Agenda item

19

Review of Petition 'For a maximum speed of 20mph on roads in south and west Harrogate to improve road safety':

Councillor Pat Marsh declared an interest in the agenda item on the basis that she had been involved with the issue for some time. Cllr Monika Slater therefore chaired the meeting for this item.

This was not a pecuniary interest and therefore Cllr Marsh remained in the room and voted on the item.

The following statement was read out by Hazel Peacock from the Oatlands & Pannal Ash Road Safety & Active Travel Campaign:

I am Hazel Peacock and this is Jenny Marks we are from the Oatlands & Pannal Ash Road Safety & Active Travel Campaign. We are delighted that last week two great milestones were achieved in the journey towards safer and healthier streets for our community.  The School Street pilot at Beechwood Grove by Oatlands Junior School was launched and Cllr Duncan announced the plans to deliver our proposals for 20mph across South and West Harrogate, as supported by this Committee.

Both are brilliant responses to the calls for action by the community, schools, and cross party councillors who have supported the campaigns, especially Councillors Marsh, Mann, Schofield and Warneken. We thank them and also Cllr Duncan, Melisa Burnham and Allan Mcveigh on their work.   

Since the School Street began the experience of the school run has been transformed; pupils and families are now able to access the school safely and independently on foot and bike. It was described by one resident “as sheer bliss”.

Just as the benefits of the School Street pilot are transformative, the ambitious plan for a 20mph, could radically improve the safety and daily experiences of thousands of children and wider community.

To achieve this we are asking; Hookstone Road/Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane, part of Leeds Rd (A61) and Otley Rd (B6162), Wetherby Road (A661), York Place – A6040 and Beech Grove (a residential road) are included in the consultation as 20mph.

While NYC guidance identifies Category 2 roads as not appropriate for 20mph most other criteria is amply satisfied, so network hierarchy alone is not an overwhelming barrier to their inclusion. This approach has been followed in a multitude of locations in the UK including; Thirsk, Otley, the city centres of Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London and in rural villages in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to name a few.

The inclusion of these roads is vital because:  

Hookstone Road: has a mean speed of 38mph and evidence of higher exceedances. The proposed markings and signing is insufficient to ensure the safety of children using it to attend Oatlands Infant School, Junior School, Harrogate College, St John Fishers and St Aidan’s. 

Oatlands Infant School sits directly on Hookstone Road - one of its entrances is directly onto the road next to the crossing, which bottlenecks, making it very unsafe.

The Junior School sits off Hookstone Rd, families with children at both Infants and Juniors walk and cycle between the two schools along Hookstone Road. 

St John Fishers School is on Hookstone Drive – its pupils walk between Leeds Road, via Hookstone Road to the school as well as nearby St Aidan’s, navigating the bridge across Crimple Beck, with an inadequate pavement only one side.

Otley Rd – has an entrance into Harrogate Grammar, used by hundreds of pupils, with very large groups gathering and walking, particularly between Pannal Ash Crescent and West Park Ave.

Leeds Road (section from M&S) – is a high footfall area, with shops, car parking, cafes and a GP practice. It’s a key route for school children, pedestrians and cyclists and has two crossings (one of which is very precarious for pedestrians and drivers).

Leadhall Lane/Rossett Green lane is used by pupils to schools and 20mph would improve safety and continuity of 20mph from Yew Tree/and Green Lane.

Wetherby Road – has a hospital, football stadium, primary school, GP practice on it.

Beech Grove – is used as a rat run and has the potential as a key active travel route.

When we consider the TfL data that people hit by a vehicle at 20mph are around five times less likely to be killed than at 30mph, the case for including these roads as 20mph is clear and is critical for safety, enabling more walking and cycling and improving the environment and the sense of place, for our children and community. 

The following statement was read out by Dr Jenny Marks from the Oatlands & Pannal Ash Road Safety & Active Travel Campaign:

20 mph and NPIF proposals

Firstly, I would like to re-iterate our thanks regarding the very positive steps which have been made towards safer streets and healthier communities, with the Beechwood Grove School Street Pilot and the 20mph zone plans, which will be presented by North Yorkshire Council in today’s meeting.

Having studied the details of the reports to be presented today, we support the majority of the proposals, but there are some important changes which we would strongly advocate.

1/ The crossings proposed on Cold Bath Road and Green Lane should be controlled crossings, giving priority to the pedestrian, rather than to cars. A simple build-out, as proposed, may be cheaper but is much less effective in keeping children and others safe. Furthermore, a build-out already exists on Green Lane at or near the proposed new build-out location.

2/ A controlled crossing should be included for Yew Tree Lane. This could be located to link with the Public Right of Way. Currently there are no controlled crossings outside Ashville and Rosset High on Green Lane or Yew Tree Lane.

3/ A controlled crossing should be included on Hookstone Road leading to the Bridlepath, given that a signalised crossing is not possible here.

4/ The £200 000 allocated for improving the junction at Otley road to improve traffic flow, includes measures to accommodate active travel, in keeping with the intended purpose of the NPIF. We would like to suggest that perhaps it should be considered whether some of this money would be better spent improving the sustainable travel infrastructure elsewhere, given the large proportion of the available NPIF funding that this constitutes.

5/ We wish to note that the Nursery Lane path already provides a safe off-road route for active travel, so the £100K allocated to that element of work, would be better spent providing controlled crossings or other infrastructure where needed, particularly given the doubt as to its viability due to the possible need for 3^rd party agreement.

Significantly, we would like to see a commitment to enforcement of the 20mph zone from North Yorkshire Police. Without this the scheme is much less likely to be successful. We would like to see an enforcement plan developed and shared by NYC, NY Police and other relevant parties.

Lastly, we ask for NYC to provide a comprehensive programme of delivery for the plan for the 20mph zone and infrastructure improvements, including consultation timings and design development, to ensure the delivery of these ambitious measures at the earliest possible date. 

We hope you will support these requests and we look forward to continuing to work with Cllr Keane Duncan, NYC staff, Councillors and the community on the specifics of the plan, to ensure the very best possible outcomes.   

The following statement was read out by Hazel Peacock on behalf of Christopher Harrison - Headteacher at Oatlands Infant School:

My name is Christopher Harrison, and I am the newly appointed Headteacher at Oatlands Infant School. For those present who are not aware of our school’s location, we can be found on the corner of Hookstone Road and Cromwell Road. Oatlands Infant School educates approximately 260 pupils between the ages of 4 and 7, making it one of the larger primary-age schools in Harrogate.

As Headteacher of Oatlands Infant School, I find Hookstone Road to be a great source of anxiety. Our children, parents and carers wait at our school gates at the start and end of the school day, and the proximity of traffic makes this a potentially dangerous time. Many of our families walk or cycle to school, and there have been near misses in the past. The crossing on Hookstone Road is also very close to our school gates, which creates a ‘pinch point’ as people cross the road and wait at the gates. When we open the gates, there are often many families waiting outside school, and I believe that reducing the speed limit on Hookstone Road to 20mph would have a significant impact on health and safety of these people at these times.

We do our best to educate the children in our care with regard to road safety, and we are proud of how mature they can be; however, the local traffic is beyond their control. According to several sources, including research by the Welsh Government, in the distance a 20mph car can stop, a 30mph car will still be doing 24mph. From the international evidence base, it can be concluded, on average, that a person is around five times more likely to be killed when hit by a vehicle travelling at around 30mph than they are from a vehicle travelling around 20mph. Reductions from 30mph to 20mph in areas in London have shown a 25% reduction in road traffic collisions,  alongside a similar reduction in fatal road accidents. We also need to bear in mind that many motorists to not adhere to the 30mph speed limit already in place on Hookstone Road, making the statistics above a very conservative estimate.

To reduce the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on Hookstone Road, and to enforce it suitably, will have an immediate and positive impact on the health and safety of the young pupils in our care, as well as those in the many schools and nurseries in the local area as well as the broader community around Hookstone Road.

The following statement was read out by Hazel Peacock on behalf of Estelle Scarth - Headteacher at Oatlands Junior School:

Many of the families and children attending Oatlands Junior School use Hookstone Road as part of their journey to school. Oatlands Junior School is situated at the end of Beechwood Grove. Children and families also use the bridleway that starts on Hookstone Road between Beechwood Grove and Halstead Road. Oatlands Junior School educates approximately 360 pupils between the ages of 7 and 11. A significant number of children attending Oatlands Junior School have siblings at Oatlands Infants School, situated on Hookstone Road. Therefore, families with children attending both schools use Hookstone Road and the pedestrian crossing at Hookstone Avenue.

As Headteacher of Oatlands Junior School, I am aware of the safety concerns regarding traffic on Hookstone Road. With the School Street initiative on Beechwood Grove, families are encouraged to walk or cycle to school. However, Hookstone Road is not a safe route for children to cycle along. Reducing the speed limit on Hookstone Road to 20mph would create a safer environment to encourage more families to cycle or scoot to school. There is no cycle lane on Hookstone Road at the junction with Beechwood Grove.

We have a wide range of learning opportunities built into our curriculum to ensure children can be as safe as possible as they travel around our local area. This includes Bikeability training. Many children are enthusiastic about cycling to school once their training is complete. Parents, however, aware of the potential hazards of traffic on Hookstone Road, are often reluctant to allow children to use their bikes to travel to school.

As you may be aware, in the distance a 20mph car can stop, a 30mph car will still be doing 24mph. From the international evidence base, it can be concluded, on average, that a person is around five times more likely to be killed when hit by a vehicle travelling at around 30mph than they are from a vehicle travelling around 20mph. Reductions from 30mph to 20mph in areas in London have shown a 25% reduction in road traffic collisions, alongside a similar reduction in fatal road accidents.

Suitably enforcing a reduction in the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on Hookstone Road will have an immediate and positive impact on the health and safety of the children in our care, as well as those in the many schools and nurseries in the local area as well as the broader community around Hookstone Road.

The following statement was read out by Hazel Peacock on behalf of Steve Mort - Headteacher at St John Fisher Catholic High School:

My name is Steve Mort, and I am the Headteacher at St John Fisher catholic High School. The school is located on Hookstone Drive close to the junction with Oatlands Drive. We have approximately 1500 students on roll.

The St John Fisher and St Aidan’s Associated Sixth form is the largest school sixth form in the country with approximately 1000 students on roll. Sixth form staff and students from both schools move between the two school sites throughout the school day which requires them using the crossing at Hookstone Road. At these times the crossing can be very congested, drivers unfortunately do not always adhere to the traffic light signals due to them travelling along Hookstone Drive at excessive speed and/or where they see an opportunity to ‘jump them.’

The crossing on Hookstone Drive is in front of the school gates and is adjacent to a very busy bus bay. The school is serviced by 12 double decker buses, some of which use the bus bay in a morning and afternoon. In addition, we have buses that enter and leave the school drive at these times. This results in the area around the crossing, particularly the footpath, becoming very congested. Consequently, the start and end of the school day is a potentially dangerous time.

Many of our staff and students walk or cycle to school. The crossing on Hookstone Drive creates a ‘pinch point’ as people cross the road and wait at the gates. There have been accidents involving both staff and students being knocked off their bikes on Hookstone Drive when drivers have failed to adhere to the traffic light signals or exceeded the current 30 MPH limit. There have also been several ‘near misses’ where students have not used the crossing due to the congestion.

I believe that reducing the speed limit on Hookstone Drive to 20mph would have a significant impact on health and safety of these people at these times.

According to several sources, including research by the Welsh Government, in the distance a 20mph car can stop, a 30mph car will still be doing 24mph. From the international evidence base, it can be concluded, on average, that a person is around five times more likely to be killed when hit by a vehicle travelling at around 30mph than they are from a vehicle travelling around 20mph.

Reductions from 30mph to 20mph in areas in London have shown a 25% reduction in road traffic collisions, alongside a similar reduction in fatal road accidents. We also need to bear in mind that many motorists to not adhere to the 30mph speed limit already in place on Hookstone Drive, making the statistics above a very conservative estimate.

To reduce the speed limit from 30mph to 20mph on Hookstone Drive, and to enforce it suitably, will have an immediate and positive impact on the health and safety of the young students in our care and at St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

The following statement was read out by Dr Jenny Marks on behalf of Neil Renton - Head Teacher at Harrogate Grammar School:

I would like to put forward my support, as the Headteacher of Harrogate Grammar School, for 20mph limits near our school to also include Otley Road. I absolutely support the landmark scheme put forward and hope that this pioneering initiative will also include Otley Road.

Harrogate Grammar School is a very large secondary school with over 2100 students. The large number of students leaving the site at the start and end of the school, in my view, would make it entirely sensible to reduce the speed limit also on Otley Road – a road directly next to the school where students enter, leave and cross.

Our duty staff see the need for this daily when supervising children. As a school, we fully support the reduction in the speed limit for the safety of the children in our local community and hope you will also include Otley Road.

The following statement was read out by Dr Jenny Marks on behalf of Tim Broad - Headteacher at Western Primary School:

Dear councillors,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have my thoughts considered at your meeting today.

My understanding of the council’s plans is that they propose creating a build out, uncontrolled crossing point, adjacent to my school. Having done a little research on this, I gather that an uncontrolled crossing amounts to an informal crossing point which may include dropped kerbs, tactile paving and such like but with no compulsion for vehicles to stop to allow pedestrians to cross.

A build-out is a section of kerb or footway extended out into the carriageway on one side only to narrow the road. They can reduce crossing distances and improve visibility for pedestrians.

I would be interested to know the precise location of this development and the timescale for completion.

Obviously I support any measure which results in improved safety for our children and road users in general. I would like it to be noted however, that I would prefer a controlled crossing, as this will be much safer. With an uncontrolled crossing, children will still be dependent upon drivers being aware and considerate as there will be no compulsion for them to stop to allow people to cross at this point. This is also something we would have to make very clear to our pupils to ensure they don’t have the expectation that vehicles will stop. There is a clear risk here if some of our pupils mistakenly believe that vehicles will stop when they are crossing at this point. A zebra crossing, for example, would be a much safer solution and would provide a safe crossing point for those pupils who would usually walk down Cold Bath Road to the north to get to their homes.

With regard to the build out aspect of the proposal, I have significant concerns about the impact of the potential narrowing of an already narrow and busy road. Due to the parking bays opposite school, there is insufficient room as things currently stand, for two large vehicles to pass each other safely at this point. The same is true just below school where there is parking on both sides of the road. This invariably leads to one vehicle stopping to allow the other through. To deliberately, further narrow the road at any point, will result in significant congestion with more vehicles stationary outside the school, emitting pollution and further damaging the air quality. This congestion will also lead to frustration for drivers which is not a healthy emotion for anyone in charge of a vehicle.

I do accept that the installation of a controlled crossing at this point will also create congestion and it is perhaps time to consider longer term plans for reducing the amount of traffic on Cold Bath Road at key times during the day.

I feel as though this proposal is based more on economic concerns rather than the safety of children and would urge the council to rethink their plans.

Mark Codman (Democratic Services) delivered the following statement to the Committee: Officers would like to thank all those who have submitted statements in relation to the report for the review of the petition for a maximum speed of 20 mph on roads in South and West Harrogate to improve Road Safety. All feedback will be taken into consideration where it is feasible and a response to items raised will be addressed as part of the report presentation, anything regarding further detail can be provided in writing following the meeting.

Considered – The report of the Corporate Director of Environment which presented Members of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee (ACC) with officer findings and proposed actions following the review of the petition, received on 08 June 2023 ‘For a maximum speed of 20mph on roads in South and West Harrogate to improve road safety’. Members’ feedback was also sought.

Melisa Burnham (Area Manager - Highways and Transportation) explained the areas that were being considered under the 20mph review. The review had been undertaken in accordance with the Council’s 20mph Speed Limit & Zone policy (2022) and the national guidance set out in the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Circular 01/2013 ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’. The following information was highlighted:

-        Both desk top reviews and site visits were carried out using the guidance in paragraph 5.13 of the policy, the details of which were set out at paragraph 4.1 of the report

-        Section 5 of the report gave an overview of the data collected by the Council during the review and paragraph 5.1 outlined the mean speeds measured on the roads that were being considered.

-        Paragraph 5.3 set out the incidents that North Yorkshire Police had recorded over the last five years whereby there were resulting personal injuries and which had speed related causation.

-        The report considered how the review linked to schools in the area and to active travel projects within Harrogate. The proposed recommendations were outlined in section 10 of the report and the next steps were set out in section 11.

The Committee considered the report and made the following comments:

-        Councillor Arnold Warneken was keen to see reports emphasize the positive effects of a scheme such as this on the environment.

-        Councillor Schofield requested that the Highways officers look at upgrading crossing and installing more zebra crossings, particularly near school entrances. He also asked for reassurance that members of the public would comply with the new speed limits that were brought in and he asked for a guarantee that no recognition cameras were to be installed as part of this scheme and was it possible that the side roads of Arthurs Avenue could be made residents only. It was confirmed that the reason that the areas in question had been selected was that it should facilitate a good level of compliance and would use a mix of signage and traffic calming methods. There were no plans to install recognition cameras and the team would be happy to look at the question regarding Arthurs Avenue.

Members debated the width of the proposed scheme welcoming the roads selected but asking if Leadhall Lane could also be included as part of the scheme? – MB confirmed that the team would be happy to look at Leadhall Lane, but any decisions would have to be in line with the Council’s Policy.

Paul Haslam requested quarterly reports to the Committee on changes to roads generally.

A vote was taken on the recommendations as set out in the report, Members voted unanimously for the recommendations.

Resolved – 

That Members consider the proposals and provide officers with relevant feedback.