RESIDENTS and councillors in South Craven have been left to "fester" in a traffic nightmare by the county council.

They have been campaigning to bridge the Kildwick level crossing to combat the knock-on effects of the barrier being down for up to 50 minutes in every hour.

Their hard work seemed to have paid off when the crossing was included in the North Yorkshire County Council's draft local transport plan for 2006 to 2011 (LTP2).

But, on Tuesday, its executive recommended the scheme be rejected by full council.

It, along with three other projects, did not receive the necessary support from the Regional Transport Board.

Council leader councillor John Weighell said: "It was with great disappointment that we had to make the recommendation to the council to withdraw these schemes from the programme.

"The council is committed to improving transport in North Yorkshire and we shall continue to work with planning authorities to identify funding opportunities so that we may one day realise the level crossing scheme."

South Craven county councillor Philip Barrett told the Herald: "I attended the executive to speak against the officer recommendation.

"This is a disastrous blow for South Craven after all the effort and hard work by myself and other local councillors to achieve its inclusion in the LTP2.

"Local people's hopes and expectations were naturally raised but they have now been dashed overnight. This leaves South Craven to continue festering in its traffic/infrastructure problems along with little hope of the railway station ever reopening."

Craven Area Committee, which supported the scheme, discussed the expected knock-back last Thursday.

County Coun Mark Wheeler said: "We feel we have been shafted."

Coun Roger Nicholson said Cross Hills Main Street was breaking up and the number of HGVs was unacceptable.

He said: "The executive is not taking any notice of our problems. We are seeing more and more traffic, more and more congestion and more and more housing.

Chairman Coun Polly English said the answer was less consultation and more officers visiting the area to witness the problems.

The area committee agreed to call in the decision, which means it will be looked at again.