Calls Mount for 'Emergency' 20mph Speed Limit on Whitby's New Bridge

Local councillors have thrown their unanimous support behind demands to lower the speed limit on Whitby's "dangerous" New Bridge, advocating for a significant reduction to 20 miles per hour.

This push comes following a community petition, signed by more than 500 residents, which originally requested a limit of 30mph.

Members of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee believe an “emergency” traffic order should be rapidly introduced due to serious concerns over the safety of families and students crossing the high, exposed structure.

Elizabeth Mulheran, who organised the community petition and is a member of Whitby Town Council, detailed the necessity for change, highlighting how educational restructuring has increased pedestrian traffic.

Ms Mulheran stated:

"In 2024, the secondary schools in Whitby were amalgamated and now all secondary education takes place on the west side.

This means that children are having to walk across the bridge unaccompanied every morning and afternoon in order to access their education.

In addition, parents and children use this bridge to get to Airy Hill Primary School.

A 40 mph limit shows a lack of regard for children's safety.

Support for the petition was absolutely overwhelming and there is understandably a very strong desire to get the speed limit lowered to 30 miles per hour."

Safety concerns are exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure on the bridge itself. Elizabeth Mulheran explained that the location is inherently challenging:

"The bridge is situated high above the Esk where it can be extremely windy. There are currently no safety measures in place such as verges or raised curbs.

There's lots of heavy traffic including HGVs on the bridge, potentially travelling at 40 mph.

Many local pedestrians have to use the bridge to access school and jobs in spite of not feeling particularly safe.

In addition, because of safety fears, some local residents choose to use their cars. This 40 mph speed limit therefore discourages people from active travel."

Advocating for the 20mph standard

While the original petition targeted 30mph, councillors are seeking a stricter 20mph zone, citing current council policy regarding proximity to schools.

Councillor David Chance made a forceful argument for the lower limit, stressing the immediate danger:

"The council policy is that there should be 20 mph speed limits outside schools. So I would be advocating 20 miles an hour on that stretch of road.

It is a very dangerous road. You've got children morning and afternoon going up and down there. There is no verge at all.

Actually to put in a temporary emergency limit they can do that for 18 months without an assessment. I would suggest that that is what we look at 20 miles an hour as a temporary leading forward to full assessment at a later date."

Elizabeth Mulheran highlighted that the existing 40mph limit may violate regulatory guidance, noting that the length of the stretch is unusually short for such a speed:

"The Department of Transport's guidance document, setting local speed limits 2024, states the minimum length of a speed limit should generally be not less than 600m. This stretch of road is 475m. As a result, the 40 mph speed limit contravenes the Department of Transport's guidance.

I know there are cost implications, but these will be limited to signage. There is already adequate lighting.

This is a real opportunity to do something positive for the residents of Whitby and particularly its children."

The Path to Permanent Change

Councillor Liz Colling, chair of the Council's Scarborough and Whitby Area Committee,  outlined the official procedure available to swiftly implement the change via an experimental traffic order, acknowledging that the bridge appears low on the current list of educational sites being reviewed for speed limit reductions.

Councillor Colling explained the mechanism for moving forward quickly:

"In February of this year, the council announced reviewing to speed limits outside all 400 educational sites which began at the end of 2024, starting with those where speeds are highest. The council has adopted a presumption of lowering speed limits in these and other locations. And it seems that this particular road is at the bottom of the list.

We can write to the portfolio holder and ask them to put an experimental traffic regulation order in place fairly quickly, and we've experience of this because we've done it with camper vans.

So we could put an experimental traffic order in place that would operate quickly and using that period of time that that order is in place, the 18 months, we can do the necessary consultations and the necessary work, the traffic regulation order to make that change permanent."

At their meeting on Friday the Scarborough and Whitby Area committee voted to write to North Yorkshire Council requesting a speed limit change of 20mph.