Campaigners want traffic lights and sound installed to allow people to cross safely at the England Springs crossing at Woodmansey, on the outskirts of Beverley.

But Network Rail and East Riding Council favour a bridge – reportedly costing £10m - which could take at least until 2024 to build.

The crossing, which was closed without notice last month, was used by around 100 people a day, and anyone wanting to cross now faces a long walk to Flemingate in the town.

The crossing is used by more than 100 people a day

Members of the Open England Springs Rail Crossing Facebook Group and Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart want traffic lights and sound installed.

A meeting has been organised with Network Rail at the site on February 4. Mr Stuart said: “Yorkshire used to be a byword for common sense – but I don’t see much of it going on at England Springs at the moment. This crossing shouldn’t have been closed without notice, and this crossing shouldn’t be closed indefinitely."

Network Rail, which manages around 6,000 crossings, said last month that the risk of crossing had reached "intolerable" levels following a spate of incidents, including a "non-suspicious" fatality in October 2022 and a near miss in November 2022.

A camera put up at the crossing in September showed that "vulnerable" users with sight or hearing problems were distracted by building work on a new estate adjacent to the bridleway.

The England Springs crossing which was closed without warning last month

Network Rail said: "An emergency closure had to be undertaken to protect the general public and train staff alike."

But Sue Crowther of the Open England Springs Facebook Group said the closure was “a nonsense” and “only hurts people who are trying to get to work, take their kids to school or get to the shops”.

She said: “We can cross a crossing without being distracted by a building site – and so many people depend on this crossing for our daily routine." Ward councillor David Elvidge added: "There's a growing number of residents who are very irate about it - my inbox is overrun with comments.

"Whatever makes it safe for residents is what we want. It has to be affordable - but safety comes first."

East Riding Council was approached for comment.

The council said last month they were in the "very early stages of working on a detailed design" for the new bridge. They were also still looking at how the bridge will be funded.

MP backs calls to reopen level crossing near Beverley as complaints grow about emergency closure