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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 |
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Portfolio of: |
Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport |
Decision Report: Bishopthorpe
20mph Experimental Traffic Regulation Order
Subject of
Report
1. The report provides a review of the experimental 20 miles per hour (mph) speed limit that is currently in place in the village of Bishopthorpe. The review includes residents’ views provided during the consultation period and speed survey data, undertaken before and during the experimental period.
2. The report analyses the different options available to the Executive Member to make a decision on permanent speed limits for Bishopthorpe. It recommends making the 20mph signed only speed limit permanent for most of the village with the exception of three areas where compliance with the signed only limit has been poor.
Benefits and Challenges
3. The report considers whether a 20pmh speed limit (signed only), covering most of the village of Bishopthorpe (Annex F), should be made permanent.
4. The reduction in speed limit aims to improve road safety and encourage active travel, in line with the Council’s Local Transport Strategy.
5. The decision follows the implementation of an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). The decision on future permanent speed limits for the village can therefore be based on a review of the effectiveness of the experimental restrictions and taking account of the feedback and comments received by the Council during the experiment. The experiment has also provided an opportunity to undertake speed surveys within the area to inform recommendations on future actions. This helps to give a clear indication of how the area has been used and will be used in the future.
6. The evidence collated for Bishopthorpe ETRO will also inform the Council’s approach for future community[KR1] [DH2] wide 20mph speed limits. The Council has already received requests from Dunnington, Askham Richard, Copmanthorpe and Poppleton for 20mph village wide schemes.
7. Challenges identified through the ETRO process include the need to consider a wide range of views from residents and highway users on the implementation, effectiveness, and impacts of the 20mph speed limit.
8. The signed only approach for villages, whilst providing a more affordable option to reduce speed limits when compared to changes including speed management measures (such as humps, raised tables or chicanes), has limited impacts on vehicle speeds, with varied levels of compliance depending on the character of the streets, as shown by the data for Bishopthorpe and wider research on the subject.
Policy Basis for Decision
9. The response from the ETRO consultation indicates that the 20mph speed limit has resulted in residents who walk, wheel and cycle feeling safer when travelling in the village.
10. This links to the Council’s Local Transport Strategy which aims to improve health and wellbeing and enhance safety by improving walking, wheeling and cycling, shaping healthy places, reducing car dependency, and managing the road network for Movement and Place. Specifically, Policy 6.4 of the Strategy aims to “make travel safer for pedestrians, wheelers and cyclists, adopt 20mph as the default speed limit for all roads through residential areas (including new developments), within the city centre, near schools, in villages and at retail areas and parks”.
Financial Strategy Implications
11. For the recommended option (Option 3), financial implications are limited as this would mainly retain the current 20mph area (no changes required to signage within the zone) and revert to previous 30mph speed limits on Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane. Some work will be required to move signs or provide additional signs for these areas, but this can be funded from the relevant LTP funding allocation.
12. If Option 5 is to be taken forward (Option 3 implemented as an interim measure with additional work to identify and implement measures to achieve compliance in a 20mph zone as implemented under the experimental order), the Executive Member will be required to agree to LTP funding prioritisation to fund this additional work.
13. Additionally, as noted in the Background section of this report, other villages and areas have applied for [KR3] [DH4] 20mph zones and once a decision is made on the Bishopthorpe experiment, work will need to progress to assess the suitability of these areas for a 20mph roll out and devise a strategic approach to delivering more widespread 20mph to create environments to make travel safer for pedestrians, wheelers and cyclists[KR5] [DH6] . This is however to be funded from the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) Speed Reduction Implementation budget.
Recommendation and Reasons
14. Option 3 – Make a reduced area of the experimental Order permanent , as shown in Annex D and delegate authority to the Director of City Development to make and advertise the permanent order (recommended). This will give a realistic speed limit on those stretches of road where compliance with the 20mph limit was poor during the experiment. It is recommended to amend the limit as follows (as shown in Annex D):
· Appleton Road move the 20mph speed limit to nearer its junction with Maple Avenue and revert to the 30mph[KR7] [DH8] speed limit between Bridge Road and Maple Avenue;
· Bishopthorpe Road move the 20mph limit to nearer its junction with Church Lane and revert to the 30mph[KR9] [DH10] speed limit between the crematorium and Church Lane;
· Sim Balk Lane move the limit to nearer its junction with Church Lane and revert to the 30mph[KR11] [DH12] speed limit between Garth Mews/Garth Cottage and Church Lane.
15. This is in line the with the national guidance on 20mph speed limits and the representation from the Police on the experimental Order. The removal of the 20mph speed limit and reintroduction of the previous 30mph speed limit from those lengths of road will help to improve driver compliance and signal to all road users what kind of vehicle speeds should be anticipated. [KR13] [DH14]
16. This will help provide safe 20mph scheme that is self-enforcing through the placement of speed limit signs and allow for the reintroduction of the existing VAS signs on those roads, to advise of the 30mph limits on the approaches to the 20mph area.
Background
Experimental 20mph speed limit in Bishopthorpe village
17. A request was made to the Council for an extension of the 20mph speed limit in Bishopthorpe, to include the Montague Road estate. The request was reviewed by officers and a report was presented to an Executive Member decision session on 13th December 2022 (https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/g13552/Decisions%20Tuesday%2013-Dec-2022%2010.00%20Decision%20Session%20-%20Executive%20Member%20for%20Transport%20-%20Expired.pdf?T=2).
18. The Executive Member supported the report’s recommendation to extend the 20mph in Bishopthorpe to include the Montague Road estate . The proposal for this extension was advertised on 21 April 2023, for a three-week consultation period.
19. The representations received from the residents on the proposed amendment to the speed limit was mixed, with several residents in objection, citing the potential cost of the proposal and suggesting the money would be better spent on the maintenance of the footpaths and roads in Bishopthorpe. The consultation also received representations in favour of the proposal, with some residents requesting the inclusion of additional streets in the village.
20. The responses to the statutory consultation were however never considered by the Executive Member for Transport, as the Council then received a request for a village wide 20mph speed limit in Bishopthorpe (as well as a similar request for Dunnington). These requests were reported to the Executive Member for Transport at a their decision session on 12 September 2023 (see Item 14 here: https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1061&MId=14338).
21. The report recommended that an experimental 20mph speed limit be put in place in Bishopthorpe, with a decision on the request for Dunnington to be deferred until a final decision was made on the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order in Bishopthorpe. The Executive Member made the decision that the experimental Order would implement a signed only 20 mph speed limit, excluding engineering measures to manage the speeds. The restriction would therefore only be implemented through the placement of speed limit signs throughout the village (also described as a “signed only” speed limit). The experiment aimed to assess if signs alone would be enough to see a reduction in vehicle speeds in the village and associated wider benefits in terms of road safety and supporting active travel modes.
22. Following this decision, officers designed a scheme to meet the aims of the 20mph experiment. The main concern with the proposal was the level of compliance that would be achieved on the village access routes, due to the fact that some roads would be dropping from an existing 60mph speed limit [KR15] [DH16] to 20mph at the village access points. The Council undertook speed surveys for six locations [KR17] [DH18] (Annex G) within the proposed extended 20mph area prior to the experimental restriction coming into operation.
23. The notice of making for the experimental Order was advertised on 7 June 2024 and the restrictions came into force on the 14 June 2024 for an 18-month period, until 15 December 2025. The notice of making was communicated to the statutory consultees and satellite navigation companies, so they were aware of the change and could update their systems. The notice of making was also advertised in a locally circulated newspaper and on street, in the village. The residents of Bishopthorpe were also notified through the Parish Council, Ward Councillors and leaflets distributed in local businesses, which provided information on how residents could provide representations on the experimental order.
24. Before the experiment, there were three vehicle activated signs (VAS) in the village, which reminded drivers of the speed limit if they were travelling over 30mph. The VAS could not be reconfigured to 20mph, so they were turned off during the experiment.
25. During the experiment, the Council undertook two separate speed surveys in the locations that were surveyed prior to the experimental period. The two additional surveys were undertaken to monitor and assess compliance with the new speed limit in different areas of the village.
Other requests for village wide 20mph speed limits
26. As noted above, a request for a 20mph village wide speed limit was previously submitted for Dunnington. The Council has also received further requests for village wide 20mph restrictions from Askham Richard, Copmanthorpe, and Poppleton.
27. The requests from the villages will be added to the list of requests for a 20mph village wide speed limit, with any future actions on the requests informed by the outcome of the Bishopthorpe 20mph experimental speed limit, in line with the Executive Member’s decision from 12 September 2023.
20mph speed limits – wider context and evidence
28. Transport for London (TfL) recently published some long-term research showing that 20mph speed limits have saved lives on London’s roads (available here: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2025/may/powerful-new-long-term-tfl-research-shows-20mph-speed-limits-save-lives-on-london-s-roads).
29. The analysis considered over 150 20mph schemes implemented between 1989 and 2013, to better understand the impact of the schemes over a longer period. The report shows that the schemes significantly reduced the number of deaths and serious injuries, including:
a) A 40% reduction in the number of people killed (from 15 to 9), compared against the background trend of 7% fewer fatalities across borough roads;
b) A 34% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured (from 395 to 260), compared against the background trend of a 15% fall in people killed or seriously injured across borough roads;
c) A 75% reduction in the number of children killed (from 4 to 1), compared with no change across the control group, and a 50% reduction in children's casualties (from 517 to 280), against the background trend within the control group of 20%.
d) A 35% reduction in collisions and 36% reduction in casualties on borough roads, against a background trend of 12% fewer collisions and casualties across all borough roads.
30. The TfL report does not include any detail of the 20mph schemes which were included in the study, so it is not possible to understand whether these impacts were measured for signed only 20 mph schemes or in areas where the reduction in speed limit was supported by engineering measures to lower speeds. There is also no information provided on the level of enforcement of the 20mph speed limit for these areas. The TfL “Safe speeds” webpage (available here: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/safety-and-security/road-safety/safe-speeds#on-this-page-3) states: “There are many different ways to encourage people to drive at lower speeds, but evidence shows that self-enforcing speed limits are the most successful way to reduce speeds. A self-enforcing speed limit means that people are more likely to drive within the signed speed limit because they feel it's the easiest and safest speed to drive along that road. This is generally because of the way the road looks and has been designed”.
31. A default 20mph speed limit was introduced for residential areas and built-up streets in Wales in September 2023, changing most previous 30mph speed limits to 20 mph[KR19] [DH20] . Data published by the Welsh Government shows that vehicle speeds on 20mph main through roads have fallen by an average of 3.8mph and that the first year of the default 20mph speed limit saw around 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured on 20mph and 30mph roads (available at: https://tfw.wales/national-monitoring-report-july-2025).
32. A major Department for Transport (DfT) study, published in 2018, focused on signed only 20mph speed limits in urban areas. The study concluded that 20mph signed only limits are generally supported by residents and drivers, and that they lead to small reductions in average vehicle speeds (see 20mph Research Study, Process and Impact Evaluation Report 2018, produced for the DfT by Atkins, AECOM, and Professor Maher).
33. Feedback from residents and road users suggested that slower speeds are one of a combination of factors required to improve the environment for walking and cycling. The study found a small (but significant) increase in use of active travel modes, based on self-reported evidence. In the case study areas, 5% of residents surveyed said that they were walking more and 2% said that they were cycling more following the introduction of the 20mph limits.
34. The study found high levels of support amongst cyclists (81%), residents living in the area with the new 20mph limit (drivers and non-drivers - 75%) and drivers who are not residents in the 20mph area (66%), but less support amongst residents of neighbouring areas (44%), and opposition from motorcyclists (29% supportive, 49% unsupportive).
35. The average speed reductions were found to be typically less than 1mph overall but were more significant for vehicles previously traveling at higher speeds The impact on journey times was found to be slight. The study estimated that journey times had increased by 3% in residential areas and 5% in city centre areas. This was estimated to have added less than half a minute to a two-mile trip and less than a minute to a five-mile trip.
36. Transport research has generally established a positive relationship between vehicle speed and injury collisions – the higher the speed, the more collisions and where collisions do occur, the higher the risk of a fatal injury at higher speeds. The spread of speeds, and proportion of vehicles driving above the speed limit is also important. The 2018 study did not however find a significant change in collisions and casualties. There was however some evidence to suggest a positive road safety impact in one case study location (in Brighton), where a blanket 20mph limit was introduced covering both major and minor roads, and where there was sufficient data to indicate a statistically significant change in collisions and casualties.
Consultation Analysis
37. As part of the ETRO process, during the 18-month experimental period, there is a 6 month representation period, which starts when the restriction comes into force. The Council received a number of representations on the experimental 20mph speed limit in Bishopthorpe, both in favour and objecting to the new speed limit.
38. The Council received 42 representations received in favour [KR21] [DH22] (Annex A) of the continuation of the experiment cited that the 20mph speed limit benefitted pedestrians and cyclists in the village, as it helped to provide a safer feel as they travelled around the village. A number of representations mentioned the narrow footpaths in some areas of the village, such as the footpath leading out to the crematorium[KR23] [DH24] , as previously been a concern due to the speed and proximity of vehicles.
39. The representations noted that the reduction in vehicle speeds within the village helped to reduce the risk of serious injury should an accident occur. One resident noted that their 4-year-old child was hit by a car last year, but luckily the vehicle was not travelling at speed and their child was not hurt physically.
40. A number of residents mentioned the benefit reduced vehicle speeds have for the residents, with consideration of the age demographic of the village, with a lot of young families and elderly residents within the community.
41. There was concern from some residents that were in favour of the continuation of the 20mph speed limit, that there are still a number of vehicles which are not complying with the speed limit. They have asked for additional measures to improve compliance with the speed limit. The Council received some representations requesting that existing vehicle activated signs were utilised for the 20mph speed limit, but, as noted above, these signs would need to be replaced, if they were to be used to support the 20mph speed limit.
42. There was also a request for the limit to receive enforcement by the Police. Although the Council works in partnership with the Police on road safety issues, enforcement decisions are made by the Police, and the Council is not able to influence these decisions. However, the Council will continue to work in partnership with the Police through the road safety partnership and look to explore opportunities for enforcement of speed limits within the authority area. The village does have a community speed watch team, but they can only operate in limited approved areas.
43. The Council received 35 representations in objection (Annex B) to the 20mph speed restriction varied in their degree of opposition, as some representations were completely against a 20mph speed limit in the village, and some felt that the experimental Order just went too far and requested a reduction in the area covered.
44. Some of the representations received against the experimental order, noted that they did not feel that there was an issue with vehicle speed in the village. The lack of compliance to the new restriction was one of the main reasons for objections, with residents indicating that vehicles are still travelling at 30mph through the village.
45. A number of the representations mentioned that there is no accident data for the village to justify the reduction in speed limit. Some raised a concern about the potential for an increase in accidents due to extended time required to pass parked cars and cyclists.
46. The majority of the representations received in objection, were not opposed to the 20mph in the village and acknowledged the benefit in some areas of the village. There were concerns raised about the 20mph in the village at the points of entrance/exit to the village. There have been several reports of vehicles travelling at 20mph in these areas being overtaken by other vehicles which were not complying with the speed limits.
47. There are varying opinions from the residents on which sections of Sim Balk Lane, Bishopthorpe Road, Acaster Lane and Appleton Road should be within the 20mph speed limit. The areas that received the most objections were the sections of Sim Balk Lane and Bishopthorpe Road. The representations asked for the 20mph speed limit on both roads to be moved closer to their junctions with Church Lane.
48. The speed limit on Acaster Lane did receive some requests for amendment, to move the 20mph limit closer to the centre of the village. These requests were made on the grounds that there are only properties on one side of the road and the environment does not meet the requirement for a 20mph limit. The view was countered by some residents, that although there are only houses on one side of the road, the stretch of road does have a sports field on the other side of the road, so residents will be accessing that area by cycle and foot. Acaster Lane does also have a parade of shops and is well utilised by residents within the village.
49. The objections received did also request that the speed limit on Appleton Road be moved back to its original position prior to the experiment. Residents did cite the drop from 60pmh to 20mph as too much, which means that drivers are speeding in the village at this location, in turn resulting in a speeding issue near the school. It is also useful to note that Appleton Road provides the link between the village and a caravan park situated to the south, off Moor Lane, resulting in some walking and cycling trips to and from the park.
50. During the experimental Order the Ward Councillor for Bishopthorpe undertook his own survey with residents about their feelings toward the experimental speed limit in the village. The survey provided 3 choices for residents
· Keep the 20mph limit as it is
· Return to the previous limits
· Keep the 20mph but with suggested amendments
The survey received 316 responses from residents, with 138 responding to keep the 20mph as it is. 101 residents wanted the speed limits to return to the previous limit and 77 wanted to keep the 20mph but with various suggested amendments.
51. The suggested amendments provided as part of the survey were as follows:
· 50 people would like the 20mph to start later as drivers approach along Bishopthorpe Road
· 30 people would like Acaster Lane to be 30mph
· 12 people would like to see the 20mph start further along Sim Balk Lane
· 10 people would like the 20mph restriction to be only near the schools
· 12 people would like the start of the 20mph to be staggered into Bishopthorpe on all approaches
· 5 people would like the restriction to be enforced and more 20mph signs
52. A requirement of the statutory consultation is the notification to the Road Haulage Association, Logistics UK, Police, Fire and Ambulance services for the authority area. They were all notified of the Experimental Traffic Order for the 20mph speed limit, and the Council received the following comments from North Yorkshire Police:
“It’s clear that some roads work with the 20mph limit and some don’t.
Keeble Park North and South clearly do, Acaster Lane and Church Lane are not too far away but Appleton Road, Sim Balk Lane and Bishopthorpe Road do not appear to be working.
It’s important to have realistic speed limits to provide reassurance to road users, particularly vulnerable road users, and having a posted limit of 20mph when a significant proportion of traffic is travelling at speeds in excess of 20mph is not ideal.
I’ve never known an experimental speed limit to be reversed but we would not support a permanent 20mph limit on Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road or Sim Balk Lane unless the 20mph limits can be reinforced to such a degree that they do actually work.”
Options Analysis and
Evidential Basis
Speed survey data and analysis
53. To help inform the experiment, speed surveys were carried out on behalf of the Council on roads within the zone before the experiment started and then twice during the experiment. This data provides information on driver compliance to support the assessment of the experimental speed limit.
54. The speed surveys were undertaken in September 2023, September 2024 and May 2025 on Sim Balk Lane, Church Lane, Acaster Lane, Lang Road, Keble Park South and Keble Park North. The Council also undertook speed surveys on Appleton Road and Bishopthorpe Road in May 2025. Surveys are provided in Annex C.
55. When setting local speed limits, the Council has to consider the Government guidance entitled “Setting local speed limits”, last updated in March 2024 (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits#:~:text=Mean%20speed%20and%2085th%20percentile,37.).
56. The guidance states “mean speed and 85th percentile speed (the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles are travelling) are the most commonly used measures of actual traffic speed. Traffic authorities should continue to routinely collect and assess both, but mean speeds should be used as the basis for determining local speed limits”. The analysis below therefore considers mean and 85th percentile speeds.
57. Before the ETRO, mean speeds on Church Lane were measured at 24mph for eastbound traffic and 23mph for westbound traffic. The speed surveys for Church Lane show that the speeds have dropped by approx. 1mph in each direction between September 23 and May 25. This is in line with national trends were signed only 20mph speed limits have been introduced. Speeds in May 2025 were showing mean speeds at 22.7mph and 85th percentile speeds at 27 and 28mph. Although the mean speed is still above 20mph, is it below the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) enforcement speed (24mph). This area is therefore considered as suitable for a signed only 20mph speed limit, based on the speed data, the character of the street and national guidance criteria.
58. On Acaster Lane, mean speeds were close to 24mph before the ETRO. The introduction of the 20mph speed limit has resulted in a reduction in the speed of vehicles. The 85th percentile speeds reduced to 25mph south bound and 26mph north bound, a reduction of 5mph (south) and 3mph (north), with the mean speeds for vehicles in both directions within the 20mph limit. This area is therefore considered as suitable for a 20mph signed only speed limit.
59. Prior to the introduction of the ETRO, mean speeds on Lang Road were already at or below 20mph. 85th percentile speeds were 25mph eastbound and 23mph westbound. The vehicle speeds on the roads during the ETRO have not really changed following the introduction of the 20mph speed limit. This area is therefore considered as suitable for a 20mph signed only speed limit.
60. The speed surveys on Keeble Park North and Keeble Park South show a good level of compliance with the 20mph speed limit throughout the ETRO period. The surveys prior to the introduction of the ETRO showed that the speeds on those roads were in line with a 20mph limit. These two roads were within the original area of the proposal for an extension to the 20mph area, therefore there was always an expectation that the speed surveys on these roads would reflect a good level of compliance.
61. The speeds on Sim Balk Lane prior to the introduction of the 20mph limit were high, with the mean speeds above the existing 30mph limit (especially for northbound vehicles) and the 85th percentile above the ACPO enforcement speed (35mph) in both directions, so compliance with the new 20 mph signed only restriction was considered unlikely. Although vehicle speeds decreased between September 23 and May 25, both the mean and the 85th percentile speeds remain well above the signed 20mph limit and the APCO enforcement speed (southbound: 25.3mph mean and 31mph 85th percentile, and northbound: 30.7mph mean and 36mph 85th percentile).
62. Although this area is built-up on the approach to the village and footways are relatively narrow, making a lower speed limit desirable for residents and non-motorised highway users, the speed data shows that the area is not suitable for a signed only 20mph limit. This is despite this corridor already benefitting from a buffer zone as the speed limit is 40mph on Sim Balk Lane over the bridge and before vehicles enter the village The signed only 20mph speed limit is not “self-enforcing” and additional speed management measures would be required to achieve a suitable level of compliance with a 20mph speed limit.
63. Speed surveys were not undertaken on Bishopthorpe Road or Appleton Road prior to the ETRO coming into force but surveys were undertaken on these roads in May 2025, during the experiment.
64. On Bishopthorpe Road, on the approach to the village, mean speeds captured in May 2025 are 24.5mph southbound and 27.1mph northbound. This is above the APCO enforcement speed of 24mph, especially for northbound vehicles. 85th percentile speeds were measured as 30mph southbound and 33mph northbound.
65. Although this area is built-up on the approach to the village, footways are relatively narrow, and significant numbers of pedestrians use the area to access the riverside and the crematorium, the speed data shows that the area is not suitable for a signed only 20mph limit. This is despite this corridor already benefitting from a buffer zone as the speed limit is 40mph on Bishopthorpe Road before vehicles enter the village. Additional speed management measures would be required to achieve a suitable level of compliance with a 20mph speed limit.
66. On Appleton Road, on the approach to the village, mean speeds captured in May 2025 are 26.4mph southbound and 25.1mph northbound. This is above the APCO enforcement speed of 24mph. 85th percentile speeds were measured as 35mph southbound and 33mph northbound.
67. Although this area is built-up on the approach to the village, footways, where provided, are relatively narrow (with an area where only verges are available), and some pedestrians use the area to access the caravan park, the speed data shows that this area is not suitable for a signed only 20mph limit. Additional speed management measures would be required to achieve a suitable level of compliance with a 20mph speed limit.
Analysis of options
68. Option 1 – Make the experimental Order permanent (not recommended). This option would make the current 20mph speed limit area permanent, including the areas where the speed data and the consultation feedback has identified poor levels of compliance (Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road, and Sim Balk Lane).
69. It is not a recommended option, as it is clear that these areas are not suitable for a signed only 20mph limit and that additional speed management measures would be required to achieve a suitable level of compliance.
70. Central government guidance states that “where new speed limits are introduced, they should be in places where the majority of drivers will comply with them. General compliance needs to be achievable without an excessive reliance on enforcement”. Retaining the 20mph speed limit in these areas, would therefore go against national guidance.
71. North Yorkshire Police have also confirmed that they would not support a permanent 20mph restriction on Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road or Sim Balk Lane, unless the 20mph limits can be reinforced to such a degree that they do actually work.
72. There was a suggestion to utilise the VAS signs in these areas to help provide further indication of the speed limit and indication that the driver is not complying. The existing VAS cannot be reconfigured to advertise the 20mph limit, so they would need to be replaced with new equipment, which would be outside the scope of the signed only experimental scheme.
73. Option 2 – Make the experimental Order permanent and introduce additional signed only lower speed limits (buffer zones) on the approach roads to the 20mph area (not recommended). This option would retain the 20mph area as introduced under the ETRO, including Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road, and Sim Balk Lane, and would introduce additional speed limits on the approaches to the village to gradually decrease the authorised speeds from 60mph to 40mph or 30mph and then to 20mph. The buffer zones would be introduced under an ETRO and their impact monitored before a decision is made to retain or remove them.
74. The main areas, where this approach could be considered to try to achieve improved compliance with the signed only 20mph limit, are Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road (where a 40mph speed limit is already in place), and Sim Balk Lane (where a 40mph speed limit is already in place over the bridge). A buffer zone could be introduced on these roads before drivers enter the signed only 20mph area.
75. The speed data shows that compliance with the 20mph signed only limit is poor in these areas (as described above) but there is no speed data currently available to support an assessment of a 30mph or 40mph speed limit further out of the village on these roads. The speed data collated for the 20mph signed only experiment clearly shows that the character of these roads doesn’t encourage compliance with a signed only speed limit. Buffer areas would be further out of the village, where the character of the roads is even less conducive to drivers reducing speeds. It is therefore highly unlikely that drivers would comply with an extended signed only speed limit in the buffer zones without any physical measures provided to support speed reduction.
76. This option is therefore not recommended, as further analysis would be required to assess the suitability of buffer zones on these routes and physical measures will be required to achieve a suitable level of compliance.
77. Option 3 – Make a reduced area of the experimental Order permanent as shown in Annex D and delegate authority to the Director of City Development to make and advertise the permanent order (recommended). This option retains the 20mph speed limit in most of the areas covered by the ETRO with the following exceptions (as shown in Annex D):
· Appleton Road move the 20mph speed limit to nearer its junction with Maple Avenue and revert to the 30mph speed limit between Bridge Road and Maple Avenue;
· Bishopthorpe Road move the 20mph limit to nearer its junction with Church Lane and revert to the 30mph speed limit between the crematorium and Church Lane;
· Sim Balk Lane move the limit to nearer its junction with Church Lane and revert to the 30mph speed limit between Garth Mews/Garth Cottage and Church Lane.
78. This will revert to a realistic speed limit on those stretches of road, which will lead to better levels of compliance. This is in line with the evidence from the speed surveys, national guidance on setting speed limits, and the representation from the Police on the experimental Order. The removal of the 20mph speed limit and reintroduction of the previous 30mph speed limit from those lengths of road will help provide a safe restriction and more appropriate speeds on those roads. It will also act as a buffer zone to improve compliance within the 20mph area.
79. This will help ensure that the signed only 20mph scheme for the village is safe and self-enforcing as required by the national guidance and allow for the reintroduction of the existing VAS signs on those roads, to advise of the 30mph limits on the approaches to the 20mph area.
80. Option 4 – Revoke the experimental Order and revert back to the previous 20mph area (not recommended). This option would reduce the 20mph area to the historical extent shown in Annex E and other areas would revert to their previous 30mph speed limits.
81. This option would see a significant reduction in the coverage of the 20mph area, which has on the whole been well received by the residents of Bishopthorpe and has generally shown good levels of compliance.
82. The revocation of the experiment would reinstate the previous 20mph area (Annex E), which would see the limit in place in the area of the two schools and part of Main Street. This would remove the restriction from the majority of the village and return to the previous extent of the restriction. This area was not sufficient and led to complaints from residents about vehicle speeds in the Montague Road/Keeble Park estate.
83. Option 5 - Make a reduced area of the experimental Order permanent (as Option 3) and allocate funding to undertake further work to reduce speeds on the approaches to the village (not recommended). This option would commission further work to specifically consider Appleton Road, Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane and aim to reintroduce the wider ETRO 20mph area, if possible, supported by physical speed management measures and buffer zones where required, based on the conclusions from the additional analysis and design work.
84. This option would introduce the reduced area shown in Annex D as a permanent 20mph area whilst committing the Council to undertake further work to assess existing speeds, street character and measures, which could support the implementation of the wider ETRO area as a 20mph area with good levels of compliance.
85. Following additional surveys and data analysis, initial design and costing, and an initial informal consultation[KR25] [DH26] , the recommendations would be taken back to the Executive Member for Transport for a decision on whether to proceed with implementation.
86. This option is not recommended by officers as it is outside the scope of the signed only 20mph which was agreed by the Executive Member for Transport in September 2023.
87. If this option is to be taken forward, funding from the MCA budget would need to be reallocated, prioritising this scheme against other schemes. A high level cost estimate would require a £50k allocation to be made and reviewed depending on findings.
[HV27]
Organisational
Impact and Implications
88. The recommended option in the report has the following implications.
· Financial, The recommended option will have no financial implication. There will be a requirement to amend the location of some entry points to the 20mph area. To facilitate this work, some additional signs and poles will be required to ensure speed limits are correctly signed. The cost of this work will be covered by the Local Transport Plan (LTP) allocation budget.
The progression of future speed reduction schemes will be funded through the MCA Speed reduction Implementation Budget.[HV28] [HV29]
· Human Resources (HR), if the recommended option is approved there will be a staffing requirement to design and install the change of limits on the three sections of road, this can be staffed within the existing team. The introduction of the permanent 20mph speed limit will create demand for 20mph speed limits in the other villages, which have already requested consideration of village wide schemes, this will require additional resources to progress the proposals in those villages.
· Legal, The Council regulates traffic by means of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (the Act) which can prohibit, restrict, or regulate the use of a road, or any part of the width of a road, by vehicular traffic.
A TRO may be made where it appears expedient to the Council to do so for the reasons set out in section 1 of the Act. These are:
(a) for avoiding danger to persons or other traffic using the road or any other road or for preventing the likelihood of any such danger arising, or
(b)for preventing damage to the road or to any building on or near the road, or
(c)for facilitating the passage on the road or any other road of any class of traffic (including pedestrians), or
(d)for preventing the use of the road by vehicular traffic of a kind which, or its use by vehicular traffic in a manner which, is unsuitable having regard to the existing character of the road or adjoining property, or
(e)(without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (d) above) for preserving the character of the road in a case where it is specially suitable for use by persons on horseback or on foot, or
(f)for preserving or improving the amenities of the area through which the road runs or
(g)for any of the purposes specified in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (1) of section 87 of the Environment Act 1995 (air quality).
In making decisions on TROs, 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).
When considering whether it would be expedient to make a TRO the Council is under a duty to have regard to and balance potentially conflicting considerations and come to the appropriate decision.
An ETRO can be made permanent in accordance with the procedure and subject to the stipulations set out in the Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996.
The validity of an order can be challenged at the High Court within 6 weeks of the date of the making of the order on the grounds that the Council has acted outside the powers conferred on them by the Act (ultra vires) or that they have not followed the prescribed procedure for the making of the order.
· Procurement - Should any outcomes from this report require procurement, all works and/or services will be procured via a compliant, open, transparent, and fair process in accordance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and where applicable, the Procurement Act 2023. Further advice regarding the procurement process and development of procurement strategies will be sought from the Commercial Procurement team.
· Health and Wellbeing: The implementation of a village wide 20mph speed limit should result in more people feeling that they are able to walk and cycle in the village. It will also reduce the impact of traffic noise and pollution on residents and visitors to the village. A recent research report to the UK Parliament, titled “20 mph speed limits and zones: public health impacts” provides more evidence on health impacts (available here: https://post.parliament.uk/research-briefings/post-pb-0065/).
· Environment and Climate action: The environmental impact of 20mph speed limits is complex, with evidence suggesting potential reductions in particulate matter from brake and tire wear, and an indirect benefit from encouraging walking and cycling. However, direct impacts on exhaust emissions and fuel consumption can vary, with some studies indicating slight increases in pollution and others showing reductions from smoother driving.
· Affordability:No affordability implications were identified.
· Equalities and Human Rights, The Council recognises its Public Sector Equality Duty under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct; advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it in the exercise of a public authority’s functions). The impact of the recommendation on protected characteristics has been considered as follows:
· Age – Positive impact of lower speed limits for older people, young people and children. Option 3 reduces the area where the 20mph limit is in place on three corridors into the village. The negative impact of this reduced coverage is not considered significant however as compliance with the 20mph limit is poor in these areas. ;
· Disability – Positive impact of lower speed limits – impacts as noted above;
· Gender – Neutral;
· Gender reassignment – Neutral;
· Marriage and civil partnership– Neutral;
· Pregnancy and maternity - Positive impact of lower speed limits – impacts as noted above;
· Race – Neutral;
· Religion and belief – Neutral;
· Sexual orientation – Neutral;
· Other socio-economic groups including :
o Carer - Positive impact of lower speed limits – impacts as noted above;
o Low income groups – Neutral;
· Veterans, Armed Forces Community– Neutral.
· Data Protection and Privacy – No implications were identified
· Communications- – Limited implications identified in terms of communication and press releases once a decision is made on the future of the 20mph experiment in Bishopthorpe. Communications with other villages and areas which have requested 20mph speed limits will be considered under the MCA funded programme.
· Economy - The evidence on the economic impacts of 20mph speed limits presents a mixed picture. It identifies potential cost savings from reduced collisions and casualties and health benefits of encouraging active travel. It also identifies potential benefits to the local economy of a thriving village centre/urban area. Longer journey times for drivers are often identified as a negative economic impact although they are usually relatively small (a few minutes per journey at most).
Risks and
Mitigations
89. In compliance with the Council’s risk management strategy there is an acceptable level of risk associated with the recommended option.
Wards Impacted
90. Bishopthorpe ward.
Contact details
For further information please contact the authors of this Decision Report.
Author
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Name: |
Garry Taylor |
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Job Title: |
Director of City Development |
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Service Area: |
City Development |
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Telephone: |
01904 551263 |
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Report approved: |
Yes/No |
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Date: |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Co-author
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Name: |
Darren Hobson |
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Job Title: |
Highway Regulation Manager |
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Service Area: |
Transport |
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Telephone: |
01904 551367 |
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Report approved: |
Yes/No |
|
Date: |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Background
papers
Annexes
· Annex A: In Favour
· Annex B: Objections
· Annex C: Bishopthorpe Speed Survey
· Annex D: Recommended 20mph area for Bishopthorpe
· Annex E: Historic 20mph area for Bishopthorpe
· Annex F: ETRO 20mph area[HV30]
· Annex G: Speed Survey Locations