The leader of Northumberland County Council has said he hopes Prime Minister Andy Burnham can work with North East Mayor Kim McGuinness to thrash out a deal to dual the A1. Burnham has said the road through the county in its current guise is not acceptable and pledged to have ministers and officials look at options for funding.
It comes after intense pressure from North East leaders, including council leader Glen Sanderson and mayor Kim McGuinness, following a string of tragic accidents on the road this year. Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting of the county council, Coun Sanderson spoke of his gratitude to councillors of all parties for working together to reopen the debate.
The county council as a whole agreed unanimously to pass a motion supporting work to provide evidence for the scheme at its last meeting, while group leaders penned a joint letter to the Government calling for action.
Coun Sanderson said: “I’m very grateful for all the group leaders for joining me on the letter we sent to the secretary of state asking for the reopening of the A1 debate. Our position does not change even though we got a negative reply.
“This is a new campaign. We have commissioned work to pull together all the evidence needed to present a case that’s different.
“I will continue to work with the mayor and I hope Prime Minister will work with her to bring the delivery we need. The sad constant we have is the accidents tragedy, which is something we take very seriously.
“What makes it so important is the changing face of our county. The growth in the economy brings more traffic to Northumberland every year.
“That traffic causes congestion, and we all know how often the A1 completely stops and traffic ceases to move. The natural reaction sees drivers try to avoid the A1 taking rat runs through villages or using the A697, which is another road not fit for the amount of traffic it is beginning to see.
Coun Sanderson also reiterated his plea for those involved to steer clear of party politics.
He added: “Whilst we may take a pop at each other politically from time to time, on this I want to be apolitical. I will make a non-party political argument, which is what we need to do.”
Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.
