Fresh safety concerns over Knaresborough's 'most dangerous junction'

Former town councillor James Monaghan first raised the issue of drivers ignoring red lights at the four-way junction where York Place, High Street, Gracious Street and Park Row meet in 2017 - and he now says the problem is "as bad as ever".

"On a daily basis cars and vans drive through the green man when pedestrians should be able to cross safely," he said.

"This is dangerous enough, but on a crossing used by hundreds of school children daily it is an accident waiting to happen.

"With all the new houses that have been built across the district and the associated cars, congestion has only got worse and it needs to be addressed for everyone’s safety and convenience."

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Mr Monaghan said the problem has not been tackled by North Yorkshire County Council which changed the traffic lights four years ago to allow more time for the junction to clear before pedestrians are invited to cross.

The county council said the detection system failed "a few months ago," but has now been fixed with works being completed last week.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said: "We know of the concerns around the pedestrian stage of the signal cycle at the junction of High Street and Gracious Street.

"The signals team will continue to monitor the effective operation of the signal equipment and timing."

Ms Burnham also said it was the responsibility of motorists to ensure they follow the rules of the road.

She said: "We do all we can to ensure this junction operates as effectively as possible, but we also ask drivers who use this junction to respect all road users and the traffic light systems in place, ensuring they are driving safely in accordance with the local conditions."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter