'Switch street lights back on before someone gets hurt'

CONCERNS are growing about the safety of pedestrians a year after a popular highway footpath was plunged into darkness.

Durham County Council turned off and removed eight street lights on a stretch of the busy A68 between Toadpool and Spring Gardens, near West Auckland, in November last year. This was done to save cash and energy.

West Auckland Parish Council has been contacted by a resident regarding “the dangerous situation” after a man recently stumbled on the path and fell into the road as a car was approaching.

Resident John Cowen is calling for action in the hope that the lighting will be restored. In a letter to county officials, Mr Cowen wrote: “Durham County Council has created a potentially dangerous situation in removing this section of lighting on a relatively busy public footpath linking the village community to what is regarded as the village public house by residents to the west side of the community.

“The Blacksmiths Arms is treated as a community pub by the village of West Auckland and relies on footfall custom. I understand that Etherley Parish Council may have been consulted on this issue. While it may well be in their boundaries, I believe that the footpath is used by people from Etherley and West Auckland and as such, opinion should have been sought from both bodies.

“I have been in contact with Durham County Council for some time and they have lots of good reasons why these street lights were removed. I don’t have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is that the consultation was done with Etherley Parish Council. They never contacted West Auckland Parish Council and I feel aggrieved by that.

“I ask that Durham County Council reappraise the removal of these columns and reinstate before someone is seriously hurt.”

He believes that assessments undertaken by the council address risks to road vehicles and not pedestrians who are walking with poor visibility on an unlit footpath.

He says the council’s decision to remove the lights has “severed” a safe pedestrian link between a community and a key community asset.

After receiving a letter from Mr Cowen last month, parish councillors in West Auckland brought the issue to the table during their October meeting.

Cllr Ed Farrer said: “He does have a point. Perhaps we should have been consulted more than we were. I am not suggesting that we should not do anything but I doubt we will get anywhere with this.”

The street lights lie in Etherley parish so only Etherley Parish Council was consulted by Durham County Council. Councillors suggested meeting representatives from Etherley Parish Council to discuss the issues raised. Cllr George Smith said: “It is like everything else – if we keep brushing it under the carpet it won’t get sorted. It might do us good to join forces now and again.”

Cllr Billy Robinson said: “If we can get Etherley involved and a few from here we can all meet there one night. It is their parish. It is a bad path to start with so taking lights out has not helped.”

While councillors agreed to try to arrange a meeting between representatives from both parishes, Mr Cowen is also hoping to arrange a meeting with county officials.

Mr Cowen said: “I walk that stretch to the Blacksmiths. You have got a very narrow path with a grass verge between that and the road. You are walking along and you don’t know where the path is so you start stumbling. You find it easier to walk on the road but it is a 60mph limit. There are big lorries coming along there. It is dangerous.

“Clearly this debate needs resolving in the best interests if the community and in the name of common sense. We now have a situation where a local resident has been hurt and unless Durham County Council replace the columns then the consequences could be more serious.”

Durham County Council’s head of technical services, John Reed said: “The street lighting policy, which enabled these removals, was subject to extensive public consultation.

“A thorough risk assessment is undertaken by an independent road safety auditor. We then consult with local councillors and town or parish councils on the assessment’s findings to ensure they reflect all relevant information. We only proceed if the completed risk assessment confirms that it is safe to remove the lights and if they are not required by British standards. We do not remove any lights in residential areas, roundabouts, major junctions or where there are proven road safety and crime issues.”