Sir, – After waiting for very many years, and after numerous minor collisions and some serious accidents, including fatalities, improvements were finally made to the Tree Bridge junction, where the road from Great Ayton, the B1292, joins the Stokesley/Middlesbrough road, the A172, by the construction of a roundabout. North Yorkshire County Council is to be congratulated for this (long overdue) improvement.

However, the safety aspect is severely marred by two high hedges at this corner. When travelling from Great Ayton on the B1292 the visibility of approaching traffic on the A172 from Poole’s roundabout, to which the B1292 must give way, is obscured by the height of the hedge along the A172.

Similarly, the A172 traffic cannot see traffic on the B1292 because of this high hedge and a similar one on the A172. In both cases visibility of oncoming traffic is not possible until almost at the junction of both roads.

This constitutes a hazard, especially to the B1292 drivers, since, sadly, traffic approaching roundabouts (ie A172 drivers) does not always slow down these days if there is no traffic approaching them from their right. This problem will become worse as the summer progresses when the hedge spreads into full growth. It is understood from County Coun J Fletcher that there had been other comments and the highways department had visited to inspect.

Its view was that there was no problem.

This is not a satisfactory answer.

One of the major reasons for the installation of a roundabout at this junction was that was that visibility and speeding traffic were the major causes of accidents. For very many years Great Ayton had been given the excuse that serious accident figures did not justify improvements.

It would appear that the same reasoning as this, formulated from filling in their silly little tick boxes instead of using local knowledge, common sense and experience, is again being used.

They should look back and examine the reasons which justified the installation of the roundabout and apply these factors.

The good work in installing the roundabout is in danger of being marred by the present intransigent and incompetent attitude.

As it stands, the present situation presents a scenario of accidents just waiting to happen.

Highways should take another careful look at the situation before, not after, such accidents occur.

R L LAPPIN Wainstones Close, Great Ayton.