Sowerby Road one-way scheme to end...

The “temporary” one way system in force on Sowerby Road in Thirsk since 2023 is to end. North Yorkshire Council has confirmed that the signage and the concrete chicane will be removed during May and the former two-way working will resume.

The one-way scheme was originally put in place because work is to be done to the roundabout at the Town End junction of Sowerby Road, Topcliffe Road and Station Road.

The reason given for making the order was that it would reduce the number of sets of temporary traffic lights needed during the works. A date for those works to begin has never been fixed, it appears.

The order was made, and then extended, by over 500 days, using the powers given to the local authority under the Road Traffic Regulation Act of 1984. Those powers were designed to allow for temporary road closures when works make it necessary.

I have doubted whether the preconditions for extending the order were ever there.

On reflection one might say that the making and then the 500-plus day extension of the order was a massive sledgehammer to crack a rather small and temporary nut.

While the scheme has been in place, extra traffic has been sent past every one of the four schools in Sowerby – that is nearly 2,000 children – and this added to the extra delays on Topcliffe Road last year and again at present because of major drainage and gas works.

The alternative was to edge gingerly through the steel and concrete obstacles put in place to protect the historic bridge on Blakey Lane, then onto York Road and into town via Finkle Street.















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