27th August 2024
Cornwall Council considering 20-mph speed limits
CORNWALL has been one of the first rural areas in England to reduce speed limits from 30-mph to 20-mph on some residential roads and in built-up areas.
After a successful pilot in the Camelford, Falmouth and Penryn areas, a county-wide roll-out programme is now being considered, and councillors and stakeholders will be meeting this autumn to consider if such measures would have any benefits to towns and villages in South East Cornwall.
Morval Parish Council is being kept in the loop about these talks but, it should be stressed, that it has not been officially approached.
However, former council chairman John Kitson, appreciative of residents’ concerns about the speed of traffic through Widegates village, has commissed his own Facebook survey https://www.facebook.com/groups/492629994766011 to provide an insight into people’s feelings on an initiative which has already received a mixed reaction, both in Cornwall and nationally.
Said Cllr Kitson: “I think this ought to be something that the Parish Council should support, or resist, on behalf of Widegates’ residents.
“There will be those who feel that drivers go too fast through the village and welcome the change, and others who feel that a 20-mph limit is not reasonable.
“The (Facebook poll) proposition: ‘Should Morval Parish Council support a 20-mph speed limit in Widegates?’ is an easy one to understand. We could then discuss the results at our next council meeting and provide feedback to the decision makers.
“I note that not all have access to Facebook, but it’s better than no consultation.”
Cornwall Council says that it is committed to reducing both death and serious injury by 50 per cent on the county’s roads by 2030, and believes that 20-mph limits will support that objective.
A County Council statement says: “Research provides a strong link between traffic speed and the severity of injury when a collision occurs.
“If someone is struck at 20-mph they have a 90 per cent chance of survival compared to a 50 per cent chance if struck at 30-mph.
“Travelling at 20-mph provides many other benefits too:
- Increasing child and adult activity levels – this will improve health and well-being;
- Providing a safer environment – this will encourage more people to walk and cycle;
- Supporting climate change declaration – this will include lower emissions and tackling congestion, as well as supporting our ambition to be Carbon Neutral by 2030, and…
- Creating a stronger sense of community as more people come together to use the space.”
Cornwall Council also says that villages, towns and cities should be places where people are free to travel in ways that are safe sustainable healthy and fair.
“Higher speeds negatively impact safety where people live, work and play. This particularly affects our more vulnerable road users such as children and the elderly.
“Lower speeds improve both actual and perceived safety and may mean people feel more comfortable to walk and cycle. Children will also have a safer environment to walk to school and the elderly will feel more able to travel safely.”
In addition, it states that lower speeds will benefit air quality. “There is little evidence to suggest that reducing vehicle speeds to 20-mph increases pollution. It is not as straightforward as more time driving equals more pollution.
“Driving styles, acceleration and braking are all contributory factors to increased emissions. Other research has shown that up to 75 per cent of road transport particulate emissions come from tyre and brake wear, not exhausts.
“Slower speeds encourage a smoother driving style, which ultimately decreases emissions.
“Research has found that reducing speeds from 30-mph to 20-mph reduced CO₂ emissions up to 37.8 per cent and NOx emissions by 51.0 per cent. This is while only having a minimum impact on journey times.
“The impact of different driving styles, vehicle size, and fuel type were also investigated and found to impact the results.”
Cornwall Council’s statement also refers to journey times on roads in urban areas which, it says, tend to be determined by junctions, crossings and parked vehicles “rather than speed limits”.
Continues the statement: “Often lowering the speed limit to 20-mph will have little or no impact on journey times. Where there is an impact, this would be negligible but, in turn, would make the roads safer for everyone; including pedestrians and cyclists.”
Crucially, the County Council says that 20-mph zones will not be rolled out everywhere.
“We will review all roads on a case-by-case basis where the existing limit is 30-mph, with the intention to reduce to 20-mph,” says the County’s statement.
“Urban areas with high pedestrian and cyclist movements will be prioritised. This could include areas around schools, shops, markets, playgrounds.
“For some roads, it may be appropriate to keep 30-mph or deliver a more focused 20-mph section. This will be a considered decision, based on local circumstances. Exceptions will generally be major roads and where vehicles are the primary function.”
Speed limits higher than 30-mph will not qualify for 20-mph. “We appreciate that communities with speed limits of 40-mph or above, may face difficulties,” says the statement.
“There may be opportunities to improve the local environment through other initiatives. For example, the Community Highway Scheme.”
Devon and Cornwall Police will have the power to enforce new 20-mph limits.
The County Council statement also refers to costs involved in the 20-mph porogramme: “Department for Transport funding provided to local councils can only be spent on its defined purpose.
“Cornwall Council cannot spend 20-mph programme funding on highway maintenance issues such as potholes and cutting hedges, nor can it spend highway maintenance funding on the 20-mph programme.”
The countywide 20-mph programme is estimated to cost £4-million.
More information about the proposed ‘Cornwall Wide Approach to 20-mph Roll Out’ can be found in the attached pdf document prepared by Cornwall Council.