Plans are afoot to unite four parish councils to campaign together for lower speed limits through their villages.
The idea was mooted during Gainford Parish Council’s latest meeting when Cllr Sarah Hannan suggested contacting the neighbouring parishes of Ingleton, Staindrop and Winston to have a stronger voice when approaching Durham County Council about speeding problems.
Cllr Hannan, who stood as a candidate for the Lower Teesdale ward in the May county council election, told the latest parish council meeting that she learned, while campagning, that the four villages share a common concern.
She added: “Everybody is really vocal [about speeding]. I’ve walked around those villages recently and I am not kidding, especially in Staindrop, you are taking your life into your hands if you want to cross the road.
“They have always said they can’t change speed limits, but there are now villages in County Durham that have 20mph speed limits
“Quite honestly, for as long as I have been on the parish council, they have just fobbed us off whenever we’ve had a problem. If four parish councils went to them together and said, ‘look this is an issue, this is what we want from you, can you do something about it’, it might have a bit more strength. Perhaps the county would take it more seriously.”
It was pointed out that there is a 20mph speed limit on the A67 in Barnard Castle, but not when it passes through Gainford.
Cllr Hannan said: “We wanted a roundabout on either end of the village, [the county says] we can’t put a roundabout on the A67, well there’s two in Barney.”
She added a number of cats had been killed by speeding vehicles in front of her house and there is potential for a child to suffer the same fate.
Cllr Hannan said: “There is no parking on the north side of the road so people can pretty much fly all the way through the village unhindered.”
This, she added, had led to a number of accidents when vehicles have gone through the village and slowed down to turn right into the GP surgery.
The council agreed to make contact with the other parish councils to gauge their interest in joining forces to tackle their speeding issues.
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