Potholes to be filled two years after first complaint

Potholes are to be filled at the entrance of an assisted-living home two years after the first complaint was made.

Ian Kinnear and his wife Dettie moved into Bowes Lyon House, in Barnard Castle, in 2023 and almost immediately highlighted safety fears about the entrance at a residents’ meeting.

They have now baked cupcakes with two candles to mark the anniversary in a bid to get action.

However, just a day before the stunt, an officer from Durham County Council had been out to mark the potholes for future repair.

Ian said residents, some of whom use wheelchairs, walking sticks and mobility scooters, are forced to navigate the road surface when cars park along the pavement connecting it to Wilson Street.

Ian said: “Nothing has been done and the situation has deteriorated. Come winter when the road is icy there is a potential danger of a serious fall or accident as the road itself carries a lot of traffic from carers, Home Group vans, taxis and a multitude of delivery drivers.

“While the adjoining road is well maintained being both a bus route and police, fire brigade and ambulance access, there is a blind spot when leaving Bowes Lyons as there are no mirrors.”

Durham County Council said while it is going to repair part of the entrance, police should be called to deal with the pavement parking problem.

Paul Watson, Durham County Council’s highway services manager, said: “We appreciate that residents at Bowes Lyon House are concerned about the condition of the road outside.

“We carry out safety inspections across our whole road network to identify any defects that may present a risk.

“We reviewed this location last week and will now arrange for repairs to be completed in the coming weeks.

“We will continue to monitor and maintain the road in this area through our regular inspection regime. We encourage anyone to contact us to make us aware of any defects that need immediate fixing, so that we can carry out repairs as soon as possible.”