Working with council officers we have come up with what we believe will be a solution to the problem parking at Beech Road Shops. So many people are parking here and using the area almost as a park and ride or park and walk for the hospital, Durham and other locations, that it is making it really difficult for anyone using the shops.

After two years of discussions including a consultation, an alternative plan of action is being funded by your county councillors. We are providing funding for limited waiting parking bays outside the shops using some of the local funding the council provides us with.

The diagonal parking bays I had marked up last year through the council will now be restricted to 2 or three hour parking once the consultation has been carried out. The rest of the parking in the area will be left unrestricted. This should ensure that at any time there is at least some space for passing trade, helping some of our smaller local shops.

Priory Road – We are in discussions with officers over the provision of additional parking bays on Priory Road where there are serious parking issues during the week with many residents unable at times to even get onto the road to get to the front of their houses.

There are a couple of options and we will be contacting residents in the coming weeks.