Sir, – While I am a huge supporter of the Leeming-Bedale bypass I am very concerned about the expected traffic chaos on the A684.

Each morning and afternoon, I take and collect my grandchildren to school and nursery in Leeming and Bedale via Low Street and come out on the roundabout at Simply Dutch to avoid having to make a right turn onto the A684 at the bottom of Station Lane from Scruton.

If I understand things correctly, I will have no choice but to do this. This is a very dangerous manoeuvre and with the expected increase of traffic doing the same – after the Low Street closure – I am relying on the Highways Agency to ensure that its introduces some contingency measures – e.g. traffic lights – to prevent the very real possibility of accidents happening.

Also, if any accidents or traffic jams occur on the nearby A1 and vehicles come off the motorway and through Kirby Fleetham and then Scruton there is no way these narrow country lanes could cope as some of them are only wide enough for one vehicle. Can you imagine the huge juggernauts that could be trying to negotiate these lanes?

I can understand our local farmers’ frustration which was highlighted on your front page on November 7. I and others in Scruton village fear the county council is not considering the wider picture and drawing up contingency plans to deal with the above issues. At previous meetings with members of the council we came away with the impression that they were not interested in our concerns which we had raised about the impact this work will have on the village and surrounding villages.

I am also concerned that the cost of the bypass has been reduced dramatically, and wonder why – hopefully quality has not been sacrificed and the contract just awarded to the cheapest tender.

J MCGUCKIN

Scruton, Northallerton.