THIS summer will see the start of a major consultation exercise by North Yorkshire County Council, aimed at gaining public consensus on a traffic management strategy for Northallerton.

The council, together with its partner consultant, Mouchel, and local organisations, plans to bring improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. These will be co-ordinated with the car parking strategy being developed by Hambleton District Council.

The new strategy will also look more closely at specific traffic problems and areas in Northallerton.

These have been identified, and various options have been proposed for their solution, which will be put before the public over the summer. The head of environmental enhancement at the county council, Chris Millns, said that while differences of opinion on the proposals was inevitable, "there was broad agreement on the options to be taken forward to public consultation."

The public consultation itself is still at the planning stage and expected to begin in June, but is likely to include the distribution of leaflets and questionnaires to residents and businesses in and around Northallerton, and a public exhibition of the plans.

Coun Bill Barton, chairman of the council's Hambleton area committee, said "I can assure everyone that the views of Northallerton people are being listened to."

Updated: 09:26 Saturday, April 12, 2003