A £3 million transport plan to improve Darlington roads and introduce safety schemes has been welcomed.
The funding will go towards highway maintenance throughout the borough - including structures and street lighting - and help deliver the Darlington Transport Plan, covering local improvement schemes.
Work to create and improve walking and cycling routes will continue alongside a school speed safety programme and new 20mph zones. Improvements will be made to the A67 Sadberge Road roundabout, the A1150 Stockton Road/Whinfield Road roundabout, and B6280 Carmel Road North among other works.
Councillor Libby McCollom, cabinet member for local services, praised the increase in the local authority’s highway maintenance budget compared to last year.
“We filled in 12.1 per cent more potholes this year versus last year, which I’m sure residents will be delighted about,” she added.
Plans for improvements to the A68 roundabouts at Cockerton have hit a stalemate, but the council remains committed to fulfilling the scheme.
A report states: “The schemes have been developed and have been subject to the review process of Active Travel England. Work continues to get all aspects to detailed design, fully costed and suitable for delivery.”
Green Party councillor Matthew Snedker said: “The increased spending on road maintenance is welcome, but officers will never be shy in telling us just how big the backlog is that has grown up in the last decade-and-a-half - extra funding will not touch the sides just yet.
“Prioritisation of roads that need most work right now is welcomed, but there is a long way to go before we have a highway we can be truly proud of.”
Meanwhile, council officers will continue exploring the feasibility of introducing a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in the borough.
A report states: “The Darlington Transport Plan 2022-2030 identified LTNs as a potential intervention as part of our Safer Roads objective. They were not identified as a specific action in the associated action plan, but we are minded to consider a trial area within the plan period.
“We will look at the feasibility for an LTN in a trial area in Darlington. In deciding the trial location, issues such as public support, impact on emergency response times and displacement of traffic onto other roads will be important factors to consider.
"We will also need to consider the impact of the LTN on parking as some on-street spaces will be lost to accommodate the features and allow vehicles to turn around at the point closure.”
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