In the space of only a few hours, the council has changed its proposals for a 20 mph speed limit trial.
Instead of Bishopthorpe the council now intends to trail its approach in the much smaller village of Murton. Here residents have already petitioned for a lower speed limit although, with average speeds at around 32 mph, it is likely most of the residents will be keener to have the existing 30 mph limit enforced when faced with the reality that a 20 mph limit may be ignored by many drivers. The top speed recently recorded through the village was 68mph.
Labour are now trying to include most of Bishopthorpe Road in the South Bank 20 mph speed limit area. (Bizarrely the shopping area – where 20 mph is certainly a high enough limit – falls outside the proposed trial zone).
This is contrary to the promises made by Labour at the local elections when they said that the main arterial roads into the City would not be included in their 20 mph plans. So they really must now intend to have a general 20 mph limit.
There is no clue yet as to how the Police – who are responsible for enforcing speed limits and who have resolutely said that any 20 mph limit must be “self enforcing” – will react. What is clear is that they struggle to enforce the existing 30 mph limit in some urban streets. Demands for more enforcement action in “residential areas” could mean even less time tracking down the habitual “speeders” who ignore any limit that is imposed.
Elsewhere, the Council has been forced to call a special meeting to discuss the Union Terrace car/coach park sale controversy. Labour have responded by threatening to agree the sale later on the same day at the Council meeting (4th August). Presumably common sense will prevail shortly and a way of continuing the parking provision and giving St Johns the opportunity to expand will be found.
Labour’s leaders were probably hoping that the new development could have provided a new public access, City centre, swimming pool, but with that clearly not viable, their enthusiasm for the sale seems to be waning.