North Yorkshire County Council

Informal Meeting of Executive Members

21 September 2021

York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership Strategy 2021-26

Report of the Corporate Director – Business and Environmental Services

1.0       Purpose of Report

1.1 The purpose of this report is to provide details on the 2021-26 York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership Strategy and to request that Executive Members recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that he use his emergency delegated powers he approve adoption of the Strategy.

2.0       Background

2.1       Under his delegated decision making powers in the Officers’ Delegation Scheme in the Council’s Constitution, the Chief Executive Officer has power, in cases of emergency, to take any decision, which could be taken by the Council, the Executive or a committee. Following on from the expiry of the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020, which allowed for committee meetings to be held remotely, the County Council resolved at its meeting on 5 May 2021 that, for the present time, in light of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic circumstances, remote live-broadcast committee meetings should continue (as informal meetings of the Committee Members), with any formal decisions required being taken by the Chief Executive Officer under his emergency decision making powers and after consultation with other Officers and Members as appropriate and after taking into account any views of the relevant Committee Members. This approach will be reviewed in September 2021.

2.2       In 2004, North Yorkshire County Council joined a new countywide road safety partnership, with the aim of reducing road casualties. Other lead partners included City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

2.3       Members of the “95 Alive York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership” signed up to the following vision:-

· “A new Road Safety Partnership will make the roads in York and North Yorkshire safer by the end of 2010.  One in three lives will be saved and 95 people will be alive that otherwise may have been killed on our roads”.

2.4       The partnership adopted the following target:-

· To reduce the annual number of fatalities in York and North Yorkshire by one third to 56 by the end of 2010 compared with the 1999 to 2003 baseline average of 85, representing a saving of 95 lives between 2005 and 2010.

2.5       The target to save lives was in addition to the existing targets and the “95 Alive” Road Safety action plan also contained targets that reflected the national targets set by the Department for Transport (DfT).

2.6       By the end of 2010, the target was exceeded by 24%, with 125 lives saved.

2.7       In 2011, the partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which set out roles and responsibilities of each partner, together with governance arrangements, core principles and statutory compliance such as data protection.

2.8       In 2016, the partnership published it first strategy paper, “Safer Road Healthier Places”, setting out the aims and objectives for the next five years.

3.0       Current Position

3.1       Over the last five years, road casualties have continued to reduce, reflecting the long-term downward trend. This is due in part to the continued efforts of the road safety partnership. In order for this downward trend to continue and for the County Council to meet its national target indicators, it is important that the council continue to work in partnership with the other lead organisations invested in casualty reduction.

3.2       A draft 2021-2026 York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership strategy has been produced and is included at Appendix 1.  The partners have also agreed to remove the term ‘95 Alive’ from the partnership name which will now simply be the ‘York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership’.

3.3       The new strategy will build on the long term towards “Vision Zero” ambition to reduce road casualties by using the globally recognised ‘Safe System’ approach to road safety improvement and to road safety management systems.

3.4       The partnership will deliver a range of joint strategic interventions using the 4E’s of Education, Engagement, Engineering and Enforcement, to tackle high-risk areas and improve the safety of the most vulnerable road users.

3.5       Supporting this strategy is an Action Plan which details the activities of the partnership and how it will deliver against the strategic priorities over the coming years.

3.6       Officers are now seeking approval for North Yorkshire County Council to adopt the draft 2021-2026 strategy as a member of the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership.

4.0       Equalities Implications

4.1       Consideration has been given to the potential for any adverse equality impacts arising from the recommendation. It is the view of officers that the recommendation does not have an adverse impact on any of the protected characteristics identified in the Equalities Act 2010 – see Appendix 2

5.0       Financial Implications

5.1       Consideration has been given to the financial impact of this proposal. It is the view of officers that the recommendation will not have any financial impact beyond existing budgets.

6.0       Legal Implications

6.1       If followed, the recommendations contained in this Report  will help toward the County Council fulfilling its statutory duties under Section 39 of the Road Traffic Act 1988  which include to “prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety” and having elsewhere complied with its duty under the same provision to “carry out studies into accidents on roads” within its area, to then “take such measures as appear to be appropriate to prevent such accidents, including the dissemination of information and advice relating to the use of roads and the giving of practical training to road users”.

7.0       Climate Change Implications

7.1       It is the view of officers that this proposal will have a positive impact on climate change - see Appendix 3.

8.0       Recommendations

8.1       Executive Members are asked to note the contents of this report, and to recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that using his emergency powers he approve adoption of the 2021-2026 York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership Strategy.

Karl Battersby

Corporate Director – Business and Environmental Services

Author of Report: Fiona Ancell

Background Documents:

Safer Road Healthier Places

Appendices:

Appendix 1 – Draft 2021-2026 York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership Strategy

Appendix 2 – Equality Impact Assessment

Appendix 3 – Climate Change Impact Assessment