Local issues involving road safety and town parking have come to the fore over the last week or two.

• Potholes! All 67 NCC Councillors have been asked to nominate three potholes for filling. If you are aware of any potholes please email me at the address below. Don’t worry if they are not in Bedlington Central ward – I’ll pass the information on to other Councillors.
• Along with West Bedlington Town Councillor Victoria Thompson I met with Richard McKenzie, NCC Senior Programme Officer, to discuss problems on Windsor Gardens where uncontrolled parking has led to both road and pedestrian safety issues as well as creating access problems for emergency vehicles.  After consulting with residents, Richard’s view is that for a trial period of 6 months the road should be double yellow lined: ie no parking, from the Front Street to the junction where Windsor Gardens loops back to re-join the main thoroughfare. This will create an opportunity to evaluate the impact on parking elsewhere in the area. If it simply moves the problem further down Windsor Gardens and beyond NCC will again consult over the introduction of a Resident Parking Scheme. I would welcome views on this via the email address below and I will also be in direct contact with the residents involved.
• I have asked NCC to investigate opening the Car Park behind the Council Offices for public use as at least a temporary measure. This will alleviate some the parking problems in the town centre and allow easier access to venues on the south side of the Front Street such as the Community Centre and Trinity Church.
• I have also requested that NCC  review the crossing at the Old Police Station by the roundabout at the west end of the Front Street – it is at best tired and needs updating. Officials from St Bede’s Church and parents escorting young children to local schools have expressed concern at the frequent ‘near misses’ that occur at the crossing.

I am particularly keen to hear residents’ views on all of the above. Please contact me at: russ.wallace@northumberland.gov.uk or drop into my Surgery at 6.30 next Thursday, 4 July, in the Community Centre.

Thanks for reading.

Russ

Prospect Cottages Bomarsund....pavement outside No 7 and 8 requires total stripping and relaying with concrete,pothole over a foot deep,and getting deeper as time goes by caused by indiscriminate parking,and subsequent Brands hatch take-of back onto the road usually strangers,and van drivers,stopping to use their mobile phones as they come into the

30 mph zone from Bedlington Station...it's a wider area so drivers use it for convenience with no consideration for pavement users.

When raining,the pothole resembles a small pond..with no indication of how deep it is,and only last week,a small child was flung head over heels from his micro scooter and landed headlong into the hole....luckily not seriously hurt,but he could have broken his neck,and I would have had to be chief witness.

The whole street is concreted,except for one grass patch,and the patch referred to which is red whinstone chippings,was laid down decades ago.