Bradford Council has been accused of waiting for an accident to happen after blocking pleas for 20mph limits around Ilkley’s schools.

Parish councillors, students and parents are all calling for action to impose lower limits and pupils at Ilkley Grammar School are so concerned they have joined police efforts to monitor speeding cars.

In January, Ilkley Parish Council voted unanimously to ask Bradford Council for 20mph limits around three schools – Ilkley Grammar, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary and Ben Rhydding Primary.

But the chairman-elect of Ilkley Parish Council, Coun Brian Mann, said they had received a virtual rejection from the council’s highways department.

He said: “They have basically said that just because other towns have got these limits, that’s no reason why we should have them. They have virtually said there’s no way in the near future that it would be contemplated.

“The sad thing is we will have an accident and that’s not what we want, we want to prevent accidents.”

There was a strong demand in the town to have 20mph zones and the recent response would not deter the council from continuing to campaign for them, he added.

Calls for a 20mph limit on Cowpasture Road, Bolling Road and Valley Drive have been backed by Ilkley Community Against Speeding (ICAS) and Ilkley’s Road Safety Committee.

Chairing his last meeting of the full Ilkley Parish Council on Monday, chairman Alan Morrell said progress on requests to Bradford Council, including 20mph zones, had been “zero”.

“I’m afraid that it’s a fairly negative report. Our progress . . . is almost nil,” he said. “Whatever we wish for, we have not got further than a very early stage of rejection.”

Sixth-formers at Ilkley Grammar School volunteered to join police community support officers in the Speedwatch campaign after students voiced concern about the volume and speed of passing traffic, particularly lorries.

Seven vehicles were caught speeding on Cowpasture Road between 8am and 9am on Monday. Eight motorists were also caught between noon and 1pm on Thursday, April 29.

Keith Escritt, Bradford Council's principal engineer traffic and highways, said: "We have already taken action to protect children around Ilkley's schools.

"Vehicle activated warning signs are being installed outside Ilkley Grammar School by the end of this month. There is a raised platform in the road near Ben Rhydding Primary School which slows traffic down and no accident history there.

"We have previously explained all this in detail to the parish council, but will be meeting members of Ilkley Road Safety Association and possibly parish coun-cillors to further discuss the situation."

A spokesman for the school council said: “We are concerned and afraid that there is an accident waiting to happen – traffic travels far too quickly up and down the road.”

Parents are also campaigning for a controlled crossing outside the school and have set up a website for supporters to register their interest.

Headteacher Gillian James said she was not surprised by the Speedwatch findings or about the student and parent concerns.

“We have large numbers of students coming in and out of school onto a very busy road,” she said. “Fortunately we have only had one serious accident in the last few years, but vehicles are often speeding and it is dangerous. It is another very good reason why we need a new site.”