Following discussions with parish members there was a general consensus that the county council's proposals to remove some street lighting in two separate locations at Castle Eden could not be supported because of a number of specific concerns.
We are aware that the parish council has written to the county council outlining its concerns. We have also submitted our own objections and we have published our correspondence below in full for information.
Over recent years we have submitted a series of letters objecting to the council's area-specific proposals, particularly as they relate to the other villages in our ward which we feel are being affected unfairly by this policy due to its bias against rural areas.
From past experience we know that it's essential to have the community behind us if we are to be successful in keeping the street lights on in and around our rural villages. Consequently we would encourage anyone with concerns about the council's street lighting proposals for Castle Eden to submit their objections as soon as possible.
Please follow the link below for details of the council's street lighting and energy reduction project:
http://democracy.durham.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=154&MId=7294&Ver=4
If you have any issues you would like to be considered as part of these proposals, please contact the senior programme manager: yvonne.edwards@durham.gov.uk
Objections
to Street Lighting and Energy Reduction proposals for Castle Eden
Cllr
Rob Crute & Cllr Lynn Pounder, Blackhall Division
Having studied closely the council’s SLERP proposals for
Castle Eden we can confirm that we cannot support any of the recommended lighting
column removals.
Castle Eden is in an entirely rural location with a
considerable agricultural background and with very busy roads throughout which
link the main A19 arterial road through east Durham and the villages along the
coast, including the visitor destination at Crimdon Dene Holiday Park. It is
also designated by the highway authority as an alternative route for traffic
diverted to and from the A19 in the event of an accident or emergency.
In reaching our decision we have considered the following points:
In reaching our decision we have considered the following points:
· Proposals to remove street lighting columns
along the highway between the B1281 junction and the Haswell to Hart walk-way bridge on Stockton Road would
leave this entire stretch of road in complete darkness. We note that there are
access and egress points to residential properties at seven separate locations,
along with access to and from two public footpath and agricultural facilities. It
should also be noted that this is on a scheduled bus route. We consider that any
street lighting reduction at this location would lead to a serious and unacceptable
safety risk to residents, pedestrians and road-users alike.
· In relation to the second set of
proposals to remove street lighting columns from the stretch of highway linking
the junction at The Village to the B1281 junction we note that there have been
a number of reported incidents of speeding at this location, along with a
number of vehicle collisions (although it is acknowledged that none have been
fatal up to this point). We feel that the twisting and undulating nature of
this stretch of road would lead to an unacceptable risk of further accidents in
future should street lighting be reduced or removed.
· Finally, we would draw your
attention to a major planning application approved recently by the strategic
planning committee at Durham County Council to remove spoil from the pit heap
at the former Castle Eden (Hesleden) Colliery. Although works to remove the
spoil heap have yet to begin we note that the scheme would involve the
movements of four heavy goods vehicles per hour, each day between Hesleden and
the A19 at Castle Eden for a period of not less than 20 months and using the
highway where street lighting is recommended for removal. Given the concerns
about speeding, traffic collisions and the nature of the road linking this
location and the A19 we feel strongly that road traffic accidents are almost
inevitable. Removing street lighting in this area would increase that risk
considerably.
We have met with Castle Eden Parish Council and other local
organisations and we can confirm that they share concerns as detailed above.
For the reasons we have outlined in this correspondence we would strongly urge the council to reconsider its proposals to remove street
lighting columns in and around Castle Eden.
Cllr
Rob Crute & Cllr Lynn Pounder
22
June 2016
