A COUNCILLOR fighting plans to remove street lights from a busy road feels the scheme will lead to deaths, despite moves to leave them at roundabouts and junctions.

Durham County Council has proposed taking out lampposts between the Cock of the North roundabout, at Durham, and Rushyford roundabout, near Newton Aycliffe, on the A167.

The nine-mile route passes Chilton and Spennymoor, but critics are worried that it will put the lives of schoolchildren and drivers at risk.

Children walk along the A167 between Chilton and Ferryhill to get to school and youngsters use it to get to Chilton skatepark.

There have been fatalities and bad accidents on this section of the road and opponents fear that turning off the lights will lead to more.

The county council has now promised not to turn off lights at junctions, roundabouts and near built up areas to help address safety issues on the A167.

But Councillor Brian Avery, of Ferryhill Town Council and the Independent Ferryhill county councillor, is still against the plans.

He said: “I feel a little bit better that the council is leaving them in at roundabouts, junctions and other parts of the road, but to take them out elsewhere is totally irresponsible.

“I’m still not very happy. The A167 is a designated safe route to school for children going to school in Ferryhill.

“I’m not very happy that for years we campaigned for lights on the A167 and now they want to turn them off.

“I can see that they are trying to save money but it is a dangerous road and it has windy bends which are unsafe especially when it’s misty.”

Paul Gray, clerk to Chilton Town Council, and Derek Snowball, clerk to Ferryhill Town Council, have both voiced concerns from their members on the scheme.

The county council agreed to remove lights from some rural areas and to dim them elsewhere last year but it critics claims it is cost cutting by the authority.

John Reed, the county’s head of technical service, said: “Our proposals haven’t changed following recent discussion with local councillors.

“We’ve explained and demonstrated that we only plan to remove streetlights where it is absolutely safe to do so and where the lights are not required by British standards.

“We wouldn’t be removing streetlights at any locations where there are roundabouts, major junctions or road safety issues.”