ROAD safety campaigners have vowed to ‘battle on’ after Lancashire County Council refused to accept a petition to build a pedestrian crossing on the A59.

Thousands of vehicles pass through the busy main road in Gisburn every day where there is no crossing.

More than 500 people signed a petition in support of a campaign to create a pedestrian crossing on the A59 through Gisburn.

County Hall responded to the petition saying it has a ‘finite budget’ and because the road currently has a good safety record with no records of anyone being knocked down, it was not seen as a ‘priority’.

Cllr David Waters, who set up the Gisburn pedestrian crossing campaign, said he was disappointed by the response.

Mr Waters said: “It’s not what we wanted to hear.

“We do accept Lancashire County Council has finite resources but Gisburn residents pay over £200,000 a year in council tax and this is something they said they need.

“We appreciate that putting in a proper pedestrian crossing will cost between £20,000 to £50,000 but what price do you put on saving a life.

“We are trying to promote highway safety and prevent accidents and fatalities from happening in the first place.

“Some parents have said they won’t let their kids cross the road to see their school friends because it is too dangerous.

“We will keep campaigning and hopefully Lancashire County Council will find the resources to get the village what they really need to maintain highway safety.”

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, who has also lobbied for a pedestrian crossing in Gisburn, said: “I’m bitterly disappointed by the news.

“The A59 is a major trunk road through the village and massive amounts of traffic pass through it each day.

“Every day parents and children take the life in their own hands to cross the road and there needs to be a crossing where people can cross the road safely.

“There is a lot of people that can’t just dart across the road and end up taking unnecessary risks.

“I would like to see the police carry out an inspection to find out how safe the road really is.

“Having over 500 people sign the petition is pretty much everyone in the area who know what it’s like day to day."

“For Lancashire County Council this should only be a small amount of money they need to put into investing into something that will prevent fatalities.

“Something needs to be done about it.”

Mr Water has emailed Keith Iddon, the cabinet member for Highways and Transport on Lancashire County Council, to ask him to take a look at the petition submitted to County Hall.

Lancashire County Council was unavailable for comment.