Sunday, June 1, 2025
Teesdale Mercury
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Teesdale Mercury
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT

Campaigners secure 50mph limit on danger stretch of A66

by Teesdale Mercury
June 26, 2018
in News
Campaigners secure 50mph limit on danger stretch of A66

Campaigners have been calling for measures to cut accidents at the Ravensworth junction on the A66

SAFETY campaigners have secured a lowered speed limit on a dangerous stretch of the A66.

Highways England has agreed to introduce a 50mph limit on the A66 at Ravensworth, where a number of serious accidents have happened recent years.

Richmond MP Rishi Sunak and North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan had joined forces to back Ravensworth Parish Council and the A66 Action Group.

ADVERTISEMENT

Both wrote to Highways England and North Yorkshire Police expressing their concerns about the road after meetings with the council, the action group and residents.

After Highways England and the police both said the issue was driver inattention rather than speed, Mr Sunak continued to press for Highways England officials to meet the campaigners.

Last week, three days before a further meeting between the campaigners, Mr Sunak and the police, Highways England announced it had agreed to the limit on a two-mile single carriageway stretch of the road which includes the junctions serving Ravensworth, West Layton, the Fox Hall Inn and Mainsgill Farm Shop.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a letter to Mr Sunak and Mrs Mulligan, Richard Marshall, the regional director of Highways England, confirmed that a temporary 50mph limit would be imposed as soon as possible and then made permanent.

Mr Sunak said: “I am delighted with Highways England’s change of heart on this issue. The campaign group has done a tremendous amount of work in producing the evidence which demonstrated a speed limit was justified. Villagers fear using these junctions, particularly the New Lane access to Ravensworth, and it is worse in bad weather and at night. Pending the dualling of this section of the A66, this restriction will definitely improve safety.”

Ravensworth villagers have fought for safety improvements for more than ten years. The parish council and a dedicated A66 Action Group wanted junction improvements and a speed restriction because of the number of accidents, some of which have been fatal.

The Government has announced that the A66 will be upgraded to dual carriageway along its entire length between Scotch Corner and Penrith but that work is not likely to start until after 2020.

Mr Sunak said the parish council and the action group compiled a dossier of information about the stretch of road which showed that it was carrying almost 16,000 vehicles per day and that the length between the West Layton turn-off and the New Lane junction which includes the entrance to the Fox Hall Inn and Mainsgill Farm Shop had a poor accident record.

At meeting of villagers last Friday Mr Sunak said he would seek clarification from Highways England on exactly when the new speed limit would be introduced.

The meeting was also attended by Andy Tooke, of North Yorkshire Police, who said enforcement of the existing speed limit on the A66 using safety camera vans had doubled in recent months and he pledged to maintain the regime.

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Toft Hill and Etherley’s volunteer speedwatch team set the example for others to follow

Next Post

This week’s Teesdale Mercury

ADVERTISEMENT
No Result
View All Result

Stay connected

Facebook Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Most popular

ROYAL HONOUR: Barnard Castle twins Alisha and Tia Bell at Windsor Castle to collect their Kings Scout Award, inset

Twins receive highest Scouting honour

May 26, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

15C Harmire Enterprise Park
Barnard Castle
Co Durham
DL12 8BN

Email: [email protected]

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190

VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • Art & Leisure
  • Business
  • Country Life
  • Features
  • News
  • Sport
  • Test Drive
  • Digital edition

Useful links

  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Buy your paper
  • Photosales
  • Digital edition
  • About us

Follow us on

© Barrnon Media Limited 2025

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy

This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Features
  • Test Drive
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Art & Leisure
  • Buy your paper
  • Buy our photos
  • Digital edition
  • Contact

© 2024