Residents raise A192 Plessey Woods road safety fears

Concerns have been raised on the A192 near Plessey Woods

A council has been urged to reduce the speed limit of a road over fears there will be a fatal crash.

Residents at Hartford Bridge, Northumberland, say problems with visibility and speed on the A192 near Plessey Woods is posing a risk.

They have campaigned for improvements for more than a decade, and say mirrors and a speed camera should be installed.

County councillor Mark Swinburn said the council's highways team would be made aware of the concerns.

Residents raised their concerns at a Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley Local Area Council meeting, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

'Limited visibility'

Local resident Brian Robson told the meeting: "Visibility is very limited by the brow of the hill to the south and the bend to the north. Road junctions are dangerous due to the blind brow on the hill.

"Trying to cross the road is dangerous for the same reason, particularly between the bus stops. The problem is worse with electric vehicles, as they can't be heard or seen."

He added nobody wanted to "wait for an injury or a death before action is taken".

Another resident said they believed it was only "good fortune" that somebody had not yet been hurt.

'Safety survey'

Ward councillor Malcolm Robinson supported the calls for action, the LDRS said.

"Lets do a road safety survey, lets see what can be done. I think we can all agree something needs to be done", he said.

Mr Robinson also raised concerns that, although the road had been resurfaced in recent years, vibration problems experienced by villagers living on the road "still remained".

In response, Mr Swinburn said he would raise the issue with the highways team at Northumberland County Council.