A COMMUNITY leader today attacked plans to revamp a key junction on York's outer ring road.

Peter Vaughan, chairman of Huntington Parish Council, complained at a lack of consultation over the proposals to beat bottlenecks and improve safety at the busy Strensall roundabout.

He said City of York Council should have carried out more consultation with residents and parish councils.

He also claimed the scheme recommended by officers would fail to tackle the "urgent issue" of safety crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

"The ring road is very dangerous for anyone trying to cross who is not in a vehicle," he said.

The Evening Press reported last week how traffic consultants had carried out a study at the hotspot junction before four potential upgrades were included in a report to councillors.

Officers recommended a £500,000 scheme to add a new left lane linking Strensall Road to the A1237 and minor changes to existing entrances and exits.

But they did not back three more ambitious proposals, costing up to £1.75 million, to increase the size of the roundabout and introduce more lanes at the busy junction, which splits Earswick and Huntington.

Plans for a £500,000 subway under the road were also not supported by officers in the report, which states that merely widening the roundabout would not solve all gridlock woes.

Coun Vaughan said the parish council would now be calling for the issue to be deferred to allow residents to have a say and "to avoid wasting money".

He said: "We would rather see this done right than in haste."

Transport executive member, Coun Ann Reid, said consultation about the proposed scheme was on the cards.

She said: "We will be consulting. This was just the first report to gauge members' views.

"But nothing will proceed until we are sure of what the community would like to see happen."

Coun Reid has already told the Evening Press that upgrades at other hotspots on the outer ring road would be considered as part of the next Local Transport Plan.

Short-term improvements at Strensall qualify for funding now.

Updated: 08:40 Thursday, May 05, 2005