Dear Sir,

I feel compelled to write to complain about the state of the footpath leading up to Newton Aycliffe Train Station on Greenfield Way, having used this path as a means to walk to the industrial estate on many occasions.

At its very best it is uneven with rubble and stones strewn all over it making it difficult to walk on let alone push a wheelchair or pram. At worst it is water logged from potholes which have collected rainwater making it un-passable – however the very worst was to come when I attempted to walk on it yesterday only to find vast sheets of ice had formed over the potholes making it impossible to walk on!

I had to resort to walking on the grass verges. This is the only path I know that leads to the train station (unless of course you want to navigate your way around the estate opposite, which unless you know where you are going can lead you to many a dead end). The number of walkers, cyclists, pushchair users and people with mobility aids who use this on a daily basis should warrant the council to lay a purpose-built tarmac path.

What is the point in having a decent path on one side of the road that leads you to just a “track” on the other side? I note the council have been re-surfacing existing paths around the town, why not free up some money to lay a decent path up to the train station?

I am sure I am not the only reader who feels this needs addressing and I welcome other people’s comments.

Name & address supplied to Newton News