A CAMPAIGNER is fighting to have a road widened where she says pedestrians have to step aside to allow cars to use the pavement.

Ripon city councillor Rosemary Curlewis, who is frustrated that action was not being taken to widen Coltsgate Hill off North Street, Ripon, decided to make a personal plea for action.

She received permission to address Harrogate area committee of North Yorkshire County Council and press home her case for action.

Earlier, Coun Curlewis collected a petition with almost 700 names calling for the county council to widen the road.

Coun Curlewis said the need for action was overwhelming and she could have secured hundreds more names on the petition.

"When two cars meet pedestrians have to step aside to let them through and when heavy lorries try to negotiate into the road they often have to back up into North Street and cause traffic chaos," she said.

Coun Curlewis said the need for action was overwhelming because there were schools in the area and soon 260 homes would be built on the former Ripon College site.

With properties costing about £220,000 it was most likely there would be two cars at each home, putting more pressure on what she described as Ripon's medieval road system.

County highway chief Mike Moore said a scheme to improve the junction was linked to development west of Ripon Market Place.

Ideally he said he wanted the linked scheme to go ahead but if things did not move quickly he might have to resolve the issue by stand alone widening of Coltsgate Hill junction.

Mr Moore told the meeting he hoped to resolve the issue by November 6.