PLANS to install traffic calming measures along the length of a busy market town thoroughfare have been scrapped.

Road humps and speed cushions had been mooted as a possibility for Victoria Road, Queen Street and Birch Road, which merge into each other in Barnard Castle, with the proposals put to Durham County Council. But highway engineers have this week written to residents and businesses listing the reasons why the proposals will not go ahead. However, they have promised to keep the situation under review.

The results of a consultation exercise inviting views on the need for calming measures prompted a mixed reaction.

Surveys carried out by the county council showed that the narrowness of the roads and the degree of on-street parking already limited the speed limit to a level "comparable with that expected of a traffic calmed environment".

In his letter to residents, highway engineer Keith Jameson told how the introduction of road humps and speed cushions would have little effect on reducing speeds even further.

Furthermore, Victoria Road, Queen Street and Birch Road had a good accident record compared to many other streets in the county, with only four personal injury accidents recorded in the last ten years.

Consultation with the emergency services also prompted "strong, non-resolvable objections". Staff at the nearby fire station in Wilson Street and the ambulance station in Victoria Road both stated that the measures would adversely affect their already tight statutory response times.

At their meeting last month, the Barnard Castle mini package forum - a local transport group - recommended that in view of the comments from the emergency services, and the problems the county council would have in justifying the need for traffic calming, the road humps and speed cushions scheme would not be implemented.