The councillor in charge of transport at Bradford Council says there are no plans to revisit the planned 20mph zones and traffic calming measures for Ilkley following the recent Parish Poll.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw has rejected a 'compromise' put forward by Ilkley's three district councillors, after last week's vote among residents of the town showed overwhelming opposition for the proposals, which are due to come in to force in the next few weeks.
Andrew Loy (Conservative), Anne Hawkesworth (Independent) and David Nunns (Conservative) urged Bradford Council to reconsider the decision, highlighting that the number of people who said they were against a 'combined town-wide 20mph zone with road humps' was 3,606 - almost a thousand more people than the 2,655 who voted for the winning candidate (David Nunns) in May's local elections
In a joint letter to Cllr Ross-Shaw, the three Ilkley ward councillors said: "It is clearly not just supporters of one political party who oppose the scheme, as some have suggested. This cuts across party lines.
“The only question with a successful Yes vote [in the Parish Poll] was question 4 regarding targeted 20mph zones. We believe there must now be a compromise along these lines.”
Tap here to see the full results from the recent Parish Poll in Ilkley.
The councillors went on to propose a targeted 20mph zone in the town centre, extending out to roads with schools. They suggested that excluding streets further out from the centre, such as Grove Road and Victoria Avenue, would remove any requirement for road humps (speed cushions or tables) in those areas.
They added: “Even at this late stage, we believe such a revision to the scheme would make it acceptable to the majority of residents, including us. We would be happy to support such a scheme and to support you in making that decision.“
In reply, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning & Transport at Bradford Council, wrote:
“I appreciate your genuine offer of collaboration to find a way forward, however as you acknowledge the decision has already been taken and I do not propose to revisit it in light of the results of the Parish Poll.
“I would say the outcome probably was in line with expectations, albeit with a higher level of turnout than perhaps anticipated based on the Keighley Parish Poll though less than the organisers has publicly set as a target.”
He went on to say: “I remain genuine and confident in my view that this represents a good scheme for Ilkley and strikes the right balance in reflecting the concerns raised during the formal consultations and what we are striving to achieve with the programme, which will be improved road safety and a better environment for walking and cycling in the area with reduced average speeds in and around our town centre.”
The three councillors say they are disappointed by the response and stand by their offer to collaborate on a revised targeted scheme.
A new Speed Limit Order has already been approved and sealed by Bradford Council's legal department, which mean the 20mph zone can be introduced from 3rd November. The order, which includes the 58 calming locations and areas of the 20mph zones, is available to view here.
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