Darlington’s Busy Road Redevelopment Stuck in Funding Stalemate
Darlington’s road redevelopment plans are stalled due to lack of funding, leaving residents in limbo.
Darlington, UK, A68, Cockerton, Carmel Road, Traffic, Redevelopment
Darlington: The redevelopment of one of the busiest roads in town is at a standstill. The council just doesn’t have the cash to kick things off.
Back in 2022, there were big plans to ease traffic and make things safer for pedestrians at the A68 roundabouts. The council thought these changes would get more folks walking and cycling around. But here we are, three years later, and nothing has happened yet.
The council is stuck waiting for funding. They tried to get some money from the government’s Levelling Up Fund this year, but that didn’t pan out.
A spokesperson for the council said they’re still committed to the project. They’re working on the design, but without funding, there’s no start date in sight. They promise to keep everyone updated when things change.
Even though the project is on hold, some technical work is still happening. The plans have been tweaked a bit based on local feedback about the new road layouts.
One idea is to add a pedestrian crossing near Cockerton Library and fix up parking issues on West Auckland Road. There are also plans for bike lanes on the pavements at the new double roundabout.
Interestingly, a family had to move out because a house at a key junction was supposed to be demolished for the project. But that house is still standing.
Experts have looked at the plans and say the new roundabouts are necessary. They believe these changes will help manage traffic better in the future.