Talking Together about traffic ideas for Haughton Road and Stockton Road
Don't miss the opportunity to have your say.
You have from now until the end of August to find out more and get involved.
We need your views
Darlington Council is committed to giving residents a greater say in how local services are planned and delivered. We therefore welcome your views on traffic ideas for Haughton Road and Stockton Road as part of our Connecting with Communities programme.
These pages aim to give information on our initial ideas. There are a number of ways you can contact us with your ideas and/or comments. We will look at all of your suggestions before making a decision.
What is the consultation about?
Stockton Road and Haughton Road form one of the main routes into Darlington and there have been concerns regarding congestion and priority being given to through traffic for a number of years.
Following the opening of the Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor, the Council is keen to look at this route to bring improvements into the area and we would like your views.
A review has been undertaken of the existing arrangements along Haughton Road from the junction with Barton Street, through Haughton Green and along Stockton Road to the roundabout at Whinfield Road.
Why are you changing things?
A series of ideas has been developed to:-
- Reduce traffic and encourage use of the new Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor.
- Give local residents priority on the roads.
- Improve public transport.
- Improve road safety.
- Make environmental improvements.
How are we going to achieve this?
The ideas being suggested include:
- Reviewing the bus stops in Haughton Green.
- Creating a mini roundabout at the junction of Haughton Road, Haughton Green and Salters lane South (near St Andrews Church)
- Creating a mini roundabout at the junction Stockton Road and Winchester Way.
- Introducing a pedestrian and cycle crossing on Stockton Road near the junction with Winchester Way.
- Updating street furniture in Haughton Green.
- Hardening some of the grass verges along Stockton Road.
- Reviewing parking on Haughton Road through the Green.
- Modifications to Mill Lane junction (near The Highland Laddie)
You can view drawings of three areas, incorporating these ideas.
What else have we considered?
We have considered:
Weight limits have been suggested to try and deter heavy goods vehicles from travelling through The Green. We have investigated this with the Police. The area will still need to be served by HGVs as there are regular deliveries to both businesses and residential prioperties. Therefore, any weight limit would need to have exemptions, which would make enforcement incredibly difficult. We would prefer to try and tackle this issue by making the new road more attractive to use than the existing route.
Traffic calming could be introduced but requires considerable amounts of road marking and signing. Haughton le Skerne Village is in a conservation area and traffic calming was not considered as an appropriate solution in this type of environment. Car parking is also at a premium in the area and some forms of traffic calming can reduce the amount of space available.
A 20 mph speed limit was considered but to receive support from the Police, and comply with national guidance, any 20mph speed limit must be accompanied by traffic calming measures. We have discounted traffic calming on this scheme for the reasons given above and so we cannot pursue a 20 mph speed limit.
Pedestrian crossings facilities were looked at throughout the route, particularly on Stockton Road. There are a lot of driveways along this section of road and so it would be difficult to find a place to put a crossing. A pedestrian crossing would also result in a considerable loss of parking for residents. At this stage we plan to monitor how the traffic patterns and volumes change as a result of other measures we introduce. We hope a reduction in traffic levels will make it easier to cross the road.