WELL it looks like Durham County Council are at it again and are planning on turning the Rushyford roundabout into a miniature Arc de Triomphe.

Yes, they are planning on altering this less than presently adequate roundabout to take the imminent increase in traffic from the new housing development further along the road, near to the approved school at Aycliffe.

Hmm, as if it isn’t already a nightmare having the ridiculous controversial roundabout along the road at Thinford, my thoughts are no doubt this project will have been planned with the same incredible attention to detail as that shambolic attempt.

I’m led to believe, although the council aren’t very forthcoming with their plans, as a neighbour explained to me yesterday having asked to be kept in the loop, so to speak, is just going round in circles. Sounds about right.

He did, however, tell me they intend reducing the size of the roundabout as to help the traffic flow smoothly, bearing in mind there is another roundabout merely yards from this one on the Bishop Auckland road, so if they implement a traffic light system they need to consider this which can become a bottleneck as it is.

It seems DCC don’t think these things through.

Look at the next roundabout up from Rushyford at the top of Chilton, which since being placed there has done nothing but increase traffic through Kirk Merrington immensely, turning this once quiet village into a dangerous rat run, especially when there is an infants school at the beginning of the village.

So please, before you make another monumental cock-up DCC, pay for some professional advice instead of just playing with your matchbox motorway set kit while dunking your Hobnobs.

John Cumberland, Rushyford