Talks on future of A64 brought forward (From Gazette & Herald)

Talks on future of A64 brought forward

THE Government is ready to talk - and soon - about the future of the A64.

Transport minister David Jamieson has agreed to bring forward a top-level meeting with Ryedale MP John Greenway over the long-running battle to bring about major improvements to the 'death trap' A64 York to Scarborough road.

The surprise move by Mr Jamieson comes after he had previously told Mr Greenway that the meeting would not take place until later this year when the Highways Agency had compiled a response to the public exhibitions held a few months ago on the future of the road.

However, Mr Greenway said he had asked Mr Jamieson to re-think his decision because of the "growing head of steam" which was building up in the Ryedale and Scarborough areas. As a result, the minister has fixed the meeting for Tuesday, July 2, at Westminster.

"I have suggested that one member and officer from Ryedale District, North Yorkshire County and Scarborough Borough Councils attend the meeting with me to underline the importance of getting improvements made to the road," said Mr Greenway.

He said that significant work was needed in the stretch of the A64 going through Ryedale because of its appalling accident record, in which 12 lives have been claimed in crashes in the Golden Hill to Welburn stretch alone in recent years, with others on the section leading to York.

The part of the A64 between the Malton bypass and Seamer bypass also needed extensive work, both from a safety point of view to curb the number of road accidents, and economically.

"The road is a lifeline for the coast," said Mr Greenway, "and Scarborough council has repeatedly said the inadequacy of the road is a serious obstacle in trying to attract new investment to the coast."

Without a better road link, the coastal industries - including tourism - will suffer, added Mr Greenway, the shadow tourism minister. He said the public's reaction to the Highways Agency's exhibition had been one of derision.

"I told Mr Jamieson this and emphasised to him that a real upgrade of the A64 is the only way forward."

He said he was hopeful that the delegation would get across to the minister the message that the upgrading of the A64 is vital to the economy of the area and to improve "its horrific accident record".

"Sections of the road are a death trap, particularly south of Malton," said Mr Greenway.

"The argument that better roads attract more traffic does not apply in this case because the traffic is already there. We have seen major economic development in the Ryedale and Scarborough areas and new house building in recent years but the A64 has remained the same and is now totally inadequate to cope with the volume of traffic."

He said he hoped to get an assurance from Mr Jamieson that something will be done to the A64, and to improve access from the Malton bypass into Malton and Norton.

One of the leading campaigners for action to improve the road is Michael Oakley, the North Yorkshire East coroner who has presided over a catalogue of inquests into death crashes on the A64. He warned at a hearing three months ago that more lives will be lost unless something is done.

He said: "This area is lost in the mists of time so far as successive central governments are concerned."

Schemes to upgrade the A64 - including one costing £100m to create dual carriageway along its full length - have been drawn up over a period spanning half a century but they have never left the drawing board.

County Coun Murray Naylor, deputy leader of North Yorkshire County Council and a veteran campaigner for upgrading the A64, welcomed news of the meeting.

"We want to know what has happened to the Rillington bypass. We have been waiting for 18 months for an announcement of the route and we have been repeatedly told that it is with ministers. It is not good enough that people who will be affected have had to wait so long."

The other issue is Sherburn, where a group of businessmen have formed a group, the Freight Quality Partnership, to battle for action on the A64.

"We are actively looking to take traffic out of St Hilda's Street because of the affect it has on residents," said Coun Naylor. A link road onto the A64 has been put forward as a solution. "These two points are important issues on the ground for the people in these villages. People are fed up of waiting for answers to the problems, it is time they were addressed. The public are becoming increasingly frustrated the longer decisions are delayed."

He said he hoped the meeting with the minister would kick-start action at Rillington and Sherburn and, if necessary, Mr Jamieson should be invited to make a fact-finding visit to the A64 to see the problems first hand.

Updated: 10:00 Thursday, June 13, 2002