CONCERNS have been raised over problems with flooding at a junction in Norton, which was recently resurfaced.

Town councillor David Lloyd-Williams has contacted North Yorkshire County Council’s highways manager James Malcolm over a number of issues which have arisen following the recent roadworks.

Cllr Lloyd-Williams said that after the resurfacing of the roads, flooding now occurred at the junction of St Nicholas Street and Langton Road following heavy rain.

“This was not a problem prior to the recent and welcome re-surfacing, but now causes issues for those trying to cross the road when cars are also turning into St Nicholas Street,” he said.

Cllr Lloyd-Williams said he was also concerned over the opposite side of the junction where the footpath had been lowered to assist disabled wheelchairs.

“The constant mis-use of the roads during the road works, with many HGV s using the junction, resulted in breaks to the dropped area, which now appear dangerous and at the least, as if no one cares,” he said.

Cllr Lloyd-Williams also said that as a result of the revised road junction at the Church Street/Welham Road, many vehicles are now using St Nicholas Street to cut through to Welham Road to avoid the new junction.

“I would once again ask that the ‘experts’ who have, I gather, long awaited the opportunity to change things at this junction to think again and seriously about a possible mini style roundabout which at the same time would remove to small island now left without use in the area.”

Cllr Lloyd-Williams said: “I have also had a complaint that when a vehicle is trying to turn right from Welham Road into Church Street, other vehicles behind try to squeeze through to cross the level crossing and in frustration have driven onto the footpath causing on this occasion a pedestrian to jump sideways to avoid the vehicle. This is another area of concern which adds to the consideration of a roundabout.”

Mr Malcolm, who has offered to meet Cllr Lloyd-Williams to discuss issues affecting Norton, said: “The local highways office are aware of the ponding issue on the road surface at the junction of Langton Road/St Nicholas Street.

“A level survey has been completed and the matter is now being pursued with our term contractor to be rectified at their cost. While the pedestrian flags at the corner on the opposite side of the junction are cracked/broken, they are still in-situ and solid, albeit aesthetically not pleasing, they are within our intervention level of 20mm in a footway.

“However, having said that, taking into account the location and pedestrian traffic, a works order has now been raised to carry out a full repair to the pedestrian dropped crossing.”

Mr Malcolm said that the new junction in Church Street appeared to be operating successfully with few complaints now that users have become accustomed to the changes.

“The increased traffic on St Nicholas Street was predicted and the undertaking of right turning vehicles by using the footway is an issue that we are investigating,” he said.

“Currently there is a dropped kerb at the access to the railway yard which means that there is a ramped access point to the footway. The footway is also relatively narrow therefore the installation of a bollard may restrict pedestrians.

“Another potential option would be to widen the footway to enable a bollard to be installed.

“With the former two lanes having been reduced to one, this may now be possible, albeit, as part of these changes the lane width was reduced to provide more road width to allow for vehicle manoeuvrability in relation to Welham Road.”