Keswick has been insulted by suggestions that the town may attempt to “skew” an upcoming traffic survey to win a pedestrian crossing for schoolchildren.
County council highways officials are close to carrying out a major survey of vehicle and pedestrian movements on High Hill in response to demands from parents and councillors for a crossing.
But in an email seen by the Reminder, a Workington-based highways chief refused to tell a Keswick town councillor the date the survey would take place because public disclosure could see the results nobbled.
The officer said in the email: “I am not prepared to disclose when this will be taking place, as we have previously had attempts to skew the results.”
Cllr David Burn, of Keswick Town Council, said he had simply wanted to ensure the survey did not take place during half-term when there would be no schoolchildren trying to cross.
Cllr Burn said: “I was a little bit miffed. It is a little bit insulting to suggest we might try to rig something. From what they have said, they have obviously had attempts in the past where someone has whipped up a frenzy to get whatever it is they want. It’s a bit galling they are suggesting that of us.
“I have dealt with county highways for a number of years and they know me and I did think it was a bit insulting to be frank.”
Originally, the highways official would only say it planned to do the assessment “over the coming weeks and during term time”.
The county council has now confirmed to the Reminder that the survey will take place before October half term.
But Cllr Burn is not convinced that this time of year will accurately demonstrate the dangers faced by schoolchildren running the gauntlet to and from Keswick School.
Cllr Burn does not want the county council to base its conclusions on results which do not reflect the heavy traffic levels the town often sees.
Cllr Burn said: “We don’t want it to happen in the quiet time of the year when the traffic’s died down and we obviously don’t want it to happen at half term because the schoolchildren will not be there. All we want is to try and reflect normal conditions where it’s a busy stretch of road with kids trying to cross for various reasons.”
He said: “I wanted to make sure it happened at an optimum time to demonstrate what the norm is for that location. The traffic is quietening off because of the time of year it is and if the assessment does not provide the answers we expect it to provide, can we have the assessment in spring.”
However, the county council has said a second study would require the committee sanctioning the go-ahead.
Cllr Burns said: “The assessment needs to be done at a time that is truly representative of traffic conditions.
“It may be that this isn’t the best time of the year to do it anyway, it could be next spring.”
The study was ordered after Keswick mum-of-two Sue McCauley presented a petition to a meeting on September 1 with more than 1,100 signatories.
