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Nov
Harrogate mum's fears for children's safety due to 'dangerous' roadworks
Schoolchildren are being put in danger by roadworks that effectively cut a Harrogate school off from the town centre, according to the mother of two of the school’s pupils.
Alex Vere, whose children are in years 7 and 11 at Ashville College, told the Stray Ferret she was “fuming” after it took her 55 minutes this morning to drive from her home in central Harrogate to Hornbeam Park, via the independent school.
According to the AA's Routeplanner website, the quickest route for this journey should take 14 minutes by car.
Ms Vere said:
Every single route to Ashville College is blocked by roadworks. There are roadworks on Valley Drive, the top of Cold Bath Road is cut off, Otley Road is carnage, Wharfedale Avenue is closed, and so are Pannal Ash Drive and the top of Green Lane. Tell me how this makes sense.
I'm beyond angry. If there was a fire at Ashville or Rossett, it would be catastrophic. What if a child needed an ambulance? Have the emergency services been informed of the state of the situation?
The Stray Ferret put this question to the police, fire and ambulance services.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said that the works contractor or their traffic management agency would be responsible for ensuring emergency access, and that they were "not aware of any issues".
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said:
We are aware of these roadworks, as we are kept informed of all roadworks and communicate these to local crews as appropriate to make them aware.
If required, fire crews will visit the site of the roadworks to make sure any diversions are appropriate for our emergency vehicles to get through.
Where North Yorkshire Council install full road closures they always look to maintain emergency vehicle access. Where this is not possible they directly inform us and contingency plans are put in place.
According to North Yorkshire Council’s online roadworks map, which is regularly updated, Northern Gas Networks is currently replacing a section of the gas main on Cold Bath Road, and the work is due to finish on Friday next week (November 22).
It is also carrying out repair and maintenance works on Wordsworth Crescent and on Otley Road, where it has deployed temporary traffic lights, due to be removed on Wednesday (November 20).
Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Council crews are repairing Pannal Ash Road, and have diverted traffic along Richmond Avenue and Arthurs Avenue, which joins Otley Road at the Cold Bath Road junction – right where Northern Gas Networks is currently at work. This work is scheduled to end this Saturday.
Approaching Ashville College from the south, there are temporary traffic lights on Yew Tree Lane until next Friday (November 22), courtesy of North Yorkshire Council, and roadworks on Whinney Lane related to the new housing development there. These are due to finish on Tuesday, November 26, according to the council’s online map.
North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager, Melisa Burnham, said:
We hold regular meetings with utility companies to review planned works to reduce disruption as much as possible and avoid clashes.
An essential resurfacing scheme is currently taking place on Pannal Ash Road, which will benefit all road users.
Unfortunately, Northern Gas Network (NGN) has had to extend its works, meaning they are overlapping.
The diversion from Arthurs Avenue to Otley Road is the most logical route, and at this time there will inevitably be more traffic in this area.
NGN is due to complete its works by November 22. In the meantime, we ask the public for their patience.
Ms Vere said that whoever was responsible for the timing of so many roadworks simultaneously, it demonstrated "catastrophically bad planning". She added:
I’m not a complainer – I usually suck it up when there are roadworks – but this beggars belief. What on earth do they think they’re doing?
The Stray Ferret has contacted Northern Gas Networks to ask what steps were taken to coordinate the works and minimise disruption.
[This story was amended on November 21 to include the quote from North Yorkshire Council.]
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