Whitby Town Council has expressed concern about the safety of walk-to-school routes along the Cinder Track.
It comes as North Yorkshire Council has ruled out providing school transport for some students saying the walking routes are safe.
North Yorkshire Council has said that a school walking route from Stainsacre to Caedmon College Whitby is safe for children.
After parents raised concerns, the council conducted an assessment to evaluate whether a walking route from Stainsacre to Whitby was appropriately safe for children going to school.
North Yorkshire Council has concluded that the route via the Cinder Track is a safe walk to school for children when “accompanied as necessary”.
The authority added that as a result, it was not required to assist children living in Stainsacre with free travel.
Concerns were raised last November and the issue was brought up again at a council meeting in March.
The national guidance used by the council requires that the shortest route can be used in “reasonable safety accompanied as necessary” and that it is less than three miles.
It states: “A route would not fail to qualify as available because of dangers which would arise if the child was unaccompanied.”
The absence of street lighting on a route is also “not considered to be a factor”.
The route assessed by the council goes via the Cinder Track which is the former railway line between Scarborough and Whitby.
It runs between the two towns and passes through several villages including Stainsacre.
A report by the council concludes that “assistance with free travel to children living in Stainsacre will not be required to be provided”.
However, parents or guardians could appeal the council’s decision.
The report also notes that assistance would be provided to any child who could “not be reasonably expected to walk to school because of special educational needs, disability, or mobility problems” even if their parent accompanied them.
Whitby town council says it has written to North Yorkshire to express it's concerns following questions raised at the annual town assembly and says it has been informed that the issue will be discussed at a meeting of North Yorkshire Council's Executive Committee on July 16th.
The Town Council says:
"If you wish to ask a question or make a statement at the meeting, then a copy of your question or statement must be submitted by 12noon on Tuesday 9 July 2024 to elizabeth.jackson@northyorks.gov.uk . The question or statement should be no longer than 3 minutes in length."
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