Upgrade of A64 'vital to region'

An article in today's The Press by Richard Catton discusses the possible upgrade of the A64 in light of Thirsk and Malton's MP Anne McIntosh's call upon the Government "to commit to a major upgrade of the 35-mile stretch". The article also includes a commentary by North Yorkshire county councillor Ron Haigh who the article quotes as saying

"I represent villages from Rillington to Staxton and the only way we are cut the accident rate on the A64 is to go dual carriageway. If it was dual carriageway, I believe the number of road deaths in North Yorkshire would plummet. But it's not just the accident rate and deaths. Until we have a decent road in and out of Scarborough we are not going to get the investment. "

MP calls for fast road to coast...

Today's Yorkshire Post ran a long article by Paul Jeeves regarding the Rillington Bypass:

"Government Ministers will be urged tomorrow to push ahead with a massive programme of road improvements costing as much as £500m on North Yorkshire's main route to the coast. The campaign to upgrade the A64 between York and Scarborough has repeatedly fallen victim to funding shortages as previous governments gave other schemes greater priority. But concerns are now growing that seaside town regeneration is being jeopardised by inadequate links to the coast."

The article continues by discussing the concerns of Anne McIntosh, the MP for Thirsk and Malton:

"[Miss McIntosh] has tabled a question calling on a Government commitment to prioritise the A64 scheme to boost road safety and help the regeneration of Yorkshire's coastal communities. Miss McIntosh conceded that Government's attempts to cut public spending would significantly hit such schemes. But she added: 'The A64 should be a priority road and any improvements would be of benefit to not just North Yorkshire, but the region as a whole. It ticks all the right boxes - helping prevent congestion, a green agenda and improving road safety as well as the economic benefits of providing a better road network to the Yorkshire coast."

As part of the article, Rillington Bypass Group member Alan Robinson was also interviewed:

"To have a bypass in Rillington would change so many people's lives - a lot of the villagers are scared to walk along the side of the A64. We are pushing for the bypass for Rillington, but the whole stretch of the A64 between York and Scarborough needs to be looked at. It is such an important route, and one that needs major investment."

The article concludes with "Scarborough councillors will get an update on Monday about the A64 transport corridor study before a draft report is published in September."

Crash leads to new bypass call

Today's Malton & Pickering Mercury have reported on the recent crash on the Scampston slip road, just outside of Rillington. The article describes the accident and the following events before discussing the potential need for a bypass:

"The crash has once again led campaigners demanding a bypass to ease the congestion through the village and follows on from two serious accidents last year which were the catalyst for reigniting the campaign first launched decades ago."

The article includes an interview with bypass campaigner Beatrice Robinson, who states that

"It is quite appalling. We have basically been forgotten by many and condemned by few. It seems we do not count. If we have the bypass in 2006, it would have been finished in 2009 and this would never have happened."

The article also states the following figures:

"During last survey carried out by the Highways Agency, figures revealed that an average of 14,800 vehicles pass through the village, of which 1,300 are commercial vehicles."

A64 safety measures are on the agenda

Today the Malton Gazette and Herald reported that "improvements are on the drawing board for the A64 including studies to improve safety at accidents blackspots". While the report covers the length of the A64, there is special mention of Rillington, through County Councillor Ron Haigh "whose division covers a stretch of the A64 from Rillington to Staxton, said he was anxious to see long-term improvements through the villages. He said

"The Rillington bypass has been on the drawing board for many years and its need is greater than ever."

Click on the image to read the full report.

"Why Rillington needs a bypass"

Following on from their letter published in the February 24 2010 edition of Malton Gazette and Herald, Rillington residents Colin and Rosalind Wicks have written in response to a previously published letter, "Bypass Backlash". In their letter, Colin and Rosalind reiterate the many reasons why Rillington is in desperate need of a bypass.

Please click on the image to read the full letter.

"Spot-checks on 112 vehicles"

Click on the image to read the full report.

"Motorists caught in police action"

The Bypass Campaign made an interesting appearance in the Malton Mercury today when they reported on the recent monitoring of the A64 by local police:

"Sixty-five fixed penalties have been dished out to motorists in an area where residents are campaigning for a bypass. A meeting of the Malton Rural East CAP (Community and Police) Group heard they were given out by police in the Rillington area to motorists for offences such as not wearing seat belts and using mobile telephones while on the move."

To read the full article, click on the image.

Bypass Injustice

Rillington residents Colin and Rosalind Wicks have sent a letter to the Malton Gazette and Herald expressing their views about the long-running battle for a bypass for Rillington. In their letter, which has been published in the February 24 2010 edition of the paper, Colin and Rosalind state that

"Sadly, the [long-running] 'history' [of the bypass] does not detail the noise, dirt, air pollution, the danger and inconvenience that this busy trunk road, right through the centre of a village, creates for the local population"

They also state that

"It must be obvious that this bypass is long overdue. We would like to know how a bypass scheme that has obtained top priority from the Government on three separate occasions over the past 20 years is not even considered by a regional consortium; and how is it possible for the North Yorkshire County Council to provide bypasses around smaller communities, with roads that have far less traffic."

Click on the image to read the full letter.

"MPs join long-running battle for village bypass"

The recent activities of the Rillington Bypass Group have been recorded in the February 17 th 2010 edition of the Gazette & Herald. The article, by David Jeffels states:

"Three MPs have agreed to take up the case for a bypass for Rillington, which has been on the drawing board for years... MPs John Greenway (Ryedale), Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby), and Anne McIntosh (Vale of York) have met protesters and are taking up their pleas with Department of Transport ministers.

Bea Robinson, one of the leaders of the campaign, said "We had a very successful meeting with the MPs and they are fully behind our cause and our aim to improve the quality of life for Rillington people."

Letters to the Press: "Villagers want a safe and peaceful life"

Rillington residents Mr and Mrs Tony and Dyanne Morrison have had their letter calling for a bypass printed in today’s edition of the Malton & Pickering Mercury. In their letter they quote a Highways Agency survey conducted in 2007 which found that a staggering 15,000 vehicles pass through the village each day. They also relate a personal experience which highlights a further problem of the single carriageway:

“Recently I was in the unfortunate situation where a family member was injured and had to be taken immediately to hospital. As the ambulance started driving towards York I asked why we were not going to Scarborough Hospital. The reply from the driver was that to the fact that the A64 to York was partially dualled made the journey quicker than the single carriageway to Scarborough”

Letters to the Press: "Bypass is essential for the traffic of today"

Rillington resident Mr Alan Robinson has had his letter calling for a bypass printed in today’s edition of the Malton & Pickering Mercury. Mr Robinson points out that section of the A64 which passes through the heart of the village “was never designed for the relentless heavy traffic which now passes through. Quite simply the road is inadequate for the 21st century”. He also states “There have been many serious accidents in the village and the safety of residents is paramount.”

“Bypass Campaigners seek meeting with police chief”

An article appeared in today’s Malton & Pickering Mercury, outlining the plans the newly formed Rillington Bypass Group (RBG) has for its campaign: headed by local resident Sally Roger, the group has began organising meetings with Ryedale police commander Inspector Tim Hutchinson, Ryedale MP John Greenway and the Conservative’s shadow transport minister Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby. In the article, Mrs Roger states

“It has gone beyond a joke. You used to be able to tell the difference between the seasons because of the traffic, but there is no difference now whatever the time of year”.

Whilst the article discusses the RBG’s plans, it also presents a wider picture of the situation, stating that “latest figures show that the average number of vehicles passing through the village has jumped form 13,500 to 15,300 a day during the past few years”, figures which validate Mrs Roger observations. The article closes with a quote from Richard Marr, the council’s area manager for highways and transport who reflected on the wider value of the bypass in terms of the local economy and the increase in journey time:

“Wages in Ryedale are fairly low compared with other parts of the country. If we can get a better route then we can build the economy and businesses will want to come here. But if we cannot move the vehicles in and out then it becomes a nightmare”.

Letters to the Press: "A bypass is long overdue"

Alongside a letter from Sally Roger, Rillington resident Mr M R Denton has also had his letter calling for a bypass printed in today’s edition of the Malton & Pickering Mercury. In this letter Mr Denton highlights the long history of the bypass campaign:

“I moved to Rillington nearly 20 years ago. At that time plans had been drawn up for a bypass [but] the Government changed and the bypass plans were scrapped. Since then we have seen two more plans put forward. The last one was due to start in 2006. Each of these schemes have involved surveys, geological testing and public consultations at the cost of goodness knows how much. The Government itself says ‘the bypass will improve the environmental quality, especially with reference to noise and air quality within the village of Rillington, particularly during the busy summer holiday period. This bypass will also deliver significant benefits to road safety, with a reduced risk of accidents within the village’”.

Narrow Escape...

Both the Malton & Pickering Mercury and the Gazette & Herald feature cover stories with Sally Roger, head of the Rillington Bypass Group (RBG), concerning her and her children’s narrow escape from severe injury on the day of the serious car crash in August:

Mrs Roger and her two children “were walking to the garage to collect their car when a truck jack-knifed and collided with a car… at the spot where the Rogers would normally be walking on that route. It was only the fact that the children had been to an activity session on the same side of the road as the garage that they weren’t on the crossing when the accident happened”.

The Gazette & Herald article quotes RBG founder Beatrice Robinson on the statistics she has found out about the traffic in the village: “She said that in 1999, official figures showed that 13,500 vehicles a day went through Rillington with as many as 20,000 in the summer months… the latest figures, produced in 2007, show there are 15,300 a day.”

In addition to this, Ryedale’s Sherburn Ward councillor John Raper is quoted saying “Rillington is the only conurbation on a major road leading to a top seaside resort nationally that has not been bypassed”.

Second Crash on A64

On Wednesday 9th September, a hearse collided head-on with a lorry at Swanbeck Bridge, near West Knapton – just on the outskirts of Rillington village. As reported in The Press, the driver of the hearse and his passenger “had to freed from the wreckage by fire fighters [who had to cut off the roof of their vehicle] before being taken to hospital with serious hip and leg injuries.” The lorry was “completely written off”.

The accident was reported in the September 16th Edition of the Malton & Pickering Mercury, describing the incident and connecting it with the accident in Rillington only weeks earlier: long-time bypass campaigner Colin Wicks was quoted, saying “sadly this reinforces my view that it is badly needed. It is awful for those involved but something must be done”.

Bypass Campaign Relaunched

Following the serious car crash on Monday 10th August, Rillington residents have come together to relaunch the campaign for a bypass: as reported in the Malton & Pickering Mercury:

Crash sparks relaunch of bypass campaign

“Residents are up in arms that their demands [for a bypass] have been ignored by the highways authorities and the Government. More than 50 people who live along or near the main A64 Scarborough Road met at the village hall to tell the Mercury why they are so annoyed about the issue”

Beatrice Robinson, who founded the Rillington Bypass Group (RBG) and organised the meeting said “We have suffered a grave injustice. We have been ripped off in the past because Rillington is somewhere just a little dot”.

During the meeting residents talked of their personal experiences, the seriousness of which was highlighted when one resident told of how his house had been struck by a truck in the early hours one morning. The long history of the bypass was raised by Colin Wicks who “read extracts of the history of the campaign dating back to 1973, including backing from MP John Greenway for a bypass and dates when exhibitions were held to show how the bypass would look. He said ‘Updating the single carriage through Rillington should not be an option. Rillington must have its bypass for all the reasons spelt out over the last 30 years’”.

Serious Car Crash in Rillington

The need for a Rillington Bypass has been reignited after a serious crash in the village on Monday 10th August 2009: as reported on the front page of the Malton & Pickering Mercury:

Miracle Escape in A64 Smash

“Three children had a miraculous escape which they emerged virtually unscathed from a car which was severely damaged in a collision involving a 44-tonne lorry on the A64 at Rillington. But the woman driver of the Toyota Yaris, believed to be in her 60s and from the Derby area, was airlifted to Scarborough Hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance”.

The article continues by stating that the protective “pavement railings were flattened and a nearby house was also hit” before quoting Rillington resident Colin Wicks who has been campaigning for a bypass for many years “but in spite of plans being drawn up by the highways authorities dating back to the 1930s it has not materialised.” The front page article concludes with Councillor Brain Maud saying he “felt a bypass would be a ‘good thing’”.