ILKLEY Civic Society has criticised the controversial 20mph scheme in the town as failing “to achieve even its limited objectives” and is calling for a fresh study of the local roads.

In the past the Civic Society has supported the Town Council’s neighbourhood plan to introduce 20mph zones and traffic calming measures to improve road safety in the town.

But a new report by the ICS says that since work began on the scheme in January this year there are still many unanswered questions.

A statement by the ICS says: “Since January 2024 when physical work started we have seen spasmodic bursts of activity to install signs and humps on a scheme that was supposed to be ‘effective’ by the end of that month according to Bradford Council.

“Now nine months on we believe this far from complete scheme does not achieve even its limited objectives, we still have no information on when completion is due and when it can be officially signed off by Bradford Council as complying with Department for Transport regulations,”

The ICS adds that although they have broadly supported road safety measures, "we have always had many reservations regarding the proposed scheme”.

They list these as including: poor consultation; failure of the proposal to consider measures to improve road safety in the town centre; lack of alternatives investigated; failure to fully consider schools in the town; reduced road safety due to driving around humps and at night time flashing headlights.

The ICS report also points to several areas where the scheme is incomplete, such as “entry signing not effective, repeater signing and white markings on humps”.

Now the group wants Bradford Council to carry out what is called an Urban Realm Study, which looks at how the spaces between buildings, including roads and public open spaces, is managed in a town.

Ilkley Civic Society is aware that another group have undertaken detailed technical analysis of the proposals to determine if the scheme complies with a) guidance and b) regulations and has not attempted to duplicate this effort but to summarise other issues of relevance to improving road safety in the town.

The report says: “ICS is promoting, with others, for Bradford Council to undertake an Urban Realm Study in the town centre (where a large proportion of the accidents occur) to study all the spaces within the town centre from both a visual point of view and a user view as a way forward.

“This study would identify safety and visual improvements for all spaces within the town centre to make it easier for all users to move around the town and in more comfort than at present.”

Bradford Council was asked for comment but had not responded in time for publication.