Funding to conduct research into how to reduce traffic at the Starbeck and Belmont level crossings could be approved this week.

North Yorkshire Council's Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee has £30,000 to spend on schemes to support economic growth.

Three schemes have been proposed: trialling a land train in Knaresborough, commissioning a mural near Harrogate train station and the Starbeck level crossing initiative. 

A council report recommends councillors accept the Knaresborough and Starbeck schemes when they meet on Thursday.

If they do, a sum of between £7,500 and £35,000 would be spent on installing equipment to monitor traffic and air pollution at the Starbeck and Belmont crossings.

A 2019 study on Starbeck level crossing found that during peak morning and evening times the gates remained shut for 35 minutes on average, causing long traffic delays.

The proposals would allow the council to gather accurate data on the crossing by installing ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras and also, potentially, air quality monitoring equipment.

The data gathering would lay the groundwork for future projects at the crossings aimed at improving traffic movement and working alongside rail operator Northern and National Rail to improve signalling infrastructure. 

The data would be used to optimise traffic signal timing, rerouting traffic or design alternative routes to tackle waiting times.

The project would cost £7,543 if one ANPR camera is installed at Starbeck, and up to £35,086 if a second ANPR camera is installed at Belmont crossing and air quality monitoring is undertaken at Starbeck.

Councillors will decide on Thursday whether to accept the council officer's recommendation to fund the Knaresborough and Starbeck schemes or support another option.