As the current school year nears its close, the question of admissions to the town's secondary schools is once more at the forefront of parents' minds.

The policy of giving children from rural parts of the town priority over their urban counterparts has previously been described as unfair and unbalanced.

County Coun Jim Clark (Con, Harrogate Harlow), who last week took over as the regional authority's executive member for schools, announced a review of school admissions policy on his first day in the job.

He will meet with interested parties throughout the autumn term, reporting back to the council next February.

"I wanted to make this commitment as soon as I was appointed," he said.

"There is a perception that the current system is unfair to urban residents. There isn't an easy answer, but we will probably make changes and we want people to know that a timetable is now effective."

County Coun Geoff Webber (Lib Dem, Harrogate Bilton & Nidd Gorge), who like Coun Clark sits on both the borough and county authorities, said his party would support Coun Clark's work.

"We're very pleased that the council has recognised the importance of Harrogate by appointing a Harrogate member to the slot, and we're quite happy with the way things are going," he said.

But Coun Webber said the Lib Dems would like to see a quicker resolution.

"The Conservatives are looking to get this resolved by 2011, but we think it should be 2010," he said.