THE COUNTY Council has given a £50,000 traffic calming scheme the green light in a bid to cut accidents on a busy Rishton road.

Between January 1990 and August 1995 there were 49 accidents between Station Road and the paper mill, near Tottleworth Road.

County plans to narrow sections of the road with kerb outcrops, reduce the width of pelican and zebra crossings and introduce traffic islands. The bulk of the project will begin this summer.

Local councillor Harry Tootle welcomed the new scheme but added: "We need far more traffic calming in Station Road, which this scheme misses.

"The county council's reason for that is because there haven't been enough accidents yet but I can assure them that it is only a matter of time."

But Robin Field, of the Cycling Campaign for East Lancashire (CYCEL), said some of the measures were a threat to cyclists' safety.

He said: "Kerb outcrops and narrowing roads cause real problems for cyclists' safety and confidence.

"We are very concerned, especially if other schemes in Hyndburn - such as the cycle lanes in Harwood Road, Rishton - are anything to go by."

Dennis Golden, the county's highways and transportation committee chairman, said: "I realise that there are still many problem sites we need to tackle but the county council is committed to ensuring that the limited funds we receive from the government are used effectively."

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