North Yorkshire Council has said that plans are 'progressing' to introduce 20mph zones near a number of Harrogate schools.
It’s set to be North Yorkshire’s largest wide-scale 20mph limit, covering seven schools in the south and west of Harrogate.
The Council is assessing all 400 plus education sites across the county, including schools, nurseries, and colleges, starting with those where speed limits are the highest.
It has adopted a presumption in favour of lowering speed limits in these locations.
In total, 22 sites have been reviewed so far, with the first reduced limits introduced outside Cundall Manor School, with the 60mph limit reduced to 40mph, and outside Appleton Wiske Primary School, with the 30mph limit reduced to 20mph.
A further 16 schemes are in the process of being consulted upon, with lower speed limits expected to be introduced there.
Executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:
“This is an unprecedented and coordinated effort to improve road safety for our young people.
“There are more than 400 sites to review across the county’s vast area, but we are committed to reviewing each and every one.
“We’re focussing first on the schools where speeds are highest. For example, there are 14 further schools where the speed limit nearby is 60mph. We want to consider reduced speeds here as a priority.
“We will then work through schools with 50mph, 40mph and 30mph limits to draw up plans for lower speeds. We have also already considered a number of standalone requests from the community in these locations."
He added:
“We are working with schools and local councillors at every stage, ensuring they are consulted and supportive of our plans.
“We will always pay attention to national guidance and the circumstances of each location, but I am proud we are able to bring forward this major initiative that has not been seen in North Yorkshire before.”
The council is also preparing to introduce a new speed management strategy to guide a proactive review of speed limits on our entire 5,700-mile network.
This is expected to be approved in the next few months.
Cllr Duncan added:
“We will not take a blanket approach to speed limits. We have rejected calls for 20mph to be introduced as the new default across our towns and villages, opting instead for a tailored approach that ensures consultation with communities.
“We will ultimately review speed limits on every inch of our network. We will assess limits on urban roads in our towns and villages, but on our rural roads too.
“We will review limits on a phased basis, backed up by extra resource and investment, building an ongoing pipeline of schemes for delivery.
“It will ensure we have a consistent, proactive and countywide approach, not only to 20mph limits, but all speed limits, with strong democratic oversight and an emphasis on consultation.”
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