The volume of traffic on the main road through Colburn and Catterick Garrison is to be surveyed, following a meeting chaired by Rishi.
The Richmond and Northallerton MP called the meeting of key local decision-makers to discuss concerns that the A6136 may not be able to cope with increasing traffic as new housing and commercial developments are built in the future.
It was decided North Yorkshire Council would carry out or commission the survey of the existing traffic flows to help understand the extent of the present congestion through the two communities.
It was agreed to then look at a range of options to ‘future-proof’ the road. These could include a relief road or a series of measures to improve the existing road to increase its capacity and ability to deal with peak traffic flows.
Those attending the meeting included Cllr Kevin Foster, the North Yorkshire Council member for Colburn and Hipswell, and Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, who is also the member for Catterick Village and Brompton on Swale.
The meeting was also attended by the Catterick Garrison Commander Lt Col Charlie Anderson and senior members of the highways and planning teams at North Yorkshire Council. Lt Col Anderson outlined the changes in the number of Army units based at the Garrison in the coming years.
Rishi said: “We all agreed that we need to ‘future-proof’ the communities’ road network given the problems they currently face at times right now and mindful of the further developments that are coming down the track.
“An up-to-date traffic survey is the right place to start and I am grateful to the local councillor, Kevin Foster, for raising this with me initially and the supportive attitude of the North Yorkshire Council team and its leader, Carl Les.”
Cllr Les said: “Traffic on this road has been an issue for some time. The previous traffic survey done some 10 years ago showed that the majority of traffic was coming in to the centre for work or other activities, so it will be useful to confirm that, or not, with another survey before planning any mitigation.
“With the amount of housebuilding and other development being planned it may be possible to design in some relief measures, and of course we now have an elected Mayor and his office who were invited to this meeting, and they will have a part to play in any improvements.”
Cllr Foster, who earlier this year organised a petition calling for action to tackle congestion in his council area, welcomed the progress made at the meeting.
He added: "It was positive to sit down with Rishi, the Garrison Commander, and the Leader of North Yorkshire Council to discuss the ongoing pressures on our local road network.
“A shared consensus was that congestion on the A6136 needs an agreed plan to go forward, and that work must now continue to deliver practical solutions for residents, businesses and the military community.”
Cllr Foster presented his idea for a relief road running to the south of Colburn and the Garrison and there was also a discussion about measures that could be implemented in the short term to improve traffic flow.
Jayne Charlton, the area highways manager for North Yorkshire Council, said changes had been made to the traffic lights sequencing at Colburn Broadway and Cllr Foster agreed that had made a significant difference.
Karl Battersby, the council’s Corporate Director, Environment, said the council’s team would look at options once the up-to-date traffic survey had been completed.
The impact of congestion on the reliability of the main bus service through the Garrison and Colborn was also discussed. Rishi has written to the service operator, Arriva, seeking an update on plans to increase the frequency of the X26 and X27 routes.
