On Monday 7th Februay 2005 we attended the The County Committee for Hambleton in Northallerton to object to the experimental closure order, demand improvement of the local roads and the case for a bridge. There was a good attendance of the public at the meeting. Once again the Black Swan was item 5 on the agenda.
Item 2 was about recent flooding problems and remediation in Brompton and Northallertons
Item 3 was an update on Community Planning
Item 4 was an update on Community Safety
Item 5 was Closure of the Central Reserve Gap at Black Swan Crossroads on A19(T) presented by Graham Cressy and Jon Cole.
In short the closure occurred on 18th July 2004. NYCC must decide wether to object or not.
Graham Cressy spoke first and went through a written report submitted to the meeting about the effects of the closure online at Black Swan report to Hambleton Area Committee the official position being that closure had not adversely affected any roads in a 5 mile radius of the closure. Survey results of the local road network were included together with apologies for errors in the summary version issued to Parish councillors and members. Additional data was provided on a missing link road from the A19 to Rounton showing daily averages of 76 inbound and 40 outbound vehicles on the single track lane. Damage to the roads on the West of the A19 was admitted verbally at the meeting but does not appear in the final written report.
Jon Cole then spoke. Saying that Highways Agency saw it as a complete success with safety improved at the junction. Full support of the police. Nothing about the bridge. When pressed later he said that the case for a bridge at the Black Swan was still under review. They have only had 11 months to look into it so far...
I have some more detailed notes but the main Recommendations originally put to the meeting (in the same order as the report) were:
1. The Highways Agency be asked to give a high priority for funding to
provide a grade separated junction at Black Swan Crossroads on the A19(T).
2. No objection be raised to the proposal by the Highways Agency to close
the gap at Black Swan Crossroads on a permanent basisd.
3. The Highways Agency be informer of this decision.
NB "Grade separated" in this context is Highways Engineer jargon for "bridge" in common usage.
Following the presentation there were 3 members of the public listed to speak. Two people from Rounton and one from Ingleby Arnecliffe spoke as members of the public for 3 minutes. Here are links to the original text.
Colin Hinton, Parish Councillor East & West
Rounton
Martin Brown, resident of East Rounton
The draft scripts may differ slightly from the actual words spoken at the meeting (e.g. truncated after 3 minutes).
The main points were that:
1. Many of the accidents since closure were in positions consistent with
them being displaced Black Swan accidents.
2. Haggitt hill lane is single track, poorly maintained unsuitable as an
access route and being destroyed by increased traffic.
3. Tontine junction from A19 southbound is acutely substandard and
dangerous.
4. Signs to Welbury and Rounton need reinstating
5. Metalled passing places needed on the single track roads
6. Repairs to road surface and drains
7. Gritting of new routes in winter.
8. Object and try for a public enquiry
9. Ingleby Arncliffe village street now a dangerous rat run for A172 to
A19.
10. East Harsely suffering doubled rush hour traffic on congested village
street.
11. Long Newton on the A66 and Elkesly on the A1 have policed speed
limits on junctions.
We do not have the text of the other speakers (at present).
After this there was vigorous discussion led by Councillors John Dennis and Caroline Seymour and others. It quickly became clear that the councillors were concerned by the high handed attitude of the Highways Agency and lack of any visible progress at all towards a bridge. Several members with local knowledge confirmed points raised by the members of the public who spoke and a revised set of motions were hastily constructed. You are advised to look for the final version on the NYCC website as it was very confusing at this stage.
My notes suggest that they passed the following motions:
1. The Highways Agency be asked to give a high priority for funding to
provide a grade separated junction at Black Swan Crossroads on the A19(T).
2. Committee continues to raise a formal objection to the proposal by the
Highways Agency to close the gap at Black Swan Crossroads on a permanent
basisd.
3. That a public impact survey be sought.
4. That the police authority be challenged over their refusal to enforce
a 50mph speed limit at the Black Swan.
I may have missed or misheard something in the melee.
This amendment was passed by a majority of the council and then they moved on to the next agenda item. We all left the meeting shortly afterwards. Once again our arguments had been accepted by the County Council let us hope that this time it actually has some real effect.
On Tuesday Tyne Tees television had a short article reporting on the high speed crash at the East Harsley junction on the Sunday night. It is unclear at present whether or not it was a displaced Black Swan accident but they have expressed local fears that the problem of the Black Swan has not been solved - just moved 2 miles further down the road.
The Darlington & Stockton times and Northern Echo have covered the council decision to Call for a Public Enquiry before the closure is made permanent (link may be transient).
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