HIGHWAY bosses are being told to look again at allowing worried villagers to buy their own speed signs after protests from communities.

Councillors claimed parishes were “screaming from the rooftops” over the restrictions which mean Vehicle Activated Speed signs can only be put up through a scheme run by North Yorkshire highways.

But safety officers warned the system is there to protect lives with concern that proliferation of the signs makes them less effective.

Cllr Angus Thompson told members of the Transport Scrutiny committee the signs which are made in Richmond could be bought for £2,500. If parishes go through the council’s system which operates 30 temporary signs on a rota basis, communities pay £3,500 for 18-weeks a year over four years.

Permanent signs are erected in high risk areas where there have been deaths or injuries at no cost. Cllr Thompson said: “I have yet to be at a meeting where it doesn’t come up. We are wasting money, why can’t we be more progressive and relax the rules, we can do better as communities than the county is doing.”

Cllr Stanley Lumley said: “Prevention is better than cure, to get one of these installed permanently we have to have a death or injury. They have them in every village on the continent. I have no problem with proliferation, I think it would be a benefit.”

Cllr John McCartney said people had given up reporting accidents because the police wouldn’t turn up unless there was an injury.

“If you go on the A19 there’s a speed wagon because it’s a cash cow, there is a real sad change to what is happening with speed cameras in North Yorkshire. There is huge frustration, so people are looking at these vehicle activated signs and thinking we could do something and be seen to be doing something.”

Cllr Caroline Patmore added: “Most of us will have had representations from villages asking us to do something about this, it is important we listen to the people.”

Cllr David Jeffells added: ”These signs do work and the county council is criticised when they are only there for a short time.”

Safety officer Allan McVeigh said the main issues were safety and data and there were real concerns proliferation led to the signs being less effective.

“Ultimately the bottom line is people’s lives and I think the current protocol is appropriate,” he added.

Members recommended a review and a report on the costs of the signs.