Leisure businesses are good to go as Teesdale opsn to visitors again – a special report on how preparations are going to welcome folk back to the caravan parks, B&B, pubs and clubs
Traffic wardens handed out 43 fines in two days to drivers who ignored parking restrictions at Bowlees
Meet the former Aycliffe Angel who celebrates her 100th birthday this weekend
Plans have been unveiled for a major expansion at a roadside cafe on the A68
Flytippers who piled rubbish in a farmer’s field at Headlam have been condemned
Nature Notes columnist Dave Moore reflects on 20 years of Smallways wetlands
A rare albino blackbird has been spotted in the dale
The Friends of Richardson Hospital have provided more vital kit for the dale’s nursing team
We’ve a picture special on Cotherstone’s socially distanced fun weekend
In What’s On, artist Sandra Parker gives an insight into her work
In sport, teenager Nicky Lee-Shield came out on top in the latest golf club competition
Plus… Bob Garton’s fun quiz, readers’ letters, family announcements and much more, only in this week’s paper.
![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)
