CALLS have been made to improve safety for cyclists in a busy road after a woman was killed last year.

Susan Smith, 55, was part way through a 124-mile ride along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal when the fatal accident happened in Skipton Road, Colne, on September 21.

Pendle Council, Lancashire County Council and the police have recently conducted a site visit to see if a cycle path can be installed parallel to the road.

But highways bosses have ruled the path is too narrow and would not meet the funding criteria.

County Hall has promised to re-surface the road soon, however.

Miss Smith, from Wallasey, Merseyside, who was a manager at Marks and Spencer, had organised the ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Her inquest was held last month in which coroner Richard Taylor recorded a conclusion that she died in a road traffic accident and that the lorry driver was not to blame.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the fundraising target of £515 shot to more than £2,500, with many donations coming from people in the Pendle area.

Cllr Paul White, who represents the area on both the county and borough councils, said: “I would support any new measure that would increase safety along that road.

“It’s a difficult area because of the nature of the carriageway but I hope the councils are able to revisit this issue in the near future.”

However, fellow Boulsworth councillor Sarah Cockburn-Price said: “It will be very hard to introduce safety measures for cyclists as the road was not built with them in mind.

“It’s so old that the planners would not have even thought about lorries as they did not exist.

“Every new road is now planned with all of this in mind.”

Details of the site visit were discussed at a recent meeting of the borough council’s traffic liaison committee.

The minutes read said: “Following the cyclist fatality last year a site visit was carried out by the county council, Pendle Council and the police with regard to the development of a cycle path running parallel to the carriageway.

“Unfortunately the width of the path is insufficient for shared use (pedestrian/cycle) and would not meet the funding criteria.

“It was noted however that the carriageway is to be re-surfaced shortly.”

Also at the meeting, speeding in Every Street, Nelson, was discussed.

The meeting was told the area is not in the 20mph warning sign scheme as there is traffic calming measures in the area.

However, if money becomes available, the borough and county councils will work together to get the scheme introduced in the area in a bid to stop speeding cars.

The the 40mph zone in Belbrook Road, Salterforth, is also being reconsidered because of speeding concerns.