Scarborough Council is looking to invest £90,000 in putting traffic lights at the blackspot at the busy Scalby Road junction with Green Lane and Throxenby Lane by October.

Scalby Road forms part of the A171, one of the main approaches from the north into the town centre, handling more than 8,500 vehicles a day at peak times out of season, with that figure rising by about 25 per cent during the summer.

There is a history of minor accidents at the junction, dating back to the 1960s, both on the side roads and involving vehicles pulling out of Green Lane and Throxenby Lane onto the main road.

Every year for at least the last 10 years, Newby and Scalby Parish Council has called for either a roundabout or a set of traffic signals be installed so traffic can move more smoothly around the junction, which is also busy with pedestrians and cyclists, particularly during the school run.

Head of Technical Services John Riby said: "There are almost 3,500 turning movements on the A171 at this junction, into and out of the side roads during the course of an average day.

"The perceived problems arise at times of peak demand when drivers on the side roads have to act quickly to enter the main road when a gap appears in the main flows in both directions."

A roundabout had been ruled out because the number of underground phone lines, pipes and other infrastructure in the area would make building difficult.

There was also concern that a roundabout could make things worse by giving too much priority to vehicles pulling out from the side roads, whereas lights would smooth the main stream of traffic down Scalby Road and also provide gaps for drivers to pull out.

There would also be a crossing time for pedestrians. Mr Riby added: "Elderly pedestrians have particular difficulties crossing Scalby Road, because of the volume of traffic, and Green Lane because of the queues of traffic waiting to turn out onto Scalby Road. Crossing
between stationary vehicles is always potentially dangerous."