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."

Meeting

The Rillington Bypass Group will meet 14/06/10 at Rillington Village Hall.

Radio Broadcast

Sally Roger, the Chairperson for the Rillington Bypass Group, has spoken on radio today concerning the Rillington Bypass. Broadcast by BBC Radio York as part of the Adam Tomlinson Show, Sally appeared in a discussion alongside Anne McIntosh MP, Professor John Whitelegg from the University of York, and Lynn Webster.

We Need a Bypass Blog Polls End...

The We Need a Bypass Blog Polls have ended today. Since their appearance on the blog, these two polls have generated much interest and have received an overwhelming response...

The Results

The first poll question asked Do you believe that a bypass for Rillington will improve the quality of life for the village? A total of 70 people responded to this question with 68 answering yes, a total of 97% in favour.

The second poll question asked Do you think a bypass will improve your journeys on the A64? A total of 71 people responded to this question with 69 answering yes, a total of 97% in favour.

Look out for more polls soon...

Radio Broadcast

Sally Roger, the Chairperson for the Rillington Bypass Group, will be appearing on the BBC Radio York programme the Adam Tomlinson Show as part of a group discussion concerning the Rillington Bypass. The discussion is scheduled for broadcast on the 30th May.

Meeting

The Rillington Bypass Group will meet 12/05/10 at Rillington Village Hall.

Bypass Support

Over recent weeks Bypass group members have been contacting local and regional MPs and Parliamentary Candidates asking for their support in the pursuit of a bypass for Rillington. There responses have been overwhelmingly positive:

John Greenway, MP, said,

"I strongly support the campaign for the Rillington bypass to be constructed as quickly as possible. The Government approved this scheme years ago but subsequently delegated responsibility to Regional Assemblies. Sadly the Regional Assembly for Yorkshire does not feel that this bypass has sufficient priority. I would like to see North Yorkshire County Council, supported by Ryedale District Council and Scarborough Borough Council apply the maximum pressure to the Regional Assembly and Regional Development Agency to make this scheme the priority that local residents and visitors to the North Yorkshire coast deserve."

Anne McIntosh, MP, said,

"I am delighted to have lent support in the past and to renew that support. The levels of traffic pose a threat to road safety and there have been a tragic series of fatal accidents. The traffic levels also affect air quality levels, as well as disturbing the natural environment of Rillington itself."

Howard Keal, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Thirsk and Malton, said,

"I fully support the call for a bypass to relieve Rillington of the traffic which has plagued the village for decades. Calls for the by-pass were made more than 35 years ago and more than a decade afterwards Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Shields forced an early hours adjournment debate on the Conservatives when she was MP. The Tory Government responded to the compelling case put forward by doing nothing at all about a bypass for the next decade they were in power, followed by 13 years of failure to deliver it under Labour. I know there are concerns about trade in the village in the event of a bypass being built but strong direction signs coupled with the easier passage of remaining traffic would help reduce the impact on businesses. The improvements a bypass would offer in terms of safety and quality of life for villagers are so significant that the case has never been stronger. The accident record on the road and heavy traffic levels demand an answer - the answer is a bypass."

Jonathan Roberts , Labour parliamentary candidate for Thirsk and Malton, said,

"15,000 cars a day pass through Rillington every day as commuters, shoppers and holiday-makers navigate the county, and it is clear to see that a bypass would make a tremendous difference to the quality of life of local residents. The safety and economic arguments in favour of the bypass have already been made, and as far as I am concerned the debate has been won. Now is the time for action."

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.

Meeting

The Rillington Bypass Group will meet 24/03/10 at Rillington Village Hall.

"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."

Meeting

The Rillington Bypass Group will meet 17/02/10 at Rillington Village Hall.