Howard Road Zebra Crossing II

NCC Highways evidently made a mistake when they tried to short circuit consultation on moving the Howard Road Zebra Crossing.

The idea came forward (well OK - I suggested it) during the consultation on the broader traffic calming scheme (which proved very popular) - and NCC Highways, understandably seeing it as an 'add-on' only consulted the immediate residents (Howard Road, Howard Terrace, Greystoke Gardens - and possibly Maritime Place).

Unfortunately - a lot of people in the streets to the north of Howard Road (who were consulted on the original scheme) also use that crossing. Many of them apparently use it to get to Dark Lane - walking to Morrisons, the Library and - with children - Goosehill School.

Following the outcry - NCC Highways have decided they do not have enough data on traffic and pedestrian flows, so they are shelving the idea of moving the crossing until they can collect that data. Of course, they can't do that until everything has calmed down after the town centre development finishes.

So - the main traffic calming (including a 20mph speed limit) is going ahead - probably in March. Traffic calming in Dacre Street will be put in place at the same time. But - the zebra crossing definitely won't be moved - until the idea is reconsidered in about 18 months time.

Howard Road Zebra Crossing

As you may have seen in the recent ‘Focus’ newsletter, the County Council are planning to move the zebra crossing on Howard Road towards the Wellway junction as part of the traffic calming measures. This was an afterthought to the original scheme – and the County Council only consulted residents of Howard Rd, Howard Terrace and Greystoke Gardens on the move.

Of course, other people in the area use that zebra crossing – in particular parents taking children along Dark Lane to Goosehill School – so you should also have views on the plans to move it. It may be that there’s a need for two crossings on the road.

The formal consultation is over, but if you have strong views please contact John Mather (tel 533978 JBMather@northumberland.gov.uk) at the County Council and/or me urgently.

What's going on at the Morrison Road junction?

Back last November - NCC carried out a survey on traffic calming in the Hood Street -Fenwick Grove area which I helped publicise...

I found out the results of the survey in January and posted them on my councillor.info website -

NCC Highways had 80+ responses to their consultation. The responses were almost unanimous in support of the changed priority and raised junction at the intersection of Morrison Road with Fenwick Grove, but some 26% were opposed to proposed modifications to the junctions of Hood Street, Olympia Gardens and Fenwick Grove with Howard Road

They are therefore only going ahead with the changes to the Morrison Road - Fenwick Grove intersection, which is what is being done now.

Speed monitoring in the area showed average speeds under 20mph in Hood Street, Olympia Gardens and Morrison Road and just 21.8 mph on Fenwick Grove. With this evidence, I think that the police would agree to making the area a 20 mph zone without further traffic calming measures.

Following lobbying from Howard Road, Terrace and Greystoke Gardens residents lead by Peter Allan - NCC Highways are likely to consult on traffic calming proposals for Howard Road in the next financial/municipal year (ie after April - probably in Oct/Nov again) - which may well include proposals for such a 20 mph zone.