Two North Yorkshire MPs have launched a joint campaign demanding an urgent safety review of the A64 Barton Hill junction after a constituent was involved in a serious collision.
Two North Yorkshire Members of Parliament have launched a joint, cross-party push to secure a comprehensive safety review of the A64 following a serious collision.
Filey MP Kevin Hollinrake, the Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton, and Tom Gordon, the Member of Parliament for Harrogate and Knaresborough, have formally written to North Yorkshire Council regarding the Barton Hill junction.
The intervention comes after a constituent from Harrogate and Knaresborough raised urgent concerns about the safety of the busy stretch of road.
The constituent, who regularly uses the Barton Hill junction while commuting to work near Castle Howard, was recently involved in a severe crash.
According to the MPs, the driver was unable to see an approaching vehicle safely due to a combination of a dip in the road surface and the high speed of the oncoming traffic.
In a joint letter dated the twenty-first of May, addressed to Barrie Mason, who oversees highways, parking, parks, and gardens for North Yorkshire Council at County Hall in Northallerton, the politicians outlined the circumstances of the collision.
The Members of Parliament wrote:
"She was involved in a serious crash with a vehicle that she had not seen approaching, due to the dip in the road and the speed of the oncoming car."
Following the initial incident, both Mr Hollinrake and Mr Gordon contacted National Highways to request safety interventions at the site.
However, they were left disappointed after the agency indicated that no further action is currently planned for the junction.
National Highways based their decision on collision figures recorded over a four-year period, noting that between 2019 and 2023, there had "only" been five collisions at that specific junction.
The MPs and the local commuter have strongly challenged this justification, arguing that the statistics do not provide a complete or accurate picture of the road's true danger.
They highlighted that a significant portion of the timeframe cited by National Highways coincided with the Covid-19 lockdowns, a period when national traffic levels were drastically reduced.
In their letter to North Yorkshire Council, Mr Hollinrake and Mr Gordon stated:
"The constituent points out that part of this period was during lockdown and so may not be a true picture of the situation. We wonder if the North Yorkshire Council would agree to take this matter up with National Highways and ask if any further improvements can be made to this junction."
The two politicians are now urging the local authority to collaborate with National Highways for a renewed evaluation of the junction's safety.
This would include a thorough examination of accident data from both before and after previous junction improvements were implemented in 2019.
Speaking about the cross-party initiative, Kevin Hollinrake MP said:
"Road safety must always remain a priority, and where local residents continue to raise genuine concerns, it is important that authorities listen carefully and fully review the evidence."
"I will continue working with colleagues across party lines to press for any further improvements needed to help keep motorists safe on this stretch of the A64."
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