MORE than a quarter-of-a-million pounds is to be spent improving the roads around Selby and Sherburn-in-Elmet.

The cash has been pledged to the area by North Yorkshire County Council as part of a package of highways improvements in the two town centres.

The cash will be used to improve junctions in Portholme Road, Station Road and the A1041 in Selby and to improve vehicular access to the bus and railway stations in a project that will cost £142,000.

It is also expected that Tesco will contribute a further £100,000 after submitting a planning application to revamp its store in Portholme Road.

In Sherburn-in-Elmet, £56,000 will be used to build a new pedestrian crossing in the centre of the village to improve safety and access.

The investment in the crossing will also help in securing Yorkshire Forward funding of £1.5 million for the redevelopment of the centre.

Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire County Council’s corporate director for business and environmental services, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide funding for these key transport projects which will help to improve town centre facilities significantly in Selby and Sherburn for both residents and visitors alike.”

The projects are part of a county-wide plan to spend an extra £18 million over the next three years to improve transport and highways maintenance across North Yorkshire.

The money is being given to the county council by the Regional Transport Board for schemes that are deemed to be a priority.

The first tranche of cash has already been approved and the second tranche of £9 million is expected to be confirmed by the Government later this summer.

The county council has already earmarked £3 million of the second tranche of cash for “priority highway maintenance schemes” across the county which it says will be allocated according to where there is most need and best value.

A further £300,000 is to be spent on new monitoring equipment for the swift repair of traffic lights across the county.