Bishop Auckland retail park expansion plans spark traffic and safety concerns among residents

Plans to enhance the road infrastructure near a burgeoning County Durham retail park are set to kick off next year following local disquiet. Last week, proposals to enlarge Bishop Auckland Shopping and Leisure Park by nearly double were shared.

Following the completion of the initial part of the complex earlier this year, popular brands such as Popeyes, Home Bargains and Pure Gym have established premises.

The development is to be expanded with three additional stores, a filling station, and further parking included within a multi-million-pound project. The expansion news has raised concerns among many residents about the capability of the surrounding roads, including the A688 bypass at Tindale, to handle the uptick in traffic volume.

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Jodie Gates voiced her opinion, saying: "They need to sort the road out first and put somewhere for pedestrians to safely cross, only a matter of time before there is an accident if they don’t sort something."

Ry Slee echoed these sentiments, calling current conditions a "nightmare" and expressing hope that road sizing would also increase. He remarked: "Hope they’re going to double the size of the road. They need to sort that issue out before building anymore."

Diane Golightly highlighted the danger for pedestrians attempting to traverse the area, calling for better safety measures: "It’s so dangerous trying to cross the roads from Sainsbury’s over to the new part. Needs traffic lights. Traffic just flies around the corner."

As stipulated by initial planning agreements, efforts to mitigate congestion, such as new filter lanes, are being considered. These scheduled "Section 278 works” will commence in 2025, allowing Durham County Council and developers to implement necessary alterations.

"Alterations and enhancements to the public highway, primarily at the roundabouts where filter lanes will be added to improve traffic flow," a spokesperson for Prestige Properties announced.

In other news, fit-out work is scheduled to commence at the REEL Cinema and bowling alley units in January 2025, with both expected to open their doors in July. A children’s soft play warehouse is also on the cards to open soon.

The dessert restaurant Kaspas is set to open its doors at the retail park this Saturday, joining national brands such as TUI and The Range. New eateries The Bake Bishop and Little Sicily are also anticipated to open before the new year.

It's believed that the second phase of the project could bring an additional 300 jobs to the County Durham town. There will be approximately 900 car parking spaces available at the site in total.

A public consultation event is planned for Friday, November 15, between 2pm and 7pm at Bishop Auckland Football Club, while locals can also share their views on the plans online.

Councillor George Smith, West Auckland county councillor, commented: "Phase 1 has been a remarkable success, with still more retail outlets to open it’s nice to see the level of activity on the site.

"We welcome the seven-screen cinema and bowling opening next year and of course, the many hundreds of jobs created are very welcome. It’s also good to see what was wasteland, totally transformed and regenerated."