CONGESTION in traffic-choked Glusburn and Cross Hills is to be put under the spotlight next week when villagers meet with highways chiefs to thrash out a solution.

For years people living in the two connected villagers have been complaining about traffic problems and snarl ups.

These have been put down to the sheer volume of traffic travelling along the A6068 - a major route to the newly linked M65 and M62.

They claim the problems are particularly bad during the morning and evening rush hours and when pupils arrive and leave South Craven School, North Yorkshire's biggest comprehensive school.

The county's head of environmental services, Mike Moore, or his representative, is due to meet villagers on Monday.

The special meeting has been called by members of Glusburn Parish Council, who want to find a solution to the traffic problems as soon as possible.

"We'll be talking about roads and traffic problems in general and how nearer we are to finding a solution," said parish council chairman Isobel Westhead.

"We've asked for traffic flow figures and accident statistics along the A6068 in the hope of getting a more up-to-date picture of the problem at the moment and what can be done."

Many residents in Glusburn and Cross Hills believed an answer to the traffic problems would be a bypass of the two villages. But any plans for this were thrown out two years ago because of opposition.

Ideas being mooted now include an HGV ban through Glusburn, Cross Hills and Cowling which would force heavy lorries to use another route to get to the motorway.

This would be through Thornton-in-Craven, Earby and Kelbrook, which are currently bidding for bypasses, a route known as the Pink Rose Route.

Meetings have also been held with officials from Railtrack over the level crossing at Kildwick. This adds to congestion during peak periods on the approach to Cross Hills at the Dalesway and leads traffic queues on Station Road.

One of the suggestions is to build a road bridge over the railway, but highways bosses say the cost could be too great.

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