MORE 20mph zones could be created in York, but campaigners’ hopes of a city-wide scheme look set to be dashed.

The city’s transport boss, Steve Galloway, will next week consider calls by residents for reduced speed limits in various areas of the city.

Officials have suggested that a list of potential sites for 20mph zones be drawn up, but speeding issues should continue to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, rather than introducing a city-wide 20mph limit.

Campaigners today criticised the recommendations and intend to stage a demonstration outside Guildhall before the meeting on Tuesday.

Anna Semlyen, of the Twenty’s Plenty group, said: “There is mounting evidence that a city-wide 20mph residential street limit, without humps, is better than 30mph for safety, community building, driver compliance, walk-able neighbourhoods, sustainability, active healthy lifestyles, green travel choices, traffic reduction, access, the elderly, the disabled, reclaiming space for activities other than car travel, tourism, and is very popular.”

Almost 71 per cent of residents voted for a 20mph zone, in a council consultation in the Grange Street area, near Fishergate. Ms Semlyen said the lower limit was also supported by other organisations, including the National Audit Office, the Department for Transport, and the Parliamentary advisory committee on transport.

She invited people to gather outside the Guildhall at 4pm next Tuesday.

A city-wide scheme was introduced last year in Portsmouth, at a cost of about £500,000. Officials in Norwich, Oxford and Newcastle are considering similar schemes.

Ruth Egan, City of York Council’s head of transport planning, said work was already being done in York to identify possible sites and said police were keen to participate in the process. She said York should focus on reducing casualties in known trouble-spots, rather than adopting a city-wide scheme now.

York Green Party leader Coun Andy D’Agorne said: “All the evidence from other cities shows that ‘blanket treatment’ of an area with a concerted engagement and public education campaign is more effective than orders for isolated sections, such as you might get by prioritising criteria based on the accident record.”

Coun Galloway was unavailable for comment, but council leader Andrew Waller said he was likely to follow the advice of officers and reject calls for a city-wide scheme.


First decision

THE 20mph issue will be one of the first to be settled under City of York Council’s new decision-making structure.

As reported in The Press, the cross-party advisory panels have been scrapped and key decisions will now be made by executive members alone.

The councillor responsible for each department will hold a “decision session” once a month.

Tuesday’s city strategy decision session will be the first.