A war of words has erupted over calls to introduce a default 20mph zone across North Yorkhire’s built-up areas, with the founder of a campaign group lodging a standards complaint against the county’s transport chief.

Road safety charity 20’s Plenty is focussing pressure on Cllr Keane Duncan after he questioned the group’s claims, accused them of using increasingly ruthless tactics and asked for time to thoroughly consider whether 20mph zones should become standard in towns and villages.

The authority’s executive member for highways and transport issued the statement ahead of a meeting of Conservative-led North Yorkshire County Council’s Thirsk and Malton Constituency Committee on February 3.

The meeting is scheduled to see a notice of motion proposed by opposition councillors considered, which calls to extend a proposed trial of default 20mph zones across the vast constituency.

The council, which last year sought to relax rules about setting up 20mph zones, is already examining a proposal to trial default 20mph zones in built-up areas around Harrogate, but its leaders have warned introducing it would cost about £1m and impact on its ability to fund road repairs across the county.

The charity’s founder and campaign director Rod King has declined to specify the nature of the complaint to the council. Campaigners in the group have stated it is based on criticisms Cllr Duncan made about the campaign group’s claims.

A 20s Plenty for North Yorkshire spokesperson said the complaint was “on the grounds of Cllr Duncan’s attempts to influence the due democratic process in the committee ahead of this Friday’s meeting  by means of unfounded claims on our integrity”.

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Members of the campaign group have suggested the outstanding standards issue would mean Cllr Duncan will not be able to vote on a notice of motion about 20mph limits at Friday’s Thirsk and Malton constituency committee meeting.

Responding to the suggestion, a county council spokesman said: 

“In the event of any complaint against a councillor, we would follow the relevant members complaints procedure.

“It would usually be a matter for a member to determine themselves whether they take part in a debate.”

‘Exaggerating opposition’

Ian Conlan, 20’s Plenty campaigner, who is also Mayor of Malton, said the group had consistently had 70% support over the years and its local surveys in North Yorkshire had backed that up and that Cllr Duncan was exaggerating the opposition to 20s Plenty.

He said 20s Plenty were pushing the issue at the moment in the hope of getting funding agreed for the pilot scheme in this year’s council budget.

Cllr Conlan said the council had had years to consider default 20mph zones and did not need more time to consider the issue and that Cllr Duncan was trying to influence the democratic process by spreading misinformation about 20s Plenty.

Cllr Duncan said rather than welcoming democratic challenge, the leadership of 20’s Plenty had “resorted to issuing a formal complaint against me and are attempting to block me from voting at Friday’s meeting”.

He added: 

“I will not be intimidated by what I consider to be heavy-handed tactics and I will continue to publicly challenge any misleading and exaggerated claims made.

“Most importantly, I will not allow the council’s review of 20mph limits to be rushed or unduly prejudiced. We will look at all factors thoroughly and only then will we make considered recommendations to improve road safety in North Yorkshire.”

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.”

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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:

“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.”

North Yorkshire county councillors in Ripon and Skipton have rejected a call to pilot 20 mph zones.

Campaigners backing the 20’s Plenty For Us initiative say reducing speed limits to 20 mph on residential streets and in town and village centres would make streets safer for pedestrians and reduce road casualties.

The initiative has been backed by over 100 parish councils in North Yorkshire, with many residents growing frustrated at speeding motorists, particularly in rural areas. However, critics have voiced concerns about the cost and how the zones would be enforced by police.

This year, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive approved a policy to introduce 20 mph speed limits on a “targeted, evidence-based approach”. This followed a review by the authority’s transport, economy and environment overview and scrutiny committee, which will revisit the issue in January.

‘They save lives’

The 20’s Plenty campaign inspired Green Party member for Skipton North and Embsay-with-Eastby division, David Noland, to propose a motion at this week’s Skipton and Ripon area constituency committee of the county council recommending 20mph zones are created in any village or town centre where “benefit has been identified”.

Cllr Noland said:

“[20mph zones] are popular, save lives, reduce the severity of injuries, CO2 emissions and potholes. They are sustainable and will hopefully encourage more people to walk and cycle. If this committee says we support it, it puts a bit of pressure on [executive member for highways] Cllr Duncan.”

In November, a similar motion was passed at the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee. But in Skipton and Ripon, it received a skeptical response from councillors.

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Conservative councillor for Settle & Penyghent, David Staveley, described the analysis that underpins 20’s Plenty “questionable at best” and said residents in Skipton and Ripon “would not appreciate being guinea pigs” in any pilot. He added:

“I won’t support this, it’s fundamentally flawed in its approach. I don’t see it will give the benefits it claims”.

‘What’s the point?’

North Yorkshire Police has previously come out against countywide 20 mph zones due to the increased costs involved.

David Ireton, Conservative councillor for Bentham and Ingleton, said the force “refuses to enforce” 20 mph speed limits, adding, “that causes major problems with residents. They say, what’s the point in having it?”.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale, Andrew Murday, said he backed 20’s Plenty but would wait for the outcome of the county council meeting on the subject next month. He said:

“I’m going to abstain. I support 20’s Plenty, mainly because it does reduce injuries but if it’s coming to the council I’ll leave it to them”.

The group on Langcliffe Avenue

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:

“The first step in the Community Speed Watch process is to identify areas for the group to stand. Once approved, the group will receive training, and at that point they can either share equipment with other nearby groups or purchase their own equipment.

“Once fully trained, the group can deploy as often as they wish, although most groups deploy for an hour at a time, once or twice a week.

“Any vehicles found to be speeding will have their details taken down and sent to the North Yorkshire Police traffic bureau. Once verified, the registered keepers of those vehicles will receive warning letters. A police officer will attend the address of the registered keeper if they are ‘caught’ three times.

“We currently have about 88 groups taking part in the scheme across North Yorkshire. Since its inception in 2016, around 96% of all offences have been first offences – indicating that people who receive their first warning letter do take the advice on board and adjust their driving behaviour.”

Councillors call for 20 mph limit to be trialled in Harrogate and Knaresborough

A campaign for speed limits to be reduced from 30mph to 20mph has been backed by Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors who have called for the changes to be piloted in larger areas.

The slower limits were described as a “popular” way to make roads safer at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee.

However, not everyone is in support of the ’20s plenty’ campaign, with some councillors raising questions over enforcement and the costs involved.

The area committee voted nine for, two against and with one abstention in their calls for the county council’s executive to agree to test out 20mph limits in towns and villages.

But the authority is already standing firm in its belief that the lower speed limits work best in a more targeted approach, such as outside schools.

Allan McVeigh, head of network strategy at the county council, told the meeting that 20mph limits should only be introduced where they are “appropriate for that part of the network”.

He said:

“The county council is committed to making the network safe and accessible for all road users, and will continue to engage with local communities

“Introducing a 20mph speed limit or zone to a road where drivers do not already conform to lower speeds will likely result in poor compliance and consequently understandable local complaints.”

Mr McVeigh said the costs of introducing lower speed limits across the Harrogate and Knaresborough area would exceed £1 million, although he added this could be more as roads where drivers regularly exceed 24mph would require more measures than just signage and road markings.

These extra measures could involve speed bumps and chicanes which councillors admitted are not always popular.

Read More:

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Across North Yorkshire, more than 100 parishes have voted for default 20mph speed limits across built-up areas.

Campaign supporter Malcolm Margolis said that targeting schools only “achieves little or nothing”:

“People need to be able to walk and cycle safely from home to school, and to friends, relatives, play areas and other destinations.

“The 30mph limit was introduced in 1935 to tackle a spate of road casualties – I hope you agree it is no longer fit for purpose.

“Please support the default 20mph to make our communities safer and better places to live.”

Ouseburn councillor Arnold Warneken also said it was “inadequate” to have the lower speed limits on just some streets and that questions over enforcement are a “smokescreen” for not introducing the changes on a wider basis.

He said:

“The same problems exist whether you are enforcing 30mph or 20mph.

“There are problems, I acknowledge that, but I don’t think we should let that stand in the way of doing what is right.”

Earlier this year, the county council’s executive approved a policy to introduce 20mph speed limits on a “targeted, evidence-based approach”.

This followed a review by the authority’s Transport, Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee which will revisit the issue in January.

A survey of all police forces in England and Wales has revealed motorists in North Yorkshire are the third likeliest to record speeding offences.

The average number of speeding offences in the county is 4.54 per 1,000 residents, according to the research.

Only Lincolnshire, where the rate is 5.43 offences per 1,000 residents, and South Wales, where the figure is 5.23, are above it in the league table of 43 police force areas in England and Wales.

At the other end of the scale, Durham has the fewest speeding offences committed on average each year, with just 0.95 per 1,000 people.

Price comparison website Forbes Advisor compiled the latest speeding offence data from data.police.uk spanning 2010 to 2020 across each police force area in England and Wales to establish an annual average of speeding offences made.

This was cross referenced with population data from ONS to find the areas with the most speeding offences per 1,000 residents.  

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North Yorkshire was found to have an average of 3,774 speed limit offences per year from a population of 831,600.

North Yorkshire Police today announced a two-week blitz on speeding motorists.

The constabulary said in a statement traffic officers will be targeting excess and inappropriate speed on county roads “over the next couple of weeks”. It added:

“Twenty-four-hour enforcement activity will take place across the county, with an aim of catching those who put other road users in danger.”

Today marks the start of a three-week nationwide speed enforcement operation, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which represents British chief police officers.

The initiative, which includes National Safe Speed Day on October 19, highlights the risks of speeding and encourages motorists to slow down.

Between January 1 and December 31 last year, there were 85,610 speed violations captured by safety camera vans and safety camera bikes in North Yorkshire.

Expect to see more police speed vans over the next two weeks. Photo by Martin Dawes

The last speed enforcement campaign in January this year resulted in almost 5,200 speeding violations during that month alone.

Traffic Constable Ali Hoyle said:

“These figures show just how much of an issue speeding is here for us in North Yorkshire and this is not a huge surprise as we have a vast road network across the county including hundreds of miles of rural roads.

“The reason why we do these types of deployments is because we are trying to prevent serious collisions on our roads and make them as safe as they can possibly be.

“There are so many dangers associated with excessive speeding, not least because it’s a major cause of fatal road traffic collisions. By slowing down and making sure you drive to the conditions of the road, you have more time to react to other drivers and hazards.

Former Leeds Rhinos head coach and Harrogate resident Brian McDermott has escaped a driving ban after arguing he needs his car to scout players.

McDermott, 52, of Knox Mill Close, was in York Magistrates Court yesterday after being caught driving his BMW above the 60mph speed limit on the A59 close to Bolton Abbey last year.

The coach, who also represented England and Great Britain during his playing career, pleaded guilty but asked the court to waive the three points as it would take him to 12 points and an automatic ban.

In a submission to the court, Mr McDermott said he unexpectedly found himself out of work for 18 months after his previous club Toronto Wolfpack went out of business due to covid in March 2020.

During this time he had been living from savings, which were now close to running out.

In October 2021, he took a job as head coach at Featherstone Rovers who play in the second-tier of the sport.

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McDermott said he drives over 40,000 miles a year for the role, which involves work in the community, travelling to amateur clubs and scouting players.

He said he was the only person at Featherstone able to watch players from other clubs.

Without the car, he said he could potentially lose his job, which would mean he’d struggle to pay child support and rent.

Special reasons

Magistrates said they were satisfied that Mr McDermott had ‘special reasons’ for contesting the penalty points. 

However, they said the reasons given were not appropriate “in all of the circumstances” so they issued the three penalty points, taking him to 12 overall, but allowed him to continue driving.

He was also fined £307 and asked to pay a victim’s surcharge of £34 and costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A motorist was clocked driving 84mph through a leafy street in Pannal, the parish council has revealed.

A machine operated by Pannal & Burn Bridge Parish Council records the speed of vehicles on Church Lane and it registered the car racing down the 30mph zone last year.

Since then it has regularly found cars and vans dangerously breaking the speed limit. In May 2022 alone, 277 vehicles were recorded travelling faster than 50mph.

Speeding problem

The parish council has three Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) within the parish.

The machines flash the current speed to the motorist and run 24/7, with the data then relayed back to North Yorkshire Police.

The council’s chair, Cllr Howard West, said they have begun to publish the data because “many people had no idea” of the speeding problem in Pannal.

Mr West said:

“With more housing being built on the western arc, it will only become worse.

“More white vans for home deliveries under time pressure and more irresponsible drivers were some of the reasons we chose to employ Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs).”

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In March 2022, the top three speeds were 76mph, 71mph and 69mph.

Mr West wants to make people aware that Church Lane, Yew Tree Lane and Burn Bridge Road are 30mph zones and through Main Street in the village itself it is 20mph.

He added:

“We’ll keep highlighting those ridiculously high speeds, sometimes around school pick-up times, in the hope that common sense will prevail and people will travel at no more than 30mph or in some cases 20mph in our parish. “

North Yorkshire Police has denied changing its mobile speed vans in response to an image that has been circulating on social media.

The photograph (above) of the dark blue and yellow vehicle has caused a stir on local Facebook groups, with people complaining that the new vans are harder to recognise.

The image, which has been shared thousands of times, has also sparked a big debate about speeding and mobile cameras in the Harrogate district in general.

Many comments support them and say drivers should not to go too fast in the first place. However there are also a number of people opposing the vehicles, claiming they are just “money spinners”.

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The van is alleged to have been spotted in North Yorkshire, however the force has denied it being one of its fleet.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:

“This isn’t our van, our vans don’t look like that.”

He added that it appeared to have no links to North Yorkshire Police and therefore was unable to comment further.