MY wife and I, together with a small band of Tunstall residents, attended the monthly Tunstall parish council meeting last Wednesday.

Three years previously, on August 28, 2013, a large number of residents had attended a meeting to discuss the impact the upgrade to the A1(M) would have the village (D&S Times, Aug 30, 2013).

On that occasion, Cllr Carl Les was sat present with representatives of the Department of Transport.

On Wednesday, I sat behind him at the meeting, and I noticed that a few additional attendees were present because of the announcement that 2,000 troops will be returning to our area.

The parish council secretary told the meeting that a traffic survey revealed that more than 600 cars per hour are passing through Tunstall at peak times. Cllr Les then informed us that Brough Lane bridge, demolished by a skip lorry, is a listed building and inspections by the heritage body and consequent considerations regarding its reconstruction could well take another 13 weeks (I estimate that we may get it repaired by Spring 2017).

Back in 2013, it was emphasised that the A6136 had to be upgraded.

At Wednesday’s meeting, I asked Cllr Les if a major power cable, that no one had been fully aware of, had been discovered at the White Shops junction during the modifications.

He gave what I interpret as a rather embarrassed reply and reported that engineers from the National Grid would be attending in order to divert the cable – no date was given.

I would welcome your readers to draw their own conclusions as to whether we are ever listened to.

Ken Walsh, Tunstall