Woodfield Primary School in Harrogate will benefit from £20,000 funding from the AJ1 Project Road Safety Fund – plus a further £8,500 from local County Councillor Paul Haslam as part of his locality grant.
The AJ1 Project is from the North Yorkshire Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner to support road safety projects across the county.
The project will include the review of the existing speed limit either side of the school, an upgrade to the existing crossing and beacons and barriers. Additional traffic calming measures will also be implemented. Elements of the work are expected to start in early 2021.
North Yorkshire County Council encourages children to walk or cycle to school. Introducing further safety measures at this location should enable families to facilitate this more easily.
The site is also home to the award-winning Bilton and Woodfield Library, which attracts people of all ages who will benefit from the safer road. This includes a large percentage of elderly people who use the library to access IT and the internet.
Jo Marwood, Headteacher at Woodfield Primary School. said: “This is great news for the pupils, families and wider community of Woodfield Primary School.
“Many of our families walk to school and have welcomed the news that the grant will help make Woodfield Road a safer place for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.”
Cllr Paul Haslam said: “The measures in place will be a great help to the school and library users alike – hopefully by making the road safer we can cultivate a more active environment for children too, where parents feel reassured.
“The measures will also be appreciated by anyone who uses the fantastic library on site. Although the grant and my contribution will go towards road safety measures, they should hopefully benefit the community in ways above and beyond that.
“I am grateful to the panel for awarding this and all the assistance I was given by North Yorkshire Highways in designing the scheme.
“I am also grateful to Councillors Matt Scott and Geoff Webber who supported my application.”
Cllr Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said: “This safety scheme represents excellent use of the proceeds of the number plate sale by North Yorkshire Police, and I am grateful to the Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner for her support, and to Cllr Haslam for providing a large part of his County Council Locality Budget to allow this project to proceed.”
