Spring Gardens residents left in dark over street lights removal

PEOPLE in Spring Gardens are upset that street lights have been removed without them being consulted first.
Now county council officers and Etherley parish councillors are to meet residents to discuss the issue.
The matter was highlighted when a resident wrote to Etherley parish clerk Alison Overfield to complain.
The clerk explained during the parish council’s meeting in April that people did not need to be consulted because the removal of the streetlight columns was part of a previous county-wide consultation.
She said: “I have had several emails from a resident at Spring Gardens, who lives in Etherley parish, asking the question why the parish council did not consult the residents down there about the removal of the street columns.
“She had been in touch with Durham County Council and they informed her that the county council doesn’t have to consult about individual cases because there was a full consultation about the removal of street lighting columns two years ago.”
The clerk added that she had subsequently been in touch with county officers and they had suggested a site meeting with residents who were upset.
She added that the parish council had not objected to the removal of the columns at the time of the consultation.
Ms Overfield said: “We made the decision based on information we received from two of our parish councillors who actually live on the bank and also the fact that it was classed as very low risk in the report that we got.”
Cllr Peter Ray said the meeting would be a good idea.
He added: “We have had criticism, as we have all seen in the local press, so it would be a lovely public relations exercise. It would be seen that the parish council has picked up the concerns of people and has made representations to the county council to come out and explain.”