Pannal Ash Safe Streets Zone Presented to Council

Pannal Ash Safe Streets Zone was presented to the council on Thursday 24th November 2022.

A petition for safer streets around four schools in the area has been gathering signatures. It was launched by Dr Jenny Marks and Mrs Ruth Lily, and on Thursday they presented their case to the North Yorkshire County Council Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Committee. An additional school, Western Primary has now been added, taking the total to five.

The Committee meeting is available on Youtube. The relevant part of the meeting is from 25 to 40 minutes.

Public Statement to the Area Committee

Making a public statement to the meeting, Jenny Marks explained that there is signficant collective concern in the Pannal Ash area for the safety of 5,000 school children. She and Ruth Lily have been consulting schools, residents and stakeholders.

They are asking for 20mph limits, with supporting infrastructure including crossings.

The plan is supported by local Councillor Mike Schofield, as well as all the schools concerned. Harrogate District Cycle Action supports it too.

One concern is that with all the housing being built in the west and south of Harrogate, the streets of the Pannal Ash area will increasingly be used by drivers as a cut-through.

Another is that in the context of the climate crisis it is irresponsible and outdated of North Yorkshire County Council to fail to provide for active travel.

‘The lack of safe streets forces people into their cars. In a world of climate crisis, this lack of provision for safe active travel seems irresponsible and outdated. Many places across the UK now have School Streets and 20mph zones as the norm, or indeed 20mph limits in all urban areas. They have safe, dedicated cycle routes. We in North Yorkshire appear to be lagging far behind in this respect. We believe that the council has a moral responsibility to take a holistic and modern approach to road safety in our area.’

dr jenny marks

Response from NYCC Area Highways Team

‘We acknowledge receipt of the application, which will be assessed in accordance with the revised policy.’

Comments from Councillors

Cllr Mike Schofield supported the public statement. He said the traffic now is atrocious, and with the lack of safe active travel facilities it is turning into a ‘self-destruction merry-go-round.’

Cllr Pat Marsh repeatedly said that we need the police on board with this, otherwise people ignore the speed limits, as at Hookstone Chase. This came across as unhelpful and negative, and looking for ways to block the request, because it is unlikely that the police will agree to enforce new 20mph limits.

Cllr John Mann said ‘we do need to make our streets safer if we can.’ He claimed that NYCC has a good policy on this. ‘I do think North Yorkshire are on board in terms of the safety of children and the safety of pedestrians…I think we’re going down the right path, I think we’re making progress, I think we need to give North Yorkshire Council Executive the time… they need to look into this.’

Contrary to what Cllr Mann said I suggest:

• I believe NYCC’s 20mph policy is cynical and regressive, having been designed to include a few warm words about 20mph, but multiple get-outs and opt-outs to ensure they always have a reason to refuse any requests
• I don’t see any progress by NYCC. Anyone who has dealt with them knows you have to judge by their actions, not their words, because they never actually DO anything
• the most likely follow-up from NYCC is that they will spend 18 months going round and round in circles with correspondence and meetings, hoping that everyone loses the will to live. If the request is still pursued after that, they will move to Plan B, which is the Zammo Plan: just say no

Cllr Haslam was somewhat more constructive than Cllr Mann. He set out four steps:

• engage
• educate
• engineer, and finally
• enforce

He said that engagement would include asking residents whether they want to the 20mph limit. Of course there should be an engagement, but as this is about safety, it must not be referendum. NYCC should have a strategy (which is not doing nothing) and should explain it, take any legitimate comments on board, then implement it.

Cllr Warneken said that he supports the Pannal Ash Safe Streets Zone initiative.

Cllr Aldred described the work done by the petitioners as brilliant. The need for the 20mph zone has been amply justified.