Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
20
Apr
Objections to implementing 20mph zone in Harrogate
A number of objections made against a proposed 20mph zone in Harrogate have been released by North Yorkshire Council.
The authority announced a “landmark” road safety scheme across the county in September 2023, which included plans for 20mph speed limits outside a series of Harrogate schools.
The blanket 20mph zone was formally approved in December 2023 after years of lobbying. Surveys and consultations were conducted last spring and traffic calming was due to take place during the school summer holidays.
The council also announced in February this year speed limits outside all North Yorkshire schools were set to be reviewed.
But more than 18 months have passed since the scheme was revealed and the zone is still yet to come to fruition.
The Stray Ferret published the frustrations both of concerned parents and of a headteacher last October, having followed the saga closely over recent years, who urged the council to “just get on with it”.
It appeared many people supported the plans following a collision on Yew Tree Lane which left two schoolboys seriously injured at the beginning of 2023, as well as another serious incident involving a child in the Oatlands area.
But a report due before the council’s environment executive who will meet next week outlines residents’ objections to the plans, which were received during a 21-day consultation process last December.
Six objections were received as part of the consultation process.
A Cavendish Avenue resident said the council has not considered limiting the speed for cyclists and e-scooter users as part of the proposal.
“These regularly exceed the proposed 20mph limits and... these other forms of transport regularly overtake the cars limited to 20mph and the police can do nothing”, they added.
The resident feels the council’s proposals will not be taken seriously unless it ensures all road users abide by the speed limit.
The resident also raised concerns over the cost of the project, particularly costs associated with installing 20mph signs.
They said:
The cost of installing 20mph road signs at a time [when] council tax is rising anyway is something that the Harrogate council taxpayers cannot afford. It’s not the council that will pay for all this, but the taxpayers.
They feel the money would be better spent on repairing potholes and “very poor” road surfaces across the town, which present a “much more significant danger to all road users and pedestrians”.
Concerns over congestion are also raised. The resident claims a road safety scheme in Wales has “proven a catastrophe” and questions why the council would want to “duplicate this failure in Harrogate, where traffic jams are already a disgrace”.
A council officer responded to the resident; they said there are no plans to limit the speed of pedal cycles, e-bikes or e-scooters – many of whom “do not exceed 20mph”.
They also told the resident the Welsh scheme differs to the local proposals, adding:
The situation in Wales differs in that the national regulations were changed to convert all urban ‘restricted roads’ from 30mph to 20mph. This is not being proposed in Harrogate or North Yorkshire.
In terms of road conditions, the officer said the council’s £32.5m capital budget for highways “must be spent on the worst areas of the network, in addition to proactive maintenance”.
The areas that will be included in the second phase of the programme.
Plans could ‘reduce the town’s overall productivity’
Another objector raised a number of concerns over the blanket 20mph zone.
They, too, felt reducing speed limits across the town would increase congestion.
In addition, the resident flagged potential for higher fuel consumption due to people driving slower and the negative impact this could have on the environment, as well as concerns for commuters.
They said:
For residents who rely on driving for work or other essential activities, the introduction of widespread 20mph zones could create further delays. This would affect both local businesses and commuters, reducing the town’s overall productivity.
The council officer responded to say the area proposed for the 20mph zone has a high concentration of both primary and secondary schools.
They added the proposal would encourage safer streets and active travel to schools in the area, but “key routes have been omitted” to ensure the town’s network continues to function.
Another objector, who claims their brother was hit by a car and “thrown into the air” when trying to cross Parliament Street, believes there are other roads – like Parliament Street and York Place – that would be better suited to a 20mph zone.
Heads, councillors, campaigners and students at a gathering at Ashville College in 2023 calling for road safety improvements.
Recommendation
The proposal has been recommended for approval by councillors at a meeting on April 24, despite the objections.
According to the report, the speed limit “aligns with several of the council’s priorities linked with highway safety".
By introducing the 20mph speed limit, it is hoped that a safer and healthier environment will encourage enhanced active travel opportunities for all ages of the community, the report says.
It adds the zone would be split into three categories: 20mph areas including existing traffic calming measures, sign-only 20mph areas and 20mph areas including new traffic calming measures. The latter would be implemented as part of the second phase of the project.
The recent report includes a list of roads set to be affected by the scheme, which can be found here.
But concerns were raised in December 2023 after several main roads appeared to be excluded from the proposed zone.
Harrogate Grammar School headteacher, Neil Renton, told councillors in September 2023 he hoped Otley Road – where pupils enter the school – would be reduced to a 20mph speed limit.
However, when the council responded to the proposal the following December, Leeds Road, Wetherby Road, Otley Road, Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, York Place and Leadhall Lane did not appear to be part of the plans.
2