As our MP I am writing to raise an urgent road-safety issue concerning the roundabout at B1281/Hesleden Road by the Gleeson new build estate that as our MP you need to fight for us before something seriously happens. There are numerous neighbours that can give you statements as to what has happened as we have all escaped danger by inches.
The roundabout is positioned noticeably off-centre toward the left, creating what is effectively a straight stretch of road for traffic coming up from Blackhalls Main Street. Drivers frequently approach at speeds of around 60 mph and some travel the wrong way around the roundabout. Yesterday I was nearly hit while walking my dog, and only narrowly avoided a serious accident because the driver had to emergency stop.
Children regularly use this crossing to reach the park and local shop, as there is no footpath on the right side of the road towards Blackhall Main Street. This combination of design flaws and reckless driving creates an unacceptable danger for residents.
I ask that you urgently:
1. Press for a lower speed limit on this stretch, reflecting its residential nature.
2. Support the installation of traffic-calming measures, such as speed humps with spikes to deter wrong-way driving which will provide evidence of these dangerous drivers or raised tables, to force vehicles to slow down and deter wrong-way driving.
3. Request a full safety audit of the roundabout layout to address the off-centre design that encourages straight-through speeding.
While the developer, Gleeson, claims the issue is purely driver behaviour, the road layout clearly contributes to the hazard. Residents should not have to wait for a serious injury or fatality before action is taken.
I would appreciate your immediate attention and a response outlining what steps you can take to ensure this dangerous situation is addressed.
Thank you for your time and support.
Yours sincerely,
I've raised the resident's concerns with the highways authority at Durham County Council and I've also forwarded them to the the office of Grahame Morris MP and the traffic management team at Durham police.
I've also offered to host an onsite meeting for the relevant parties to consider all options in addressing local concerns about this matter if necessary. I'll update on progress as soon as I have responses from all the relevant authorities.
In the meantime the backstory to this issue can be found here: Concerns raised with police and highways authority about dangerous driving practices on the B1281
