A SCHEME to improve safety and ease traffic congestion at a city's main education site should be approved, councillors have been told.

North Yorkshire County Council has drawn up a scheme to provide extra bus and car parking spaces on a site between Ripon College and Ripon Grammar School to overcome peak time traffic problems.

County highway chief Mike Moore recommends members of the planning committee approve the scheme, subject to a number of conditions, when they meet tomorrow.

The plan has been backed by Ripon City Council and there are no objections from the Environment Agency nor the highways department. But Harrogate Borough Council has tabled a protest, saying the scheme would adversely affect the residential amenity of 19 Clotherholme Road.

The borough council objected on grounds of lack of separation space from the car park. But despite being advertised, the scheme has not produced a single objection from the public. Residents at 19 Clotherholme Road were sent a letter about the plan by the county council.

Mr Moore said the area had an inadequate level of staff and visitor parking, which had knock-on effects of school bus space, access to the grammar school and nearby side streets.

The scheme includes lay out of hardstanding along the Clotherholme Road boundary, creating a formalised bus park and circulation area for six vehicles.