Residents rap County Hall over road safety (From Gazette & Herald)

Residents rap County Hall over road safety

ANGRY residents of a Ryedale town today blasted North Yorkshire County Council for its "totally inadequate" consultation over the site of a vital pedestrian crossing.

People living in the Parkers Mount Estate, Kirkbymoorside,, say the puffin crossing is desperately needed to get them across the busy A170 safely.

Puffin crossings have detectors that can tell when people are waiting to cross. They also control the light signals so traffic signals change to green as soon as the crossing is clear, meaning drivers are not stopped if there are no pedestrians in the road or waiting to cross.

The council has proposed putting the crossing 30 yards past car dealer Ryedale Garages, while the residents have called for it to go 500 yards west, close to the Parkers Mount estate.

The residents also claim that only 12 of 40 Parkers Mount households were contacted in a recent consultation exercise.

Paul Cossins, who regularly crosses the A170 with his 18-month-old son, said: "It is a joke. How can it be called a consultation if not everyone who has a view has been consulted?

"The residents will always want the crossing to be closer to Parkers Mount. It seems as though the council are trying to avoid being told something they don't want to hear."

Retired soldier Eric Simpson, 69, who has lived in Kirkbymoorside all his life, said: "The council hasn't gone through the consultation from A to B, they have stopped somewhere in between. It was obviously convenient for them to do that but it makes you wonder why they bothered consulting if they don't want to hear any answers.

"This is a safety issue and a crossing is vital. People are going to and from that estate pretty much constantly. In the summer you have heavy tourist traffic, and in the winter, bad weather and the darker nights.

"We want to see it done but it needs doing properly."

A resident of nearby Slingsby Garth, who asked not to be named, said: "The council should do the consultation again and make sure they ask everyone on the estate what they think."

A council spokeswoman said: "Officers consulted with representative organisations, including Kirkbymoorside Town Council, and the owners of houses or buildings whose frontage is where any development would be.

"There are no plans for further direct consultation. However, the letters were sent out on October 9 giving residents 28 days to respond. If anyone does not feel they have been consulted and would like to give their views, they should write to the Area Traffic Manager, Southgate, Pickering, YO18 8BL."

Updated: 09:47 Wednesday, October 23, 2002