THE FUTURE of a much-needed extension for a Northallerton school was thrown into doubt on Monday after town councillors expressed concerns over road safety during the building work.

North Yorkshire County Council plans to start work on a two-storey extension to the Applegarth primary school later this month.

But a row erupted at Northallerton Town Council's amenities committee meeting on Monday night over proposals to send eight-ton trucks across the Applegarth car park while the work is carried out.

The contractors, Moody Brothers of Northallerton, want to transport rubble from the prison's old perimeter wall to use in the development. They plan to stockpile all the materials they need for the work before the school breaks up on July 23.

The wagons were scheduled to travel from the prison down Springwell Lane to the school but a local landowner pulled out of the scheme last week and refused to allow the lorries access.

Project leaders now want to send the goods vehicles down East Road to the roundabout, entering the Applegarth from the top of the High Street.

This involves crossing the car park, owned by Hambleton District Council, and on to the town council-owned bonfire site.

The town council's amenities committee was asked to grant permission for the trucks to immediately start passing over its land at a meeting in the town hall on Monday.

Coun Jack Dobson said any delay in the decision would cost the town money and would set the building work back. He said the only alternative was sending the trucks up Upwell Road, which would be disastrous.

But committee chairman, Coun Roy Ashman, was against sending the trucks across the car park. "The practicalities are you are not going to get wagons through there on market day," he said.

"This is going to be a recipe for disaster. Don't you think the town has suffered enough with the prison walls work without us bringing trucks through the Applegarth?" he asked.

Coun Dobson said it was not the committee's job to worry about safety issues regarding lorries crossing the car park. "Hambleton District Council is responsible for the car park, North Yorkshire County Council for the road and our remit is for that bit of land. The only jurisdiction that we have got is the land that we own."

Coun Ashman disagreed. "Our parishioners would expect us to respond to the safety issues," he said. "I want to be assured that the route through the car park is going to be safe to use and we haven't got the people here to give us those answers."

Councillors were split in a three-three vote over the issue, with the casting vote going to committee chairman Coun Roy Ashman, who voted against the route being opened.

An emergency meeting of the full town council was called to make a final decision on the route. The meeting will take place in the town hall on Monday at 7pm. There will be time allotted to hear from members of the public.