THE opening of a residential home for autistic adults has renewed Neasham Parish Council's quest for a safe footpath to Hurworth to be created.

It intends to press Darlington Borough Council to say when a £25,000 planning gain, a condition of the change of use of the former hotel at Newbus Grange, will be put towards a safe route alongside a dangerous stretch of the Teesdale Way.

Chairman Coun John Weighell said when patients were taken for walks, both they and their carers would be at risk from speeding traffic.

Coun Peter Foster suggested setting up a joint committee with Hurworth Parish Council to put pressure on Darlington to get the project started before there was an accident.

"The patients will be like children in some ways and it would just take one to step out onto the road."

He added that there were leaflets in the Hurworth GP's surgery advocating walking to keep fit, showing a circular walk from Straight Lane along Neasham Road and back into Hurworth.

"What if someone walking for health gets run over," he said. "They are putting their lives at risk crossing that section."

Coun Derek Dowdell added: "We have never had a better opportunity to get a path than we have now."

It was agreed to ask the borough council to send a spokesman to a joint meeting with Hurworth to explain the situation