Stephanie has undertaken her first 'SmartWater' run - with orders from residents. Due to demand, she will be making another visit to Central House later in the week, so if you would like to place an order, now is your chance. I know that I appear to be pushing this fairly hard, but the very best way to protect your property is to both mark and register it. Marking hundreds of items for £10 seems a bargain to me! If you are interested, don't delay until it is too late.
Two issues have arisen of late. The first is that Esh Group have completed their purchase of the Football field site from the Cricket Club, who are now in funds. This means that the proposed development will be going ahead, probably this year. We shall keep you informed of developments, so this is the time to sign up for this blog, or put your name on the email list to be notified of postings. Clearly, the more cohesive our group appears, the more attention we shall be given by the developers - and the council whose job it is to oversee aspects of the development.
The other issue relates to Sainsburys. Since last year's felling of trees on our western boundary, the supermarket has become unnecessarily prominent, especially to residents living towards the upper end of the terrace and Pease Cottages. Our current plan is to approach Sainsburys management to secure re-planting of the boundary, with both fast growing cypress and a hard-wood back-planting. We are also to request that the red neon signs are turned off out of hours. The final issue is the loud speaker system for the service station forecourt. Residents understandably complain that the volume and extent of use is intrusive and inappropriate. If any residents have other concerns, now is the time to mention them to Lorraine, Karl, Stephanie or me.
I would like to raise two other matters. Parking in the terrace can at times be quite fraught. We have a limited number of 'free spaces' that seem to be taken quickly each morning by non-residents who work in the town centre. Some apparently arrive and wait for a resident to leave so that they can park. I do not criticise them, for South Terrace is a great, secure place to leave a car. But I recognise that this comes at a price to residents, especially those expecting workmen or other visitors. I would like your suggestions as to how (if at all) this matter should be handled? Feel free to leave a comment at the foot of this posting if you have a view on the matter.
Many of us are concerned at the absence of traffic control at the pedestrian crossing point between Feethams South and Barker and Stonehouse. This has been a running issue with the council who seem deaf to our complaints. Despite letters to the press, this location is still a danger to those of us who walk to town and have to take our lives in our hands when crossing Victoria Road. If you support action on this issue, simply record your interest by a comment below.
Finally, it was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Terry at number 21. He was in the prime of life, and for those that knew him, a most likeable man. Many will have only seen him in passing, as he spent much of his time travelling for his work. Trent describes him as 'a true gentleman'. He will be missed.
Drag the marker to South Terrace to see Darlington's crime statistics and how they affect us.
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/li/recorded_crime.in.darlington/
I agree with the issues you have raised, especially concerning the parking and the crossing. With regard to parking, it would be helpful to have an answer with which all of the residents felt comfortable. When the new cinema development starts I suspect the problem will become more acute, so we probably need to act now. Concerning the crossing, we really need to put and keep some pressure on the council to rectify this situation. Traffic at this point reaches speeds of over 40 miles per hour making it difficult and dangerous to cross.
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