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Road safety 20mph zone to go ahead in Ilkley

Tuesday, 5 September 2023 16:07

The proposed 20mph zone to improve road safety on the streets of Ilkley is set to go ahead.

The zone in Ilkley is the latest in Bradford Council’s successful 20mph zone programme, which has already reduced speeds on streets in Shipley and Bradford city centre.

As well as focusing on urban centres, other 20mph zones have been delivered around schools in wards across the district including City, Manningham, Toller, Keighley Central and Great Horton.

20mph zones improve local safety and the local environment, they also promote active travel alternatives such as walking and cycling. A growing number of local authorities across the UK have introduced 20mph speed limits in residential areas and urban centres.

After implementing the zones in Shipley and the city centre, Ilkley was next to be considered. Ilkley Town Council has provided an element of match funding with the Highways Agreement signed in October 2022 meaning it was possible to expand the zone to cover a wider area, including Ben Rhydding.

The calculation process to arrive at these final arrangements followed the guidelines set out by the Government. Ilkley’s 20mph scheme has been subject to public engagement for four years, including extensive public involvement and discussion in the Ilkley Neighbourhood Development Plan, which was adopted in 2022 via a full referendum of residents. 

This was followed by an official public consultation phase where residents’ suggestions were considered to improve the designs. Most significantly the final proposals have reduced the overall number of calming locations from 120 to 58, and nearly all these locations are on “walk to school” routes.

The proposed traffic calming measures are a newer design of speed cushions and tables and are different to the old fashioned ‘humps’ that have been historically used on the outskirts of Ilkley.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said: “I understand the strength of feeling some people in Ilkley have over these proposals, particularly around traffic calming.

 “We’ve listened, and throughout the development of the scheme the amount of traffic calming has been reduced by 50% - half the amount that was originally put forward.

“I’m confident these final proposals are right for Ilkley and will continue our successful district-wide strategy of rolling out 20mph zones in and around our urban centres, having already delivered similar successful schemes in Shipley and the city centre. The traffic calming now focuses primarily on the fastest roads and those around our schools and nurseries, which a lot of the feedback asked us to do.

“The whole point of public consultation is to identify issues and find a workable compromise that addresses any concerns without losing sight of the core purpose of the scheme. 20mph zones are important to reduce average speeds, improve road safety and create a better environment for residents, pedestrians and cyclists. Creating a culture where people drive more slowly when they are in our town and city centres and around schools is the right thing to do and I look forward to the successful implementation of this scheme.”

Installation is expected to begin in October with the scheme live before the end of the year

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