From September 15, new vehicle restrictions will come into force across Durham City Centre, as part of Durham County Council’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety and reduce congestion in some of the city’s busiest areas.
00:00From the 15th of September, new vehicle restrictions will come in a force across the Durham City Centre,
00:06as part of Durham County Council's efforts to improve pedestrian safety and reduce congestion in some of the city's busiest areas.
00:13The council is extending the current pedestrian-only zones in locations including Durham Marketplace, Silver Street and Elvett Bridge,
00:21where concerns have been raised over the number of vehicles moving through at times of high footfall.
00:26Under the new rules, vehicles will be banned from Marketplace and Silver Street between 10am and 4pm, and again from 10pm to 4am.
00:35Elvett Bridge will see restrictions from 10am until 2am, closing the gap previously exploited by late-night traffic.
00:43These changes follow complaints from police, parish councillors and visitors about high levels of traffic, particularly overnight,
00:49which many say undermines pedestrian safety and increases the risk of accidents in areas that are meant to be largely vehicle-free.
00:58The council says the enhanced restrictions are also designed to discourage overnight parking and vehicle lightering in the pedestrian zones.
01:05To ensure the city remains accessible for deliveries and essential traffic, the new rules will still allow vehicles to load and unload during specific hours.
01:14For Marketplace and Silver Street, this will be allowed from 4am to 10am, and again from 4pm to 10pm,
01:20while on Elvett Bridge, loading will be permitted between 2am and 10am.
01:24A new no-entry restriction will be introduced next to St Nicholas Church.
01:29This measure is aimed at reinforcing a one-way system in Durham Marketplace,
01:34at a repeated incidence of drivers entering from various directions,
01:37often ignoring the informal traffic flow and creating confusion in a space heavily used by pedestrians.
01:44For more information, please visit www.elvett.com.info and visit www.elvett.com.info and visit www.elvett.com.info.
