Councillors have called for urgent repairs to be made to a “deteriorated” road surface in Glusburn.

County councillor Philip Barrett (Ind) and parish councillor Patrick Hargreaves have criticised the state of a quarter-mile stretch of the A6068 between Hayfield Mill, occupied by Cirteq, and Glusburn Bridge.

Coun Barrett said: “In all my years as a local councillor I’ve never known this busy road to be in such a bad state of repair.

“The micro-asphalt surface has broken up and come off in large areas and has been deposited at the side of the road and all over the pavements. Ruts and hollows have appeared as the road continues to deteriorate.

“I’ve also received numerous complaints from residents who live near to it about noise nuisance caused by the uneven road surface from heavy goods vehicles that use this road day and night.”

Coun Hargreaves, vice chairman of Glusburn and Cross Hills Parish Council, said: “This section of the A6068 is battered by heavy traffic travelling east from the M65 into Yorkshire. Heavy freight trucks of up to 44 tons have literally ripped up the road surface as they negotiate bends in the road.

“The parish council has been told by the county council that in the present tight financial situation there are no funds available for improvements and repairs.

“This doesn’t explain why this section of road has been allowed to deteriorate into its present appalling state when maintenance to other parts of the highway had been undertaken before the cuts and is continuing elsewhere.

“It’s galling for us to see small improvements being made extensively to other parts of North Yorkshire’s highways, much of which we suspect is related to a certain forthcoming cycle race. It’s ironic to even see lay-bys being newly surfaced on the A59.

“While we welcome the attendant publicity and potential income for Yorkshire businesses through the coming of Le Tour, we feel like second-class citizens in our parish with our broken highway.”

Coun Barrett has been in talks with county highways at Northallerton since last summer to try to secure funding for repairs.

He said: “While I fully understand the unprecedented central government financial cuts facing the county council and the resultant diminishing budgets, I’m very concerned that this road surface is now bordering on dangerous.”

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council highways said: “The A6068 at Glusburn is a 500-yard section of the 400-mile-long category 3a road network and does not yet meet the condition criteria associated with resurfacing.

“The road condition data does acknowledge a decline in condition and this stretch of road is likely to be a contender for funding in 2016/17 given no rapid failure in the interim.

“In terms of reactive maintenance, the county council will continue to keep the roads safe and will undertake periodic sweeping to remove loose debris from the road surface.”

The matter will be discussed when the Craven Area Committee meets at Hellifield Institute today.