AN inquiry begins next week into a procedure which will end the hopes of a bypass for three Craven villages who have to endure heavy traffic using the A65 between Skipton and Kendal.

Among those objecting to the revocation of bypass orders is the Long Preston Residents' Association, which says it is desperate for a solution to the innumerable adverse effects that beset the village because of the A65.

The association will argue at the inquiry which begins on Tuesday at 10am at Gargrave Primary School that a bypass is the only proposed solution to its road problems and no alternatives have been offered.

It claims local people have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bypass for the village.

The building of a bypass for Long Preston, Hellifield and Gargrave, was first mooted before the Second World War.

After being put back time and time again, 10 years ago it finally looked as though the villages would be bypassed.

Tenders were about to be invited but when the Labour Government came to power in 1997 one of its first acts was to freeze a road building programme amid promises that it would divert road users on to public transport.

The association says that since then the density of traffic on the A65 and adjoining A682 has increased.

"Locals are astonished that the Highways Agency, who conceived and then supported the case for the original bypass at the 1992 public inquiry, are now attempting to dismantle their plans which will also effectively allow them to detrunk the A65, void past heavy expenditure and pass the buck on to North Yorkshire County Council," said Heather Thomas-Smith, chairman of the residents' association.

"The Highways Agency's case for revocation seems largely based on blight, which affects property along the path of the proposed bypass. It fails to recognise the blight which is already caused to some four times that number of residencies through the heavy traffic volume, noise, pollution and extreme danger to pedestrians along the particularly narrow pavements in the village.

"Government policies may change but the blight that affects the everyday lives of those who live along the A65 remains and is increasing every year."

Mrs Thomas-Smith said residents were constantly calling for action to deal with A65 problems and at the Planning for Real Event in 2003, which helped form the Village Plan, 88 per cent of those who voted on the A65 bypass voted yes.

"We (LoPRA) have objected to the revocation orders outright, particularly because there has been absolutely no sign of a substantive alternative offered," she said.

The association will be represented at the inquiry by Ian Evans and is being backed by Long Preston Parish Council in a joint case.

To prepare its case, LoPRA has also been recording traffic volume, noise and speed levels and gathering photographic evidence.

John Rodgers, chairman of LoPRA's A65 committee, said: "It is most encouraging that our case against revocation has been officially endorsed by our local MP, David Curry.

"Furthermore, Craven District Councillor, Helen Firth - who has been very supportive of the aims of LoPRA - will be speaking as an official objector for Craven District Council and North Yorkshire County Councillor David Heather has been actively organising support in opposition to the Highways Agency proposals, which includes a letter from Settle Town Council offering support to those communities affected by the orders."

Other objectors include North Yorkshire County Council, Craven District Council, Gargrave Parish Council, Wigglesworth Parish Meeting and Long Preston Parochial Church Council.