SETTLE will be brought to a standstill on Tuesday as the Save Our Town action group stages a protest walk.

The retired vicar of Giggleswick, the Rev James Richardson, is leading the protest, which is calling for a ban on heavy goods vehicles through the town.

Two groups of protestors will march under police escort from the Falcon Manor Hotel at one end of Settle and the war memorial garden at the other end of the town, leaving at 10.30am. They will meet up in the Market Place.

"It is absolutely vital that we get as many people as possible," said Rev Richardson. "The police are being fully co-operative and it will be a peaceful protest.

"We will walk in the centre of the road and we will have banners and handouts and a petition for people to sign. Hopefully it will have some effect.

"I do honestly believe that very serious efforts are needed before the situation in Settle becomes absolutely intolerable. There is great concern in this town about the increasing traffic problem. It is a major responsibility of all people elected to office in this town."

The Save Our Town group wants to see quarry lorries use Settle bypass and Buckhaw Brow.

Mr Richardson said: "They should not be able to use Bond Lane and Procter's Row and the use of Station Road should be strictly limited and decreased if possible, because there are already more HGVs than the residents, particularly on the corner by the mini roundabout at Four Lane Ends, can happily put up with.

"Quarry lorries should be re-routed round the bypass and drivers reimbursed for extra fuel costs incurred. They should be required to drive really slowly down Buckhaw Brow and as they go through Giggleswick past the hotel and the schools. The safety of children is absolutely paramount and drivers should remember that there are residents and visitors along their route.

"There is no perfect solution to the increasing traffic problem, but I think Settle must be concerned with doing what it can as quickly as possible."

The action group claims 600 lorries thunder through the town on a typical day between 6am and 6pm plus more Transit type vans which are not making local deliveries.

People wishing to join the protest walk should meet either at the Falcon car park or the war memorial garden in time for a 10.30am start on Tuesday, (october 28).