General Election candidates in Grantham and Bourne and Rutland and Stamford give their views on making the A1 safer
The issue of the A1 - and what should be done to make it safer - is a long-running debate across South Lincolnshire, with accidents happening almost daily.
As a result, our readers were keen to quiz the General Election candidates on their views, posing the following question: What will you do to make the A1 safer?
The answers appear below for candidates in three of the constituencies that represent readers for some of the print titles that power LincsOnline — the Grantham Journal and the Rutland and Stamford Mercury.
Grantham and Bourne
Gareth Davies (Conservative)
Improving local infrastructure has been an absolute priority for me since I was elected in 2019, and securing improvements to reduce congestion and increase safety on our stretch of the A1 is a vital part of this.
Over recent years, alongside raising the need for greater investment for the A1 in the House of Commons and with Ministers, I have reached out directly to over 25,000 local people to ask for their views and experience of the A1. The responses I received have helped to inform my regular discussions with National Highways, the expert body responsible for managing strategic highways such as the A1.
On the back of this, I was proud to secure £4.3 million for upgrades to our section of the A1, which should ensure improved safety and reliability for years to come with resurfacing and improved markings, signage, and barriers. Overall, we have received one of the highest levels of funding per mile of anywhere in the entire East Midlands region.
As a regular user of the A1 myself, I want to continue to raise our stretch of this road with National Highways at every opportunity and push for solutions to address residents' concerns wherever possible.
Anne Gayfer (Green)
Put in a 50mph speed limit. Studies show that slowing down traffic doesn’t make much difference to journey times, but it does reduce traffic ebbs and flows and critically accidents.
Alexander Mitchell (Social Democrat)
I travel on the A1 regularly and I am always struck by how dangerous it seems. It is a road that may have been fit for purpose some decades ago, but which is certainly not suited to the volume of traffic that it now carries. I would defer to the expertise of local residents in deciding which parts of the road require urgent amending, but some are obvious; the junction near Little Ponton where it is possible to cross the southbound carriageway and turn right is clearly one of these.
Mike Rudkin (Reform UK)
The A1, its character and it’s use has changed dramatically over the 38 years or more that I have been driving along it.
Many more vehicles, bigger/heavier cars with bigger tyres, faster travel, and as a result much more maintenance, not to mention the litter.
What we have not seen is a proportionate increase in facilities. Clean and well kept lorry parks, decent/value for money rest stops, fuel stations which offer true value, and we don’t seem to be able to get breakdown services very quickly either.
These are all aspects which would improve the safety and well being of all who traverse our county.
I would like to see a feasibility study into providing a three lane extension from Peterborough all the way up to the M62 junction, complete with Entry/Exit lane improvements on all junctions (some are woefully short and narrow, with poor visibility).
Though the A1 runs north to south along one side of our county, I think there could also be scope to see improvements to how the A17, A52 and other routes extend from the A1 into and across our constituency.
The new Grantham relief road will offer some benefit for Grantham, but do we really need to have even more development/housing estates growing out of the town? Can it not be just a well landscaped and considerate road improvement rather than just an excuse to put more burden on our scant infrastructure and remove trade from our struggling town centre?
I think that with a lot of consultation with the local population, we can generate some great improvements to all aspects of our most major trunk road and it’s environs.
Ian Selby (Independent)
The turnings across central reservations need to close and we need more bridges or tunnels for local traffic and farmers. The A1 is now so congested it’s extremely unsafe to cross it especially during peak travel times. Our MP should have sorted this by now or at the very least made significant progress. The Government Minister for Transport needs to get off his backside and come and visit our constituency and see for himself the dangers that our community face. One death on this road is one death too many.
John Vincent (Liberal Democrat)
In 2023, 29,643 people were killed or seriously injured on our roads. The biggest cause of fatalities is speed. It’s not always popular to bring in speed restrictions and they are not always observed. On the A1, driving too fast for the conditions needs to be tackled by design as much as by influencing driver behaviour. Aggressive driving is anti-social and dangerous. I always remember: “It’s better to be late than to be the late Mr Vincent.”
Other candidates did not respond to our questions within the deadline set. They are Vipul Bechar (Labour) and Charmaine Morgan (Lincolnshire Independents)
Rutland and Stamford
Emma Baker (Green)
I am so saddened to see the A1 in the news so frequently. The A1 is dangerous, particularly the section that runs through this constituency, and has been for a very long time. How many lives, cars, lorries, reservation barriers need to be destroyed before things are sorted? It is not about safety vs convenience but safety and the convenience of such a major trunk road. Originally, I felt simply upgrading the A1 to a motorway would be the answer. However, I now realise that is a very simple solution to a very complex problem – a sticking plaster.
We need to look at the infrastructure, lengthening slip roads, widening lanes, having variable speed limits put in in key locations. This is not going to be cheap and without inconvenience but the life, health, and wellbeing of road users and those attending to the frequent accidents are worth the investment and short-term inconvenience.
Christopher Clowes (Reform UK)
To ensure the A1 is made safer, immediate action is required. This road has seen over 10 serious incidents annually, including an average of two deaths each year despite the reduced travel of COVID-19, with 27 deaths between 2015 and 2020. Danger persists and as someone who uses the A1 regularly I have been disappointed with the standard of the A1 for years.
We need to start with the basics. More than 60% of 1,000 drivers surveyed felt unsafe on the A1, with nearly half having been in or knowing someone in an accident. Over 70% have avoided the road when possible, according to a recent survey by Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM) around December 6, 2023.
Immediate, low-cost improvements include:
Well-maintained roads:
Councils should collaborate with a shared team of road workers equipped with modern tools, working across multiple councils instead of relying on contractors.
Consistent lighting: Ensure adequate lighting, especially near crossings.
Longer entry and exit ways: Extend these areas to improve safety.
Improved sightlines at crossings: Implement traffic lights or, ideally, underground passes to address visibility issues.
Readily available SOS phones: Ensure SOS phones are easily accessible.
These strategic steps are necessary before any large-scale upgrades, minimising commuter disruption while ensuring they feel safe and valued. Major upgrades take time and cause significant disruption, so starting with these basics is essential.
Alicia Kearns (Conservative)
All of us who drive the A1 on a daily, or even weekly basis, know how urgently the A1 needed safety upgrades. When I was elected in 2019 I set up the A1 MPs Working Group to make sure MPs were collaborating to achieve the best possible outcome. I was relieved last year to secure safety upgrades at five points along the A1 from the Tinwell Junction to the Colsterworth Interchange following many meetings and debates I organised.
Tackling the dangerous central reservation crossings is my next priority, and I’m delighted that at my last meeting with them, National Highways confirmed they will conduct a review of the central reservation crossings – this is vital for us.
But there’s much more to be done and it’s not easy or quick. I regularly raise the issue in Parliament, most recently in May, and I have also launched a survey to hear from residents what safety upgrades they would like to see implemented next. If I’m re-elected I would keep pushing to secure the long-term improvements needed – this will be an utmost priority for me.
James Moore (Lib Dem)
I’ll continue to press for a full upgrade to the A1, including the complete modernisation of local junctions to make them safer for joining and merging traffic. That means the extension of slip roads, new barrier protection and, where possible, road widening. The Conservatives have broken their promises and, despite being in power for fourteen years, failed to deliver these upgrades. It is essential that we have an MP who will fight for this essential and life-saving work.
Joe Wood (Labour)
I will back the campaign for upgrading the road between Peterborough South and Newark to motorway status and ensure it aligns with major mixed-use developments in the constituency. This upgrade is crucial for the economic growth of Rutland and Stamford, allowing us to benefit from the Cambridge to Northants arc. Our focus is on attracting higher education institutions to establish satellites in our area, supporting job creation in the medi-tech and tech sectors. By upskilling our job opportunities, we aim to retain more money in our constituency and foster economic development.
Other candidates: Joanna Burrows (Rejoin EU).
What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments below…
