Pell Frischmann to Design Hull’s Old Town 20mph zone to Improve Road Safety

We’re pleased to see that our efforts to implement a new 20mph zone in Hull’s Old Town area, as part of the safety improvement scheme for Lowgate, have been approved to progress further by Hull City Council.

Pell Frischmann were appointed to conduct a range of optioneering and design tasks, primarily focused on the Lowgate / Market Place corridor, including the full detailed design of the wider 20mph zone covering a large portion of the Old Town area. The designated zone will include Savile Street, Vernon Street, Queens Dock Avenue, Princes Dock Street, Guildhall Road, Alfred Gelder Street and the side streets off Lowgate that border the River Hull. This area is home to numerous businesses that contribute to the night-time economy.

We have significantly advanced the detailed design work for the road safety improvements and a new crossing on Market Place, near Hull Minster. In addition, we will be carrying out Road Safety Audits and engaging in more detailed discussions with statutory undertakers, aiming for completion of the design process by the end of the summer.

Other works planned include:

Widening the footway outside O’Leary’s public house at Lowgate / Scale Lane to reduce the width of the carriageway to make crossing easier and create a lay-by for the taxi rank.
A new signalised crossing facility at Silver Street / Scale Lane.
Widening the footpath at various locations on Market Place and Lowgate.

These works are anticipated to start in spring 2026.

Kris Thellmann, our Transportation Technical Director, said:

“The improvement of footways and crossing facilities along the Lowgate / Market Place corridor in Hull will contribute to important safety improvements in an area of particularly high pedestrian activity. We have worked closely with Hull City Council to ensure that our proposals will target interventions where they are most needed, whilst also being sensitive to the historic nature of the Old Town surroundings. These highway alterations, in conjunction with the proposed 20mph zone, will make Hull a safer and more welcoming environment, particularly for pedestrians.“

We look forward to continuing to support the scheme, which aligns with the council’s broader Community Plan to create safe and welcoming neighbourhoods and to make the city safer, fairer and more environmentally friendly.