Concerns shared over pupil walking route safety

The Cinder Track cycle and walking route starts near Caedmon College in Whitby

Concerns have been raised about a ruling that deemed a route with little street lighting "safe" for pupils walking to school.

A section of the Cinder Track, which links Stainsacre and Caedmon College in Whitby, was recently assessed by North Yorkshire Council.

The evaluation found that, despite a lack of lighting, it was safe for children when “accompanied as necessary”.

At a council meeting on Friday, the authority was asked to make safety improvements to the walking and cycling route.

Scarborough and Whitby Area Constituency Committee heard from councillors, who asked about the assessment criteria.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said councillor Subash Sharma questioned the definition of "reasonable" in the evaluation.

Mr Sharma said: "Personal safety isn’t something that you take into account but it’s the one thing everybody is very concerned about as a parent.”

The council’s "safe walk route assessor" defended the assessment, which is based on national guidance.

The route between Stainsacre and Caedmon College crosses the Larpool Viaduct

An officer said: “There is no expectation that children will walk or that they will walk alone, and clearly it is a decision for the parents to make the most suitable arrangements for their child to get to school."

The meeting heard the assessment covered “the relationship between the pedestrian and traffic" rather than other factors connected to the route.

Councillor Heather Phillips told the meeting: “I think I would rather my child walk on the Cinder Track than next to a road because there is less conflict with traffic.”

After the closure of Eskdale School, more children would be walking towards Caedmon College via the Cinder Track, the meeting heard.

Councillor Neil Swannick suggested it would be "very useful" to consider walking buses, where parents take turns to walk pupils to school.

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