Northumberland Councillors Call for Reversal of Scrapped A1 Dualling Plans

Councillors in North East England have renewed calls for the government to reconsider its decision to cancel plans to dual the A1 in Northumberland, a single carriageway described as “dangerous.”

The proposal was abandoned in 2024 after the Department for Transport cited funding constraints and deemed the project “unaffordable.”

Speaking at a Northumberland County Council meeting on Wednesday, Liberal Democrat councillor Isabel Hunterstressed the urgency of upgrading the road, noting that it is frequently closed due to accidents. According to the North East Transport Analysis Data Unit, funded by the five Tyne and Wear councils, the road has already seen 26 casualties this year, including 10 serious injuries and one fatality.

Hunter emphasised that the priority is road safety rather than political affiliation:

“We’re not particularly bothered which party does it, we just want the road dualled.”

Conservative council leader Glen Sanderson described the need for a dual carriageway as a “fundamental requirement” to provide a reliable transport link between Northumberland and Scotland. He added:

“The fact that we don’t have a safe, dualled A1, and that people have lost their lives as a result, makes this an appalling decision. The A1 must be dualled—there’s no question about it.”