Call for Roundabout at Junction to Prevent Fatalities

Advocates are pressing a local authority to construct a roundabout at a rural intersection described as “deadly,” citing the urgency “before someone dies.” In 2023, a petition signed by over 1,000 residents requested enhancements for the B1340 close to Swinhoe, Northumberland, a location that has experienced a minimum of five collisions since 2020. Northumberland County Council has proposed two potential designs: one involves upgrading the current configuration, while the other entails replacing it with a roundabout. John Rhind, who initiated the petition, stated: “Both myself and Beadnell Parish Council are strongly of the view that only the second option can make this junction truly safe.” According to campaigners, the initial documented collision at this intersection occurred in 1928, at which time Belford Rural District Council suggested the demolition of a workshop situated on the corner to enhance visibility. Nevertheless, the councillors opted not to allocate the necessary £400. This April, subsequent to the petition, Northumberland County Council committed £20,000 towards developing a plan aimed at enhancing road safety. The findings of that feasibility study have now been disseminated to Beadnell Parish Council. Mr Rhind commented: “We appreciate there is a small extra cost to building the roundabout, but we think that only actually stopping the traffic will make a really deadly junction safer.” He added: “Without a roundabout, sadly, it feels as though it’s only a matter of time before someone dies at that spot, or ends up with life-changing injuries.” Conservative county councillor Guy Renner-Thompson, representing the Bamburgh ward which encompasses Swinhoe, also expressed a preference for the construction of a roundabout at the location. He stated: “We have to consult with Northumberland Coast National National Partnership and other organisations but I’m really hopeful we can get this project moving quickly.”