After being contacted by Parish Councils in Shincliffe and Croxdale and Hett, and local residents in Merryoaks and Lowes Barn Bank, Mary launched her campaign to make their roads safer.
In both Shincliffe and Croxdale, residents and councillors have complained that speed limits are too high, with numerous accidents taking place in Shincliffe, and heavy wagons and buses passing through the small village of Croxdale. Residents living on Lowes Barn Bank are having to live with more HGV traffic using their small C-Class road than almost every B road in the county, and have requested a weight limit on the road to divert heavy goods traffic to other more suitable roads leading to nearby industrial estates.
Highways safety is an issue for Durham County Council and, following meetings with the Parish Councils and residents in Shincliffe, Croxdale and Lowes Barn Bank, Mary contacted the leadership of the council and the highways department, in conjunction with County Councillors, Parish Councils, schools and residents groups. Despite this, the County Council refused to take action to make these streets safer.
Since then, Mary has enlisted the Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen to assist with the campaign, and has brought all three areas together to form one campaign group. The first meeting of the group took place in June 2023, and will be meeting regularly to discuss the next steps in the campaign, and the work that they can do collectively to highlight the risks on the roads that run through their communities.
Mary will continue working with these groups to challenge the decisions of the council, and press the need for highways works to keep the streets safe for residents, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
You can read about the inaugural meeting of the road safety campaign group here: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/23640542.county-durham-residents-fear-safety-due-speeding-traffic/
