TIME is slipping away if there is to be a town response over controversial plans for the A66 near Barnard Castle, councillors have been told.
There has been widespread concern about initial proposals to dual the A66 which would lead to more traffic turning off at the Cross Lanes junction to go through Startforth and Barnard Castle.
Barnard Castle HGV Action Group, which has been in talks with Highways England, wants Barnard Castle Town Council to organise a meeting of interested town parties and representatives to find a way forward on this issue as well as other traffic problems.
But no progress has been made on this, despite the initial pledge to get people round the table in March 2020.
The town council has blamed Covid-19 for causing the delay but Barnard Castle HGV Action Group says time is now pressing.
Ros Evans, a member of the HGV group, spoke at last week’s town council meeting.
Town clerk Martin Clark said a resolution to hold a town meeting would need to be re-affirmed again at the next full council meeting in September because the authority has new members following the local elections in May. Ms Evans said this risked being too late because a public consultation on the final A66 proposals was due to be held in the autumn.
She also told councillors that town and parish councils were being invited to submit comments via a statutory consultation ahead of the public consultation.
The deadline for the statutory consultation is July 12, Ms Evans said.
She told councillors: “This does indicate some urgency to get together with other people apart from yourselves to talk about traffic issues.
“With the best will in the world, you won’t know the issues unless you talk to people.”
Two town councillors – Cllr Laura Drew and Chris Foote-Wood – attend A66 stakeholder meetings with Highways England.
But Ms Evans was worried they didn’t know enough and would benefit from speaking to Barnard Castle HGV Action Group.
Mr Clark said he was not aware of the statutory consultation but agreed to talks with the HGV Action Group on an informal basis.
Cllr Foote-Wood expressed concerns about missing the deadline, adding that town traffic problems and the A66 scheme were “inevitably linked” . Under proposals revealed late last year, HGVs driving from Scotch Corner on the A66 would turn off at Rokeby to get to Barnard Castle. But smaller vehicles travelling west on the A66 will use the Cross Lanes junction and travel through Startforth.
Protests have been sounded by those who say the road along The Sills and up The Bank is not suitable for a large increase in traffic.
Highways England have been looking at design changes but nothing has been finalised.
