Roundabout urged at junction 'before someone dies'

There have been at least five accidents at the four-way junction on the B1340 near Swinhoe since 2020

John Rhind A rural crossroads with a car pulling in front of a bus while another car is waiting to pull out. Behind the bus is a long line of traffic. — There have been at least five accidents at the four-way junction on the B1340 near Swinhoe since 2020

Campaigners have urged a council to build a roundabout at a "deadly" rural junction, "before someone dies".

More than 1,000 residents signed a petition in 2023 asking for improvements to the B1340 near Swinhoe, Northumberland, which has seen at least five accidents since 2020.

Northumberland County Council has come up with two designs - one upgrading the existing layout, the second replacing it with a roundabout.

John Rhind the man behind the petition said: "Both myself and Beadnell Parish Council are strongly of the view that only the second option can make this junction truly safe."

There have been a number of crashes at the busy four-way junction, with the first recorded almost 100 years ago

John Rhind A crash scene with a grey car in the centre badly damaged and a number of emergency vehicles surrounding it — There have been a number of crashes at the busy four-way junction, with the first recorded almost 100 years ago

Campaigners said the first recorded accident at the junction took place in 1928, when Belford Rural District Council recommended demolishing the a workshop on the corner to improve visibility.

However, councillors declined to spend the £400 required.

In April this year, following the petition, Northumberland County Council allocated £20,000 to design a scheme to improve safety on the road.

Campaigner John Rhind says recent attempts to improve safety by extending the 30mph zone are inadequate

John Rhind is standing next to a 30mph zone sign on a rural road as a car speeds past — Campaigner John Rhind says recent attempts to improve safety by extending the 30mph zone are inadequate

That feasibility study has now been shared with Beadnell Parish Council.

"We appreciate there is a small extra cost to building the roundabout, but we think that only actually stopping the traffic will make a really deadly junction safer," Mr Rhind said.

"Without a roundabout, sadly, it feels as though it's only a matter of time before someone dies at that spot, or ends up with life-changing injuries."

Campaigners say only a roundabout would make the junction truly safe

Northumberland County Council A drawing of a new junction at Swinhoe with a new roundabout marked in bold — Campaigners say only a roundabout would make the junction truly safe

Conservative county councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, whose Bamburgh ward includes Swinhoe, would also prefer to see a roundabout built there.

"We have to consult with Northumberland Coast National National Partnership and other organisations but I'm really hopeful we can get this project moving quickly," he said.

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