TRAFFIC lights planned for a problem junction will not be carried out during the first phase of work on a town safety scheme.

Seventy per cent of residents and business people consulted about the plans for Bedale town centre backed the proposed four-way lights at the junction of Market Place, Sussex Street, South End and Bridge Street.

The scheme is one of a range of measures in Bedale's traffic management strategy proposed by the county council to improve safety and ease congestion.

The authority has £100,000 to spend annually over the next five years under the local transport plan.

Barrie Mason, traffic management and road safety manager, said that the council has £85,000 to spend on short term measures such as 40mph buffer zones, dropped kerbs and improved signs between now and the end the financial year in March.

But he warned that the cost of implementing the key traffic lights scheme could mean that the lights will not be installed for up to 18 months.

He said: "Something like this would obviously take longer to introduce, from a year to 18 months, depending on the progress of further detailed consultations with local people.

"Most of the measures in the strategy document received a lot of support from the public. It is difficult to prioritise."

A report on the strategy will go before the council's Hambleton Area Committee on November 28.

In the report, Mike Moore, director of environmental services, has recommended that the first phase of work be given the go-ahead.

He has also asked councillors to approve a contribution of £50,000 towards the cost of a footbridge over Bedale Beck.

The meeting takes place in Thirsk Town Hall, at 2pm.

The committee will also discuss plans to introduce a 40mph speed limit in Oak Tree Bank, between Knayton and Borrowby, near Thirsk. The road runs past Knayton Primary School.

Parish councillors called for the speed limit to be cut even further, from 60mph to 20 or 30, but Mr Moore said such a reduction would require traffic calming to be installed.

He said: "At the present time this location would be a low priority for funding for traffic calming measures due to its good safety record."