Northumberland's council leader has pledged to take the campaign for improved safety on the A1 to Prime Minister Andy Burnham after the Government confirmed it still has no plans to dual the road.
County Council leader Glen Sanderson and North East mayor Kim McGuiness wrote to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander earlier this year following a series of accidents on the A1 that left six people dead in less than a month. A further fatality has occurred on the single carriageway section in Northumberland since then.
Government response
Coun Sanderson has now received a reply from roads minister Justin Madders, reiterating that dualling the road in Northumberland would be too expensive. The current Government cancelled a previous scheme to partially dual the road shortly after taking power in 2024, though no concrete action had been taken on that plan in 14 years under the previous administration.
Earlier this summer, The Chronicle and The Journal brought together politicians, business and community leaders in Northumberland and the wider North East to call for the road to be dualled. More than 3,500 people have signed a petition urging the Government to reconsider its decision not to fund the scheme.
Safety concerns
Official data shows the A1 in Northumberland has seen more than 50 fatalities in the last 20 years, most on single carriageway stretches where drivers can get frustrated and resort to dangerous overtaking. Campaigners say the high number of accidents this year highlights the need for the Government to look again at its decision.
In his letter to Coun Sanderson, Mr Madders said: “The Morpeth to Ellingham scheme was paused in 2022 because it offered poor value for money. Since then, costs had risen significantly.
“By the time the scheme was cancelled, National Highways estimated that restarting and delivering it would have cost nearly twice the original amount, further weakening its affordability and value for money. However, the safety of road users remains a key priority for this Government, and the Department is working closely with National Highways to identify proportionate short-term measures and longer-term solutions.”
Council's response
Northumberland County Council is bringing together evidence to back its call, highlighting increased traffic as the county’s tourism, renewable energy and digital sectors see significant growth. Mr Madders said National Highways would consider that evidence, and also highlighted smaller schemes to improve road safety at problem junctions.
Coun Sanderson said: “I'm understandably concerned with this latest response from the Roads Minister but I'm not giving up. I'm also determined to keep this above party politics because we have consensus across all groups at the council and indeed across the region.
"That's why I will take this up with the new Prime Minister and the region's mayor and seek a meeting where we can share updates to the business case which I recently commissioned. I believe this will show a much-strengthened case for dualling.
"In Northumberland and the wider North East we can see the A1 is, in its current state, no longer fit for purpose. Northumberland is a place on the up yet, one of our main trunk roads acts as a brake on growth.
"There is a human side to this. Too many lives have been ruined through death and serious injury. And our communities along the route are blighted by regular hold-ups resulting in people using local villages as 'rat runs'.
"I will continue to work with the Mayor and indeed anyone else who helps us make this case to Government and finally get a modern A1 over the line. I urge people across our region to continue to sign up to the Chronicle's live petition.”
