Elections

What experiences do you or your family members have of cycling for either transport or leisure? Bearing in mind that e-bikes can now make County Durham's hills easy, what would you consider to be the main barriers which prevent more people from cycling in your area, and how would you tackle these?

Schools in County Durham have bike shelters but they are often empty. Children who might like to cycle are often driven to school because parents don't consider our streets safe enough for children to walk or cycle. What are your views about cycling as a travel option for children? What practical changes would you like to see in your area to enable children to cycle?

The surge in cycling during the Covid 19 lockdowns showed how quieter and safer conditions encourage people to cycle. Cycling can help address many issues:

* the climate emergency, if people cycle instead of making shorter journeys by car
* social inclusion, because cycling is affordable and enables those on low incomes to access employment and other opportunities
* the health crisis, as exercise incorporated into journeys is very effective

How big a role do you think cycling can play in tackling these urgent issues? How can Durham County Council increase investment in cycling and quickly deliver safe, complete cycle routes to key destinations?

What is your vision for creating an cycling environment of good quality interlinking cycle paths and clear signage to give people living in Stanley the option of cycling as a regular method of transport for work, shopping etc.? How would you deal with the competing demands on road space for traffic flow, parking, and safe provision for people walking and cycling?

Stanley is close to the C2C long-distance leisure cycle route, along the former railway line, but there is no cycling provision alongside the main roads in the area, for example the A693, which makes it effectively impossible to cycle to Chester le Street, Tanfield Industrial Estates or Consett without using national speed limit roads. How soon would you hope to see good-quality shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists provided to link Stanley to neighbouring towns and villages?