Highways chiefs have issued a series of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO) to pave the way for closure of a lethal gap on the A64, near York.

And two householders say they may give up a slice of their gardens without a fight, so that the scheme to switch off the traffic lights at Copmanthorpe and close the central reservation gap can go ahead as quickly as possible.

Brian Robinson, who stands to lose the bottom section of his garden alongside the A64, said that if no more than a 3ft strip of land was involved - as had been suggested verbally to him by highways officers, and appropriate compensation was offered - he probably wouldn't fight the order.

"I want the new road lay-out as much as anyone," he said.

The other resident who will lose some garden, Nick Boyle, said he was waiting for officers to come and explain exactly how much land they wanted. But providing the loss was not too great, and it did not involve the loss of trees, he would probably not object.

He said he could not agree more that the junction problem needed sorting out, adding that a village teenager who had died in an accident while going through the gap some years ago was a good friend of his eldest son.

The £2.1 million scheme, which will involve construction of a new underpass to take village traffic safely across the A64 into York, was announced earlier this year.

The proposals are still out to consultation, but in the meantime the Highways Agency is pressing ahead with legal moves to acquire land alongside the dual carriageway which would be needed to complete the works.

Many householders simply stand to lose ownership of the grass verge fronting on to the road, and Jeremy Hornby, who co-ordinates a local residents committee, said he and other residents probably would not object.

Part of the car park at the Fox and Hounds pub is also set to be acquired, but the owners were not available for comment.

An agency spokesman said it was not unusual for CPOs to be made while proposals for a road improvement scheme were still under consideration: the twin-track approach prevented unnecessary delays.

The underpass proposals were modified in October in an attempt to reduce objections to the scheme by cutting the amount of garden land to be acquired, in the hope that a lengthy public inquiry could be avoided. Objections must be made by the end of this month.

see COMMENT 'Fast track fix for deadly junction'

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