James Wharton MP

The Northern Echo got in touch to talk about the traffic problems on some residential streets in Ingleby Barwick:

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/teesvalley/4140508.Residents__concern_over__rat_run_/

Yesterday evening I attended a meeting of Ingleby Barwick Town Council, where issues including traffic management, schooling and school busses, the Tesco expansion application and Romano Park were discussed.  Ingleby Town Council is one of the best run I have seen and everyone there, without exception, seems to want to do good for their community.  As ever it was a pleasure to attend.

This morning I attended a meeting which I arranged following a request for help from a resident.  She was concerned that Stockton Council had adopted the wrong piece of land outside her house and that some of her drive may have been accidentally taken away.

The Council officers who took the time to meet us were excellent and went through the history of the land in question in detail.  At the end of the meeting not everyone got the answer they had hoped for but it seems to have at least resolved the outstanding issues.

I spent this morning in Ingleby Barwick looking at some of the traffic problems.  Ingleborough and Fountains Ave are both being used as “rat runs” to skip heavy traffic on the main roads at peak times.  Residents have raised the issue and the Town Council is working to find a resolution.  In the meantime this presents a danger to all residents, particularly children and I would urge drivers not to use these roads as shortcuts.

Today I was out with a team of volunteers in Stockton to deliver the latest edition of our regular newsletter, intouch.  We received a warm response from residents we met out and about but it is clear that everyone is worried about the economy and the government is not inspiring confidence.  Stockton Conservatives will continue to give a voice to those who disagree with the government on this and on other national issues, whilst working hard to ensure that the local issues here in Stockton are not forgotten or ignored.