Councillors push for speed limit change on A19 where former councillor died
Councillors in Selby have unanimously agreed on a recommendation for North Yorkshire Council to lower the speed limit on a section of A19 following a former councillor's death.
It came after a meeting of the Selby and Ainsty Area Committee on Friday (October 24), which discussed a motion put forward by local campaigners to lower the speed limit of the road covering Riccall by 20mph. The road is currently 60mph.
Riccall Roads Action Group (RRAG) was formed in the wake of John Duggan's death on August 1. Advertisement
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The 81-year-old, who had been a member of his local parish, district and county council, died after his Nissan Juke collided with a skip lorry as he was turning right to join the A19 from York Road in Riccall.
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John had campaigned "tirelessly" for tougher safety measures on the same road he died on - something described as "cruel irony" by his loved ones.
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The meeting heard from leader of Riccall Parish Council Martin Wiles, co-founder of RRAG Sue Golton and John's daughter Judy Mitchinson.
Each spoke of a need for the introduction of a 40mph zone on the stretch of the A19 leading in and out of the village, adding that a roundabout was "essential" to ensure that the road was "future-proofed" against more collisions.
But the council, represented by head of highways network strategy, Allan McVeigh, said that it would only support a lowering of the speed limit to 50mph.
Work to introduce this, Mr McVeigh said, was "ongoing" and would be introduced later this year.
"My dad is not here to speak, but I am"
In an emotional speech, John's daughter Judy spoke of her father's commitment to install a roundabout on the road - something he got permission for in 2006. Advertisement Advertisement
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She said: "When interviewed by the press in 2020, my dad said that the biggest regret of his life was that he did not achieve the building of a roundabout he was promised as a county councillor.
"Roundabout installation is costly, and my father was firmly assured that this was possible before GBP850,000 was allocated to the project.
"However, that assurance turned out to be a false promise as funds were devastatingly allocated elsewhere."
The removal of funding, Mr McVeigh said, was done after the council had deemed the road safe following a grant of almost GBP100,000 for safety improvements.
He explained: "This improved the collision history of that location and the safety record. Advertisement
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"In 2007, a formal council decision was made to transfer the remaining budget into the wider capital works programme."
In response, Judy said: "If safety measures no less than a roundabout are not implemented, another life will be lost.
"My dad is not here to speak, but I am, and I carry his voice with me.
"And if he were here now, he would reiterate words he has said so many times before at meetings like this."
According to collision data, discussed at the meeting, there were 30 collisions along five junctions leading off from the village since 2000.
Of the collisions, four were fatal, nine resulted in serious injuries and 17 in slight injuries.
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Keir Mather MP has joined the Parish Council in support of a 40mph proposal for the section of the road (Image: Supplied)
Selby MP Keir Mather, who spoke at the meeting, thanked North Yorkshire Council for and treating the motion with the "seriousness it deserves".
He said: "I welcome the committee's recommendation that a 40mph speed limit be adopted on the A19, and I sincerely hope that North Yorkshire Council's executive board adopt it.
"They expect the current 60mph limit to be reduced in some form by March at the latest, and I'll be calling on North Yorkshire Police and the Deputy Mayor to consider the section as part of any rollout of fixed speed enforcement measures in North Yorkshire in the meantime."