Further frustration as Barnard Castle Market Cross is damaged again

Campaigners are to put more pressure on authorities to prevent further damage to a Teesdale heritage landmark.
This repeated call for action comes after Barnard Castle’s Market Cross was struck by yet another vehicle earlier this month.
For more than a year, the town has seen an increase in HGVs passing through as a result of diversions on the A1 at Scotch Corner.
Barnard Castle resident Alan Dodgson noticed the most recent damage last Monday, October 3.
Mr Dodgson said: “I didn’t know how this had happened because it seems to be on the wrong side of the road.
“I think a lorry has been coming round the Market Cross to go towards Abbey Bridge.
“It has scraped all of the cobbles around the Market Cross and caught the wall beneath the railings on the opposite side. The traffic is being directed through the town but I think they should be diverted to Darlington.”
Mr Dodgson also spoke about the Abbey Bridge being damaged as a result of the A1 diversions. The County Bridge has had its fair share of knocks too.
He said: “I think it is disgraceful that this is being allowed to happen in an ancient town like Barnard Castle. Everything is getting a battering.
“When you see some of the lorries trying to negotiate the Market Cross you think how on earth are they going to do that?
“Until a bypass is built something has to be done. What is going to happen is someone is going to come round Market Cross, hit those columns and the whole lot is going to come down.”
Teesdale Action Partnership’s transport, traffic and environment task and finish group met last Wednesday and discussed the on-going situation.
On hearing news of the latest damage, chairman of the group Cllr Ted Henderson said: “I will write to Dave Wafer and also his boss and try and get some action in place because this can’t go on.”
Improved signage and road markings have been introduced but the problem continues.
Cllr Henderson said: “The proposals that we made the day we had the meeting at the Market Cross have not been done. The agreement was to move the centre reservation back to give the trucks more space and more white lines.
“They have changed the markings which has helped to a certain extent, however, because it has helped it was agreed they would extend the cobbles themselves.”
Durham County Council’s strategic traffic manager, Dave Wafer, said: “We understand the frustration of local residents that damage continues to be caused to the Market Cross area by HGVs and have improved signage and road markings in the area in an effort to combat this.
“As previously stated we are also looking to extend the cobbles around the Market Cross so vehicles have to give it a wider berth when passing. We are currently in discussions with Highways England about when this work can be carried out as it will need to be done when the A1 diversion is not in place.”
Campaigner Phil Hunt is a member of the TAP task and finish group.
He said: “More time was spent at last week’s meeting discussing the Market Cross and it was agreed to put more pressure on Mr Wafer about pursuing the measures for both the Market Cross and the Abbey Bridge to try and reduce the damage.”
Mr Hunt said that nobody had bothered to look at the situation critically before the diversion was put in place.
He said: “They did not do any meaningful risk assessment. It was largely a meaningless document.
“They did not look at the geography of Abbey Bridge with a view to unfamiliar drivers trying to negotiate it in the town.”
Having cameras installed to monitor the Market Cross area has also been suggested to officials but to no avail.
Cllr Henderson said: “Before long the Market Cross will crumble and that is the last thing we want. It is frustrating. If it was in the centre of Durham it would have been done immediately.”