Ilkley Town Council to receive an update on 20mph scheme

Tuesday, 26 November 2024 17:55

Ilkley Town Council to receive an update on the 20mph scheme from Bradford Council at Monday's meeting

Bradford Council (BMDC) Highways will attend the monthly full meeting of Ilkley Town Council (ITC) on Monday evening to give an update on the 20mph scheme around Ilkley and Ben Rhydding.

This week Ilkley Civic Society (ICS) has been critical of the progress made by BMDC, but did support Ilkley Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan to introduce 20 mph zones and traffic calming measures 'where needed’ to improve road safety in the town.

In its latest report on the scheme progress ICS says:

“Since January 2024 when physical work started we have seen spasmodic bursts of activity to install signs and humps on a scheme that was supposed to be ‘effective‘ by the end of that month according to Bradford Council. Now 9 months on we believe this far from complete scheme does not achieve even its limited objectives, we still have no information on when completion is due and when it can be officially signed off (by CBMC) as complying with Department for Transport regulations.”

ICS list items in the scheme not completed include, entry signing not effective, repeater signing and white markings on humps.

Meanwhile a small group of Ilkley resident, led by James Gillespie, Paul Birch and Peter Barron, have questioned if it has been installed correctly under the 1980 Highways Act and the Department for Transport regulations and is the work ‘complete’ under the terms of the contract signed between ITC and BMDC.

A spokesperson for the group said:

“We surveyed the town, identifying the locations of all Traffic Calming Features and determined the distances between them. The Department for Transport regulations are clear. For a zone to be effective and enforceable there must be a traffic calming feature i.e. entry sign, 20mph sign, table or cushion every 100m.”

The survey results of the 279 sites identified were: only 6% conformed to Department for Transport regulations, 24% were spaced less than 95m and 70% were greater than 105m.

The spokesperson added:

“This concluded the scheme does not conform to Department for Transport regulations and the 20-mph speed restriction may not be enforceable and furthermore the contract between Ilkley Town Council and Bradford Council may not be fulfilled and therefore not binding, and as it stands, Ilkley Town Council should not pay the final payment for the scheme of £78,700.

“The next stage will be to carry out a Post Installation Survey. This must demonstrate clearly, with quantifiable evidence, the proper installation, significant traffic calming and reduction in traffic accidents.”

Bradford Council Highways will give an update at next week's ITC meeting, members of the public are invited to attend the meeting as observers, which starts at 7.30pm in the Ilkley Town Hall council chamber on Monday 2nd December 2024.

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