HAYDON Bridge residents have had their chance to give their opinions on plans for one of the village’s main roads.

Ratcliffe Road has been the source of many problems since the road markings were removed by Northumberland County Council last year.

Now, the council has come up with three options to solve the various problems on the road, and residents were invited to have their say at a drop-in event at Haydon Bridge Community Centre on Thursday.

Haydon Parish Council’s vice-chairman, Eileen Charlton, said that the community’s response had been impressive.

“We’ve had a tremendous turnout,” said Coun. Charlton. “It’s been non-stop all day.

“There’s different aspects to each one, the whole idea was to improve parking in the village and make it more like a village, rather than a through road.”

The first suggestion features parallel bays on both sides of the road, and traffic calming measures that force drivers to give way to oncoming traffic.

The second option changes the right of way for traffic at the top of Churchill Street, which would slow down traffic coming into the village from the east.

The third option would see the removal of the island at the top of Churchill Street.

In addition, all three plans drawn up by county council officers include provision for parking on road bridge, and council officers say that the final solution will likely contain elements from all three proposals.

Parish councillor Richard Snowdon had worked on his own proposal that changed the right of way at the top of Churchill Street, and was pleased the council appeared to have taken his ideas on board.

Coun. Snowdon said: “I came up with an idea and county have come up with the same thing.

“I’m chuffed to bits. I did a lot of work and a fair number of people have been quite supportive of that idea.”