A community meeting has been held to address the growing concerns among residents regarding the implementation of the 20mph speed limit scheme in Ilkley.
The meeting, organised by the Ilkley Road Safety Action Group at the Clark Foley Centre, was attended by over 250 residents and provided a platform for residents to voice their opinions about the proposed new speed reduction scheme.
The current proposed scheme would see Ilkley and Ben Rhydding blanketed with 133 speed cushions and 10 speed tables, along with the town-wide 20mph limit.
The speed bumps are proposed on major roads throughout Ilkley, including Grove Road, King's Road, Victoria Avenue, Valley Drive, Wheatley Lane, and Ben Rhydding Road.
The meeting was organised after results of a local consultation show that the scheme, supported by Labour-led Bradford Council together with the Labour, Lib Dem, Green and Ilkley Community Alliance Members of Ilkley Town Council (who make up 7 of the 14 members) and Labour’s Mayor of Ilkley who has a casting vote has been met with overwhelming local opposition.
91% of Ilkley residents consulted oppose the plans, including the 7 Conservative Ilkley Town Councillors, Ilkley’s Conservative District Councillors Andrew Loy and David Nunns who represent the town on Bradford Council, and the towns MP, Robbie Moore.
The Conservative group have instead advocated for a targeted speed reduction scheme rather than a blanket approach, which includes a 20mph speed limit across the town. A targeted approach would focus on specific junctions and critical areas like schools, ensuring added protection is delivered where it is needed.
The current blanket proposals are expected to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, funded through council tax and up to £87,500 directly from the Ilkley Town Council precept.
During the meeting, various issues were discussed, including the impact on journey times, emergency services response times, and the lack of consultation before the scheme was introduced. Attendees also voiced their frustration with the lack of data supporting the scheme's benefits and questioned the necessity of imposing the 20mph limit on certain roads.
A show of hands in the meeting showed that residents strongly disagreed with the proposed blanket approach of 20mph throughout Ilkley with speed humps and that a more targeted 20mph scheme would be much more acceptable.
Ilkley’s MP Robbie Moore, who attended the meeting, said:
“I have long argued that the current measures being forced through by Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens are not right for Ilkley and it is infuriating that Bradford Council and Labour members of Ilkley Town Council want to push on regardless, rather than listening to what residents of the town want.
Unsurprisingly, Labour’s parliamentary candidate is not listening to the results of the latest local consultation, which clearly indicated that 91% of Ilkley residents consulted oppose plans for the blanket 20mph speed restrictions with speed humps. Likewise, a blanket 20mph zone itself without speed humps was rejected with only 481 in favour and 515 against.
As I made clear during my statement in December 2022, what we need is a targeted approach focussing on dangerous junctions and critical areas like schools, ensuring the added protection is delivered where it is needed - and it was clear from last nights meeting and the show of hands that such an approach will be much more acceptable.
I will be writing to Ilkley Town Council and Bradford Council to express the strong views of the town - and I only hope they listen - and stop the current proposals for a blanket 20mph zone which includes 133 speed humps, and urge them to explore a more targeted approach.”
