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Meeting: |
Executive Member for Transport Decision Session |
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Meeting date: |
16/09/2025 |
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Report of: |
Garry Taylor – Director of City Development |
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Portfolio of: |
Councillor Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport |
Decision Report:
Irwin Avenue Speed Management Scheme
Subject of Report
1. This report presents the findings of road safety feasibility work and consultation undertaken following receipt of a petition from residents of Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue, Heworth. The petition was presented to Full Council by Councillor Douglas on 21 October 2021.
2. The residents “have very strong concerns about the danger to pedestrians caused by speeding traffic on the two streets” and petitioned the Council to consider their suggestions for how the neighbourhood can be made safer.
3. The Executive Member is asked to consider the findings and recommendations of the study and consultation and to approve the recommended action (Option 3) to withdraw the proposed scheme due to no consensus opinion being reached amongst residents to justify progression to implementation with the proposed option, but to commit to a future scheme to review the Dodsworth Avenue/Heworth Green junction in conjunction with the Movement and Place Plan.
4. The decision is required so that the council can respond in an appropriate manner and demonstrate that the concerns of all residents are being carefully considered and actions being progressed to address these concerns. The original proposal aimed to improve road safety conditions for the residents of Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue by removing unnecessary traffic and would be in line with the council’s core objectives. However, the proposed scheme does not provide a strategic approach to improving road safety and would only achieve localised benefits.
Benefits and Challenges
Benefits
5. The scheme, as proposed and if implemented, will meet the original desire from residents to remove unnecessary traffic from Irwin Avenue by preventing traffic from diverting off Dodsworth Avenue to avoid queues at the Heworth Green junction. A reduction in traffic on Irwin Avenue will provide localised road safety benefits and reduce noise, although this is minimal due to low levels of traffic involved.
6. The original proposal presented a well-balanced and considered solution to meet the request of residents as outlined by the petition.
Challenges
7. The project is funded from the speed management programme and has a budget of £4k to complete the design process. The estimated scheme cost (including fees and implementation costs) is £31.3k and funding for design and delivery of the scheme in 2025/26 is included in the Capital Programme.
8. Despite the initial views of the residents in the petition, consultation with all 82 properties on Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue has demonstrated that there is not a consensus view of support. Many did not agree that the concerns raised via the petition are evidenced and consider that no action is required.
9. Results are included in Annex D and summarised in the consultation section of this report.
10. Others cited the difficulties for vehicles to exit Dodsworth Avenue onto Heworth Green as the main cause of the problems encountered, specifically queuing from the junction resulting in vehicles diverting through Irwin Avenue. Several of the residents consider that a more appropriate solution would be to modify the Dodsworth Avenue / Heworth Green junction and introduce facilities there to reduce the queuing and make exit onto Heworth Green easier. In addition, the Civic Trust identified heavy traffic on Dodsworth Avenue as the source of the problem and recommended exploring measures to reduce traffic flow on Dodsworth Avenue. These wider interventions are beyond the scope of any scheme currently in the capital programme.
Policy Basis for Decision
11. The Speed Management programme aims to promote safer driving and greater compliance with signed speed limits and are usually identified through the speed management protocol (SMP) in conjunction with the York and North Yorkshire Safety Partnership. Projects are supported by factual evidence of speeding alongside a review of accident records.
12. This scheme has been developed in response to concerns being raised by residents via petition. Concerns about speeding had been raised with North Yorkshire Police prior to the petition being submitted and was reviewed as part of the normal SMP procedure. Details of the recorded speeds are shown in Annex C and demonstrate that compliance with the speed limit is good, with the only exception being the 85th percentile speed (eastwards) which was above the enforcement limit, particularly during evening hours. The proposed scheme addresses this issue whereas the recommended option to suspend the scheme would not achieve the desired results.
13. This scheme reflects the four core commitments:
14. By referencing national guidance in developing potential solutions, which will address the road safety concerns of residents, the proposal reflects best practice and offers appropriate responses to the concerns and does not have any intentional or unintentional bias built into its aims and outcomes.
15. Engagement has been undertaken with residents and key stakeholder groups (including equality/accessibility groups) to determine their views on the proposed scheme, and consideration has also been given to suggestions put forward as part of the consultation exercise.
16. An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken and has demonstrated that the proposal has a slightly beneficial impact on some protected characteristic groups and no differential impact identified for others. The Access Officer is supportive of the proposals.
17. Not applicable – this scheme does not have any impact on affordability.
· Climate –
18. The introduction of low-key measures avoids the need for substantial, disruptive construction. The measures serve to remove undesirable traffic which uses Irwin Avenue as an alternative route to avoid queuing on Dodsworth Avenue at its junction with Heworth Green.
19. Any improvements to the Dodsworth Avenue / Heworth Green junction are outside the scope of this project so queuing, with the associated concerns of noise and air pollution, will continue. The vehicles which currently divert onto Irwin Avenue will be forced to join the queues, although the numbers are low.
20. Residents living on the length of Irwin Avenue which will become one-way will also be required to exit onto Dodsworth Avenue and contribute to the potential queuing concerns, albeit, again, the numbers would be minimal at any one time.
21. The proposed scheme doesn’t significantly help to reduce driven miles, which is a core objective of the climate change strategy and transport strategy.
· Health –
22. The proposed measures serve to reduce the use of Irwin Avenue by unnecessary traffic and thereby improve local conditions so that pedestrians, cyclists and other road users can travel more safely. Some residents have indicated that they have young children who walk or cycle to school nearby, whilst others walk dogs. The safer environment will in turn lead to improved health and wellbeing.
23. Whilst improvements are expected on Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue, the queuing issues experienced on Dodsworth Avenue will not be addressed and so will not present any associated benefits to health and wellbeing.
Financial Strategy Implications
24. The project is being progressed as part of the current Speed Management programme, through the Local Transport Capital Programme.
25. The estimated scheme cost (including fees and implementation costs) is £31.3k and this funding is currently available from the 2025/26 programme.
26. If the Executive Member agrees to the recommendation not to proceed, the available budget could be reassigned to other schemes in the speed management programme.
Recommendation and Reasons
27. The Executive Member is recommended to approve Option 3 to do nothing and leave Irwin Avenue as existing, but to commit to a future scheme to review the Dodsworth Avenue/Heworth Green junction in conjunction with the Movement and Place Plan.
Reason:
28. There is insufficient support from the local community to progress the project further and speeds on Irwin Avenue were found to be generally compliant. The volume of vehicles cutting through Irwin Avenue from Dodsworth Avenue was found to be very low.
29. The volume of motor vehicle traffic using Dodsworth Avenue and the difficulties for drivers exiting Dodsworth Avenue onto Heworth Green is seen by many to be the source of the problems.
30. In addition, the scheme does not provide a strategic approach to improving road safety and would only bring about localised benefits.
Background
31. The Council received a petition from residents of Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue, Heworth. It was presented to Full Council by Councillor Douglas on 21st October 2021.
32. The residents raised “very strong concerns about the danger to pedestrians caused by speeding traffic on the two streets” and petitioned the Council to consider their suggestions for how the neighbourhood can be made safer.
33. Of the 42 residents (representing 37 of the 82 households) who signed the petition, the most favoured solution is to block Irwin Avenue as a through road from Dodsworth Avenue and make the junctions at Dodsworth Avenue and Malton Avenue onto Heworth Green left turn only to help with traffic flow.
34. A report acknowledging receipt of the petition was presented to the Executive Member for Transport Decision Session meeting in January 2022. It was resolved that the Chief Operating Officer be recommended to note the petition and updates given in the report, and approve the proposed way forward for the resolution of the items raised in the petitions. As a result, the project was included in the 2022/23 Speed Management Scheme (SMS) programme for review at feasibility study stage.
35. It was also decided that the project be reported back to an Executive Member decision session for a decision on how to proceed following completion of the feasibility study and to feedback on consultation.
36. The project was added to the 2022/23 Speed Management programme and a feasibility study was undertaken to investigate the key concerns / issues and to consider potential options for progression to design and delivery.
37. The study took account of available data (speed surveys, accident records, traffic flow data, existing restrictions) in consideration of the views of residents.
38. A range of potential solutions were considered, and the proposed option (Option 1, Annex B) was considered to offer the desired results and benefits.
39. The option to “block” Irwin Avenue as a through route was considered at feasibility stage. A point closure at the Dodsworth Avenue end of Irwin would achieve the “desired” result of preventing the use of Irwin Avenue as an alternative route to avoid queues on Dodsworth Avenue but would require all traffic from Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue to use the Malton Avenue / Heworth Green junction, potentially increasing the likelihood of conflict at the junction and, hence, increasing the need for improvements at the junction to facilitate safe turning facilities. A zebra crossing is already proposed on Heworth Green at this junction.
40. A point closure on Irwin Avenue would not remove the need for some residential traffic to still use Dodsworth Avenue and be subject to the same issues as with the one-way treatment. In some ways, a point closure is more restrictive than the one-way option.
41. The adjacent Heworth Green / Dodsworth Avenue TSAR scheme is considering improvements to the existing pedestrian crossing facility on Heworth Green. At the time of the Irwin Avenue study, signalisation of the junction was one of the options being considered but was found not to be justified.
Consultation Analysis
42. Consultation on the proposed option (Option 1, Annex B) was undertaken with ward members between 7th – 21st March 2025 and was followed by a wider consultation with residents and key stakeholder consultees between 4th – 25th April.
43. Consultation with residents was undertaken by means of hand-delivered letters to each of the 82 properties on Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue. A detailed description of the key findings of the report together with reasoning for the proposed scheme were included in the letters.
44. A summary of the feedback is provided in Annex D along with officer comments in response.
45. Of the stakeholder consultees, only First Bus, Royal Mail, York Civic Trust and York Cycle Campaign responded and did not raise any objection to the proposal. None of the equality/accessibility groups responded, however the Council’s Accessibility Officer contributed to the content of the Equality Impact Assessment (Annex E).
46. Responses were received from 29 households (35% of the total number of properties). Of these:
· 10 of the 29 responses were supportive of the proposal (34.5%).
· 18 were unsupportive / objected to the proposal measures (62%).
· 1 did not indicate their preference (3.5%)
Options Analysis and Evidential Basis
Option 1:
Proceed with option as per Annex B to introduce one-way restrictions on Irwin Avenue.
47. This option will serve to prevent vehicles using Irwin Avenue and Malton Avenue as a convenient alternative route to avoid queuing at the Dodsworth Avenue/Heworth Green junction. This is the outcome requested by the petitioners.
48. The scheme will also provide a contraflow cycle lane, taking vulnerable users away from the busier Dodsworth Road route, as well as making minor changes to the Irwin Avenue junction with Dodsworth to support the “no-entry” restriction and make crossing the mouth safer.
49. The measures would be relatively inexpensive to implement, and funding is available to deliver this project in 2025/26.
50. Introduction of the one-way does place additional pressure on the queuing at Dodsworth Avenue but as the volumes of traffic diverting onto Irwin Avenue are low, this impact would be relatively minor.
51. Residents on the one-way section of Irwin Avenue would need to exit onto Dodsworth and not be able to exit via Malton onto Heworth Green, therefore being further affected by the Dodsworth Avenue traffic. This would also be the same if Irwin Avenue was “blocked off”.
52. Only 35% of the households responded to the consultation. Of these only 10 households support the option (34.5% of the responses and 12% of the total number of households), whilst 18 objected to the proposed measures (62% of the responses and 22% of the overall number of households).
53. Furthermore, this option does not provide a strategic approach to improving road safety and would only deliver very localised benefits.
54. Consequently, there is insufficient support for the proposed scheme for officers to recommend it is progressed further.
Option 2: Do nothing and leave Irwin Avenue as existing.
55. As mentioned above, there is insufficient support of the proposed scheme despite the concerns and request raised in the original petition. Many of the residents do not consider there to be any road safety issues on Irwin Avenue and consider the proposed scheme to be unnecessary.
56. Several residents consider that the proposal does not address the main source of the concerns i.e. the difficulties for traffic to exit Dodsworth Avenue onto Heworth Green and the resultant queuing of traffic on Dodsworth.
57. Residents have argued that the petition, signed by 37 households (45% of the total number of properties) does not fairly or fully represent the views of residents.
58. If the scheme is halted and not delivered, the only costs incurred against the project would be the design fees incurred to date. The remaining budget could be reassigned to other projects in the programme.
Option 3:
Do nothing and leave Irwin Avenue as existing.
Commit to future scheme to review the Dodsworth Avenue/Heworth Green junction.
59. The analysis is as for option 2.
60. In recognition of the views of many that the Dodsworth Avenue / Heworth Green junction is the main cause of any issues being experienced, a commitment ought to be made to fully review the junction and to promote a scheme which addresses the concern in line with our transport strategy and commitment to reduce driven miles and increase access to sustainable travel options. This commitment would be to the satisfaction of those residents who have raised concerns about the queuing.
61. Traffic signalisation is considered to be an appropriate means of managing traffic at the Heworth Green/Dodsworth Avenue junction by some of the residents, however this is currently not being considered as part of any current project. The initial view of officers is that the signalisation would not offer much improvement to Dodsworth Avenue traffic despite turning movements being better managed by the signals. It is considered that signals could create more frequent queuing which may in turn push additional vehicles onto Irwin Avenue.
62. An assessment would need to be undertaken to consider the overall impact of such a scheme alongside those at nearby junctions where similar solutions are being proposed. This assessment is being considered with the aim of promoting a review of the potential impact of the several proposed schemes along the Monkgate to Monk Cross corridor.
63. The schemes being developed along the Monkgate – Malton Road corridor are outlined below:
a) Monkgate Roundabout Local Safety Scheme (LSS) – aiming to address road safety concerns at the highest-ranking accident cluster site, with the current preferred option being to introduce traffic signals to replace the roundabout.
b) Heworth Green/Dodsworth Avenue TSAR – replacement/refurbishment of the existing pedestrian crossing on Heworth Green.
c) Heworth Green/Stockton Lane LSS - aiming to address road safety concerns at another high-ranking accident cluster site, with the current preferred option to introduce traffic signals to replace the roundabout. Interim improvements have recently been made in conjunction with a resurfacing scheme.
d) Local Cycling and Walking Improvements (LCWIP) along Heworth Green and Malton Road – details not developed as yet.
e) Jockey Lane / Monks Cross Link Danger Reduction (DR) scheme to improve road safety by reducing conflict manoeuvres at the busy junction.
f) Improvements to the Heworth Green/Eboracum Way junction are proposed under future TSAR/maintenance programmes.
g) Ongoing developments off New Lane, Huntington and the potential development of the Sainsbury site and any resultant schemes being generated are also under consideration.
64. Installing signals at the Dodsworth Avenue junction is likely to reduce capacity along Heworth Green especially if other proposed projects are progressed as currently proposed. Options other than signals could be explored as part of the junction review and wider considerations within the Movement and Place Plan for the city.
Organisational Impact and Implications
65. The project will have the following implications:
· Financial.
There are currently no financial implications arising from the recommendations in this report.
If the Executive Member agrees with the recommendation not to proceed, the allocated budget may be reassigned to other schemes within the Speed Management Programme.
If the project proceeds, it will be funded from the Speed Management Programme budget for 2025/26. The estimated cost of the scheme is £31.3k, which includes fees and implementation costs.
Any additional costs associated with this scheme will reduce the funding available for other schemes within the programme.
· Human Resources (HR)
There are no HR, ICT or Business Support implications
· Legal, contact: Head of Legal Services.
Any capital works, and any supplies of goods and/or services relevant to the proposed scheme under Option 1, or any future scheme under Option 3 must be commissioned in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and (where applicable) the Procurement Act 2023. Legal Services shall be consulted with regarding the drafting and completion of any related contracts.
Should Option 1 be approved any Traffic Regulation Order or variation required shall be implemented in accordance with the procedural requirements of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. In making decisions on Traffic Regulation Orders, the Council must consider the criteria within Section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and, in particular, the duty to make decisions to secure the expeditious, convenient, and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic (including pedestrians). The balance between these considerations must come to the appropriate decision.
· Procurement, contact: Head of Procurement.
No comments provided.
· Health and Wellbeing.
Road safety has significant implications for public health. Cars offer great convenience and mobility but can also reduce the mobility of others – discouraging walking, cycling and scooting because of the way the built environment is designed to favour cars. However, it is important that we bring the whole community along with us when making changes and therefore agree with the recommendation of Option 3 is followed to facilitate this.
· Environment and Climate action.
The low levels of traffic mean that any change will likely have a limited material impact on operational emissions from vehicles in the area. The introduction of low-key measures avoids the need for construction and associated embodied emissions.
· Affordability
A full equalities impact assessment is included at Annex E and did not identify any negative impacts of the scheme.
· Equalities and Human Rights
A full equalities impact assessment is included at Annex E and did not identify any negative impacts of the scheme.
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· Data Protection and Privacy, contact: information.governance@york.gov.uk - every report must consider whether to have a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) and this section will include the compliance requirements from the DPIA or explain why no DPIA is required.
No comments provided.
· Communications.
Any further work in the area undertaken as part of the movement and place programme will be picked up as part of communications around that wider priority.
· Economy.
An efficient transport network is an essential component of a robust and resilient economy, and it is therefore welcomed that a ‘root cause’ solution to the issues identified by residents is proposed to be explored’.
Risks and Mitigations
66. The risks are largely set out above.
67. There is no consensus support for the proposed scheme as many residents consider that the issues raised in the petition are not evidenced and that the source of the concerns lie at the Dodsworth Avenue / Heworth Green junction. Proceeding with the delivery of the proposed scheme would not meet the expectations of the majority and would be seen as an inappropriate use of the funding.
68. Proceeding with the delivery of the proposed scheme could result in the council’s reputation being at risk of severe criticism.
69. There is sufficient budget available to deliver the scheme but if the view of most residents is that the proposals will not address the main areas of concern then this would be seen as a waste of resource, with funds better used elsewhere.
Wards Impacted
Heworth ward
Contact details
For further information please contact the author of this Decision Report.
Author
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Name: |
David Mercer |
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Job Title: |
Highway Engineering Design Manager |
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Service Area: |
Transport |
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Telephone: |
07983 953303 |
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Report approved: |
Yes/No |
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Date: |
23/07/2025 |
Background
papers
18/01/2022 Executive Member decision session report
Annexes
Annex A – Petition front sheet
Annex B – Proposed Layout
Annex C – Speed and traffic data
Annex D – Consultation Responses
Annex E – Equality Impact Assessment