This week’s edition of the Mercury has hit the streets. Here’s what is making the headlines:
Have chiefs blundered with their £1billion plan to fully dual the A66 highway? There’s one very important aspect about Barnard Castle they are accused of overlooking…
Volunteers step in to make sure the Meet parade goes ahead.
Public meeting over Teesdale cycle race.
Barnard Castle’s schools, GP surgery and road won’t be able to cope with another 210 homes, it is being claimed.
Dispute over whose children can use a village play area on a new estate.
Bargains at shop that is saving items people throw away.
Rags to riches – a childhood dream come true.
Museum gets ready for family friendly Lego fun.
Colleagues are left shocked as stalwart town councillor Roger Peat says: “I quit” .
Bid to protect roosts is too late for dale site.
Taxpayers are facing an increased bill for a private investigator called in by Barnard Castle Town Council after a member of staff was suspended.
Building more village homes in Gainford will fund vital repairs of historic hall, says Raby Estate.
The double taxation bill for Barnard Castle residents is revealed.
Why you’ll never walk alone at Gainford’s sport field.
Plus letters, opinion, what’s on, farming, community news, Remember When and four pages of local grassroots sport.
![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)
