20mph limit campaigners told matter is settled in North Yorkshire

Last updated Feb 22, 2024

North Yorkshire’s roads boss and Conservative mayoral candidate Keane Duncan has dismissed the 20s Plenty campaign’s claims to have widespread public support to introduce default 20mph zones across the county.

Following years of calls from road safety campaigners to the authority for the measure to be brought in on the vast majority of 30mph roads in North Yorkshire and numerous reviews by the council, the council’s executive member for highways said the matter had been democratically “settled”.

Campaigners in Harrogate have actively supported the restriction, especially in areas around schools.

In an apparent attempt to draw a line under the saga, Cllr Duncan issued the statement at a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council on Wednesday after national 20s Plenty Campaigner of the Year Ian Conlan questioned the consistency and rationale behind the authority’s actions to cut speed limits.

Mr Conlan, who is the mayor of Malton, asked if the authority would be conveying the “huge support across the county for 20mph limits in built up areas” to the incoming combined authority mayor.

Cllr Duncan replied that the authority had made an “ambitious” commitment to reviewing speed limits across the county’s 5,700-mile road network, but that it would take time to complete.

He added the council was continuing to consider various 20mph schemes.

Cllr Duncan said:

“I will very much welcome a conversation with the new mayor, but if they happen to be listening to today I would remind them not to let the distorted facts stretch to suit Mr Conlan’s agenda, but remind them of the votes of this council at its last meeting — 36 for 52 against further consideration of our 20mph policy.

“This democratically elected council accounts for the whole public of North Yorkshire. We have rejected a chance to pursue a blanket approach and as far as I’m concerned the matter is now settled.”