‘It can’t go on’ – Demand for safety improvements on A1 in Northumberland after five deaths in 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.

Cllr Isabel Hunter, who represents the Berwick West with Ord ward and is Lib Dem leader on Northumberland County Council, 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 £500million 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: “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.”

Cllr Sanderson added: “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.

“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.”

The Government has pledged safety improvements, including junction upgrades, improved signage, road markings, barriers and lighting.