Safety work demanded on death crash road

Hartlepool councillor Rob Darby said the A179 was "not safe"

Hundreds of people have signed a petition demanding major safety improvements on a road where a pedestrian died.

Hart Parish Council has joined calls for work on the A179, including dualling from its junction with the A19 to the Tall Ships pub roundabout, a new roundabout at the top of Hart village and a 40mph speed limit.

The petition raised concerns about the number of accidents, including the death of the pedestrian in February, with councillor Rob Darby saying: "We just do not think that road is safe at all."

Labour-led Hartlepool Borough Council said: "We will await the petition and will consider it in due course."

The online petition has attracted over 650 signatures so far, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Hart Parish Council vice chair Thomas Britcliffe said he wanted the speed limit implemented as soon as possible.

"On a night when it's quiet people race along there and then crash at the roundabout at the bottom," he said.

Traffic 'crisis'

The petition stated that over 40 years the area had seen thousands of new homes built nearby, "all placing increasing pressure on the A179 link to the A19".

Campaigners said "no significant upgrades have been made since Hart village bypass opened in 1983" and, with multiple large-scale energy projects planned off the A179, traffic congestion had reached "crisis levels."

The petition runs until the end of September and will then be submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council's leader, Hartlepool's MP Jonathan Brash and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen.

Brash said campaigners had his "total support".

"As a former resident of Hart Village and someone who has two young children, I know full well the very real concerns that residents have about traffic in that area," he said.

"I therefore fully support this campaign and would be only be too happy to meet with residents, the parish council, the borough council and Tees Valley mayor to see what can be done to deliver this for residents."