Making the headlines this week:
A proposal for a 26-hectare solar farm on the outskirts of Barnard Castle to help power GSK is being recommended for approval
Tax payers in Barnard Castle are expected to be charged more than £200,000 to cover the costs of the town council in the next financial year
Brilliant Gainford Beavers Charlotte and Jessica Edwards and super Barnard Castle Cubs have been celebrating awards success
Startforth has become the latest village in the dale to have a request for a pedestrian crossing on a busy main road turned down
The installation of solar panels at Butterknowle Village Hall has helped to slash energy costs
For this week’s feature, we look at how officials at The Bowes Museum are looking to the long term to secure the venue’s future
MP Sam Rushworth looks forward to a busy 2025 in his first column of the new year
In sport, Barnard Castle FC are on the look-out for new sponsors to help cover an anticipated hike in running costs
This week’s What’s On discovers the tribute bands heading to the dale and Vampire Rock onstage at Darlington
In farming news, meet the Dales Pony enthusiast who is following in her dad’s footsteps – and reaping the benefits
Plus, readers’ letters, family notices, this week’s events guide, mart prices, Remember When and much more.
All in this week’s Mercury, which is out today.
![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)
