BUS users are angry about a council decision to spend £5,500 on a bus shelter, which they say is useless because it is too far from the road.

Westgate and Westfold Neighbourhood Watch group say that after a three-year campaign to get a bus shelter installed in Old Malton, North Yorkshire County Council has decided to spend £5,500 on refurbishing an old weighhouse for use as a bus shelter, but in an unsuitable location.

Malcolm Horsley, 80, chairman of the group, said: “A group of us started campaigning for a bus shelter in 2004, and when the decision was made in 2006 to put one in, we were delighted.

“Unfortunately in 2007, two county councillors decided that the bus shelter would not be positioned near the road.

“Instead, they decided to refurbish an old weighhouse on the side of a privately-owned house, so that could be used as the bus shelter.

“The problem is, you can’t see the bus coming from the bus shelter, and when you do see it, you have about four seconds to walk from the bus shelter to the side of the road, a distance of about five metres, crossing a cast iron grid.

“As it is such a health and safety hazard, we bus users don’t use it at all, and just stand out in the cold instead.”

Richard Owens, assistant director of integrated passenger transport at North Yorkshire County Council said: “Following a lengthy consultation exercise with frontages, bus operators and the town council, it was agreed that the best course of action at this bus stop was to improve the current facilities rather than install a new bus shelter.

“The county council do not have any plans for future improvements at this location.”