Fears of further misery on Barnard Castle school road

A PROPOSAL to build a detached house on a street dogged by construction traffic has raised concern.
Plans have been submitted for a two storey home between Sherwood Close and Eldersfield, on Green Lane, in Barnard Castle.
But members of Barnard Castle Town Council had reservations about the application which is for an area busy with primary school traffic.
Cllr John Blissett said: “The big concern I have got is with construction going on at Green Lane and the other four houses – there is going to more significant traffic there.
“Traffic from the Green Lane site is causing a lot of problems at the moment – it’s the safety aspect of construction traffic and kids getting to [Green Lane] school.”
Developers are building 62 homes at the eastern end of Green Lane at the moment.
Councillors had warned of “traffic chaos” in 2015 before work began on the major Barratt David Wilson Homes proposal.
Cllr Blissett added that he had no problem with the single house being built itself but held some misgivings about any county led traffic assessment.
He added: “If it goes to highways, they will do it on a Sunday afternoon when the schools are off.”
But new committee member Cllr Mark Wilkes reckoned the problem would ease off once construction had finished on the new housing estate. Chairman Cllr Frank Harrison added: “It’s not as bad as it was three weeks ago – I was counting 17 or 18 vehicles coming past between 2.30pm and 3.45pm.”
Members eventually agreed to back the single home proposal attaching their concerns about road safety on their note back to Durham County Council planners.