Empty shop units and the future of Barnard Castle’s high street feature highly in this week’s Teesdale Mercury, which is out now.
Here are the headlines:
Objectors defeat plans to open an Italian restaurant in Barnard Castle town centre; Clarks shoe shop announces it will close; some traders fear Lidl plans could affect their business… and a group is to be launched to increase footfall in the high street.
Plan to close path through the grounds of Teesdale school is rejected – despite concerns from senior teachers about the safety of pupils and child abduction.
Christmas arrives on a quad bike – pictures from Middleton-in-Teesdale’s switch on event.
Did the earth move for you? Earthquake recorded in Barnard Castle.
Cancer research heroes raise £70k.
Civil war re-enactors prepare to do battle in Piercebridge.
Delays to reopening of Stainton Grove tip.
Farmers enjoy a full English to help raise cash for charity.
Fertiliser plant plans rejected by inspector.
Co-op cash giveaway to groups – and the Clique charity also gives to good causes.
Plus letters and opinion, what’s on, community news, farming – and three pages of sport including the latest on Middleton-in-Teesdale’s bobsleigh star.
![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)
