Ilkley Road Safety Action Group (IRSAG) is holding a Public Meeting on Tuesday 25th July at 7:30pm at the Clarke Foley Centre to discuss concerns about plans for a town-wide 20mph/speed hump scheme.
The group says; "The current plans were rejected in the recent Public Consultation, with 91% of respondents against road humps and 52% against a town-wide 20mph zone, covering Ilkley and Ben Rhydding. However, Ilkley's Town Council is still pressing ahead with the scheme, despite 7 of its 14 councillors opposing it.
"Most people assume that the scheme was Bradford’s idea. However, at an Ilkley Town Council meeting on the 3rd of July, it was made clear that the scheme would not go ahead without the £87,500 of local taxpayers’ money pledged by Ilkley Town Council.
"The reason for this is that Ilkley, compared to the rest of Bradford, has relatively safe roads and is therefore ‘low priority’ and at the back of the queue for Bradford’s road safety funding. Quite simply, Bradford saves more lives and avoids more injuries if money is spent almost anywhere but Ilkley.
IRSAG is independent of any political party and has been set up by residents who want new road safety measures to be targeted towards known high risk locations; this would see improvements outside schools and also in the town centre, as well as other problem areas, rather than a blanket, town-wide approach. The current plans dilute allocated funds towards unnecessary locations at the cost of ignoring known problem areas.
"The aim of the Public Meeting is to inform people of the current situation re the 20mph/speed hump plans, including the role of Ilkley & Bradford Councils in trying to enforce the plans despite the overwhelming opposition in the Public Consultation.
"We shall be stressing the importance of sending objections to Bradford Council but, crucially, of also sending objections to those Ilkley Town Councillors who support the scheme, ahead of the deadline of noon on Friday the 28th of July.
"IRSAG wants to hear people's views at the Public Meeting and gather constructive suggestions for an alternative 'People's Plan’ for road safety in Ilkley, which will comprise the targeted measures that we agree would be a much more effective use of public funds, to make our town safer.
"We can then collectively put the People's Plan forward with united support, for the benefit of everyone."
Ilkley Town Council have been contacted for comment.
Maps showing the proposed 20mph zone and road hump locations can be viewed online at: https://bradford.moderngov.co.uk/mgConsultationListDisplay.aspx
Residents now have until 12 noon on Friday 28th July 2023 to object to the plans by emailing legalobjections@bradford.gov.uk quoting the following reference(s):
Road humps - CORP/PCD/DS/414370 Speed limit - CORP/PCD/DS/414368
Objections can also be posted to:
Director of Legal and Governance Legal and Democratic Services City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council City Hall Bradford BD1 1HY
