Call to end HGV misery in Barnard Castle

Campaigners are refusing to take no for an answer when it comes to taking action to limit the impact of HGVs in Barnard Castle.

The heavy lorries have a hugely damaging effect on old buildings in the town and a detrimental effect on the quality of life for residents, they say. They want action to:

• Ban all non-essential HGVs from the town
• Build a bypass/relief road
• Introduce new speed limits
• Prosecute offenders

There are several pressure points in Barnard Castle where lorries negotiate narrow streets and the Market Cross junction.

Representatives of residents living in Newgate are due to meet Durham County Council cabinet member Cllr Tim McGuinness to renew requests for speed limits and other measures to make daily life safer and more tolerable.

The county council recently rejected a request for tougher restrictions in Newgate leading to county and town councillor Chris Foote-Wood calling for the meeting.

Cllr McGuinness said: “Though I am happy to listen to what they have to say, like every council in the country, we are facing a significant fiscal challenge which underpins our decision making.”

Meanwhile, businesses at the top of The Bank near the Market Cross have raised concerns about HGVs regularly mounting the pavement as they are driven around the historic monument.

According to one eyewitness, pedestrians are often forced to seek safety in the doorway of Saks to avoid the lorries.

Also, the Mercury has seen photographic evidence of a HGV driving the wrong way down the main road.

Andrea Poulton, founder and CEO of Noon Living, believes HGVs shouldn’t be allowed through the town unless it’s for deliveries or collections.

She believes most lorry drivers use the town as a shortcut when they should be using the A66-Scotch Corner-A1 route instead.

She said: “As the owner of a business facing the Butter Market, I have witnessed frequent incidents involving a number of non-local HGVs over the years.

“These incidents include damage to the Butter Market, HGVs driving on the wrong side of the road and lorries mounting the pavement, which poses a threat to public safety.

“Unfortunately this is a daily occurrence, with members of the public frequently complaining they have had to ‘jump out of the way’ of lorries.”

A Durham Constabulary spokesman claimed Teesdale police officers hadn’t received any complaints relating to incidents near the Market Cross and urged people with evidence of dangerous driving to use the Operation Snap online reporting system.

Snap is designed to enable members of the public to report driving offences they’ve witnessed and upload pictorial and video evidence as soon as possible with the police insisting they’ll investigate all reports.

The spokesman said: “We take all reports of dangerous driving seriously and would encourage anyone who witnesses this, to report it to us.

“We also have a dedicated team receiving submissions through Operation Snap, an online portal that allows the public to submit dash-cam, helmet-cam or mobile phone footage of several driving offences including using a mobile phone, driving without due care and attention, failing to stop at red lights, crossing solid white lines, and dangerous overtaking.

“You can submit any evidence and find more information on our website at durham.police.uk“

Campaigners are determined to keep the subject of a bypass on the agenda and the Teesdale Labour Party is pushing for what they believe is an achievable solution.

Labour town councillor Chris Foote-Wood said: “The Teesdale branch of the Labour party has unanimously agreed to make the case for a new road, less than a mile in length, which would make feasible a weight limit on Barney’s medieval centre for heavy traffic passing through the town.

“Our local campaigning did get this road, which provides a strategic link between south Durham and the A66 trans-Pennine route, added to the Durham County Plan in 2014 but it was then removed by the planning inspector on the grounds that there was no prospect of it being financed by Durham County Council.”

The branch has urged regional mayor Kim McGuinness to include the relief road in the Regional Transport Strategy. The proposed bypass would run from Abbey Bridge north to join A67 near Runa Farm, enabling HGVs to avoid Barnard Castle town centre.