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01
Aug 2023
North Yorkshire Police confirms it will no longer manage Remembrance Day traffic
North Yorkshire Police has confirmed it will no longer close roads or manage traffic for Remembrance Day parades in North Yorkshire.
Knaresborough Royal British Legion revealed yesterday its annual parade was in jeopardy after police said they would no longer support it.
Vice-chair David Houlgate said the decision "almost certainly means there will be no Remembrance Day parade in Knaresborough as things currently stand" because the legion, as a charity, could not justify the cost incurred by managing traffic itself.
The force said today the ruling applied throughout the county and would enable it to focus on fighting crime.
In a joint letter from North Yorkshire Police and highways authority North Yorkshire Council, assistant chief constable Elliot Foskett said the new arrangements would "be in place for 2023 and beyond".
The letter, sent to branches of the Royal British Legion, added:
Extra costs
The letter said organisations will now need a temporary traffic regulation order from North Yorkshire Council and will have to appoint "suitably qualified persons to implement associated traffic management i.e. signs and barriers etc".
Those British legion branches affected now have to decide whether to go down this route or re-route or cancel parades.
Mike Comerford, chairman of the Harrogate Victory branch of the Royal British Legion said the police had not provided traffic management for its parade for many years.
Mr Comerford said the service had been provided recently by Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished at the end of March, and he would contact the successor authority, North Yorkshire Council, to see if this arrangement remained in place.
Ripon's Remembrance Sunday parade is managed by members of the armed forces.
Read more:
- Local Remembrance Sunday parades under threat after police withdraw traffic help
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