A COMPROMISE proposed by Ilkley’s district councillors to the Ilkley and Ben Rhydding 20mph scheme, which is set to be introduced imminently, has been rejected by Bradford Council.

In response to the results of the Ilkley parish poll, which showed overwhelming opposition to a town-wide 20mph zone, the councillors wrote to the Council to suggest an alternative.

The three councillors, Andrew Loy (Conservative), Anne Hawkesworth (Independent), and David Nunns (Conservative) wrote: “We urge you to revisit this decision in light of the parish poll results… 89% voted No to question 1, which best described the proposed scheme. 75% voted against any town wide 20mph zone (question 2).

“In terms of number of votes, the No vote to question 1 was almost 1,000 votes higher than the winning candidate in Ilkley ward in May 2023. 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 was question 4 regarding targeted 20mph zones. We believe there must now be a compromise along these lines.”

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 had 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.

Speaking to the Gazette Cllr Ross-Shaw had previously said he understand the strength of feeling of those who voted but added those voices had already been heard before the poll took place.

He said: "The improvement of road safety particularly for the most vulnerable road users - pedestrians and cyclists, has always been at the heart of the decisions on the 20mph zone and traffic calming measures for Ilkley. We understand the strength of feeling of those who have voted in this poll. Those voices had already been heard before the poll even took place. This is why the final signed off version of the scheme, is already substantially different from what has gone before and contains a large number of amendments, based on the feedback received.

"Ilkley has 636 streets and 257 of those will be within the boundary of the new 20mph zone. Of those 257 streets, only 12 will have traffic calming as part of the measures. These are streets mainly around schools and nurseries.

"20mph zones are proven to work in reducing both the number and severity of collisions, improving road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. We have already delivered similar schemes elsewhere in the district and thanks to the extensive local conversations we've had on this scheme, we're confident that this is now the right scheme for Ilkley."

Cllr Loy disputed the figure of 636 streets quoted by Cllr Ross-Shaw saying: "Looking through the list of streets, this appears to include Addingham, Burley and Menston too - i.e. all streets in the LS29 area, but certainly not part of the town of Ilkley. These figures misleadingly imply that the 20mph zone is more targeted than it is. Bradford Council’s maps show the zone including the whole of Ilkley and Ben Rhydding except small areas around the A65 and Middleton."

* ILKLEY Town Council will receive and note the results of the Ilkley Parish Poll when they meet on Monday, November 6 at 7.30pm in the council chamber of the town hall.
Town councillors will be asked to consider the following motion:
"ITC notes that the widely publicised Parish Poll held on 23 October resulted in a turnout of 34.71% of our electorate despite the fact that postal and proxy voting were not possible.
"Ilkley Town Council resolves that the Town Clerk should write to the 15 residents who initiated the Town Meeting which sought the Parish Poll, thanking them for their efforts.
"Noting the overwhelming opposition to the proposed 20mph and speed hump scheme and its cost, we resolve as follows:
"1. to ask Bradford MDC immediately to pause implementation of the proposed scheme; and
"2. to ask Bradford MDC to draft a new scheme for a targeted 20mph zone for further consultation and approval by ITC and local residents."