SPEED restrictions have been approved to complement a scheme to provide children in Kettlewell with a safe route to school.

Members of North Yorkshire County Council's area highways committee voted to introduce a 30mph speed limit on the B6160 road.

The proposal will complement a safety scheme being put together by the county council with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

One of the initiatives is to provide a walkway along the busy road from the village to the school - a distance of 500 metres.

The council had originally sought to provide a footway through the fields, but land-owners were not willing to allow the footway on their land. Work will therefore start on an alternative plan to mark off a 1.2 metre strip along the roadside.

Area traffic manager Bill Isherwood told members: "This is a particularly unusual situation in that the primary school is located approximately 500 metres outside the village along a B class road with no footways.

"The proposed safety/traffic calming scheme will significantly change drivers' perception of the road."

Coun Shelagh Marshall asked that motorists were given prior warning of any footway.

She said: "It's the only piece of straight road between Kettlewell and Buckden and people have a tendency to overtake on it."

However, some members thought more pressure should be put on landowners to co-operate with original proposals.

Coun Tom Mould said: "It's this kind of situation where we should want to overrule the landowner. Why should these children not have a safe place to walk.?"

Coun Mike Doyle said: "If we can produce a safe route for children, let's do so instead of cluttering the road up with signs."

Kettlewell Primary School headteacher Roz Macdonald told the Herald she welcomed the progress on the scheme.

She added she appreciated the dilemma faced by at least five landowners who were asked to allow access to their land and the associated problems which could be a result such as building stiles.

She said: "Though many of the children are brought to school by car, the whole school travels on foot along the road down to the village hall each Friday to take part in various activities.

"If it was possible to have a safe footpath running through the fields alongside the road it would be much better for the children," she said.

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