A petition has been launched calling for improvements on a stretch of road near Welshpool that has been the scene of several serious crashes including a fatal collision.

The A458 in Middletown is a busy commuter route between Welshpool and Shrewsbury that has seen collisions which have resulted in life-changing injuries and at least one death over several years.

At least 200 people have signed an online petition calling on the Welsh Government to improve safety near the Bank Farm Caravan Park in the Powys border hamlet. The petition will need more than 10,000 signatures for it to be considered for a debate in the Senedd.

A local councillor labelled the road as part of a “dangerously outdated infrastructure” amid several recent crashes on the road, some with fatal or life changing consequences.

Cllr Gill Corfield, chair of the community council, said: “Lots of residents have voiced concerns about that stretch of road for many years now.

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“It’s a major road for people travelling between the midlands and the Welsh coast, but it’s part of a dangerously outdated infrastructure that simply can’t cope with the higher volumes of traffic in the area.

“We’ve asked and pleaded, but nothing has been done. Even basic traffic controlling measures like speed cameras or more white linage could make a difference.”

The petition takes note of “two hidden dips” in the road, which residents and local councillors believe are contributing to dangerous conditions for overtaking that many drivers are unaware of or caught off guard.

Cllr Corfield added: “I believe the overtaking element is the issue, as people get up to the entrance of the caravan park without knowing there’s a hidden dip in the road.

“It’s not just people travelling through either. People who live in our village, who all know how dangerous it is and should be familiar with it, have been caught off guard by split second mistakes.”

In May 2023, a woman and a young child were airlifted to hospital following a crash between a car and a lorry along the road, having sustained life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the lorry also sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

In November of the same year, an 87-year-old woman died following a crash involving two cars and a bus, with the driver of a blue Honda Civic attempting to overtake a bus going in the opposite direction near to Bank Farm Caravan Park. The Honda collided head on with a Ford Fiesta, which in turn collided with the bus.

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Petition creator and County Councillor for the Trelystan and Trewern, Amanda Jenner, said: "Following many crashes and the tragic death of a local resident on the A458, Middletown (outside Bank Farm), the Community Council and local councillor has called for urgent safety improvements on this stretch of road to help prevent dangerous overtaking where there are two hidden dips.

"A recent response from the Minister for Transport states 'we don’t have any current plans for road safety improvements at this location..

"We cannot wait for another death. We urge the Welsh Government to act.

"Local residents, as well as many other members of the public who regularly travel this road, are upset and frustrated that nothing more is currently being considered by the Welsh Government to improve the safety of the road in this area.

"The Cabinet Secretary should attend a site meeting to further discuss the concerns.

"In order to improve this stretch of road, urgent consideration needs to be given to providing a permanent speed camera, the double white ‘no overtaking’ lines extended in both directions, the road resurfaced, specifically the red tarmacked areas, a flashing light that indicates a driver's speed and saying there should be ‘no overtaking’, a flashing light to highlight that there is a car in the hidden dip ahead.

"As part of the road safety review, we would like the speed of the road to be taken into consideration and whether reducing the speed would help cease any future accidents."

The petition can be found online by typing petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246238 in the internet browser search bar.