Dear Sir,

I was delighted to read in last week’s News Guardian that the Monkseaton South Councillors have been stirred at last to take up the serious issue of the traffic dangers at Coronation Crescent in Monkseaton Village. I welcome their interest and support on this important matter, even if it does come at a late stage, and, unsurprisingly, just before an election.

Residents of Monkseaton South will remember that I featured this problem in my January letter to them all. Readers of your newspaper will remember that it is some weeks now since I got the Mayor down to look at the problem on the ground so that we could get help from the top of the Council.

Whilst not agreeing with some of their conclusions I am encouraged that this problem is now being openly discussed, this can only be of benefit to the residents Monkseaton Village. I do still feel that making the car park, by the Chip shop on Coronation Crescent, free parking for two hours and payment after that, that this would be a positive step in freeing up some parking spaces.

This would also be solution to the parking problems experienced by people attempting to park in the car park by Monkseaton Medical centre on Cauldwell Avenue who need to visit the surgery there.

My first reaction was to be angry at them jumping on the bandwagon, but, upon reflection, that would be wrong. Too much time is wasted on the political parties sniping at each other. The real task is to solve the problems faced by residents of the area, and, if we can all work together on that, we might have a better chance of succeeding.

With that in mind, I have a very long list of problems reported to me by residents, and I would be happy to brief the existing Conservative Councillors about them, if there is a chance of them supporting my efforts to solve them. They only have to get in touch.

Yours faithfully,

Ian Grayson Labour Representative in Monkseaton South Ward