North Yorkshire’s transport chief has accused the 20’s Plenty group of using “misleading” tactics in its pursuit of a new 20mph default speed limit in the county.
20’s Plenty for Us consists of 600 local groups campaigning for a speed limit of 20mph to be normal on residential streets and in town and village centres.
Councillor Keane Duncan said leading members of the group appear “blindly ideological” and are demanding a default 20mph limit be agreed before the council has been able to fully consider key issues such as enforcement, value for money and road safety implications.
Cllr Duncan, who is North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transport, was asked by the council’s executive in November to investigate the approach to 20mph speed limits.
But the Conservative said this detailed work was being undermined by 20’s Plenty campaigners demanding his review be cut short prematurely and for £1m to be agreed as part of this year’s budget to roll-out the new default limit.
He also said 20’s Plenty were “exaggerating” levels of public support, and motions submitted by opposition councillors, such as one considered at the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee calling for a 20mph pilot, were creating confusion due to “unclear” language.
Cllr Duncan said:
“20’s Plenty appear blindly ideological with just one aim and objective – 20mph as the default limit in every town and every village in North Yorkshire.
“This is a one-size-fits-all approach that cannot take into account the diversity of North Yorkshire’s local communities and their wishes.
“Such a radical proposal rightly deserves thorough consideration and public consultation. We do not know the views of the police. We do not know detailed costs. We do not know the road safety implications.”
Read more:
- 20mph speed limits to be investigated in Harrogate and Knaresborough
- Majority of residents want 20mph speed limit, councillor says
Cllr Duncan accused campaigners of “using increasingly ruthless tactics” to get him to cut short his investigation prematurely and award them £1m before it has completed its investigations. He added:
Primary school’s new speed signs slow traffic on Cold Bath Road“I am concerned that 20’s Plenty are preying on legitimate public concerns about road safety and presenting a default 20mph as the only possible solution, when improved enforcement and crossing facilities might be preferred in the first instance.
“I am also concerned that 20’s Plenty are misleading the public by exaggerating and misrepresenting the levels of support for their campaign.
“I take my responsibility for road safety in North Yorkshire very seriously. I am appealing for the council to be allowed to come to considered and well thought out conclusions.”
Western Primary School is already seeing the effects of its new speed signs on Cold Bath Road.
The school’s headteacher, Mr Tim Broad, believes that many drivers are simply unaware that the speed limit is 20mph rather than 30mph.
Mr Broad spent this morning on duty and saw many slowing down when they were prompted by the signs.
One is just outside the school gates and another is a little further down the hill opposite the junction with Freemans Court.
Staff at the school became particularly concerned in September when some people were taking risks crossing the road away from the busy pelican crossing.
As a result, the school feared that a child could be killed crossing the road so lobbied North Yorkshire County Council for action.
Read more:
- Snow forces extended closure of Whinney Lane
- Western Primary School urges council to tackle road fears
The council agreed to cover the £7,000 cost of the signs in early December which went up this week.
Mr Tim Broad told the Stray Ferret:
“I honestly believe that if you were to stop drivers at random on Cold Bath Road that the majority would believe it is a 30mph road.
“There is a lot of traffic that comes down this road. It not only creates a problem for pupils crossing the road but there’s also a pollution problem.
“The signs are working already. When they light up and people see them they slow down.”
A radar in the signs detect vehicles travelling above the 20mph speed limit from at least 50 metres away and this triggers a ‘slow down’ message.
‘Act now before a child is killed’A primary school headteacher and parents are calling for urgent speed measures in Killinghall before a child is killed or seriously injured.
Sarah Bassitt, headteacher of Killinghall Church of England Primary School, spoke out after a fruitless two-year campaign to tackle speed outside the school.
Traffic hurtles downhill along Otley Road into the village at a 60mph limit, which only reduces to 30mph about 200 metres from the school. Often cars are doing at least 40mph when they pass the building.
Ms Bassitt said many schools had 20mph limits outside and traffic calming measures, such as speed humps.
But two years of writing to North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Police have not led to similar outcomes in Killinghall.
Ms Bassitt said:
“The criteria seems to be that you have to have a child killed before anything is done.
“That hasn’t happened mainly because of the vigilance of parents and teachers.
“It’s very dangerous and different to what happens at other schools. It feels like we are hitting out heads against a brick wall.”
Ms Bassitt said some parents were so exasperated they had even used fake speed guns to encourage drivers to slow down.
Otley Road, outside the school in Killinghall.
Parent Gary Donoghue, who has led the campaign, said children were scared to walk to school.
Mr Donoghue said there should be a 20mph limit outside the school.
Read more:
He also called for the 30mph limit coming into the village to be moved back to the junction with Lund Lane to allow traffic more time to slow down before passing the school. He added:
“We are looking for prevention rather than repercussions. We don’t want something to happen to our children so they are the ones who bring about change.
“There seems to be a lack of acknowledgement that there is a problem. But when your child is scared to walk to school that is an issue. I wish someone from the council would come and speak to us.”
The Stray Ferret contacted North Yorkshire County Council several times for comment but did not receive a response.
