A CAMPAIGN to steer motorists away from a North Yorkshire "rat run" is picking up speed.

Driven by concerns over safety, more than 100 residents in East Lane, Shipton-by-Beningbrough, have signed a petition asking North Yorkshire County Council to ban heavy vehicles from the road, which links the A19 to Wigginton Road.

Locals say drivers often use the road as a rat-run to avoid the outer ring road around York. More than 20 children live in East Lane, which also contains the Melrose House nursing home.

The findings of a traffic survey, carried out by residents over a seven-day period, have also been sent to County Hall to back their demands. They want to see:

*access restricted for heavy vehicles;

* traffic calming measures and;

* a 20mph speed limit.

The survey found that about 2,000 vehicles used the road each day, with one fifth of them being heavy goods or commercial vehicles.

The campaigners say the volume of traffic is on the increase and fear it will get worse when the Monks Cross shopping complex opens on the outskirts of York.

District councillor Molly Haigh, who lives in East Lane, said she hoped the survey and petition would prompt the county council to act.

And she is hoping for a meeting with county council officers next month. Coun Haigh said: "What we want is a weight restriction - that would be the bottom line."

County councillor for the village Caroline Patmore said she hoped work to reduce traffic levels could be done this year.

She said: "I understand the problems the county council has with cash flow, but hope that it is not going to cost too much so it can be implemented as soon as possible."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council said the petition and survey would be discussed by councillors.

He said the council had already carried out its own traffic survey on East Lane and decided the volume of traffic did not merit any restrictive measures.

He added that any decision would have to consider the broader picture of what impact restrictions on East Lane would have on surrounding roads.

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