PLANS for a £10,000 one-way traffic system in Haltwhistle have been unveiled.

Highways chiefs at Northumberland County Council are set to begin consultation on two possible options for the scheme, which would aim to ease traffic congestion in the town centre.

One is for traffic to travel from east to west along Main Street and Westgate; and the other is for a vice-versa, west to east alternative.

Traffic would link up with Lanty’s Lonnen and Avenue St Meen at either end of High Street, which would remain two-way.

Bus stops along the route would be repositioned to accommodate the changes, with buses using Lanty’s Lonnen and Avenue St Meen to form a circular loop.

New signage and road markings would be included as part of the new scheme.

The county council has carried out a feasibility study into the possibility of a one-way system, following a request by Haltwhistle Town Council earlier this year.

Chairing a town council meeting on Monday, Coun. Alan Sharp said: “We’ve had a meeting with the county council and Haltwhistle Chamber of Trade.

“The funding is there, and as part of the scheme we could have parking restrictions in the town, which would ease congestion in areas where it is difficult for traffic to get past.”

Coun. Sharp said that if the one-way scheme was rolled out, it would be trialled initially over a one-year period.

Attending the meeting as a member of the public, former town councillor David Cadwgan expressed fears that a one-way system would encourage speeding in the town centre.

County council representatives will host a drop-in session at Haltwhistle Library on Wednesday, November 15, where people can look at the plans and express their views.