Appeals for safe crossing on road
COUNCILLORS have warned that failure to install a safe crossing on a busy Northumberland road could lead to a fatal incident.
It comes after 83 residents signed a petition calling for a controlled pedestrian crossing on the Newbiggin Road in Ashington, between its junction with Freeman Way and the A189 Spine Road. The petition argued it is a “significant problem” for older and disabled people, as there is no way for residents of Essendene Rise to access public transport without crossing the road.
Young children are also said to be at risk when accessing local shops or walking to and from school. Furthermore, the opening of a Co-op and Cooplands bakery as well as the increase in size of the Essendene Rise housing estate has increased both traffic and pedestrian crossing in recent times, leading to fear someone could be hurt.
Council officers had proposed to under take further road safety surveys to see if a crossing was needed, as well as considering any road signage or markings to provide additional warnings to motorists.
However, at last week’s meeting of the Ashington and Blyth Local Area Council, members urged them to go further. Coun Jeff Reid said: “The feeling of the meeting is we just want to do it.
“If officers come back and say there’s not enough people, we will still want it done.”
Addressing highways officer Neil Snowdon, he added: “Can you not just get on with the design work? You could do it on the back of a fag packet, I don’t understand why it takes so long.
“At some point you’re going to need to build it. We’re not going to shut up about it.
“Regardless of what the survey’s outcome is, the will of councillors is that we want this done. I just want the design of the crossing to start at the same time of the survey.”
Coun Brian Gallacher added: “Historically, there have been one or two killed on that road which shows you how dangerous that road is. I raised massive concerns at the planning stage of the estate, and my argument at the time was ‘let’s build it safe and worry about the money later’.
“I think we should be helping these people - the estate has grown, we’re trying to get people out of their cars but it is easier and safer to use the car.
“We shouldn’t wait until people have accidents, lets be proactive and push this forward.
“We don’t want to be talking about a fatality or some young child being knocked down before we say this has to be done.”
The committee unanimously agreed to ask the council’s highways department to undertake a further survey and begin carrying out design work for a potential crossing.