County Councillor Liz Maddison has provided an update on activities within the Division:
There has been a few Highways related issues this month that I have asked to be investigated. ‘Slow’ road markings in several locations have almost disappeared, as have mini roundabout markings and some bus stop markings. All of these highways repainting jobs have been reported.
At school start and end times Durham Road can be a race track and in early September I sent in a request to the Council asking if Highways could monitor the current provision as some drivers ignore the crossing patrols as they step out onto the road at start/end of school day and cars have been seen to overtake buses stopped at the bus stops just before the crossing patrol with children waiting to cross the road. Double yellow line road markings requesting ‘no parking’ at junctions on this same stretch is also being ignored.
Cars approaching the A688 bypass onto Whitehouse Road roundabout are speeding onto the bend very close to Whitehouse Road exit and the turn off to Spennymoor High Street. I have asked for more warning signs off the A688 and for a clean up of the verges.
Inappropriate graffiti underneath the flyover on the A688 has now been removed.
Some promised road surfacing and road patching requests have been followed up for Institute Street and Green rise, Byers Green; for Primrose Hill, Newfield down to the junction with the Queens Head pub, and for Hawthorn Road, Middlestone Moor. Some pothole repairs have been completed at Langmere and repairs at road junctions at Mayfields have been requested.
The work on placing bollards around the pathway in front of the previous One Stop Shop, Middlestone Moor was completed in October and on time. Thank you to the Highways Team. As reported in an earlier edition of Spennymoor News, this safety work was paid for with mine and Cllr Molloy’s Member funding. The double yellow lines placed there previously had not been sufficient to deter inappropriate parking.
I have not yet had an update on double yellow lines to the frontage of the Gleeson development on this same bend of Durham Road, Middlestone Moor and opposite to the Shop. I will keep chasing this as this too is a potential traffic safety issue should any cars park on this sharp bend. Highways have agreed that this will be looked at once current building work is completed.
Highways have been asked if they will consider a safe crossing point over to the new Gleeson Estate on Durham Road, Middlestone Moor for residents who use bus services in both directions and needing to cross this busy road as well as for the safety of customers crossing over to, and from the (renamed) Tesco shop.
I have asked for a dropped kerb, paid for with my Member funding, on the pathway in front of the Albion Street Allotments (opposite Middlestone Moor Community Centre) to make it easier for any disabled people carriages using this pathway to manoeuvre the high kerb over to Albion Street and down to the shops on the main road.
Dust, mud on the roads and lack of wheel washing of vehicles leaving the phase 6 development site on Burton Woods continues to be an issue raised with both Barratts and DCC Planning Enforcement. This was particularly bad on Monday 12th October when I viewed mud and dust on the road from top to bottom of Gibside Way, Dunstanburgh to Atherton Way and up to Westfields on Carr Street. Representation with photos has again been made to have this continuing issue sorted. In their response just received Barratts have stated that .. an additional manned jet wash facility will be introduced to improve cleaning of vehicle wheels and reduce the migration of mud onto the highway ..provide extra cameras to monitor the perimeter fence (to ensure it is safe, secure and monitored) .. will reinforce housekeeping and road cleaning activities and will be hiring another forklift to wet down and sweep roads internally, and will be monitoring conditions closely, .. a sign with emergency contact details will be installed w/c 12/10/26 “ I have asked if the road cleansing could continue until the last vehicle leaves the site at end of day.
As we approach Winter months, I have been thinking of Spring! Clean & Green will be planting spring bulbs across Spennymoor Division paid for from my Member funding to brighten up the approaches to the Town and Villages within the Division. The raised beds on Clyde Terrace opposite to St Paul’s have also been tidied up.
A street sign for Old Park Terrace (also called Slowly) Byers Green, is on order and should be positioned on the Black Road soon.
A few people have mentioned the long standing graffiti on the telephone box on Carr Lane, Spennymoor that has not been removed. This was reported some time ago but unfortunately the graffiti can only be removed by the owner of the exchange. Several requests have been made to the external organisation to remove the unnecessary and unsightly ‘artwork’ signature.
There has been several incidents of flytipping on the patch, with mattresses, a television, glass, shopping trolleys, and bin bags full of rubbish, discarded. All incidents have been reported and some areas have already been cleaned up. Thanks to the Neighbourhood Warden and Clean and Green Team for undertaking this unpleasant work. Where the actual blue paper/glass waste bins have been filled with flytip and discarded, these have been emptied of general waste and removed from the street to prevent more fly tipping.
Liz Maddison
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
