A notorious County Durham crossroad that was the scene of a devastating two-car collision in February will now see a “revised” experimental order put in place in October.

Plans to improve safety at the Kinninvie Crossroads near Barnard Castle will now take place in October, after a car slammed through a house in a horrifying crash on February 8.

This latest announcement comes after Durham County Council withdrew plans to close a portion of the C41 road through an 18-month-long “experimental closure order” in July after angry residents and businesses stated they were given a week's notice of the plans.

Around 80 people attended the public meeting at Marwood Community Centre on July 3, as many expressed concerns the experimental order would disrupt access to motorists and bus routes.

Now, bosses have confirmed that thanks to feedback from the public and residents, they will reconsider the order and said plans will now go ahead in October.

Subscribe to the D&S Times online for just £6 for 6 months or 40% off all year for quality local news and views

Mark Jackson, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “Following feedback received from the public and during the recent parish council meeting, we are revising both the design proposals and the experimental traffic order to maintain essential access while also addressing ongoing safety concerns.

“These plans are being discussed with Durham Constabulary and will be shared with the local parish councils once finalised.

“At this time, it is expected that the revised experimental order and associated works will be implemented during October. In the meantime, the temporary traffic lights will remain in place.”

Previous plans detailed intentions to remove the current temporary traffic lights to allow for the installation of a kerbed island and no entry signs on the C41 road just north of its Marwood/Stainton turn-off. 

This would have prohibited northbound drivers travelling from the B6278 from continuing past the turn-off to reach the B6279 Kinninvie crossroads, instead diverting them to the B6279 via the C43 and Dent Gate Lane. 

Simon Land, clerk of neighbouring Woodland Parish Council, previously hit out at the plans that he called “draconian” as he stated that permanent traffic lights would be a better solution.

He added: “Permanent traffic lights would be, by far, the best solution. But a lot of people at the meeting were asking if we could put in chicanes to slow people down.

“There just has to be better solutions, whether it be chicanes, traffic lights, or potentially turning the north side of the road into a staggered junction.

“But of course, there are costs to all of these things, and I think closing the road has just been seen as a quick, cheap way of preventing any further accidents at the Kinninvie crossroads.”