TOWN councillors have put the brakes on a scheme to put traffic calming speed cushions along Settle's main road.

Members will tell North Yorkshire County Council they are not happy with a proposal to put three sets of speed cushions in Duke Street, although they welcome a 20mph speed limit through the middle of the North Craven market town.

The cushions are pairs of raised areas designed to slow traffic. Each is 75mm high, 1.6m wide and 3.7m long.

"This design should ensure that heavy commercial vehicles can drive over the speed cushions without causing a noise nuisance," members were told in a letter from the county council's environmental enhancement department.

But Coun Tom Foster said: "They are a cheap speed ramp, nothing more. I think they are too dangerous in the areas they are proposed. The 20mph limit is fine, but the cushions, no."

Coun Stewart Maunders felt there should be no more traffic calming in Settle, commenting: "I am totally against it all. They can't even maintain what we have got, never mind give us any more we don't really need.

"I can see the advantages of a 20mph speed limit, but how are you going to enforce it? They can't even enforce a 30mph limit."

The urban appearance of speed cushions would make the town look unattractive to visitors, added Coun Peter Thornber.

Meanwhile Settle shopkeeper Ken Meredith had also written objecting to the traffic calming, taking issue with the opinion that the cushions would not lead to any more noise.

"No extra noise - who exactly are you trying to kid?" he wrote.

Coun Barbara Middleton said Settle's main problem was the number of heavy goods vehicles coming through the centre of the town.

"I do think from a pedestrian point of view it can sometimes be very threatening indeed through Settle," she added. "It puts people off visiting our town centre.

"We need to support reducing the amount of traffic with our support for the replacement of Penny Bridge."

Coun Ron Maude said fears that someone would be killed as a result of the number of HGVs using Settle town centre were raised at a meeting of the Community and Police Group (CAP). Resident Joy Calvert told CAP members one woman had already been killed on a local cul-de-sac and she feared there could be further fatalities.

Penny Bridge is due to be strengthened to enable it to cope with 40 tonne vehicles, creating a route from Settle bypass for wagons using Sowarth Industrial Estate without them having to use the centre of Settle.

However, Coun Tom Foster said there were fears quarry wagons would also take advantage of the strengthened bridge and cut through residential areas to Bridge End. He said weight limits should be put on the residential streets to stop this happening

North Yorkshire County Council's area three highways committee agreed on Friday to consult on a proposal to revoke the existing weight restrictions on roads linking Penny Bridge with the bypass. A report is to be submitted to the committee when the consultations are complete.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.