MOORLAND parish councillors say changes to a steep road system are fraught with danger.

They are questioning Redcar and Cleveland council plans for the Birk Brow road down from the A171 across the North York Moors.

Danby parish councillors claim a scheme to limit cars to the outside lane only could lead to problems.

But Redcar and Cleveland insists the plans are in the interests of safety.

At a meeting last week, Danby's acting chairman, Coun Les Underwood, said the borough was planning a single lane for lorries with cars in the outside lane downwards from Birk Brow. Cars would not be allowed to use the inside carriageway. "This could be dangerous," he said.

"The outside lane is going to get a lot of pressure. People could find themselves being hassled by drivers wanting to go faster behind them."

Coun Underwood suggested writing to the council, saying it could be dangerous to make cars use the outside lane. "Vehicles merging at the bottom of the hill could cause big problems," he said.

Coun Underwood said the borough was doing the work because of accident criteria.

"It is a safety scheme," he said. "The aim is to slow people down to make the road safer for all."

But members were worried about what would happen in winter when cars have to use the inside lane because the outside edge is covered in snow.

"Are people going to be encouraged to break the law by using that lane?" asked Coun Underwood.

"Limiting lorries to the inside is sound, but cars should not be banned. It does not make traffic sense."

He felt the parish could support the scheme if it were not for this factor.

Coun Underwood said Redcar and Cleveland council was also looking at what could be done at the Lockwood Beck and Danby Road junctions after a string of accidents.

Coun Geoff Banner felt this should have priority over work at Birk Brow.

"I am amazed Birk Brow even meets the criteria," he said. "I am not aware of all that many accidents down there."

Redcar and Cleveland's lead member for infrastructure, Coun Sylvia Szintai, confirmed that the inside lane at Birk Brow would be HGV-only.

"We have found that cars try to overtake other vehicles as they are coming down, they are speeding and causing a problem," she said.

"This is a safety measure but people really do have to be sensible about it.

"If they can't use an outside lane because of the weather, and the inside lane is usable, no police officer would do anything about it I am sure."

Coun Szintai said that, 99pc of the time, the system would be safer.

The new arrangements won't be in operation for some weeks.

"We are trying to do the whole of the moors road in chunks," she said.

"We can't do the lot at once. We are doing each section on safety grounds.