Agenda item

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice (including the text of the question/statement) to Edward Maxwell of Democratic Services (contact details below) by midday on Monday 25 November. Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item. Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·            At this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes).

·            When the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Chair who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

Three public statements had been submitted:

·         By Jenny Marks and Ruth Lily, in relation to Minute 94 (read by Gia Margolis).

·         By Victoria Helmore, in relation to Minute 94.

·         By Hazel Peacock, in relation to Minute 94.

As Victoria Helmore had been unable to attend the meeting, the was provided with a written response following the conclusion of the meeting.

Statement submitted by Jenny Marks and Ruth Lily

It took a great deal of effort from our campaign, and strong calls from Headteachers, the public and this committee, to get to the point where North Yorkshire Council committed to delivering a 20mph zone in the Pannal Ash and Oatlands area. When this was agreed in December 2023, and announced in the press by Cllr. Keane Duncan as a ‘landmark scheme’, the delivery phase was begun. At this point we, and the community, felt confident of NYC’s commitment to the project and its timely delivery. We trusted that officers would implement the scheme as promised in the 24/25 financial year. Nearly one year on, however, and our trust and confidence have waned. Nothing tangible has been delivered, there have been no changes made on the ground, and the results of public consultation on traffic calming on Pannal Ash Road and Green Lane have been ‘set aside’, despite broad community support. Timescales and priorities have shifted considerably, and there has been a lack of transparent process and communication.  It again feels like we are having to work very hard to call for delivery. Delays and re-consultation pose a reputational risk to NYC, and more importantly a continued safety risk to the community.

NYC have now decided to prioritise delivery of 20mph on streets where speeds are already below 24mph, and so where traffic calming is not needed. NYC has stated that this will deliver 90% of the 20mph zone. However, these are the roads where speeds are already lower, and which are less heavily used by children (who congregate in the largest numbers on the key central roads where traffic calming infrastructure is needed). Changing the speed limit on the signed-only roads will have least impact upon children’s safety, and without inclusion of the key, central roads, the impact of the whole scheme will be considerably weakened. So, whilst in terms of length the scheme might be 90% delivered, its impact will fall far short of this. Furthermore, shifting the limited staff resource onto delivering signed-only roads will take their time away from the key central roads, thus delaying their implementation still more. Our view is that the central roads should be given highest priority as these will make most difference to safety.

The extensive urban expansion on the West of Harrogate will put additional pressure on roads in the area, which is already heavily congested. Measures proposed to mitigate for the increase in traffic caused by this development currently centre mainly around allowing increased flow of traffic through junctions. Proposed active travel infrastructure is limited. A new ‘spine road’ between Whinney Lane and Lady Lane will take traffic from more than 900 new houses, as well as an 80ha ‘employment’ zone. This is likely to mean in excess of 500 vehicles per peak hour travelling on Whinney Lane, which leads directly into the 20mph zone and onto roads used by 5000 school children, and which have already been identified as needing traffic calming. Development is continuing at pace with heavy vehicles using these roads and houses being built and occupied. Pressure of traffic is mounting, and our communities are being put at greater risk. This development increases the need for a fully implemented 20mph zone in South and West Harrogate, and yet this implementation is not being treated with urgency by NYC.

All of this calls into question NYC’s commitment to the timely and complete implementation of the 20 mph scheme.

·         To make our children and communities safer and healthier, we want:

·         The 20mph zone to be implemented as soon as possible and in full, with priority given to the roads with most risk attached: those with speeds over 24 mph and high numbers of schoolchildren.

·         Traffic calming and change of speed limit on the faster roads to be recognised as key to the successful delivery of the scheme, and to be prioritised accordingly.

·         Hookstone Drive and Hookstone Road to be part of the 20mph zone.

·         Opportunities to improve infrastructure for active travel and reduce traffic to be taken and used to their fullest extent to help mitigate the effects of massive urban expansion.

Our question is: Can the senior leadership team at NYC demonstrate that they are putting their weight behind the full and timely delivery of the 20mph scheme, resourcing and prioritising it properly?

The following response was read out from Heather Yendall (Improvement Manager, Highways and Transportation), and provided in writing following the conclusion of the meeting.

The delivery of any change in speed limit is dependent on the outcome of a Traffic Regulation Order and timescales on this can vary due to the complexity of the proposal or what is received during consultation. Additionally, some streets require traffic calming and thus require informal consultation prior to any formal advertisement to ensure the community and key stakeholders are supportive of proposals. 

Officers have shared the timeline in the report for implementing the previously agreed 20mph limits in the area for both signed only streets and those streets requiring calming. Members have previously received this information and the reasons why the delivery has been split into two stages. Officers are committed to providing the best solution with the necessary measures to reduce speeds so the community is left with compliant speed limits in the areas proposed for installation.

Statement submitted by Hazel Peacock

The inclusion of Hookstone Road and Hookstone Drive in the 20mph scheme for south and west Harrogate is a question of priorities and political will.

We ask the committee to support their inclusion and to urge decision makers Councillors Les, Duncan and Chief Executive Richard Flinton to prioritise child and community safety with the implementation of the full 20mph scheme and inclusion of these two roads without delay.

We urge members to request a full EQIA to assess the impacts of 20mph vs 30mph for those with protected characteristics (including Age, pregnancy and disability) considering both the positive and negative impacts, as is the Public Sector Duty outlined in Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.

The options appraisal report appears to have serious factual omissions; it does not follow LGA government guidelines and discounts the safety risks flagged in the EQIA for pedestrians.

The EQIA screening form states “as no change to the current speed limit of 30mph is proposed officers are not making anything worse by altering the status quo”. This “do nothing approach” and shirking of responsibility is more than questionable particularly considering the collision on 17th January at school pick up time which resulted in the serious injury of a pedestrian, which, it could be argued along with several of the other collisions listed, could have been avoided or reduced in severity through lower speeds.

Significantly, the views and repeated concerns of all stakeholders including 13 local head teachers, community and residents, 900 petition signatories and the local member Cllr Mann’s application in 2023 are ignored in the report as well as the statements submitted to officers in April 2024 following a site visit where they acknowledged the safety issues.

The pinch point acknowledged in the EQIA is a footpath by Crimple Beck Bridge 109cm in width (which doesn’t meet standard) where there is a footpath on one side of the road only so narrow it forces pupils and other pedestrians into the road which is used by buses, HGVs and cars. It is also an issue at Rayleigh Road. The risks posed and the protected characteristics of its users warrant a full EQIA. No signage is in place as the report suggests.

The options appraisal report does not appear to follow the process outlined in HMT and the Local Government Association workbook for Option Appraisals, which states it’s a technique for reviewing options and analysing the costs and benefits of each and ensuring informed decision making by ensuring a process that requires key objectives are identified and the different ways they can be achieved described, and, that, the pros and cons of options are to be considered in terms of the financial and non –financial. The NYC report does not follow this process.

Substantial features of the roads are also omitted in the report, with no mention of Oatlands Infant School and Junior Schools (attended by over 500 pupils aged 4 – 11) or St Aidan’s Secondary School (both roads are key routes for pupils, their families and staff). Neither is there mention of the 893 passengers who use Hornbeam Park Train Station each day (many of whom are school pupils) nor the 23,000 customers of the largest standalone M&S Food Hall in the UK each week. The features and characteristics of the roads are a key consideration.

The decision making for Hookstone Road being made on less than one week of speed and flow data during a “non neutral month” (December) without any seasonal adjustment factors as is practice is also questionable.

Vehicles not people are being prioritised and the safety, needs and wants of the community ignored. The delay of the 20mph scheme and rejection of 20mph on Hookstone Road and Drive puts the safety of children and the wider community at continued serious risk. We urge members to call for the inclusion of Hookstone Road and Hookstone Drive as 20mph.

The following response was read out from Heather Yendall (Improvement Manager, Highways and Transportation), and provided in writing following the conclusion of the meeting.

As outlined in the report, Hookstone Drive and Hookstone Road do not meet the requirements of North Yorkshire’s Policy for implementing a 20mph speed limit. Officers enact the policy set by Members. The roads in question serve a key function in the overall network hierarchy accommodating high vehicle volumes and provide a key link between Wetherby Road and Leeds Road, two major arterial routes in and out of Harrogate.

There will be an opportunity for further review of the route in question in line with a county wide review of speed limits. If there has been any change in behaviour on this route as a result of developments or other projects being implemented in the area, then this gives a further opportunity for the consideration of any potential reduction in speed limit.

At this time a full Equality Impact Assessment is not required for the context of this report, the repot has assessed the existing situation but is not proposing any change to this Area as part of this report. The report is for information only, with a recommendation to note the information.