Petition calling for congestion relief on the A6136 in Catterick

Dear Mayor Skaith and Councillor Les

I have spoken many times about the congestion problems on A6136, and I’m sure you’re aware of my opinion that these problems are in urgent need of attention. My opinion is shared by the many residents of my community who have signed my petition calling for action.

This petition (the text of which is copied below) is jointly addressed to you as leaders of the two organisations which are best placed to take action, namely the Combined Authority and North Yorkshire Council.

PETITION TO THE MAYOR OF YORK AND NORTH YORKSHIRE & THE LEADER OF NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL

We call for urgent action to deliver improvements to the Key Route Network in Colburn and Hipswell. The daily congestion is hugely disruptive to people who live and work here. It is harmful to the local economy, it is harmful to health, and it is harmful to the education of local children.

We call for investment in a relief road in any places where lower cost forms of improvements cannot alleviate congestion.

We call for investment to create better bus services with access to enough road capacity so that our buses can run to timetable throughout the day.

HIPSWELL AND COLBURN DESERVE BETTER

Copies of the 1,028 signatory details are attached. Of these, 972 were collected online by promoting the petition on local social media groups and 56 were collected in person as “wet ink” signatures. Any duplicate entries have been removed. The signatories are local residents whose daily lives are being blighted by severe congestion on the A6136 road between the A1 and Catterick Garrison which the Council and Combined Authority designated as a KEY ROUTE.

By definition, transport problems on a KEY ROUTE should be an investment priority and my community believes that investment is urgently needed. My community is fed up with:

· Having to leave ridiculously early for work, school or medical appointments so they can beat the traffic

· Their busses getting delayed or cancelled because of congestion

· The pollution caused by gridlocked traffic: and

· The daily problems traffic jams cause for us and our families, our workplaces, and our businesses.

I look forward to your response to this petition which I will share with my residents.

You can be assured that I will be continuing to press for an action plan which will end the daily misery on the A6136 until the problems are resolved.

Yours sincerely

Kevin Foster

North Yorkshire Councillor for Hipswell and Colburn