is awaiting a full CCTV survey and cleansing, this will allow us to better understand the cause of flooding in the area and if necessary come up with a plan to reduce the flooding risk. Unfortunately it looks like this will now be started in April do to the greater priority we are giving to property flooding.  I’ll keep you updated as soon as I have more details.

High Hesleden planning decisions

The Central & East planning committee met at county hall yesterday to consider a number of planning applications, including one for Eden Transport and one for 5 stables to the rear of Dene View, both in High Hesleden (see posts dated 10 December 2012, 7 January, 10 January & 17 February 2013 for further details).

Along with residents from High Hesleden I spoke against the planning officers recommendation for outline planning consent for 9 houses on the site of the Eden Transport business in the village. However, following deliberation the members of the planning committee saw fit to approve the application in line with the officers recommendation. 

It should be noted at this point that the committee decision applies to outline consent only and that the details of the development will be subject to further deliberations under what is known as reserved matters. 

The same committee also refused planning consent for a block of 5 stables, hay store and tack room to the rear of Dene View. 

I believe that local people ought to have much greater influence over which developments they want, or don't want, in their own village so have suggested to residents in High Hesleden that our decision to proceed with a Neighbourhood Plan should still stand (see post dated 17 February 2013). 

The current planning system can be seen as unfair and adversarial in that it pits professional planners and paid agents against community representatives who don't necessarily have the planning or legal expertise to compete. Neighbourhood planning ought to redress this imbalance and place development control in the hands of local communities.

Repair works to begin on East Terrace street lights

Following reports of a long-term blackout at East Terrace in Hesleden I contacted the relevant section at county hall this morning to ask for an explanation for delays to repair works and also to request urgent repairs, given the safety concerns of residents.

I have received written confirmation that repair works are to begin in a few days. I'm not sure about some of the more technical terms so I've copied the email below for information:

We have lost an N.P.G. o/head supply to the lights in question which was unavoidable as the supply traversed through somebody's loft from the front of the property from pole no 489 to the rear on pole no 493. In agreement with N.P.G we are going to install an intermediate pole at the bottom of the street through which they will give us an alternative supply route. (pole 490 to pole 834 via the intermediate).

We plan to commence the work towards the back end of this week.

I am aware that street lighting is a particular problem throughout the county so if you have any particular concerns please get in touch with me on:

0191 372 5821 or at rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Street lights at Hesleden Road

I have received further complaints about faulty street lights on Hesleden Road in Blackhall Colliery. It is reported that the lights have failed in this area some seven times since last October.

I have reported these failures in the past and the lights have been repaired so it would appear that there is a particular problem here.

I contacted the senior street lighting engineer this morning to ask that further investigations are carried out on the street lights in this area as a matter of urgency to ensure that this problem is addressed once and for all.

UPDATE: I have been contacted tonight at 8.15 by a resident in Hesleden Road to confirm that the street lights are now back in operation.

Environment Committee issues

Each month I attend the parish council's Environment Committee which deals with a number of cross-cutting issues such as litter, fly-tipping, planning and drainage. As the county councillor for the area I act as a link between the parish council and county hall which tends to speed up the process of dealing with these problems.

From today's meeting I have raised a number of issues with the county council:

• Flooding caused by blocked drains at Station Road, Blackhall Rocks
• Damaged pavements on the A1086 Coast Road on the approach to Crimdon Park
• Overhanging trees and bushes in the same area
• Parking at Hazel Drive which is causing an obstruction for waste collection vehicles and
• Ongoing parking issues at Ninth Street, Blackhall at the main gate entrance to the primary school

General litter and fly-tipping issues were discussed at a separate meeting I arranged last Tuesday with the parish clerk and neighbourhood wardens (see post dated Tuesday 5 March for further details).

Black Path resurfacing update

I have been contacted today by the senior rights of way officer at county hall to confirm that works to the Black Path, connecting High Hesleden with Blackhall Colliery, will begin next week (see posts dated 6 November 2012 & 17 January 2013 for further details).

Advisory notices will be erected at either end of the path later this week to let walkers know that works are to commence on Tuesday 12 March and are expected to last for 3 to 4 days.

Whilst some disruption is likely contractors will endeavour to maintain access whenever possible.

Sale of Glendale House completed

Following my enquiries today with the estates department at county hall I can confirm that the sale of the former residential care home, Glendale House in Blackhall Colliery, was finally completed yesterday Tuesday 5 March.

Because of its deteriorating condition the building and its grounds had become something of a problem since it closed. In those terms the sale comes as a relief for residents nearby.

Complete details of the sale, including its possible future use, are not yet clear and more detail will follow on this site following further enquiries.

Breathless in Blackhall

Durham County Council has received a planning application for a development comprising 6 houses on the site of the former Breathless club behind the Co-op store in Blackhall Colliery.

I will update on progress as soon as I have made enquiries and have further details.

Tackling fly-tipping and litter issues

I arranged a meeting this morning with the parish clerk, neighbourhood wardens and the street scene manager following a considerable increase in reports of fly-tipping and litter problems in Blackhall Colliery and the nearby villages in my ward (see post dated 28 February 2013).

Problems associated with fly-tipping appear to be separated into two groups: those linked to rubbish dumped into the yards of empty properties and those related to tipping in other, more secluded areas such as garage sites and isolated fields.

Regarding the first group, wardens are required by law to follow a set process. The immediate problem for the wardens is to actually identify the owner of the property so that they can issue an advisory notice to clear the yard. If the owner fails to comply a second advisory notice is issued a week later. Only if the owner fails to comply again can wardens finally pursue a prosecution which can result in a fine. This whole process can take from 6 to 8 weeks to complete so wardens try to expedite matters by contacting property owners directly wherever possible to appeal to them to clear yards as soon as possible. 

The second, more general, example of fly-tipping is associated with isolated areas including the beach banks, garage sites and private land. Here the main issue is identifying land ownership so that wardens can arrange clearance, if the land is council owned, or contact the landowner to begin the process similar to the one above.

At this morning's meeting wardens were also made aware of the increase in reports of litter gathered in main shopping areas such as Middle Street and also in the streets nearby. The street scene manager assured me and the parish clerk that the streets were cleared at least once a day and a work schedule is to be provided to enable us to monitor street clearing.

Finally, the wardens gave an update on the success of the recent county council campaign to tackle dog fouling in our streets and open spaces. It was also reported that new dog bins are to be provided in specific problem areas and, perhaps just as importantly, existing dog bins are to be emptied regularly to enable full and correct use.

I know that tackling the issues highlighted above is a particular priority for many residents in my ward and I will always follow up such complaints immediately. However, if you prefer, any incidents of dog fouling, littering or fly-tipping may also be reported directly to:

Envirocall-Easington@durham.gov.uk or 03000 261 000.

Traffic in High Hesleden

Over the last week I have received further complaints about traffic speeding through High Hesleden (see posts dated 23 April 2012, 26 June 2012, 8 September 2012 & 14 October 2012 for further details).

I have asked highways officers at county hall for the outcome of the traffic survey carried out recently in the village and I will ask the council and police to consider traffic calming measures based on this evidence.

I also intend to identify this matter as a PACT priority at the next Community Forum meeting to be held at the Resource Centre on Wednesday 13 March. Again, the outcome of any evidence gathered during this period will be used to identify the appropriate type and level of traffic calming needed in the village.

Please let me know if you have any experience of similar traffic problems in High Hesleden:

rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or 0191 372 5821.

Traffic safety on the A19 Wellfield Flyover

At a recent meeting of Castle Eden Parish Council members raised concerns about traffic safety on the A19 flyover at Wellfield. There is a relatively new traffic layout here which appears to be causing some confusion with motorists and parish councillors are worried that this could cause an accident.

I have contacted the police traffic management officer and highways engineers from county hall and asked for their opinion of the issues raised. I have also requested a site meeting to consider these matters further if members so wish.

I have copied below, in full, the response received from the highways engineer. I will take this information back to members at the next parish meeting and arrange a site meeting if requested. In the meantime please let me know if you have any comments or concerns related to this matter.

Dear Rob

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I've checked our records and we have no outstanding complaints about the junction in question.

I've also checked with the Police who have been in receipt of some concerns.

The junction layout was determined following complaints about traffic turning left from the slip road and undertaking U-turns in Castle Eden before heading westwards along the A181 and also the traffic stacking back onto the 'live' traffic lane on the A19.  There were many discussions with the Highways Agency as any change to traffic management would have a knock-on effect for the A19 and they would not accept any increase in queues especially onto the main running lanes.  In addition as the slip roads are under the control of the Highways Agency, any changes that affect the slip roads would have to be agreed with them.  If I recall, there was also only limited funding available for any improvement.

Three general options were considered, a) do nothing, b) introduce signals and c) other traffic management (which included the current double mini-spot arrangement).

a) do nothing.  This would not resolve the complaints from residents in Castle Eden to both the Council and Police.  It would also not assist in reducing stacking back of traffic down the slip road and onto the A19.  If there was a way to prevent the traffic making U-turns on the County roads, this would result in an escalation of the stacking on the A19 with the potential for high speed incidents.

b) traffic signals.  This option was modelled but found to create additional issues resulting in stacking onto the A19.  If the signals catered for flows on one slip it had a detrimental knock-on for another slip.  There is insufficient space for stacking the traffic on both the slips and A181/B1281 to accommodate the flows from the slips without problems being encountered on the A19.

c) other traffic management.  Of the layouts considered, the current double mini-roundabout when modelled was found to provide suitable traffic movement.  It assists in reducing the 'benefit' observed by motorists in making the U-turn manoeuvre and caters for the predominant traffic flows when they occur.  Whilst it is not a particularly common arrangement, it should not be beyond the comprehension of a motorist to negotiate the junction arrangement safely.  It is accepted that any arrangement no matter how good or basic is fool-proof and every attempt is made to reduce this risk when designs are made.

Anecdotal information to date indicates that the junction arrangement is working and has reduced the problems previously encountered.  Site observations have revealed the U-turn issue is not the problem it was and has been significantly reduced.  The queues on the slip road, whilst still occurring, are clearing in reasonable time.  Analysis of the accident database of recorded personal injury accidents reveals that the junction layout is not creating a serious problem - given the volume of vehicles using the junction, it is coping well and only 1 accident per year is recorded.  Whilst we would not wish to have any, given the nature of the junction, conflicting traffic flows and traffic volumes, this level of incident is low.

We have checked the traffic signage and confirm that it is appropriate to the junction layout and positioned in accordance with approach speeds and visibility.

We have also looked at a request to extend the splitter island (southbound off slip) eastwards along the location of the double white lines between the eastbound A181 and the A19 southbound off slip, to prevent vehicles from using the left lane and undertaking a U-turn round the splitter island.  Within the current carriageway layout, this is not possible as there is insufficient space between the two lanes whilst accommodating large vehicles which turn left from the A19 onto the eastbound A181/B1281.  The only way this could be accommodated is to widen the northern side of the slip for which there is no budget available.

 I hope the above is useful.