A1 Dualling Demands in Northumberland
Further calls to dual the A1 have come about after five people tragically died as a result of two separate collisions in Northumberland. The Government is facing urgent calls to tackle safety fears on the A1 in Northumberland after five people died in the space of nine days.
Two people lost their lives and three more were hospitalised following a collision at Wandylaw in the early hours of Saturday morning. On May 21, three people died with a fourth left in hospital with serious injuries following a crash between Denwick and South Charlton. Furthermore, the road was also closed on Sunday after an incident at the Charlton Hall junction, with minor injuries reported after a two-vehicle collision.
The Newcastle Chronicle is reporting that the tragedies have prompted renewed calls for safety improvements on the much-used road. Campaigners have been calling for the road to be dualled for decades. The road covers around 370 miles in England. Between the North Circular Road in London and Morpeth, the road is a dual carriageway or motorway.
Coun Isabel Hunter, who represents the Berwick West with Ord ward on Northumberland County Council, has called for the road to be dualled up to the Scottish border for decades. Speaking after the latest crash, the Liberal Democrat group leader said: “Something needs to be done.
“We’re losing too many lives. I’m not bothered who is in Government, we need this A1 dualled on safety grounds. We can’t lose any more lives. It can’t go on. It is closed on a weekly basis at the moment due to accidents.”
“We need everyone to lobby, we need to keep the pressure on. This is only the start of the summer, and I wouldn’t like to see any more fatalities. My heart goes out to the people who have lost loved ones. It is really sad, we need to take action. What price can we put on a life?”
The previous Conservative Government approved a scheme to dual 13 miles of the road north of Morpeth prior to the General Election. The approval came after a number of delays. However, work never got under way after the Tories lost the election to Labour. The current Government scrapped the scheme in the autumn, claiming the project was unfunded and that the £500 million cost represented poor value for money.
However, in a show of unity, Northumberland County Council’s Conservative leader Glen Sanderson and Labour’s North East Mayor Kim McGuinness have penned a letter to transport secretary Heidi Alexander requesting a meeting on the dualling scheme.
It read: “Our reason for writing to you today is that we would very much appreciate a short meeting, either in London or virtually, to discuss our shared views on the current position of the A1 route through Northumberland. Because of the really significant growth in business and tourism in the county, the road finds itself unable to cope with the level of traffic it now sees, resulting in traffic coming to a halt in a number of locations.
“Our main concern is around the safety compromise that inevitably takes place when a road slips between dual and single carriageway. This has resulted in unacceptable levels of death and serious injury, along with the resultant grief and harm that takes place.
“While we understand that some local safety schemes are under way, these will not help remedy the key issues of overcapacity and the lack of dual carriageway. So, we want to put party politics aside and enter a discussion with you to ask that matters around the A1 dualling are reviewed and re-examined.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Coun Sanderson added: “I feel a duty to raise this again. The A1 is not capable of taking the level of traffic it has now.
“I am trying to make it clear to Government that Northumberland has changed hugely in the last five years. We have moved forward in terms of tourism and with industry in the south east of the county. It is not a small, wild county with a few sheep and some nice castles. This is now a very vibrant part of the British Isles. I am grateful to Kim McGuinness for being involved. If we can get this road dualled, it will be the biggest single act the Government could do to ensure growth and prosperity for Northumberland and for the North East of England.
“I don’t want to get political. We have been there and done that. We need a fresh look because of the tragedy. It’s completely unacceptable, and my worry is what will it look like in another five years? It’s the mix that makes it very difficult. Nothing but dualling will make that road safe.”
“Even if it was going to cost £2 billion, is that not a just and right thing to do? We have seen how important this is.”
The Government has pledged safety improvements including junction upgrades, improved signage, road markings, barriers, and lighting. However, the exact measures and timescales have yet to be carried out.
North Northumberland MP David Smith said he would push for these to be rolled out as soon as possible, but did not call for the case for dualling to be reopened. He said: “It’s been a tragic week of yet more accidents on the A1, not least with the fatalities in the vicinity of Denwick.