HENSHAW & PARISH COUNCILS

Summary of Safety Campaign

Over the past 5 years, Henshaw Parish Council and Bardon Mill Parish Council, have been actively campaigning for comprehensive road safety improvements on the stretch of A69 from the eastern Bardon Mill junction to the western end of Henshaw. This has involved numerous meetings with Highways , countless emails and letters to and Roadlink, and a resident’s survey which was submitted to Highways England, Roadlink and the Police – most of which have been met with negativity and often a lack of any response. The case put forward by the Parish Councils is as follows, ‘There are 10 road junctions and 7 unprotected public footpaths, rights of way, and crossings along a relatively short section of road and we are not aware of any similar situation on the A69 (or in fact ). Whereas the A69 bypasses all the other main towns along its route it actually physically divides our community. In the examples where it does pass through areas, such as Low Row and , there are numerous road safety measures such as speed cameras, speed restrictions, and protected crossings/junctions. The west end of has a junction onto the A69, with a junction to Warden opposite (similar to Tow House/Bardon Mill) and this has dedicated protected turns, long approach/slip roads and a mid point pedestrian island. To take the issue of the motorist first, it is incredibly dangerous for the driver to either access or leave the A69 safely. Most of the road junctions are the original outdated design and are poorly lit and signposted. As an example, heading east, the left hand turn into Henshaw has no sliproad and you must therefore reduce speed to 10-20mph, whilst there is a row of traffic rapidly approaching behind you travelling at 60mph. Using the ‘protected’ turns into either Tow House or Henshaw is extremely dangerous as speeding traffic in both directions often ignore the road markings and considers these points as overtaking lanes and you are faced with traffic heading at speed either right behind or toward you. This is witnessed daily and there is webcam footage of such incidents. To move onto the situation for pedestrians, again this is an incredibly dangerous stretch of road. There are 7 footpath crossing points and it is a life threatening situation to cross with heavy traffic travelling at speed in both directions. And there is no alternative to these crossings. The only underpass road is at the eastern end of Bardon Mill (and away from the main residential areas) and this road does not even have a footpath section. Crossing the A69 is an often daily necessity for local people to reach the garage shop on the northern side or to cross and return from the school, church, village hall, mobile post office, playpark, and several other local amenities. As for visitors to the area by train or bus they are then again forced to cross this road, with no alternative, to venture up to the Hadrian’s Wall and visitor attractions. And if the road is not dangerous enough, trying to cross carrying shopping, with luggage, rucksacs, children or dogs, is a near impossibility. In an age when we are trying to encourage healthier lifestyles, reduce car journeys, and attract tourism and visitors, then something has to be done. In recent years there has been a continuously upward increase in the amount of traffic. This increase in numbers is allied to the increase in traffic and pedestrian movement as there is a substantial increase in local attractions (The Sill, increased popularity of , Hadrians Wall) local services (school extension and 50% increase in school numbers, new Starbucks and forthcoming Spar minimarket on A69).

Our final concern is about the road noise which is having an adverse effect on the residents in the area. The road noise has increased noticeably and it appears this is down to the quality of the road surface. Many other areas have a smooth and quiet top surface whereas this stretch is much rougher and noisy. The sound howls through the village and residential areas and echoes across the valley. We consider that the overall situation can only continue to deteriorate unless action is taken. The number of housing and residents in the area is on the increase, and the growing number of attractions and measures to bring in tourism, can only result in more traffic and pedestrians. We would therefore request consideration of the following measures; • Reduction of traffic speeds to 40mph. • Installation of speed or average speed cameras/warning signs at the western and eastern approaches (similar to Low Row). • Improvements to lighting and design of road junctions and pedestrian crossing points. • Increased signage, road markings and warnings.’ • Road re-surfacing appropriate to a major road in close proximity to residential properties and local services.

Attached are appendices to outline the efforts made to date and to try and summarise the main details/evidence; ❖ Most recent meeting with Highways England on 23 July 2019 (Appendix A) ❖ A69 Road Safety Residents Survey – Responses and Comments (Appendix B) ❖ Overall Position of Various Parties (Appendix C) ❖ Freedom of Information Request – Highways England (Appendix D)

Appendix A

Meeting with Highways England re A69 Road Safety Improvements A meeting was held on 23 July 2019 to discuss the increasing safety risk to drivers and pedestrians on the stretch of A69 from the eastern end of Bardon Mill to the western end of Henshaw. The meeting was attended by representatives of both Henshaw and Bardon Mill Parish Council’s, local Northumberland County Councillor, Guy Opperman MP’s Office, Highways England and Northumbria Police. Unfortunately, Roadlink (A69) did not attend or send apologies. Key Points from Meeting • Highways England do not consider safety improvements on this section of road to be a priority. Their only offer was to meet again in 12 months time! • They will only consider action after there have been deaths/serious incidents. • They refused to talk about the recent road traffic incident which closed the road for almost a day. • They do not consider Henshaw Bardon/Mill (where a major trunk road separates a community) as an exception to warrant any improvements. • Recent ‘environmental improvements’ (carried out within 2 miles of the stretch or road at Henshaw/Bardon Mill) costing in excess of £250,000 are seen as more important than road safety. • Highways England state there is only one designated pedestrian crossing point on this stretch of road. The Case for Road Safety Improvements • There are 10 road junctions and 7 pedestrian crossing points on this road. • The road splits the communities of Henshaw and Bardon Mill. • Residents of Henshaw need to cross this road to access the recently extended school, church, village hall, and all other local services. • Residents of Bardon Mill need to cross this road to access the local garage (and new minimarket), local villages and places of employment. • The main junctions are sub-standard with no ‘run-off areas. • Substandard ‘protected’ turns offer little protection from 60mph oncoming and following traffic (particularly HGV’s). • Ever increasing volume of traffic heading across the country at 60mph • Additional traffic turning on/off, increased pedestrians/visitor movement as a result of The Sill, Hadrian’s Wall attractions, increase in size of local school, new ‘Starbucks’, new Spar minimarket. • Ever increasing road noise from unsuitable surface close to residential property and getting worse by the day as a result of increased road usage and 60mph speeds.

Possible Solutions/Request to Improve Situation • Reduction in traffic speed such as a 40mph limit, average speed cameras, flashing warning signs. • Upgrade junctions with run on/off lanes • Suitably protected lanes for turning off. • Protected pedestrian crossing points • New quieter road surface • It was pointed out that the temporary 40mph limit imposed during safety repairs following the recent incident had made the road much safer and quieter and this was noted on the

day of the meeting when the Police parked their vehicle next to the A69 as this made an instant improvement with drivers slowing to around 40mph. Highways England Position Highways England are the transport authority responsible for the A69. Roadlink (A69) are responsible for maintenance and work on the road under contract from Highways England. It was not explained why Roadlink were not represented at the meeting. Highways England’s representatives were disappointingly negative in their approach and rather than try to work with the Parishes to find workable solutions their main representative was defensive and simply answered that there were not sufficient deaths or serious incidents to warrant any action whatsoever. Recent Environmental Improvements Under a Freedom of Information Request details were obtained of the following; 1. £45,000 was recently spent on junction works at Hardriding to protect wild flowers (which could have been re-planted away from the road at a fraction of the cost). 2. £121,000 budget allocated to drainage works at . These works which were apparently due to take around 6 weeks have now been ongoing for 6 months and are still not completed. Highways England state they will be completed ‘within budget’. 3. £75,000 planting scheme of new hedging/shrubs. Current Road Surface Highways England state that Roadlink (A69) are responsible for the poor quality road surface which is becoming increasingly noisy each day. They stated they cannot influence Roadlink to look at providing a new surface (despite being the Transport Authority and employing Roadlink). Highways England have been asked to carry out noise surveys but again refuse to do so and state that this is not their responsibility. Average Speed Cameras at Hexham There are to be average speed cameras installed from the west end of Hexham to Lipwood. It was put forward that this will result in drivers become more frustrated by being stuck in convoys of traffic and when the average zone ends traffic heading west will speed up and overtake at any opportunity ie on the approach to Bardon Mill and Henshaw. Road Safety Improvements v Environmental Improvements Whilst happy to carry out environmental improvements of almost £250,000 in close proximity to the section of road in question, Highways England totally refuse to undertake road safety improvement to protect the lives of local residents and children until there are further deaths/incidents. They do not consider that ‘pro-active’ safety measures are an option. They do not consider that a community divided by a trunk road is a unique situation (although we are not aware of any other on the A69 or indeed Northumberland).

Appendix B

A69 Road Safety Residents Survey (2015) – Responses and Comments A survey questionnaire was delivered to approximately 450 households. 113 completed surveys were returned which equates to a 25% response. Summary 87% of residents have to cross the A69 on foot and 76% find it unsafe to do so. 97% turn on/off by car and 81% say it is difficult to do so. 78% witness dangerous driving on a regular basis. Finally 71% consider the road noise is now louder or much louder. Full Details 1. Do you ever cross this stretch of the A69 on foot? • Yes 87% • No 13% 2. If yes, how safe do you feel when crossing? • Very safe 5% • Fairly safe 10% • Neither safe nor unsafe 9% • Fairly unsafe 29% • Very unsafe 47% 3. Do you ever turn on/off this stretch of the A69 by car? • Yes 97% • No 3% 4. If yes, how easy or difficult do you find it to turn on/off by car? • Very easy 3% • Fairly easy 6% • Neither easy nor difficult 10% • Fairly difficult 53% • Very difficult 28% 5. How frequently do you witness dangerous driving on this stretch of the A69? • Daily 41% • Weekly 37% • Monthly 10% • Less than monthly 10% • Never 3% 6. Do you feel that the road noise from this stretch of road is becoming louder? • Much louder 40% • Louder 31% • No different 29%

Additional Comments

People in the village have to travel by bus and must cross the A69 to do so. Sometimes you have to wait that long you can easily miss the bus. Currently the surface is the worst possible for noise. Previous surface was much better eg similar to the new surface west of Melkridge.

The traffic seems to have increased dramatically. The road splits the village in half and is very dangerous for those who regularly walk or ride (horses) round the area. Crossing the road on foot usually involves a considerable wait for a safe break in the flow of fast traffic. There is so much traffic on the A69 that one has to wait a long time for a gap which can lead to frustration and possibly trying to cross when it is unsafe. The road noise and amount of traffic has increased dramatically in the last 15 years. The cars speed up as they get to the Henshaw turning ready to get into the overtaking lane after having to follow slow moving lorries for several miles. No one regards the red zones. I have had a number of close calls where people have been overtaking and I have been waiting in the centre to turn into the petrol station or when coming from to turn into Tow House. Any dog walkers crossing on foot often have to run because of the excessive speed. As the school/nursery, church, village store, village hall etc are all on the other side of the A69 crossing such a busy road on foot is essential. The volume of traffic and dangerous driving has increased greatly. Crossing the A69 on foot or in a vehicle is often extremely dangerous and is a serious accident/fatality waiting to happen. Please consider improving the life of residents by improving road safety. The traffic volume and noise has increased three fold since we moved here 14 years ago. We have had numerous near misses driving our car from the A69 into Henshaw as cars think you are overtaking rather than pulling into the turning lane and whizz up behind you and occasionally overtake you preventing you turning. We have witnessed numerous cars accelerating past the Little Chef and garage overtaking in the red chevrons. It is very dangerous crossing over to the school and church from the lane as the overtaking section begins at this point! We think the traffic needs to be 40mph with central islands at junctions to prevent major incidents. When turning off the A69 your car is in the middle of the road. We have had several situations where cars have tried overtaking and have to swerve back into the line of the traffic to avoid a head on collision with our car. We need a speed camera on the stretch of road between the Little Chef up to the junctions of Henshaw and Bardon Mill. The speed limit at 60mph is too fast. Cars overtaking in hatched areas. The stretch of road in question is a nightmare to cross especially at peak times and has been made worse by the introduction of the lorry speed increase. When indicating to turn into Henshaw you have the speeding drivers behind you who think you are overtaking and the traffic coming towards you who overtake and then realise you are sitting in the middle of the road. Crossing on foot is nearly impossible at certain times of the day. Add in the tourists and the whole situation is a nightmare. Travelling west to east and turning right at Hardriding, westbound traffic which is overtaking usually means head on collisions are narrowly averted. There are no slowing down run-offs at any left turns into Bardon Mill or Henshaw. There are no indications of footpaths crossing theA69. We regularly see traffic overtaking and ignoring the double white lines usually in excess of the speed limit. Having lived in our house 42 years the volume of traffic and road noise has increased and is now 24/7. If the Military Road at The Sill merits a speed limit of 40mph, it is essential that the A69 between Hardriding and Bardon Mill has a reduced speed limit. A section of the () at Redford, with similar junctions, has average speed cameras along its length. I have already emailed Guy Opperman about my increasing concerns about the Henshaw junction (but have yet to receive a reply). It is the only crossing place to get to Henshaw Church or School apart from the crossing from the lane/footpath. If you are in a car and turning right you are literally a sitting duck from eastbound traffic coming down the hill. Recently, when we were at this junction, a car pulling a caravan attempted to overtake a caring coming down the hill. We will never be so lucky again to avoid a fatal collision. Please do something before it is too late!!! Frequently see traffic travelling faster than 60 mph and cars using right turn area into Henshaw as a passing place when travelling west prior to dual carriageway section. Also problems with traffic coming out of the garage.

Speed restrictions needed. I pull out onto the A69 several times a day and I’m terrified by aggressive drivers coming right up behind you. There’s poor visibility at junctions. The time of day and the time of year makes a difference to the difficulty experienced. Some drivers break speed limits, do illegal manoeuvres, ignore turning signals by cars in front and do not slow down, which means cars cannot turn safely onto narrow country lanes. Pedestrian crossings are more dangerous because of the bends in the road and the speed of the traffic. I think signs east and west stating this is a community area and speed should be reduced would be the least that could be done. We find the stretch of road really scary. Turn offs in both directions are really bad. If we have been travelling west cars and lorries are at the boot of your car and we have had some really bad experiences coming down the hill from the west. Cars won’t wait for you to turn off and you often find yourself face to face with a fast moving vehicle. Even with continuous white lines they totally ignore these. We travel this road every day and it is an absolute nightmare. A slip road from the A69 into Bardon Mill would make the turn safer for the driver and the driver behind. At this junction 60 mph is too fast. A lower speed limit should start from junctions. Turning right off A69 at Bardon Mill and Henshaw junctions feels particularly dangerous. The junctions are very, very, hard to get out of and dangerous to get back into. The road in the village is just as bad as drivers don’t stick to 30mph. It is not just the A69 that is a problem the road through the village is just as bad. Buses and cars speed through. At Redburn the cars park and make it very hard to see what is coming. Both junctions of the A69 are death traps. The A69 road is extremely busy and difficult to get onto. Some drivers overtake in dangerous positions. Should be a restricted 40mph through the entire length at Bardon Mill and speed cameras and pedestrians crossings. Over the last few months I have definitely noticed an increase in the noise of traffic. I sometimes cross the A69 with my dog and find it increasingly difficult and often accompanied by the blare of a car horn as someone races towards me. Drivers do not slow down when they see a pedestrian trying to cross. I support any request by the Parish Council for traffic calming. Living in Towhouse Green with our back garden about 10 yards from the A69 we are only too aware of how much the traffic and noise has increased over the 18 years that we have lived here. It is now impossible to sit out in our garden in any comfort and even in our conservatory it is extremely noisy. To have a speed limit would possibly help but we fear that most drivers would ignore this. Perhaps timed speed cameras would help. To ensure the safety of both pedestrians and motorists it is long overdue to introduce a 40mph speed limit from the Melkridge junction to the Bardon Mill junction and cameras at the Henshaw Garage area. Also introducing a slip road from the A69 into Bardon Mill and another slip road from Towhouse onto the A69. With the existing speed limit there are too many hazards and accidents will happen. Over a year ago I was signalling to turn right at the west side of the village and a car tried to overtake me on the right hand side. Ever since then when coming down from the west I turn into the Hardriding to avoid such incidents happening again. Staggered junction Henshaw/Towhouse can be very dangerous. Seems to be general disregard for turning areas by overtaking cars. The speeding on the road through Bardon Mill would benefit from cameras and speed humps. Children and animals are at risk. Regular police checks needed. The speed limit at the Twice Brewed is 40mph and although it can be busy the road carriers nowhere near the volume of traffic as the A69. This section needs a reduction in mph and certainly cameras. I have witnessed exceptionally bad driving over the speed limit as long lines build up behind lorries etc. More visible pedestrian areas need to be highlighted. The volume of traffic has increased tremendously which has aggravated the problem of dangerous driving. Drivers exceed 60mph and overtake into oncoming traffic. I’ve often had to pull onto the verge to avoid car overtaking towards me.

Large volumes of traffic on the road make crossing by foot difficult and unsafe at times. This makes access to the bus stop and the train situation very difficult. The road is far too fast on this stretch. I used to walk my dog across here and had to pick her up to get across. Turning onto the A69 by car is also difficult at times due to car speed. I also see unsafe driving, particularly overtaking, most times I drive on this road. We don’t feel a speed camera or traffic calming methods will solve any of the issues raised. Dualing the A69 from Hexham to with crossing bridges for pedestrians and slip roads on or off is the best solution to solve these issues. A speed limit is essential especially for the sake of pedestrians. When going to the station via the footpath that exists opposite Errington Reay one is really in danger. At other points one must be extra careful. For motorists turning off the A69 for Morwood and Vindolanda (especially for tourists) a speed limit would be helpful. Since moving into the village in 1999 the traffic noise and volume, in particular heavy goods vehicles, has increased enormously. At peak times the A69 is akin to a motorway with aggressive and dangerous driving. A low noise road surface would be of benefit plus other methods of noise reduction. Road noise! I own a commercial vehicle and find lane widths are narrow. I have lost wing mirrors over the years by HGV’s when waiting to turn right. The speed limit should be reduced and the noise levels monitored. The road is not safe to cross as it is always so busy with speeding, constant, traffic. This is a very dangerous stretch of road and something needs to be done. I have lived in this village since I was born over 40 years ago and have seen many accidents. I never let my teenagers cross the road without one of their parents or an adult as I fear for their lives due to the speed the traffic travels. I think we need a barrier where the footpath crosses the A69 next to the Little Chef. I was standing waiting to cross once when a car swerved across the grass verge just past me then back into a line of traffic. It was a miracle that no-one crashed or flattened me! A man in a speeding car doing about 80-90mph once tooted at me as he raced around the bend. Slow them down! I only cross on foot when absolutely necessary. You must be able to judge the speed of traffic approaching and there are long waits until the road is clear. At junctions they never slow down behind you. Often dangerous driving, too close, always trying to overtake, driving on brakes. 40mph would be good and larger/clearer signage for warning of pedestrians. A slip road to turn at junctions would be great. The A69 divided the villages of Henshaw and Bardon Mill when it was built and I feel we are still one big community with an ‘A’ road through the middle. The Highways Agency should take responsibility in limiting the speed especially at turn-offs when you get idiots overtaking the oncoming traffic whilst you are a sitting target waiting to pull into the village. We fully agree that this stretch of the A69 is dangerous. Approx 3 years ago our cottage guests spent over a week in hospital after a crash at the Henshaw turning. Difficulty in turning off the A69. Cars come up very close and are impatient. It Makes me nervous as a consequence and I try to turn off at a faster speed in order to get away from them as quickly as I can. On foot my mobility is impaired. Due to the heavy traffic, and excessive speed, crossing this road is a scary experience for me. Should the speed or volume of traffic increase, even slightly, crossing the road will be impossible, not only for me but also for wheelchair users, prams, horse riders and cyclists. When driving, turning across the traffic is very difficult. As a pedestrian I witness daily dangerous driving. I do not like turning into Towhouse from Haltwhistle as the waiting area in the middle of the road is very narrow with very fast traffic going east down the hill. Also the cars sometimes overtake on the hatched section next to the turning area. I’ve long since noticed a seeming total lack of proper police traffic cars and also it seems that the use of unmarked police cars driven by local traffic officers has been discontinued. Both these

things must contribute to the fact that a huge majority of drivers (cars & LGV’s) grossly exceed the 60mph limit and have no regard to the need of drivers like me having to slow before turning. Traffic seems much heavier and travelling faster which has reduced safety and increased noise levels considerably. The stretch of pathway from Park Lane to the crossing point on the A69 is very exposed if we cannot gain consent for a footbridge, railings would add an element of safety to the crossing point on both sides of the A69. 40mph speed limit would be more appropriate for this stretch. It is the speed that traffic approaches the junctions that causes me the most concerns. No matter how attentive I am joining the A69 it is still a regular occurrence for vehicles, cars in particular, to very quickly be close behind my car and not unusual for the drivers to either be flashing their lights or sounding their horns. I consider myself to be a competent driver but this can be most intimidating. I have noticed westbound traffic pre-empting the overtaking section by moving into the ‘hatched area’ for eastbound traffic turning right towards the school. Crossing points for pedestrians would be helpful. The road heading west into the overtaking lane frequently has people using the right turn lane into Henshaw and eastbound right turn into Bardon Mill to overtake before the lane begins. Dangerous driving on this stretch of road is a major problem. Traffic seems to be continuous. Noise is a lot worse. The speed limit may well be 60mph but as someone who does not exceed this I would hazard a guess that 80% of drivers frequently this. has recently had a 30mph flashing warning sign erected and this appears to have the desired effect having witnessed many motorists braking to slow down. A lot of drivers exceed 70mph! Roadlink removed roadside trees and shrubs increasing noise without introducing mitigating measures. The reason cited, access for emergency vehicles, is belied by the incidence of bridges, road signage, and other barriers to passage along the cleared area beside the carriageway. They should be more flexible! There ought to be a sliproad on and off at the turnings into Bardon Mill and Henshaw. There are sliproads into the Petrol Station western approach but not exit to east. Our real concern is turning into Towhouse (travelling from the west) as it is a real danger. Vehicles drive too fast in both directions. When indicating to turn into Towhouse drivers behind want to overtake and drive across oncoming double white lines. It has to be experienced to really appreciate how dangerous it is. When arriving on the A69 from the west and then having to turn into Bardon Mill it is very dangerous trying to turn into the village. Similarly from the east there should be designated turning area opposed to having to stop in the middle of the road. While waiting to turn right into Bardon Mill I have had traffic, coming from the east, overtaking and heading straight for me. I dread to think what would happen if a wide load was travelling west when a vehicle was waiting to turn into the village. I am against dualling as this would make the road faster therefore more dangerous and noisy. Reduced speed should reduce crazy driving and noise. It’s impossible to cross on foot if you are impaired as you just can’t get across in time. It is becoming increasingly difficult to exit Bardon Mill at the east end of the village with intention of heading east. If the speed limit is reduced will this result in the traffic from the west bunching and could reduce the opportunity to enter the inevitable stream of cars and lorries. Ideally it would help if eastbound traffic out of the village took the road to Thorngrafton under the bridge and then turned right to join a newly built road to filter onto the A69. Turning right off the A69 to Ridley often feels unsafe when vehicles are coming at 60mph behind you. Similar issues at Towhouse. Turning right onto the A69 can take time but drivers are relying on their own judgement. This becomes a problem when other cars are speeding and may tailgate as a result. I often see risky overtaking and tailgating to and from Hexham. A speed limit would be beneficial.

People must be patient when crossing, not taking risks, but when you wait, and wait, and wait, for a gap, it’s tempting to take risks. Many a time whilst sat in the filter lane to cross into Towhouse from the A69, I have had cars and lorries pull out to overtake and looked me straight in the eye head on and extremely scary. The road noise has increased two fold, once with the increase in traffic but mostly because of the new cats eyes in the road. Lorries rarely stick to the speed limit on the A69. Always very wary if the car behind is going to collide into my car. Every day we see near misses. The standard of driving can be very dangerous and a concern. Since the latest resurfacing the road noise has increased and is much louder than it was. Fully support all your efforts to try and make our length of the A69 into a safe road to travel, something it is not at present. Not feasible to give all junctions and crossing special status. Generally good sight lines. Safety refuge a possibility near to Henshaw garage. Impatient driving liable to be caused by hold-ups due to slow moving vehicles refusing to get off the carriageway. Not uncommon to see a tractor, doing 25mph, heading a tailback of 50-60 other vehicles all the way from Hexham to Bardon Mill. Driver surely can’t be unaware of the nuisance he’s causing. When turning into the village on the east side slowing down is a problem as following traffic is sometimes reluctant to slow down and tends to overtake inappropriately. When turning into the village on the west side you have to sit in the middle of the road and it is a very precarious place to be. Cars and vehicles coming in or out have to dodge into fast flowing traffic, too fast, dangerously fast. I have witnessed hundreds of near misses on this stretch of the A69. In particular cars and lorries overtaking past the Little Chef. I have witnessed three accidents beside the Little Chef. The speed of oncoming traffic must be 80-90mph. This makes it difficult to know when to pull out and join the traffic. I have lived here thirty years and the increase in traffic has been very pronounced, especially heavy goods vehicles. Noise levels have increased dramatically. Traffic convoys behind slow moving traffic increase the noise factor. Every day is the same with no respite on weekends. Access to the A69 is getting increasingly dangerous. Access to the village from theA69 is extremely dangerous because impatient drivers regularly cross all the warning lines on the road with the intention of overtaking slower vehicles. They do not see turning traffic in the middle of the road. Many times I have just avoided a serious accident at the last moment. Foot crossing is dangerous and should this be happening on a designated 60mph road. Speed limit should be 40mph with junctions widened to allow access/egress lanes. Better signage, road markings, lighting and camera’s at junctions. Warning lights/signage at pedestrian crossing points.

Appendix C

Overall Position of Various Parties 1. Highways England Highways England are the authority with overall responsibility for the A69. Unfortunately their main stance is to be reactive rather than proactive. The Parish Council’s have always found their approach to the situation to be negative and defensive. Over the past year they have been reluctant to meet and discuss our concerns, provide information or respond to letters and emails. Rather than come to meetings to try and work with the Parish Council’s and help co-ordinate matters they have often denied responsibility and said it is our responsibility to contact Roadlink, the Police, DeFRA etc. They refuse to acknowledge that our situation warrants any special consideration (separated community, number of crossing points, increase in traffic, vast increase in local attractions and new facilities), they have never taken into account the comprehensive residents survey we provided, but instead say that there have not been sufficient deaths or serious incidents but are prepared to spend almost £250,000 on environmental improvements in nearby locations rather than road safety. At the most recent meeting the Highways England’s main representative advised us that if you look at ‘the maps’ there is only one designated path to cross the A69 in our area……? 2. Roadlink (A69) Road Link (A69) Ltd are responsible for the routine operations and maintenance of the A69. This includes resurfacing, safety fence renewal and vegetation management. As with Highways England we have found them unhelpful and deny responsibility for many issues, instead referring us back to Highways England. Roadlink have been named by Highways England as responsible for the extremely noisy road surface. Roadlink have been given a vast amount of public money to maintain the A69 yet is now in a worse condition than ever with cheap noisy surfacing and patch repairs. The Parish Council will be seeking information on how Roadlink are financed, what has the money been spent on, and what procedures Highways England have in place to audit and monitor performance under the contract. 3. Police Given the seriousness of the situation we have often been surprised at the lack of their involvement or attendance at meetings. Considering the survey which referred to daily ‘dangerous driving’ residents have not seen any patrols or enforcement on this stretch of road. It has been noted in correspondence from May 2018 however that police advice that ‘the installation of speed activated signs installed at an area of concern for either police, council’s or residents can have a positive impact on driver behaviour’. Highways England have not, and advised us they will not, install such signs. 4. Local MP We contacted Guy Opperman MP who agreed to meet us on site. This took place and Guy himself witnessed an incident where an HGV overtook numerous vehicles on the wrong side of the road, through the protected turns, and could have easily resulted in a fatal collision. Guy agreed to fully support our campaign. Over the years Guy has continued to support the request for safety improvements and his representative at the most recent meeting asked Highways England to recognise the special situation rather than simply quote statistics and data.

Appendix D

A request for information was made by Henshaw Parish Council, Bardon Mill Parish Council and a local Councillor regarding works on the A69. Highways England refused on a number of occasions to supply any information until it was made clear to them that under the Freedom of Information Act they were legally bound to provide a formal response. FOI Request 770/746 - Road Safety Matters A69 at Henshaw/Bardon Mill Response from Highways England (with initial Parish Council comments in blue) 1. Work at Hardriding Why it was necessary to undertake this work (bearing in mind the verge is not part of the A69 and should not therefore suffer any vehicle damage)? A. This scheme was identified as part of the environmental designated fund programme to increase the amenity value of this location, creating a distinctive location along the route and to enhance the wildlife. Who made the request for it to be undertaken? A. Highways England identified this scheme as part of the environmental designated fund programme. Who carried out the work? A. Road Link (A69) Ltd. Was the work procured through a tender process? A. No. What was the final cost of this work? A. This work was funded by the designated fund programme and had a budget of £45,000. This scheme was delivered within the budget. Can you provide copies of reports or correspondence with regard to this scheme? A. An assessment was undertaken to assess the feasibility of the scheme. Please find attached an extract from the feasibility study outlining this particular scheme. Parish Council Comment The main reason for carrying out this work was ‘because the area is subject to regular vehicle over- run adjacent to the highway for off road farm access’. The local Parish Council’s are not aware of any problem with off road farm access and if there was an issue then were the drivers responsible for the damage approached to raise the issue? The cost of the work to ‘protect rare plants’ of £45,000 (which could have been replanted in a more suitable location nearby at a fraction of the cost) is unreasonable given that Highways England refuse to spend money on improving the sub-standard junctions at Henshaw/Bardon Mill to allow safer approach/exit lanes. A planting scheme given preference over driver and pedestrian safety? 2. Hedge Planting Scheme Highways England have undertaken a hedge planting scheme along the A69 in recent months. Can you provide the current spend and estimated total cost of this scheme? A. This work was funded by the designated fund programme and had a budget of £90,000. This scheme was delivered within the budget. Parish Council Comment As above a planting scheme given preference over spend on road safety improvements.

3. Drainage Work at Melkridge Highways England are the client for the drainage scheme next to the A69 at Melkridge. Can you provide the current spend and estimated total cost of this scheme? A. This work was funded by the designated fund programme and had a budget of £121,000. This scheme was delivered within the budget. Parish Council Comment We would like a more detailed explanation of this work. It seems it has been ongoing since late last year and is still not completed. We understand that it was a 6 week contract which is now 6 months or more? How can it be delivered within budget (£121,000) given the extensive contract overrun and that it is not yet completed? 4. Section of A69 between Henshaw and Bardon Mill Do Highways England adhere to any noise regulations for residential areas and would this section of road meet with current noise regulations? A. The way in which we manage noise is driven by the requirements of the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006 via the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Highways England plan the mitigation measures using the noise map produced by Defra, which aims to target those sections of our network most affected by noise. I refer you to our letter to you dated 20 June 2018 (attached for ease). Can Highways England confirm if any noise surveys have been carried out on this section of road pursuant to Parish Council concerns being raised? A. No noise surveys have been carried out. Parish Council Comment Residents and the Parish Councils have been asking for consideration to be given to resurface this stretch of road for at least the past five years. The road is extremely noisy and with an ever increasing amount of traffic. How are Highways England in a position to dismiss this request if they have not even undertaken a basic noise survey? 5. Lack of response to Emails Can you confirm if you received the letter from Henshaw Parish Council dated 8 November 2018 and emails dated 28 January and 18 February 2019 (copies attached). A. I apologise for the delay in responding to you. We have been liaising with Northumbria Police with a view to arranging an integrated meeting between all parties. Unfortunately, due to the change of personnel at Northumbria Police this has delayed. Can you advise why no response was forthcoming? A. I was waiting for a response and confirmation from Northumbria Police before responding to you as I didn’t want to respond without an update from the Police, though I accept that, with hindsight, I should have acknowledged your letter and e-mail. Please accept my apologies for this oversight. We have recently been in contact with the new inspector at Northumbria Police and we are now looking to arrange a meeting between all interested parties in July. Proposed dates for this meeting have been sent to the Parish Council. Parish Council Comment This is very hollow apology for such a serious issue. Not only did numerous letters and emails go unanswered by Henshaw Parish Council but the Bardon Mill Parish Council and local County Councillor experienced similar treatment.

6. Surveys Have any visual surveys/studies been carried out to witness the dangers on this section of road (difficulties for pedestrians crossing, drivers turning on/off, vehicles overtaking through the protected zones) or have Highways England sought to rely solely on speed data? If they have can you provide copies of the relevant reports. A. We have previously examined this section of the A69, as requested by the Parish Council, and identified a number of potential improvement options. Some of these improvements were then delivered as part of our improvement scheme in 2016. I attach a copy of the report for your reference. We will of course continue to monitor the safety performance of the A69 here and across the route. Parish Council Comment To our knowledge Highways England have only carried out a basic speed survey on this road and continue to use it as an answer to any concern. As the Parish Councils have said, speeding traffic is not the main issue. 60 mph is too fast. The road layout and junctions are not fit for purpose given the increase in traffic and the number of crossing points for pedestrians and junction to access local communities. Neither the Parish Councils or local residents have seen any visits or surveys to witness the issues on this road eg dangerous driving, near misses, difficulties accessing or egressing the A69 by local motorists, or pedestrians risking a crossing on foot. Neither Highways England, Roadlink, or the Police have been a presence in the area. 7. Residents have observed an increase in traffic over the years – can Highways England provide details of numbers of vehicles travelling along this section of road for each of the past 5 years? A. We use the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) as a measure to assess the number of vehicles that use the road. For the section to the west of Bardon Mill these figures below identify the AADT for the last 5 years. This is consistent with the average growth across the entire length of the A69.

Year All Vehicles HGVs 2014 12,323 2,495 2015 12,830 2,514 2016 13,277 2,644 2017 13,460 2,732 2018 13,684 2,908

Parish Council Comment This clearly demonstrates the increase in the amount of traffic in the area with a rapidly upward trend year on year. Add to this an increasing number of visitors to the Sill (there is a marked increase in vehicles turning on and off to head to and from the Sill along local roads), new Starbucks attracting a greater number of drivers turning on and off, new Spar minimarket on the A69 (opposite the main village), and increase in numbers and size of the local school. 8. Active Speed Signs What is the current position on this and what has been done to progress this? Since the meeting which Highways England attended with Guy Opperman almost a year ago there has been no communication with the local Parish Council on this?

A. As per our letter dated 27 September 2018, we have undertaken a study to assess the viability of a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) that is compliant with our highway standards. Whilst the study did identify a potential sign option within the standards, we still need to build a business justification for the sign and this remains difficult as we do not have accident and incident data to support the scheme and at present there remains no clear route for funding. I am aware that Councillor Karen Quinn, who also attended the meeting, was to investigate whether any funding contribution can be provided by the local councillors. Parish Council Comment Can a copy of this be provided? Can you provide copies of any reports and correspondence with the Police with regard to active speed signs at this location. A. See attached email correspondence between ourselves and Northumbria Police. Parish Council Comment The correspondence between Highways England and the Police consisted of a single email by each party and is over a year old. This clearly shows the lack of consideration given to the issue. The Police email (May 2018) states that the installation of speed activated signs can have a positive impact upon driver behaviour. Why in a year has this not been advanced further?