Councillor calls for grass verge repairs in Darlington street

Residents in Davison Road, off Salters Lane North, are forced to park on the grass verges due to the width of the road and a lack of off-street parking, which has left the verges a muddy and unsightly mess.

To alleviate the problem, it had been suggested that the verges could be laid with a special plastic matting to allow the cars to park without damaging the ground further, but the idea was rejected by Darlington Borough Council.

A council spokeswoman said the authority did not have the budget to carry out repairs to the verges and did not agree that the proposed plastic matting solution was the best way forward.

Councillor Gill Cartwright, Conservative ward member for Harrowgate Hill, said the parking problems in Davison Road have caused more people to contact her than any other issue during her time as a councillor.

Coun Cartwright has accused the council of turning down the idea of the matting, often used at countryside events to allow cars to park in fields without damaging the ground, without any explanation or alternative solution.

She said: “The parking problems in Davison Road are probably some of the worst in the town.

“These are not grass verges anymore, they are mud verges. It’s a real shame because people used to take pride in their local area, but now there is just mud everywhere.

“We had heard that this matting had been used elsewhere in the town and suggested the idea to the council and they just said 'no'. It would be the ideal solution because it would allow people to park without causing the same mess.”

A council spokeswoman said: “Unfortunately, there are presently no budgets available for verge hardening programmes following recent funding reductions.

“Even if a budget was available we would not advocate the placing of matting as this is not a solution we consider to be appropriate. We will continue to monitor the condition of verges and make necessary repairs to keep them in a safe condition. “