A1 dualling petition delivered to Downing Street with 15,000 signatures

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 06:06 · Archive

A petition with almost 15,000 signatures calling for dualling of the A1 through Northumberland has been delivered to Downing Street.

A petition backed by almost 15,000 people calling for continuous dualling of the A1 in Northumberland has been delivered to Downing Street. Campaigners from the Northumberland A1 Safety Alliance handed in 14,595 signatures at 10 Downing Street after completing a five-day walk from Berwick to Newcastle city centre to highlight their campaign for upgrades on the notorious road.

The petition comes after eight deaths on the A1 in Northumberland so far in 2026, including 22-year-old Erin Bennett, who was killed in a crash near Felton earlier this month. The alliance is calling for ministers to commit to continuous dualling of the A1 all the way to the Scottish border, after a previous scheme to upgrade 13 miles of single carriageway between Morpeth and Ellingham was shelved in 2024.

The petition also seeks immediate interim upgrades, including improved junction visibility and hazard warnings, to prevent further fatal collisions. The campaign was supported by prominent figures including Conservative council cabinet member Guy Renner-Thompson and Instagram personality Scott Fairnington, known as Scottyfairno on social media, as well as members of the Farmers Unite campaign group.

Campaign co-founder Kezz Petronelli-Stone hopes the petition can reach 100,000 names by February next year to trigger a debate in Parliament and has invited Prime Minister Andy Burnham to visit the A1 to see the problems firsthand. Local leaders say dualling must be a top priority, particularly after a new Government pledge to stop key regional investment projects being overlooked.

How it is being reported

• Petition with 14,595 signatures delivered to Downing Street for A1 duallingNearly 15,000-signature petition for continuous A1 dualling in Northumberland delivered to Downing Street after eight road deaths in 2026.Hexham Courant · 30 Oct, 05:00
• Northumberland campaigners deliver A1 dualling petition to Downing StreetA petition backed by almost 15,000 people calling for the dualling of the A1 in Northumberland has been delivered to Downing Street.Northumberland Gazette · 29 Oct, 17:14
• Dualling of the A1 in Northumberland 'step closer' as Government pledges to change investment rulesDualling the A1 through Northumberland must be a top priority after a new Government pledge to stop key regional investment projects being overlooked, local leaders say.Morpeth Herald · 28 Oct, 17:08

In this story: Northumberland A1 Safety Alliance · Erin Bennett · Kezz Petronelli-Stone · Scott Fairnington · Guy Renner-Thompson · Andy Burnham · Northumberland · A1

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