RESIDENTS concerned about the impact of improvements to the A1 have welcomed measures to discourage drivers using their village as a rat run.

The Highways Agency (HA) has agreed to add a so-called dog leg into a new road layout near the village of Tunstall.

Officials acted after residents' concerns were raised with Richmond MP William Hague, who in turn discussed the issue with the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin.

The dog leg was first suggested in November 2013 as a measure to reduce the attraction of the road through Tunstall as a route to avoid the A 6136 into Catterick Garrison.

This idea was dismissed earlier this year in favour of a wider and straighter eight metre road up to the village, however the HA has now agreed to include the measure.

Martin Richardson, chairman of Tunstall Parish Council, said: “We are really pleased that democracy has won and the sensible option has been adopted.

"We have our county councillor Carl Les to thank for keeping the pressure on the county council and the intervention of William Hague for putting our views to the Secretary of State for Transport.

"Whilst we do not think that Tunstall’s traffic problems will be solved by this, it will prevent things getting worse with cars approaching the village at higher speeds."

However, Mr Richardson added: "The problem remains the inadequacy of the A6136 to serve the largest military garrison in Europe and with increased traffic associated with all the new houses and retail development that is taking place.

"We just hope that drivers will stay on the A1 until the new Catterick central junction and not see the road through Tunstall as a short cut to the garrison.”

Cllr Les said the use of the dog leg section could have been challenged if someone had objected to the modification.

He said: "Thankfully nobody came forward with anything that was meaningful and it looks as if this is going ahead - the residents of Tunstall are delighted.

"I was very pleased that the Highways Agency and the Department for Transport were prepared to listen."

A Highways Agency spokeswoman said the Highways Agency was able to publish a suggested change to the road layout after discussions with North Yorkshire County Council to address local concerns.

"Now that the statutory process has been completed, the revised road realignment will be constructed as part of the upgrading of the A1 to a motorway,” she added.