PLANNING officers are calling for 50 miles of the A1 between Barton and Bramham, in West Yorkshire, to be upgraded to three-lane motorway standard.

Hambleton council, the administrative area of which includes 13 miles of the A1 between Dishforth and Leeming, has become one of the first local authorities to respond to consultations on a safety study of the road by consultants Halcrow for the Highways Agency and the Government Office at Leeds.

The study, the results of which were announced last month, involved an analysis of accident records and discussions with organisations and communities with an interest in the A1.

Upgrading to motorway standard was one of only several improvements suggested in their final report by Halcrow, which offered no preferred option or recommendation.

Halcrow identified room for low-cost non-motorway improvements which were estimated at £840,000 and included closing central reservation gaps and minor junction alterations. Medium-cost options estimated at £9.1m included a flyover at Rainton crossroads and traffic signals at Scotch Corner roundabout.

Halcrow said, however, that high-cost upgrading to motorway standard would bring important benefits which could not be achieved by less expensive local safety engineering measures.

Two separate motorway schemes originally proposed for the 24-mile section between Dishforth and Barton were removed from the national road programme in 1996 after millions of pounds had been spent on surveys, designs and public consultations.

Mr Steve Quartermain, head of planning and environmental services at Hambleton, said all of Halcrow's suggestions made positive contributions to improving A1 safety and should be supported.

There was clear evidence, however, that upgrading to motorway standard would produce the best safety benefits, although low-cost improvements should be implemented in the interim period.

Mr Quartermain said an upgrade would revive the opportunity for a new junction at Leeming Bar.