Parking blamed for making village road unsafe

County officers are looking at ways of making a dangerous bend on the A688 in Staindrop safer following complaints from parish councillors.

The section of the road became unsafe when vehicles began parking on the side of the road to access a new shop that opened at Central Buildings.

Five parish councillors and county councillor Jillian Campbell met two highways officers at the site early in September.

Reporting back during the council’s latest meeting, parish clerk Judith Mashiter said: “They did promise to go away and do a visibility study at the junction, going out on the cobbles.

“They did promise to look at double yellows in front of the shop across the junction.”

She added, however, that there is a minimum wait of nine months to get a traffic order to put in double yellow lines.

A problem of vehicles parking along the cobbles next to the shop was also highlighted during the site meeting.

The cobbles are adopted highway, and parking on them is an offence.

The clerk said: “They said there is nothing physical they can put on the cobbles.

“They can’t put double yellows on the cobbles.

“Neither could any physical barriers be put there to deter parking.”

It was noted that officers had also said they could not put up no parking signs on the cobbles, but suggested they could be put on the neighbouring village green.

Cllr Ed Chicken who also attended the meeting said there was a suggestion to make the cobbles one-way so that it could not be accessed from the A688.

He added: “It was very obvious the officers did not want to go down that route.

“They reluctantly agreed to look at it, but I have no doubt it is at the bottom of a very big pile and nothing will happen unless we chase it.”

During the site meeting Cllr Campbell was asked to find out whether any restrictions on parking or deliveries were made when the use of the property was changed to retail.

Reporting back the clerk said: “The use of the property for retail premises did not require planning permission as the formal use of the building was commercial.

“As such there are no planning conditions relating to the use of the building and planning has no ability to regulate parking vehicles outside the premises or deliveries.”

Cllr Paul McQuilliam questioned whether similar problems with people parking in front of the Post Office would also be addressed.

Chairman Cllr Simon Howard responded: “The problem with the shop is that it is on a corner.

“As you come out to the Post Office you can see past it, from the corner you can’t.

“I have seen at least three vans almost go into the front of buses because you have got a vehicle parked on the corner outside the shop which then obscures the view.”

The council agreed to put up no stopping signs on the village green at either entrance to the cobbles.