Council to investigate alternative safety measures in Wooler after pedestrian crossing ruled out

Northumberland County Council is to investigate how to improve pedestrian safety in Wooler town centre.
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Concerns about the safety of Co-op shoppers crossing the high street were raised last year by Wooler Parish Council.

However, the county council has rejected calls for a pedestrian crossing there and is instead going to look at alternative measures.

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Officers have explained that it would be difficult to achieve a feasible design for a full, formal crossing point at the Co-op due to the poor sightlines caused by the topography of the area and close proximity of other junctions.

Wooler Co-op.Wooler Co-op.
Wooler Co-op.

A letter to the parish council explained ‘Northumberland County Council advise the most appropriate way forward would be to process the development of options to create a safer crossing point at this location and, once agreed, to implement these measures in order to address the road safety concerns.’

However, they were told a new camera survey would ‘risk delaying work to progress the design and implementation of any alternative measures’.

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Cllr Mark Mather, parish council chairman, said: “We’re happy to pause the PV2 camera survey to allow them to look at alternative safety schemes would could potentially provide a better crossing point.”

However, he said ‘it beggars belief’ that a pedestrian crossing had been ruled out because of the nature of the topography.

"That’s exactly why it’s needed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the county council has agreed to undertake CCTV work before any proposed changes to the yellow lines were made at Ramseys Lane and Common Road. This is to be done by the end of March.

"We fully support the CCTV work being done because we all know there is a definite problem there. They have potentially allowed further development up there so it will only get worse.”

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Members who have previously raised concerns about the narrowness of the Chatton bridge, especially with new housing developments nearby, were told that a formal road audit will be carried out by the end of the year.

Further information is still being sought on a potential crossing point on the A697, while fresh concerns were raised about the condition of the path along the A697.

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