Blyth residents say they should be compensated for inconvenience caused by road closure

Northumberland County Council agreed to close the B1523 South Newsham Road from its junction with Cottingwood Green from September 5 until at least Friday, September 9. The closure is in place between 9.30am and 2.30pm, and is set to be repeated between September 12 and September 15.

The closure has been requested by Miller Homes and Taylor Wimpey, who are currently in the process of constructing new housing developments in the area. It comes after a one-way system has been in place for several weeks, leading to a 3.5 mile diversion for some residents attempting to get to their homes.

Tony Flisher, who lives at Park Farm Villas, said he and neighbours felt like “prisoners in their own homes.”

He said: “It’s a total nightmare and it has been going on now for the best part of 14 weeks, affecting the whole town.

“There are two routes in and out of Blyth and closing the road into our estate and making it one way has lead to a total backlog for commuters.

“Even at 7.30am there’s bad traffic, and it can last from 4pm to 7pm in the evenings. It can take 45 minutes to get down South Newsham. There’s been no planning put into this by anyone who understands the town.”

Mr Flisher also said the diversion was costing him around £10-15 per week in additional fuel due to the delays. He felt the road closures between 9.30am and 2.30pm would have a negative effect on the ability of residents to leave their homes, with a number of elderly residents in the area.

He continued: “The average age on the estate is around 80, and there are four or five chronically disabled people. We feel like prisoners.

“I think we should all be compensated. It’s not just us, it’s the whole of Blyth.”

Both the county council and Miller Homes have pointed out that this is the last phase of the road closures, while the developer added that significant improvements had been made.

A representative from Miller Homes North East said: “Newcastle Road and South Newsham Road have required significant improvement, including the upgrade of gas mains by Northern Gas Networks, as well as road widening, the installation of a pedestrian crossing island and the relocation of various bus stops.

“The current phase of work, including the final surface of tarmac being laid along with whitelining and road markings, meant a full five-day road closure was necessary.”

A spokesman for Northumberland County Council added: “Throughout these works we have looked at ways to ensure disruption has been minimised and residents kept informed of plans. The planned resurfacing and road marking are the final pieces of the work that has been going on over the last few months.

“The work by the housing developers was originally planned to take place overnight but concerns from local residents and the local ward member meant we agreed to the road closure between the roundabout next to Cottingwood Gardens and Locomotive Street and the roundabout on the A1061 between 9.30am and 2.30pm week days, avoiding school times and peak rush hour.”