IT’S a case of all good things come to those who wait when it comes to sprucing up Barnard Castle.
The town council first expressed an interest in a county-run Find and Fix project in October 2022, in an effort to tackle a number of outstanding maintenance issues in the centre of Barney.
The project sees a team from Durham County Council descend on an area to carry out multiple tasks that have been identified.
After an initial meeting and walkabout, nothing was heard for a year. Then, in October 2023, with the help of Teesdale Action Partnership, contact was re-established and in January, a detailed plan of what the Find and Fix team could do was put together.
Members of the town council’s services committee were told the Barney project covered three areas in the town centre.
In the Scar Top area, public benches will be refurbished, metal bins repainted and street furniture repaired as required.
Similar work will be carried out in Galgate, although several memorial benches are not to be touched.
The noticeboard at the entrance to the town centre car park is to be sanded down and varnished, with metal work receiving a coat of paint.
Finally, near the Market Cross, more benches are to be refurbished and street furniture repainted.
Town clerk Martin Clark told councillors that in addition, 20 old fibre glass bins, which were installed more than 30 years ago by the old Teesdale District Council would be removed and replaced by modern bins.
It was also agreed with the Find and Fix team that metal fencing outside The Witham would be repainted to match the rest of the street furniture.
Councillors agreed that the proposed work should go ahead.
They were told it was likely to be done in late spring or early summer.
