A NORTH Yorkshire MP has said Labour’s new Active Travel Guidance is another 'front in the war on rural England'.
Kevin Hollinrake, Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton, has warned against Government-backed guidance that recommends imposing 20mph speed limits on rural roads and country lanes across England.
The Rural Design Guide, published last month by Active Travel England, an agency of the Department for Transport, advises that where people walk, wheel or cycle alongside motor traffic on country lanes, speeds should be limited to no more than 20mph.
The guidance has been fully backed by the Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, who sits as an adviser on the Active Travel England Board.
Kevin said he questioned why the Mayor is cheering on measures that make life harder for North Yorkshire’s drivers rather than standing up for them by delivering much needed road improvements like dualling the A64.
He said: “Blanket 20mph speed limits on rural roads across Thirsk and Malton would be a disaster. The fact that our Mayor has backed these measures shows that he simply does not understand rural North Yorkshire.
Kevin said that for people living in rural communities like Thirsk and Malton having a car is not a luxury, it is a daily necessity.
"For many it is the only practical way to get to work, to school, to the shops and to medical appointments. Blanket speed restrictions on rural roads will lengthen journeys and harm the rural economy. We all want our roads to be safer for cyclists and pedestrians, but that should not mean bringing our roads to a crawl.
“David Skaith needs to explain why he supported this guidance and rule out 20mph speed limits being imposed on hundreds of roads across North Yorkshire.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Skaith, said: "Communities in Thirsk and Malton, and right across the county, have been clear that they want to see tougher action on road safety.
"Whether you drive, walk, wheel, cycle or ride a horse, our roads have to work safely for everyone who uses them. That's what communities have made clear to the Mayor, that's what he supports, and that's what he is committed to working across party lines to achieve."
Active Travel England published its Rural Design Guide on 14 July 2026. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designing-accessible-rural-active-travel