A shocked resident has had bollards erected in front of her house amid concerns over a school crossing point. 

The homeowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, has asked if the crossing could be relocated due to concerns it's unsafe.

A section of tactile pavement was installed by Darlington Borough Council on the footpath outside her home in 2018 to increase the safety of parents and primary school children. But after nearly five years of witnessing traffic issues along the road, she has now called for better infrastructure to be installed in a safer place. 

Sharing the house on Middleton Lane with her husband, she says she was first warned by the local authority after officers spotted their car parked in front of the house. 

“I didn’t initially know you couldn’t drive over it, and we only had the driveway done at the end of March. A highways inspector drove past, stopped, and told my husband he was legally not allowed to park there.

“We did have grass and a footpath but the tree roots completely uplifted it, so we installed the hard standing. To be honest, we were totally naive and just assumed as it was a dropped kerb we would be able to use it.”

The Northern Echo: The bollards were installed by council officers to protect people using the adjacent crossing point The bollards were installed by council officers to protect people using the adjacent crossing point (Image: The Northern Echo)

A letter from the council followed in May, saying bollards would be installed if the path was damaged to stop vehicles driving over it.

“This was just a warning sign, we haven’t used it since, yet they still came and installed the bollards,” the resident added. 

In response, the council says it wasn’t alerted that the area would be paved and would have warned the residents it could not be accessed due to the nearby crossing. 

The couple’s car is now parked on a neighbouring street and hasn’t been used since March.

She added: “I feel like we’ve been made an example of and discriminated against. I don’t think they needed to go to this extreme, I’m so embarrassed.

“It just looks awful and whenever I look out the window I’m faced with this. I keep my blinds closed now.”

During the school run, parked cars flank either side of Middleton Lane, with vehicles forced to squeeze through tight gaps while also staying aware of schoolchildren crossing. There are no warning signs suggesting a school crossing is ahead but a lollipop lady is currently managing the traffic.  

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Local councillor Deborah Laing sympathises with the resident but says requests to relocate the crossing, in partnership with the council, have failed so far.

She said: “It’s very difficult and we have asked the questions but we have not got anywhere yet. She has everything going against her and we’re trying to find a feasible solution. I can understand the council’s decision but I really sympathise with her as it’s very difficult in the village with parking.” 

The Northern Echo: The council says it wasn’t alerted that the driveway would be paved and would have warned the residents it could not be accessed due to the nearby crossing. The council says it wasn’t alerted that the driveway would be paved and would have warned the residents it could not be accessed due to the nearby crossing. (Image: The Northern Echo)

A council spokesperson said: “There must be a properly constructed vehicle crossing if residents want to park on a driveway. The location must be inspected by the Highways Authority to ensure it is safe. We always try to accommodate requests but there are occasions when we have to refuse, for example, if it’s close to a junction or crossing.

“On this occasion the resident did not contact the Highway Authority before building their block paving. If they had, they would have been advised that a vehicle crossing would not be allowed due to the existing crossing, which is also a school crossing patrol location and has been for many years.

“We have been in discussions with the resident for several months and have explored the possibility of moving the crossing point but this has not been possible due to on street parking, bus stops and nearby road junctions.

“The resident told us they would be extending their fence to close the gap but this has not happened so reluctantly we have had to install bollards to prevent cars driving over the footpath.

“It is regretful that we were unable to help this resident but we have a duty of care to keep everyone safe.”