Earlier this month a resident contacted the highways team at Durham County Council requesting additional information about the drop-down bollards installed at Park Avenue to prevent vehicles driving along the public footpath.
In brief summary the bollards were installed recently in response to residents’ concerns that an accident could happen if the footpath wasn’t made safe and secure against drivers using the footpath as a road. However, from the questions raised, it’s possible the resident might have misunderstood how and why the bollards were installed so the highways officer has explained the background and process in full in their response.
I was copied into the original email from the resident and I was also copied into a response from the council’s highways team which I have reproduced below in full. The resident’s and council employee’s names have been redacted.
**Complete background details on this issue (going back to April 2021) were recorded in several past articles published on these pages. Please go to the link below for those posts:
https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/11/vehicle-access-at-park-avenue.html
Sent on behalf of [DCC’s Strategic Highways Manager]
Dear Ms [resident]
I refer to your email dated 11th November 2022, which [DCC’s Corporate Director, Neighbourhoods and Climate Change] has asked me to respond to.
The issues of vehicles accessing properties using the footpath at Park Avenue was first highlighted in 2020 and letters were issued to those residents driving over the footpath to request that this practice was stopped.
Unfortunately residents continued to unlawfully drive over the footpath without authority and further correspondence was issued to those responsible and action was taken to install bollards to restrict access.
I have taken each of your information requests in turn and provide my response:
- What checks were put in place and over what period, to ensure the allegation of speeding cars was in fact true?
The issues of speeding vehicles were not highlighted as a concern from residents. The only issue reported to the Council was the driving over a public footpath to access properties.
I am not aware of any speeding issues on Park Avenue footpath.
- How many residents, residing in Park Avenue have been spoken to personally (this is face to face or over the telephone which I assume all calls will be recorded) please be aware I have spoken to over 80% of the residents and no one has been contacted other than by letter dictating what is happening.
The council received numerous complaints from residents of Park Avenue concerned about vehicles using the footpath to access their properties. We do not have any recordings of telephone conversations as its council policy to not record such calls.
All residents were contacted by letter to advise of the installation of the bollards on highway safety grounds during April and September 2021 and again November 2022.
- When in fact the emergency services where contacted, as I was advised by Rob Crute that emergency services gave the go ahead from their end earlier in the year, yet the letter sent by council prior to my meeting with Rob, stated that emergency services needed to be contacted, as you can imagine, these are very conflicting, so clarity would be great.
The emergency services were initially contacted in April 2021 with regard to the installation of bollards and again in May 2022. The second consultation was to discuss the option of drop-down lockable bollards as an alternative to permanently installed bollards previously agreed.
In April 2021 when the Council notified residents that bollards were to be installed we received a challenge from a resident regarding the installation of bollards and the legal status of the public footpath.
The installation of drop-down lockable bollards is a compromise to the installation of permanently fixed bollards.
- What is the council going to do about park at the rear of Park Avenue, because if a resident happens to fall ill in the street, and can’t get out of their back gate due to parking, families will be holding the council responsible.
It is a requirement for any highway user that they park in a manner that does not cause an obstruction to passing vehicles or pedestrians. Section 137 Highways Act 1980 and Rule 145 of the Highway Code all require any driver of a vehicle on the public highway to not park their vehicle in a manner that is likely to cause an obstruction. Therefore, it is incumbent on road users to comply with this legislation for the safety of all highway users.
I will consult with the **Council’s Traffic team to review parking in the area to establish whether restrictions will assist in maintaining access.
- How much did the unwarranted work cost the tax payer? (Please include breakdown of all costs, and if covered by a grant, who supplied the grant and how much was it for)
A highways capital budget was used to fund the installation of the bollards. The estimate for the works is in the region of £724 plus the bollard cost. The final costs are currently being processed and I will be able to provide a breakdown of each element – plant, labour and materials when this is available.
**I asked the traffic section to take a look at the issue of problem parking at the rear of Park Avenue. Their response can be found in a separate article here: https://robcrute-blackhall.blogspot.com/2022/11/tackling-parking-issues-at-park-avenue.html
