Cheshire West and Chester Council’s cabinet has voted to support in principle a roll out of 20mph speed limits in residential areas with particular focus around schools.
The main of the programme, which cabinet agreed to fund with £800,000 over four years, is to encourage more children to walk to school as well as reduce the number of road traffic collisions.
Chester to join 15 million in 20mph areas
Cllr Brian Clarke, cabinet member for economic development and infrastructure, said: ‘There are significant benefits with the introduction of 20mph speed limits and these will improve community cohesion and individual mental wellbeing with people spending more time in their street rather than trying to get away from the traffic that is actually there. People will feel safer to walk, to jog, to cycle.'
The council agreed to prepare a report detailing the areas that should be prioritised for the revised speed limit and outlining a work programme for consultation.
Former guidance for 20mph limits will be streamlined and the proposed 20 mph speed limits will be advertised through the normal route of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).
Rod King MBE, the founder and campaign director of 20’s Plenty for Us, attended the meeting and told members: ‘Wide-spread 20mph limits are no longer isolated or controversial. Already 15 million people live in 20mph boroughs. In 20’s Plenty we make much of the fact that most of the UK’s iconic cities have adopted a 20mph limit for most streets. I will be delighted to include Chester in that list.’
Cllr Stuart Parker did question how the limits could be enforced. He said: ‘The (council) report indicates that although these 20mph speed limits would be in the main self – policing due to the congestion of roadside traffic within the urban areas, the police and community officers do not have the resources to physically monitor the speed of vehicles in these areas.’
