A COUNCIL has decided to formally protest over rising charges for Remembrance Parades.

Barnard Castle Town Council faces increased charges of up to £300 to pay professional traffic management companies to erect signs advertising road closure orders.

The Teesdale Safety Advisory Group has told the council it could be liable for any accidents if the road closure orders were not advertised.

But professional traffic management companies have to put up signs advertising the road closures and this almost doubles the council's budget of £350.

Councillor Eric Fell said: "If financial burdens are being put on these organisations then it does bring into question what we're doing this for.

"I do think it really is time that we get this sorted. If every little village does a have a road closure order simply so it can facilitate what has been going on year after year then it should be a situation that ought to be allowed to continue."

The council agreed to write to local police, the National Association of Local Councils and the Royal British Legion to see if anything can be done about the increased costs which local councils are facing. The council heard that advice about the signs arrived too late for them to be put up within the recommended time frame.

The town clerk Geoff Bosworth said: "The signs are supposed to be up two to three weeks before the road closure but because of the time scale this is not going to be possible.

"However, in principal there still can be a road closure order in place and I'm trying to find out if not having the signs up affects it."

The rising costs of Remembrance Parades has been noted by local groups, including Middleton-in-Teesdale Parish Council.