THE dualling of the A64, far from being a cure for delays, would on the evidence of dualling elsewhere increase demand and move congestion onto other pinch points deeper into Ryedale.

York has the A64 dual carriageway up to and around it, yet the congestion around York the moment you come off a dual carriageway is often significant, and you cannot have dual carriageways everywhere.

It would increase development pressures on housing as Ryedale becomes more attractive to people who don’t work there, and push up house prices still further, making them even less affordable than they already are to those of us who are not wealthy, and rents would rise.

Indeed, many people will be tempted to live further away from their work, get in their car more, use public transport less, and we end up with more overall congestion, air pollution, and destruction of our countryside.

Alternatively, we can encourage sensitively scaled housing developments that are closer to places of work, invest in better public transport, trains, electric buses, cycling, walking, and shorter journeys.

We can invest in more renewable energy projects. So much more can be done with the huge sums of money, hundreds of millions of pounds, that would otherwise be poured into Tarmac. And I believe that we, and the planet, would be happier and more prosperous.

Ian Conlan, Malton

Keep buses going

RE: Ann Searle’s letter about buses in Pickering.

As one of the campaigners, along with my colleague, Michelle Payne, who are trying to keep this vital service running, I felt I must respond to your letter.

Firstly, Ann Searle, you are lucky that you do not need to rely on the town bus service to access Pickering and its facilities.

Secondly, the vehicle being used has privacy glass, meaning that it is almost impossible to see how many passengers are on board.

The current vehicle used is smaller than before as it is the only vehicle NYCC can provide, it is also utilised by Welburn Hall early morning and late afternoon.

However, the bus still does not provide enough available seats at certain times meaning some passengers are being left at their stops unable to travel due to lack of seats. As with any bus service there are quiet and busy periods.

With the support of passengers, local councillors and local MPs, we have been working tirelessly for the past few months to try and ensure that this vital community service continues.

It has taken a lot of time and effort to make the necessary parties are aware of the impact should this service stop running. A survey has recently been done among the passengers who use the route 170/171.

We received back 75 surveys; the main reasons for using the service were shopping, socialising, GP, library and the post office. The majority of passengers were in age group 61 to 79, with a good proportion of passengers in the 80 to 90-plus age bracket.

Whether you currently use the town bus service or not, we must try to ensure its continuation for those who need to use it. Surely it should not be wholly dependant on whether it is financially viable or not.

Helen Fields, Pickering

Make views known

THE Government is hoping to unleash a new fossil fuel industry on swathes of England, including Ryedale, for drilling and potential exploitation.

However, people around the world are calling time on new fossil fuel.

On September 8, hundreds of thousands of people at more than 900 events in 95 countries called for urgent action to end fossil fuels and demanded a stable climate for future generations.

Regretfully, a planned action in Pickering (by Frack Free Pickering) had to be postponed.

As extreme weather wreaks ever more havoc, this global grassroots movement can only grow. Who is leading the fight to tackle the climate crisis?

Our Government is wasting time by stifling renewable energy rather than encouraging it and is attempting to clear the path for the fracking industry by changing the planning rules.

If these changes go ahead, companies could start drilling without the need to apply for planning permission, threatening communities and the climate.

We need to make our views known to energy minister Claire Perry within the next six weeks when the consultation on these plans closes. More information can be obtained from letcommunitiesdecide.org

Josephine Downs, Swinton