'OVER-THE-TOP' traffic calming measures outside another Ripon school have come under fire after the go-ahead was given – despite widespread local opposition.
The proposals for Quarry Moor Lane were only narrowly approved by the county council's Harrogate Area Committee at a meeting last Thursday, after heated debate about the type of speed humps being proposed.
A system of seven sets of speed cushions, f
rom the Safeway end to the junction with Balmoral Road, were proposed, along with other traffic calming measures including a speed table at the school crossing point, 20mph speed limit signing and automatic flashing warning lights.
While everyone agreed that something had to be done to slow down the speed of traffic passing Greystone Primary School – with 85 per cent of drivers reaching speeds of between 37 and 39 mph in the current 30mph zone – the proposed measures were branded as too severe by many councillors.
A similar scheme outside Moorside School has resulted in numerous complaints about the aggressiveness of speed cushions on Harrogate Road.
Mayor, Coun Bernard Bateman, and Coun Stuart Martin, who is a governor of the school and the chairman of the city council's School Safety Group, had wanted less violent speed tables to be installed, similar to those on Bondgate, rather than the speed cushions.
Ripon City Council had requested a footpath and a pelican crossing closer to the school, instead of speed bumps, but were told by county officers this would cost £30,000 – £20,000 was allocated for the 20mph-zone scheme.
Also objecting to the proposals was the Association of British Drivers, which said the length of road covered by the proposed 20mph speed limit was too long in relation to the school, and that it should only apply during the relevant school hours, which amounted to less than five per cent of the hours in the year.
Their regional representative, Peter Horton, said a simple traffic light-controlled crossing outside the school would be the ideal solution, and pointed out the many disadvantages of the seven speed bumps in terms of delays to emergency vehicles, damage to car suspensions and adverse safety aspects.
When it came to the vote, six were in favour of the proposals and six against, with the deciding vote in favour being cast by the chairman, Coun Cliff Wilson, of Boroughbridge.
But teachers, parents and children at Greystone School were delighted at the outcome.
Headteacher Jean Stevens said: "It's fantastic! I am really pleased and it's about time. We have had quite a considerable time without a crossing control person at the point near Deep Ghyll Walk and this has made our children more vulnerable."
She said they did not want a similar occurrence to the one in March this year, when pupil Chantal Whyte was struck by a car outside the school.
Mrs Stevens called at the time for the introduction of a 20mph speed limit and speed humps after the nine-year-old lost two front teeth and suffered bruising to her face.
And nearly 100 parents of children at the school signed a petition calling on North Yorkshire County Council "to establish traffic calming measures urgently outside the school to avoid similar accidents to that which happened to Chantal Whyte and prevent a fatality in the future."
Mrs Stevens said: "The cars really do speed down Quarry Moor Lane and the fact that the school is situated on a bend doesn't help. Yes, the speed humps on Harrogate Road are a pain, but it's a very worthwhile pain."
The city council may also still get the pelican crossing it requested – it has applied for £5,000 from the Village Safety Scheme and has also allocated a small amount from its budget for the crossing. Greystones governors have also pledged £1,000 towards it.
Work will take place on the Quarry Moor Lane traffic calming scheme over four weeks in February/March next year.
