In September last year, North Yorkshire Council announced a ‘landmark’ road safety scheme to make children travelling to and from seven Harrogate schools safer.

The first line of the council press release said: ‘New speed limits will be introduced outside a series of schools in Harrogate under plans for North Yorkshire’s largest ever 20mph zone.’

Thirteen months later, no such zone exists — and progress appears to have gone into reverse.

Last month, the council sent a vague and confusing email to residents in west Harrogate saying there would be a “further detailed review of future measures” and then this month it began resurfacing Pannal Ash Road and Green Lane.

Resurfacing two of the key roads earmarked for traffic calming would not make sense if they had to be dug up again soon to create speed bumps, which has left residents wondering whether the much-vaunted zone will ever happen.

The Stray Ferret met mothers Hazel Peacock and Dr Jenny Marks and Rossett School headteacher Tim Milburn this week to discuss the campaign to make streets safer around Harrogate Grammar School, St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Rossett School, Ashville College, Rossett Acre Primary School, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infants School.

Ms Peacock, who lives in Oatlands, and Dr Marks, who lives on Pannal Ash Road, belong to the Oatlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign. Mr Milburn is among the headteachers keen to see traffic calmed on streets that transport 9,000 children each school day.

When we met outside Rossett School, on Green Lane, the frustration was clear — so was the message.

Dr Marks, who lives on Pannal Ash Road, said:

Widespread support

The 20mph zone was formally approved in December last year after years of lobbying. Surveys and consultations were conducted in spring and traffic calming was due to take place during the school summer holidays.

The council even highlighted the scheme in its attempt to upgrade its active travel rating. It told Active Travel England it was “the most significant 20mph zone the council has ever introduced” and would mean “thousands of children can enjoy safer journeys each day”. It concluded: “This positive action by North Yorkshire Council leadership leads the way for other communities across North Yorkshire.”

Active Travel England, however, continued to grade North Yorkshire Council one out of four — the equal lowest of all local authorities.

A consultation revealed 61% of residents supported speed reduction so council engineer Paul Ryan’s email on September 26 saying the delayed road resurfacing would go ahead without traffic calming came as a crushing blow.

Mr Ryan wrote: “Whilst there is generally broad support for the introduction of the speed cushions, officers consider that further detailed review of future measures associated with the aforementioned West Harrogate Parameters Plan and their impact upon the current scheme proposals needs to be undertaken.”

Head's 'grave concerns'

Ms Peacock, who has raised the matter at numerous council meetings in recent years, has now written to council chief executive Richard Flinton requesting an urgent meeting. Her email highlights “significant concerns relating to delivery, delays, transparency, process and considerations of equality and inclusion for protected groups”.

The campaigners also hope to meet Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith soon.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, said in an email on October 6 “there is no change of plan” and “we are continuing to progress the introduction of 20mph limits in all locations previously suggested”.

He said speed reduction measures were still planned for Beckwith Road, Yew Tree Lane, Pannal Ash Road, Green Lane and Whinney Lane but “we need to undertake work to ensure suitable engineering measures are introduced” and “we also need to ensure that we take time to follow legal, statutory processes and consider any objections that may arise”.

The only mechanism for speed reduction in the rest of the zone will only be signs.

Two children were seriously injured in a crash on Yew Tree Lane last year and there was another serious incident involving a child in Oatlands. Ms Peacock wants Hookstone Road and Hookstone Drive to be included in the traffic calming as so many pupils use the road.

Mr Milburn said:

Cllr John Mann, a conservative who represents Oatlands and Pannal Ash on the council, got in touch to say: "This work needs to be done urgently and a date needs to be set."

Most people, it seems, want the work to happen. But whether it will ever be delivered remains unknown.