Amble councillors call for road safety improvements to be carried out

Councillors want safe crossing points to be installed on Percy Drive and parking restrictions on Percy Street and at the Leazes Street car park.

Members heard that Northumberland County Council intends to carry out speed surveys on Percy Drive.

Cllr Helen Lewis, vice chairman, said: “It is a very busy route and will be even busier if more houses are built. We still want to push for safe crossing points there.”

She suggested action was needed between the Harbour Village and Leazes Street car park.

"There should be road markings there to say no parking whatsoever as a safety priority,” she said. “Vehicles exiting can’t see the traffic approaching if blue badge cars are parked there.”

Cllr Kate Cairns agreed: “We need double red lines there. I think it’s urgent there because it’s quite dangerous.”

Councillors also called for alternative side parking on Percy Street between 10am and 4pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Cllr Jeff Watson, local county councillor, said: “I was down at the Sunday market and the chaos along by the methodist chapel is something that really needs to be looked at.

"One day someone is going to get hurt down there and the ambulance is not going to be able to get down.”

The suggestions will now go forward to be considered for inclusion in Northumberland County Council’s Local Transport Plan for 2021/22.

Cllr Lewis also asked if there were any possible solutions being considered for Acklington Road and the Masons Arms corner.

"We have on several occasions drawn it to the attention of county highways,” she said. “We wondered if it would work better to take out some of the build-out and make the highway with a right-turn lane to stop some of the congestion.”

Cllr Watson responded: “I have been banging on about this for quite some time. The Acklington Road/Masons corner is not satisfactory and it will only get worse, especially with the new houses that are going to be developed behind the school and just beyond Robson’s Way.

"There is no answer at the moment because highways don’t perceive there to be a problem but I think, in the long term, there have been some things talked about which may help to alleviate the problem.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

If you can, please do pick up a copy when you are at the shops. Thank you for your support.