County Hall reviews A19 blackspot

8:01am Saturday 17th March 2007

COUNTY HALL has been forced into a climbdown over its controversial decision to call off the Riccall roundabout scheme at the 11th hour.

North Yorkshire County Council put a stop to the £800,000 scheme to place a roundabout at the junction of Main Street and the A19 last month, after residents had been told for more than a year it would go ahead.

It cited a "major improvement in road safety" at the junction.

Councillors and campaigners had been pushing for safety improvements at the dangerous junction for more than five years.

Now a senior council officer has written to Selby MP John Grogan announcing a major study of traffic along the whole of the A19 between Selby and York.

Gordon Gresty, the council's business and environmental services boss, acknowledged the weight of feeling concerning the roundabout.

He said: "From the amount of publicity and correspondence regarding the roundabout, we have decided that we need to review the information on the whole stretch of the A19 south of York, which we maintain."

He continued: "Whilst the study will not guarantee the provision of a roundabout, it will allow all the concerns to be considered in a transparent way and reassessment of the priority rating."

He said the study would be carried out between April and September and would cost £20,000 - paid for from the 2007/2008 budget for the Local Transport Plan.

Mr Grogan said: "I welcome the fact that North Yorkshire County Council have changed their position on the issue and have announced this study. It's a movement, which is good.

"I think they have been somewhat taken aback by the strength of feeling in Riccall and in the Selby district as a whole.

"At least the decision will be reviewed now, although with no promises.

"As far as local people are concerned, I'm sure there'll only be one satisfactory outcome."