New pedestrian crossing planned to alleviate safety concerns in Northumberland village

Plans for a zebra crossing on the C254 through Wylam have been given the green light by Northumberland County Council.

Pedestrians, including children, frequently cross the road in this area to access the nearby recreation ground.

A council report stated: “Wylam Parish Council have long standing concerns over pedestrian safety in this location. They therefore submitted a request for a controlled pedestrian crossing as a priority to be considered for the Local Transport Plan (LTP) Programme.

"Concern has also been raised about traffic speeds in this area. A 20mph speed limit is in place, however, a speed survey carried out in 2023 recorded average speeds of 23.6mph eastbound and 26.2mph westbound, and 85th percentile speeds of 28mph eastbound and 30.7mph westbound. These are above the police enforcement threshold for a 20mph speed limit.”

The report adds that there have been seven recorded casulaties on Main Road, including one at the entrance to the recreation area. One of these was classed as a ‘serious’ injury.

In response to the concerns raised by the parish council a proposal to install a zebra crossing on a raised table was included in the LTP Programme.

A public consultation was recently carried out. Of seven responses, five were in favour and two against.

"Those against cited the impact on available parking space and increased traffic noise as potential issues,” states the report. “The length of the zig-zag road markings has been reduced to the minimum permitted to reduce the impact on parking. Noise should not be an issue provided motorists pass over the raised table at an appropriate speed.

"Given the issues raised and the local support demonstrated, it is recommended that the proposed raised zebra crossing is implemented.”