Stanningley Bypass: Everything you need to know as 50mph speed limit planned for key Leeds route

Last month, Leeds City Council announced that new speed limits and the city’s first permanent average speed cameras would be installed on a series of roads that have seen “speed-related casualties” or where there is “clear evidence of speeding”. Here is everything you need to know.

What routes will be affected and when will the changes come into force?

From Autumn, speed limits will be reduced from 70mph/60mph to a continuous 50mph on the A6120 Outer Ring Road and A647 Stanningley Bypass, from Horsforth roundabout to Stanningley Bypass at Henconner Lane Bridge.

The existing fixed speed cameras located on A647 Stanningley Bypass, which will be replaced by average speed cameras, will be relocated to A647 Stanningley Road on the central reserve near to Armley Grange Drive junction and the central reserve near to Redcote Lane junction.

What has been the public’s reaction?

According to the council, 62 per cent of people reacted positively to the proposed changes in a consultation. The changes come as part of a strategy to address problems at “high risk” locations.

Since February, some of the city’s busiest roads have been identified for the scheme as part of a wider West Yorkshire Police crackdown on speeding. 65 people died and over 5,000 people were injured in collisions on the roads of West Yorkshire last year, with excessive or inappropriate speed being one of the most common factors in fatal and serious injury collisions.

What has council said about the changes?

Coun Helen Hayden, executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “We have a bold ambition of having zero deaths on Leeds roads by 2040 and the new strategy sets out a flexible, clear and consistent approach to managing speed and safety. A more flexible approach to deploying safety cameras is something both ward councillors and I have been requesting for a while. It allows Leeds greater local responsibility in addressing safety concerns in our areas.

“The strategy further builds on our Leeds Transport Strategy aim of ‘Leeds to be a city where you don’t need a car’, ensuring that roads must be safe for people to walk, scoot, wheel, and cycle.”