Sir, - There has been a great deal written in the press regarding Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's decision to close Gypsy Lane.

A majority of the residents of Gypsy Lane have lived here for many years, some for in excess of 40 years. They have been campaigning for over 30 years for the road to be closed on the grounds of road safety. It is as a result of these efforts that the only footpath on the lane was constructed. Over the years as the volume and speed of the traffic increased so did the risk of injury and death.

Gypsy Lane does not conform to the carriageway geometry and construction standards. Whilst we acknowledge that these standards only apply to new roads, there is such a large and potentially dangerous discrepancy between them and the construction of Gypsy Lane they should not be ignored.

Prior to the closure there was two fatal accidents involving pedestrians on Stainton Way that leads onto Gypsy Lane and a fatal accident on Gypsy Lane. Before the lane was closed there were also numerous accidents on Gypsy Lane involving overturned vehicles, vehicles hitting pedestrians including children and damaging property.

The lane is used daily by hundreds of schoolchildren from Marton and Nunthorpe to walk to and from school. Since the lane closure there have been no accidents on Gypsy Lane and no recorded accidents on Guisborough Road in Nunthorpe.

Some people living in the Middlesbrough Council area of Nunthorpe appear to hold great store by the fact that their petition to have Gypsy Lane reopened comprised 1,560 signatures and are giving the impression that the majority of Redcar and Cleveland residents wanted Gypsy Lane to reopen. This is untrue. Many of the people who signed that petition changed their minds and later signed a petition that Gypsy Lane should remain closed on the grounds of safety. Almost 1,800 people signed this petition, something they have chosen to overlook.

Many rural communities are fighting for a bypass. Nunthorpe has a bypass, one that motorists should be encouraged to use. Despite this Middlesbrough Borough Council want sGypsy Lane reopened as an alternative route (rat run) through Nunthorpe .

Since the closure of Gypsy Lane the volume of traffic using the bypass has increased and the volume of traffic passing the schools on Guisborough Road has reduced significantly. This makes the vicinity around the schools safer.

We will continue to fight to ensure that the lane remains closed.

IAN SMITH

Chairman, Gypsy Lane Residents Road Safety Action Group

Gypsy Lane,

Nunthorpe.