BUSINESS owners and politicians have come together to find a solution to a shopping park’s congestion nightmares.

Since the easing of the first national lockdown, residents of Tindale have noticed a heavy increase of traffic at the Tindale Roundabout opposite the Abraham Enterprise Park. The park is home to McDonald’s, Dominos, Screwfix and others.

The issue was ongoing before locals raised these concerns to Bishop Auckland MP, Dehenna Davison, and Durham County Council. Calling for action before the blocked roads caused an accident.

A meeting was held with officials from the local Police, Council, Abraham Enterprise Park, and McDonalds to discuss a solution to the traffic issues in Tindale.

Now, those queuing for the McDonalds drive through at the busiest times on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will have to do so around the back of the retail park. This will ensure traffic on the roundabout does not overflow and block the road.

There are traffic management wardens in place to help direct customers.

A McDonald’s Spokesperson: "Since the wider traffic issue in the area was brought to our attention in May last year, we have successfully worked with the local council to ensure we are doing everything we can to reduce our contribution to the issue.

"We thank our customers for their patience while we dealt with the issue."

McDonalds orders can be collected from inside the store or delivered without having to queue in a vehicle.

Ms Davison said: “The traffic issues at the Tindale roundabout have been a cause for concern for many, and I am so pleased we have been able to quickly and efficiently solve the issues at the roundabout.

“I recently dropped into the Tindale McDonalds branch to speak to the Manager, Sally, and see how the changes are working, it was great to see them in action.”

The council hope to invest more money into the roads to improve the Tindale area.

Dave Wafer, interim head of transport and contract services at Durham County Council, said: “We are aware of wider congestion issues in the Tindale Crescent area and are seeking to address this with multi-million infrastructure improvements, as part of our funding bid to the Government’s Stronger Towns Programme.”