Dear friends, neighbours and residents,
Firstly, congratulations to Woodham Academy on the opening of the new school. I also hope you enjoyed the fireworks at the OakLeaf. There are also some nice Christmas decorations and lights beginning to brighten our ward.
Secondly, Central Avenue has been a lot quieter with the road closure but has caused some long detours. Thank you everyone for your patience. However, despite the reduction in traffic, school runs remain busy with no drop off point due to Durham Council trying to encourage teenagers to walk and cycle to ‘big school’.
Most parents are allowing 12+ years to walk and only 20-30 car driving parents believe Tesco, Moore Lane and St Oswald’s is too far for their older students.
A real problem is that up to six local residents insist on parking dangerously close to the entrance of Washington Crescent and Morrisons shop, causing blockages, near the Central Avenue entrance and next to Morrisons shop.
Greater Manchester Police and Wigan Council have highlighted the Highway Code saying 10 metres is the only safe distance to park near a junction.
I am going to ask the Durham Police Commissioner, Joy Allen, and neighbourhood Wardens, if we can have similar leaflets for Newton Aycliffe.
We all know that Aycliffe has a shortage of parking bays due to many houses now having 2-3 cars. However, cars are parking purposely near junctions, when there are many empty spaces in Morrisons car parking bays and Felton Close.
This just to save walking 10 metres or less. Excuses range from: ‘I can’t cross the road because I am a single parent’ or ‘I can’t use the layby because I have CCTV’ and ‘I want to park in front of my house’.
Thess individuals needs, v the whole community, means that three or four residents are happy, but dozens of residents and shop/school visitors have to queue up constantly, to get around two or three cars blocking the road.
I ask those minority of people to consider the police and Highway Code safety warnings and respect the needs of the whole community.
The younger children, elderly and disabled, need protecting when having to cross the road and cars not in bays block their visibility.
Please park safely without causing an obstruction.
Thank you.
Councillor Tony Armstrong.