Durham death road limit kept at 70mph

12:48pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Tallentire, Reporter (Durham)

Brandon Nugent Brandon Nugent

“I JUST hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else.” 

Those were the words of mother Madeline Walker today, after councillors refused to cut the speed limit on the road where her teenage son was knocked down and killed.

Thirteen-year-old Brandon Nugent died in March 2011 after being hit while using Kepier crossing, an old right of way across the A690 near Gilesgate, Durham City.

Durham County Council’s highways committee today refused to cut the A690 speed limit to 50mph, preferring to keep it at 70mph.

Afterwards, Ms Walker, who was unable to attend the County Hall meeting, said: “I was prepared for this. I don’t think anything I could have said today would have changed their minds.

“As a family, we’re trying to move on with our lives. I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else – and I wonder what would happen if it did happen again.”

Since the tragic crash, the council has erected signs on the busy dual carriageway aimed at making the crossing more obvious to motorists.

However, councillors previously refused to spend £30,000 on street lights.

Today, they heard officials believe creating a 50mph limit could cost up to £100,000.

Further, police had warned it would be difficult to enforce and the majority of respondents to a public consultation wanted the current limit to continue.

Gilesgate councillor Les Thomson supported the 50mph proposal, saying safety was paramount.

Coun Mark Wilkes questioned the £100,000 figure and said it “makes sense” to reduce the limit, for the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

Coun Alice Naylor added: “One life lost is enough.”

However, Coun Neil Foster said drivers got frustrated at other 50mph limits, leading to them taking risky decisions.

Keeping the 70mph limit was approved by seven votes to six.

Ms Walker had called for Kepier crossing to be closed. However, councillors rejected this idea in late 2011.

Today, she said: “The speed limit doesn’t concern me, to a certain extent. Whether it’s 70mph or 50mph, it’s six and two threes.

“It was the crossing I was concerned about. They should have taken it away.”

Comments (12)

1:46pm Fri 8 Mar 13

sherburn says...

pathetic but nothing fails to surprise me once again with this council
pathetic but nothing fails to surprise me once again with this council sherburn

1:47pm Fri 8 Mar 13

argo2013 says...

I have crossed this road many times ,and you have to time your move just right i have never tried it at nighttime and i can imagine it would be harder to make a correct judgment of when to cross. Iremember seeing Brandon going to and from school with his family,they seem like nice people and would be grief stricken if this happened to one of my children,the council should think again,people's safty comes before cash never mind the reccession.
I have crossed this road many times ,and you have to time your move just right i have never tried it at nighttime and i can imagine it would be harder to make a correct judgment of when to cross. Iremember seeing Brandon going to and from school with his family,they seem like nice people and would be grief stricken if this happened to one of my children,the council should think again,people's safty comes before cash never mind the reccession. argo2013

2:15pm Fri 8 Mar 13

sherburn says...

Well Said Argo see we do agree on something haha
Well Said Argo see we do agree on something haha sherburn

2:27pm Fri 8 Mar 13

The other side of the fence says...

Well done DCC. A right decision for once. To cut the speed would only have made it worse - bunching all the traffic together instead of free flowing. 70mph or 50mph , the boy would still have been killed. If people want to cross, there is a bridge. The A690 between the A1 and Rainton is a classic example of how bringing all the traffic to the same speed meanst that there is never a break in it. Problem is, that some children have no respect for the road (or anything else) and will always chance it. I am not saying that this is the case on this occasion.
Well done DCC. A right decision for once. To cut the speed would only have made it worse - bunching all the traffic together instead of free flowing. 70mph or 50mph , the boy would still have been killed. If people want to cross, there is a bridge. The A690 between the A1 and Rainton is a classic example of how bringing all the traffic to the same speed meanst that there is never a break in it. Problem is, that some children have no respect for the road (or anything else) and will always chance it. I am not saying that this is the case on this occasion. The other side of the fence

2:53pm Fri 8 Mar 13

argo2013 says...

the traffic would bunch up,that is what happens now,they tear down from Carville at 60 or 70 then have to wait at the roundabout for ages.If they were going slower then the traffic at the roundabout would have more time to clear.
the traffic would bunch up,that is what happens now,they tear down from Carville at 60 or 70 then have to wait at the roundabout for ages.If they were going slower then the traffic at the roundabout would have more time to clear. argo2013

4:38pm Fri 8 Mar 13

David Lacey says...

The crossing should be closed. It is lethal - as we have seen. Poor young man, poor parents. My heart goes out to them.
The crossing should be closed. It is lethal - as we have seen. Poor young man, poor parents. My heart goes out to them. David Lacey

8:06pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Duke of Aycliffe says...

The crossing should be closed, Brandon was my nephew & I was unaware that there was a crossing on that part of the A690 until that fateful evening.
I just hope no other parent has to go through what his mum & family have had to go through. Brandon was a good, well mannered boy who is greatly missed.
The crossing should be closed, Brandon was my nephew & I was unaware that there was a crossing on that part of the A690 until that fateful evening. I just hope no other parent has to go through what his mum & family have had to go through. Brandon was a good, well mannered boy who is greatly missed. Duke of Aycliffe

11:19am Sat 9 Mar 13

sensible says...

The council made the correct decision. There is nothing wrong with the speed limit for this section of road. There is nothing wrong with the visibility at the crossing either.
The council made the correct decision. There is nothing wrong with the speed limit for this section of road. There is nothing wrong with the visibility at the crossing either. sensible

6:34pm Sat 9 Mar 13

argo2013 says...

There's something wrong with your common sense,the speed limit is to high where pedestrians are involved.
There's something wrong with your common sense,the speed limit is to high where pedestrians are involved. argo2013

8:50pm Sat 9 Mar 13

onedytoo says...

The other side of the fence wrote:
Well done DCC. A right decision for once. To cut the speed would only have made it worse - bunching all the traffic together instead of free flowing. 70mph or 50mph , the boy would still have been killed. If people want to cross, there is a bridge. The A690 between the A1 and Rainton is a classic example of how bringing all the traffic to the same speed meanst that there is never a break in it. Problem is, that some children have no respect for the road (or anything else) and will always chance it. I am not saying that this is the case on this occasion.
Yes there is a bridge, and what the mother was asking for was that the crossing be closed by preference, and the reduced speed limit was an alternative if they refused the closure. So why not close it since there is a bridge? Or would this somehow cost £100,000 too? How much can it cost to make road signs anyway, and do a bit of bureaucratic papework?
[quote][p][bold]The other side of the fence[/bold] wrote: Well done DCC. A right decision for once. To cut the speed would only have made it worse - bunching all the traffic together instead of free flowing. 70mph or 50mph , the boy would still have been killed. If people want to cross, there is a bridge. The A690 between the A1 and Rainton is a classic example of how bringing all the traffic to the same speed meanst that there is never a break in it. Problem is, that some children have no respect for the road (or anything else) and will always chance it. I am not saying that this is the case on this occasion.[/p][/quote]Yes there is a bridge, and what the mother was asking for was that the crossing be closed by preference, and the reduced speed limit was an alternative if they refused the closure. So why not close it since there is a bridge? Or would this somehow cost £100,000 too? How much can it cost to make road signs anyway, and do a bit of bureaucratic papework? onedytoo

10:25pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Voice-of-reality says...

The death is a tragedy but I cannot help but think that cheaper than roadsigns or closing a crossing would be a lesson in schools that has a single learning objective 'don't cross a road when it is not safe so to do'.
The death is a tragedy but I cannot help but think that cheaper than roadsigns or closing a crossing would be a lesson in schools that has a single learning objective 'don't cross a road when it is not safe so to do'. Voice-of-reality

4:55pm Sun 10 Mar 13

tomtopper says...

Personally I think the crossing should be closed.. It's not a speed issue per se as I see it, and you can't rattle on about whether he used it safely.. Poor lad was 13.. We're all a bit wayward at that age.. It's called growing up.. The mums's right, the crossing should be closed
Personally I think the crossing should be closed.. It's not a speed issue per se as I see it, and you can't rattle on about whether he used it safely.. Poor lad was 13.. We're all a bit wayward at that age.. It's called growing up.. The mums's right, the crossing should be closed tomtopper

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