PETITIONERS are celebrating after Northumberland County Council agreed to take action on a stretch of the Military Road that has seen 19 accidents over a three-year period.

The council commissioned a report after residents living on the 15km stretch of the road between the A68 roundabout and Heddon-on-the-Wall said there was urgent need for safety improvements.

A total of 179 people signed the petition, which requested reduced speed limits, improved signage and road markings as well as a restriction on HGV and quarry wagons.

The report found that there were 19 accidents between January 1 2019 and December 31 2021, with these accidents also found to be more severe than those on other rural roads. More than half occurred in the general vicinity of junctions along the road.

Speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the council’s petitions committee, Cllr Veronica Jones called on members to act. Cllr Jones was particularly concerned as new homes have been built along the route, in villages like Harlow Hill.

She said: “Residents do have a right, in my mind, not to find where they live scary. If we’re going to build family homes, they get families and children and where they live shouldn’t be scary.

“The road has been there a long time, but if we’re going to give planning permission for family homes anywhere then residents moving into those homes have the right to be protected.”

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The report recommended a number of measures to improve safety on the road, including improving signage at key points such as Iron Sign Farm Crossroads, Rudchester Crossroads and the B6318/B6528 junction at Heddon-on-the-Wall.

Cllr Richard Dodd assured residents that action would be taken.

He said: “It’s the Military Road – it’s a fast road. There are some junctions on there like the one at the Robin Hood (pub) which is a terrible get out.

“Something will happen – although it’s never quick with councils.”