A GAINFORD resident who has had his request for speed deterrents in the village turned down is taking matters further.
David Greenland told Gainford and Langton Parish Council that speed-activated signs were needed at each entrance to the village including near North Terrace on the road from Ingleton. However, a report by parish clerk, Martin Clark, which was based on findings from a recent traffic survey, was presented to councillors last month.
This stated that “the rotation of speedvisors is more effective than the placing of permanent ones which over time begin to lack driver credibility.” Instead of Mr Greenland’s suggestion, councillors agreed to consider setting up a community Speedwatch scheme involving residents carrying out checks in person.
Mr Greenland attended this month’s meeting to express his frustration and asked that figures from the survey are made available publicly.
He said: “I asked for speed activated signs which the parish council have turned down. I am taking this to Durham County Council.
“I request that the full information of that survey is made public, especially the locations and the times that the survey was taken.”
The traffic survey was carried out over five days in June last year. Some 10 per cent of motorists exceeded the 30mph speed limit coming from Darlington and an average speed of 28mph was recorded.
Out of those travelling from Barnard Castle, 22 per cent were found to be speeding with most motorists travelling between 31mph and 35mph.
Mr Greenland added: “I don’t believe that anything has been exhausted regarding speeding in this village.
“The action plan, which is ten years old, said the parish council would actively address speeding in this village.
“You are looking at the action plan for 2018.
“What is the point? You have not finished the last one.”
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
