Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/059

Contact: Tim Shickle, Group Manager – Traffic & Road Safety Tel: 07920 591545/Mike Wasley, Principal Officer – Traffic Schemes Tel: 07393 001045

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CMDHM4).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce a 20mph speed limit on the minor village roads in place of the current 30mph speed limit and a 40mph speed limit on The Hale south of the current 30mph speed limit and Green Lane west of the current 30mph speed limit following a request by Chesterton Parish Council. Funding for consultation on the proposals has been provided jointly by the local member Councillor Ian Corkin from his Councillor Priority Fund and the Parish Support budget, which will also fund implementation of the proposals should they be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management is RECOMMENDED to approve as advertised:

a)        the proposed 20mph speed limit on the village roads to the south of the A4095 and east of The Hale in place of the current 30mph speed limit.

b)        the proposed 40mph speed limit on Green Lane and The Hale in place of the current national speed limit.

Approved

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management considered (CMDHM4) responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce a 20mph speed limit on minor village roads in place of the current 30mph speed limit and a 40mph speed limit on The Hale south of the current 30mph speed limit and Green Lane west of the current 30mph speed limit following a request by Chesterton Parish Council. Funding for consultation on the proposals had been provided jointly by the local member Councillor Ian Corkin from his Councillor Priority Fund and the Parish Support budget, which would also be used to fund implementation of the proposals.

Councillor Ian Corkin referred to the overwhelming support locally for the proposals with calls for the scheme to go further but he accepted that that would be something to look at in the future. Thanking officers for their work in progressing the scheme he acknowledged the benefits that the 20mph restriction would bring to residents in the village and also from the proposed reduction from 60 to 40 on Green Lane.

The Cabinet Member noted written comments received from Alex Hosking raising concerns regarding the reasoning behind the scheme and whether this was the best way to proceed. He considered the initial proposal vague and based on road safety concerns but the report being considered now failed to state whether those concerns were speed related, provided no speed related data or figures regarding the expected drop in traffic speeds through the village.  Speed limits were a legal tool to control the behaviour of drivers who had little regard for their safety or that of others and should not be regarded as a way of achieving general traffic calming.

The Cabinet Member thanked Councillor Corkin for his work on the scheme and his support towards the funding of it. He accepted the merits of the scheme in bringing forward improvements for residents and so having regard to the information set out in the report before him and the representations made to him at the meeting confirmed his decision as follows:

to approve as advertised:

a)        the proposed 20mph speed limit on the village roads to the south of the A4095 and east of The Hale in place of the current 30mph speed limit.

b)        the proposed 40mph speed limit on Green Lane and The Hale in place of the current national speed limit.

Signed………………………………………..

Cabinet Member for Highway Management

Date of signing……………………………….