Council urged to review Cinder Track’s safety as school route after ‘high-speed collision between cyclists’

Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, said the accident occurred on a 2.26-mile stretch of the route on which “North Yorkshire Council expects children from Stainsacre to walk to the newly-named Whitby School”.

She added that she was “deeply concerned that young children walking to school will be mixed up with high-speed cyclists” when the Whitby secondary schools merger takes effect in September, after Eskdale School closes – and said that the council had not adequately taken the safety of children into account when declaring it “suitable for children to walk”.

Ms Hume said: “The collision happened just before the Larpool viaduct when two cyclists travelling at quite a lick were involved in a tangle.

"Fortunately, an ambulance attended within minutes and it appeared neither men were injured, although one suffered a concussion.”

It comes as councillors on the Scarborough and Whitby area planning committee are set to approve a plan that would widen and tarmac the Cinder Track between Burniston and Cloughton.

Residents have raised concerns about potential safety concerns regarding high-speed cyclists on the improved track.

A Cloughton resident, Mr Spink, said: “The introduction of a Tarmacked surface will cause many more problems, as cyclists are sure to increase the speed at which they travel.

“The majority of cyclists treat walkers and dogs with respect but this will not be so in the future.”

The Cinder Track runs between Scarborough and Whitby and forms part of the National Cycle Network Route 1 and the European North Sea Cycle Route.

Commenting on the part of the track that saw the accident take place, Ms Hume added that it was “pot-holed, untreated in winter, surrounded by trees, streams and woodland” and that it was “blighted by anti-social behaviour at the Whitby end in an area with patchy mobile phone signal”.

She added: “I completely understand why Stainsacre families are so concerned and call for the council to review their decision.”

North Yorkshire Council has been contacted for a comment.