Victory is in sight for campaigners calling for a reduced speed limit in a Ryedale village where some motorists are said to drive like Le Mans racers.

For more than six years, residents of the picturesque estate village of Hovingham, between Malton and Helmsley, have been pressing for the existing 40mph speed limit to be cut to 30mph.

Their pleas finally look like being heeded by North Yorkshire County Council's area two highway sub-committee which will meet at Ryedale House, Malton, on Tuesday next week.

A petition signed by 116 people and supported by Hovingham with Scackleton Parish Council was presented to the county council back in March, 1997.

At that time, county councillor Geoff Rennie (Con, Hovingham & Sheriff Hutton) said: "Unfortunately, there's an element who shoot into the middle of the village as if they're driving the third lap of Le Mans!"

An earlier request by Hovingham residents to reduce the speed limit was thrown out in 1994 after North Yorkshire Police failed to support a cut.

But villagers kept pressing for action amid fears for the safety of children and elderly people trying to cross the busy road.

In November, 1996, a survey conducted by Keith Orrell, prospective Parliamentary Liberal Democrat candidate for Ryedale, showed there was 95 per cent support for a 30mph limit.

The police are now also supporting the request for a reduction of the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.

Highways officer Tony Wright states in his report to next week's meeting that the 1997 petition called for a pelican crossing on the B1257 near the village primary school as well as a reduced speed limit.

"A survey was carried out into the provision of a pelican crossing, taking into account the degree of pedestrian/vehicular conflict and measuring the waiting time to cross the road."

But Mr Wright reports that the criteria for the provision of a crossing were not met.

He will recommend that a 30mph limit is approved despite an objection by local resident R H Finch, who feels the limit should be reduced even further to 20mph in Church Street.

The parish council states: "Without prejudicing the proposed 30mph restriction, the council is in full agreement with Mr Finch and would add that the B1257 adjacent to the school should also be restricted to 20mph."

Mr Wright states: "The county council has received a considerable number of requests for 20mph speed limits in various locations."

These are due to be debated at the sub-committee's July meeting.

"The introduction of a 30mph speed limit throughout the village would not prejudice the assessment of a 20mph limit on those more limited lengths of road at Hovingham," states Mr Wright.

"It is, therefore, considered that the 30mph speed limit should be implemented in the whole village at this stage."

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