VILLAGERS fear a major housing development will increase dangers on the road where a bus and coach collided head-on, killing one driver and leaving the other fighting for his life.

Residents of Newfield, near Chester-le-Street, have called unsuccessfully for traffic calming measures in North View to stop boy racers speeding through.

They are concerned that a planned 248-home estate on nearby farmland will significantly increase traffic on the road – and the risk of further accidents.

Gordon Hutchinson, 58, of Chester-le-Street, the driver of a Classic Coaches bus, died in the Wednesday accident. His three passengers were injured.

The driver of the other coach, Jack Hall, 50, of Stanley, remains critical in Newcastle General Hospital.

His family declined to comment yesterday.

Police accident investigators seeking the cause of the crash are looking at all possibilities but say few people saw what happened.

Last year, Persimmon Homes won planning permission to build on Newfield Farm despite the opposition of residents. The development’s access would be at the spot where the collision happened, yards from where a 30mph limit rises to 40mph.

Stephen Hann, secretary of the Newfield and Pelton Lane Ends Residents’ Association, said: “That there has been an accident there is no surprise. What is surprising is that it was two buses. We always thought it would be a boy racer losing control. They come up here at 80 or 90mph at times.”

Mr Hann said the association requested chicanes to slow traffic, but this was rejected by Durham County Council.

He now feels that the tragedy could strengthen the village’s case for action.

Iain Fergusson, of the Newfield and Pelton Action Group, which spearheaded opposition to the housing development, said road safety was one of the concerns of objectors.

“Perhaps this accident is a case for re-examining the decision. If this kind of thing can happen with the current traffic loading it doesn’t take a genius to work out what might happen when there is much more traffic.”

The council’s head of technical services, Steve Keetley, said there was no suggestion speed was a factor in the crash.

He added that following villagers’ complaints about speeding a mobile speed warning system regularly visited Newfield.

Witnesses to the accident are asked to call investigators on 0345-60-60-365.