Ken Robson Vice Chairman of Great Aycliffe Residents’ Association attended the County Council meeting last week to ask questions about lighting being removed on the A167 which has caused great concern to both residents and the business community.
Syd Howarth Chairman of GARA and reporting on behalf of Newton News accompanied Ken and found the Council Chamber to be too formal, restrictive and intimidating for the purpose of asking pertinent questions on Council policies.
The public meeting had seventeen questions, which they delegated GARA to ask, but the council restricted Ken to only three. This gave little opportunity to convey the full concerns and views of the public which the County Council say they had properly consulted.
The fact that GARA were asking questions on the consultation indicated how much people were unaware of that process.
The Council had notice of the three questions and had stock replies ready for the Portfolio member to answer with no redress from the questioner. GARA were just expected to accept what the Council said, but they will not, and have asked for all the questions the residents asked to be answered under the Freedom of Information Act.
We will communicate these answers to our readers when received. In the meantime there are suggestions that our Town Council should lead a protest and indeed take over the lighting cost on the approaches to Newton Aycliffe, estimated to be £10,000 per annum.
This would give them the opportunity to investigate much cheaper and more efficient road lighting to show the County Council there are other ways to save money.
After reading the original consultation document it appears the whole question of reduction in lighting costs comes under “Street Lighting” and this is why it is flawed.
Nowhere in the document does it mention the A167 main road. People could be forgiven for thinking street lighting only pertains to streets where you live, cul de sacs, avenues, closes or crescents NOT roads and this is where the confusion has arisen.
Why wasn’t the A167 mentioned specifically in the consultation? Did the Council hope it wouldn’t be noticed? Well, they were wrong and there are public protests from Chester-le Street all the way down to Newton Aycliffe and in view of hostile public opinion the policy must be revisited.
