Haughton West Lib Dems report on Green Lane Survey

6.00.00pm GMT Sun 10th Jan 2010

Tom Hodgson and Alan Macnab study the Council's proposals in a wintry Green Lane

Darlington Council has made proposals for improving the Green Lane bridleway. These include spending £100,000 on tarmacing, installing new drainage to prevent flooding and cutting back the undergrowth. They also plan to erect bollards at a central point to restrict motor vehicle access. This would require the construction of a turning area for vehicles.

Unfortunately, there was no public consultation about these proposals. Alan Macnab and the Haughton West Focus team felt that residents in the area should be consulted, so they carried out a survey during November to find out residents' views on the Council's plans.

While most residents wanted something done about anti-social problems along the bridleway, and about flooding, there was considerable opposition to plans to tarmac it. It was widely felt that the bridleway should remain in its natural state where wildlife could flourish. "It's a country track, not a road", wrote one resident. Another wrote, "You feel away from it all when you walk there."

It was also felt that bollards alone would not stop motorbikes, and that tarmac might actually make that problem worse and encourage more anti social activity. Residents wanted more dog bins to be provided in the lane and in Springfield Park. It was also said that litter needed to be collected more frequently.

Our team has passed a full set of the results of their survey to the Council. They have asked them to take residents' views into account and to consult fully when their final proposals are made.