Visibility at junctions and driveways
An issue raised regularly with Parish Council is visibility at junctions.
The Highways Authority, part of North Yorkshire County Council are responsible for ensuring the safety of the road network, including appropriate visibility at junctions. The Parish Council has no powers in this area. Whilst you can request that the Parish Council discuss the matter, that is the extent of the Parish Council powers. If you would like action, rather than just discussion, it is best to report to the Highways Authority.
As a guide for a 30mph road, if from a position 2.4m back from the give way line, at a height of 1.05m, you cannot see an object 0.6m high, 40m away, then the highways authority may have the power to require the landowner to remove the obstruction. However, highways officers will look at individual cases on a case by case basis.
We are aware of some instances where individuals have cut back vegetation belonging to others at junctions because they consider to be unsafe. You cannot cut vegetation growing on private land without the owner's permission, even if it is an obstruction. To do so may constitute criminal damage. The same is true for the Parish Council: it cannot cut back, nor require the owner to cut back, vegetation that is causing concern. Only the Highways Authority (part of North Yorkshire County Council) have such powers.
You can report obstructions to roads and pavements on the North Yorkshire County Council vegetation page: https://myaccount.northyorks.gov.uk/vegetation. (The same link can be used to report vegetation obstructing the road or pavement).
Some issues raised relate to visibility from private driveways. Generally visibility from private driveways is a civil matter, and the Highways Authority have no powers to require neighbours to trim/remove hedges to improve visibility from driveways (including shared driveways). In some cases, there may be planning conditions requiring visibility splays or similar. In which case these may be enforceable by planning enforcement at Selby District Council.