Pressure is mounting for action to be taken to improve road safety around schools in Harrogate.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has added his voice to calls for reduced speed limits and other measures.
It follows a collision on Thursday, February 2 outside Ashville College which saw two 15-year-old boys from Rossett School left with serious injuries.
Writing on his website, Community News, Mr Jones said he had written to the chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, Lisa Winward, to request immediate action.
He said he had called for mobile speed cameras to be deployed on Yew Tree Lane and Green Lane “as precautionary measures while the police investigate the cause of the accident”.
He has also asked Ms Winward to support traffic-calming measures around the area, including the introduction of 20mph zones outside the entrances to Rossett School and Ashville College.
He added:
“I have been supporting residents in the area for some time in their requests for the county council to work with the police to reduce speeds.
“While we do not yet know if speed was the cause of this incident, we do know that it is a real problem on the long straight roads near Rosset School (sic) and Ashville College.
“There is already a 20mph limit outside the Pannal Ash Road entrance to Rosset School (sic) but no obvious speed signage on Green Lane nor outside the entrance to Ashville on Yew Tree Lane. This seems odd and is something I would like the county council – who are the highways authority – to look at immediately.
“As a precaution too I have asked if police speed checks can be increased in the area while we await the outcome of the investigation. As soon as the investigation is completed any lessons must be identified and actions taken. Road safety around schools, all schools, is a priority.”
Meanwhile, a meeting last week saw 10 headteachers express their concerns to representatives of North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The meeting was chaired by Red Kite Learning Trust CEO Richard Sheriff and attended by the heads of Harrogate Grammar, Rossett, Rossett Acre, Ashville, Western, St Aidan’s, St John Fisher, Oatlands Infant and Oatlands Junior schools.
NYCC’s corporate director of business and environmental services, Karl Battersby, and highways area manager Melissa Burnham were also taken on a walking tour of the Oatlands area to see the problems and solutions proposed by local campaigners.
They also offered to do the same on Harlow Hill, and said they would report back with some proposals before Easter.
Dr Jenny Marks, who has spearheaded the campaign for changes for more than two years, told the Stray Ferret:
“It was very powerful that all the headteachers were there, and our councillors.
“The council representatives told us it was a difficult town to get changes in, but they definitely want to work with us on it.”
Read more:
- Accident reignites calls for safe routes to Harrogate schools
- Fundraiser for injured Rossett students passes £5,000 target
Councillors around the area have also been supporting the campaign, with two present at Wednesday’s meeting to back the schools’ concerns.
Cllr Mike Schofield, the Liberal Democrat representative for the Harlow and St George’s division of North Yorkshire County Council, said he has been backing the parents’ plans since the day he was elected.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“The tragic events of last week surely go to highlight the issues with the amount of traffic on our roads that are in very close proximity to four schools, one nursery and nursing homes. I know one of the two young men who were involved and get daily updates on their progress, which unfortunately could well be long and slow.
“If we really wish to promote active travel we need to ensure safer roads, safer crossings and safer footpaths. Council need to listen to local residents and have more meaningful and in-depth consultations and use local businesses when it comes to drawing up plans as they have greater knowledge and understanding of local issues.”
In the Oatlands area, parents have also been looking at measures including park-and-stride schemes using local car parks.
Parent Hazel Peacock, whose children attend Oatlands Infant and Junior schools, said they had had support from Cllr John Mann, the Conservative representative of the Oatlands division, who also attended the meeting.
Both he and Cllr Pat Marsh, the Lib Dem for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, had used some of their locality budgets to support the planned improvements.
Ms Peacock said she was hopeful NYCC would carry out improvements the footpath between Hookstone Road and Fulwith Mill Lane, to make it more usable even during winter months.
The Stray Ferret contacted Cllr Mann for his views, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
