Latest on Cheltenham 20mph roll-out as town among top contenders
Summary
Cheltenham town centre is near the top of the county council’s list for a 20mph roll-out because of collisions and the impact on cycling and walking. That is what Gloucestershire County Council‘s road safety chief Roger Whyborn (LD, Benhall and Up Hatherley) has said as he defended the proposals from recent criticism.
Details
A 20mph speed limit is being proposed in and around the town centre, aligning with the council’s wider safer roads and community 20s programme for Swindon Village, Leckhampton with Warden Hill, Prestbury, Charlton Kings and Up Hatherley. However, the initial consultation has been blasted by Cheltenham Civic Society who described it as a “disappointing and weakly-evidenced exercise”.
The conservation charity supports improving road safety and reducing casualties. But they believe the consultation fails to demonstrate why many collisions occurred, whether speed was a significant factor and why imposing a town-wide 20mph speed limit represents the most effective solution.
Councillor Whyborn said Cheltenham is near the top of the list for the Safer Roads and Community 20s programme because of the data around collisions, the impact on walking and cycling and deprivation. And he said there is a mass of evidence to support the principle of a 20mph speed limit in areas where people live and work.
“The Civic society has complained about the scheme for reduced speed limits in Cheltenham, and accused the County Council of putting forward a blanket scheme,” he said. “The decision to propose 20mph roads over Cheltenham, in common with the rest of the county, has been taken in respect of all the towns and parishes, where support has been indicated.
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“Over 150 towns and parishes responded wanting 20mph schemes including Cheltenham and they didn’t want just a few selected roads. Indeed, many parishes are complaining that they will not get schemes until after two years, but we cannot be everywhere at once. It is overwhelmingly popular.
“Cheltenham is near to the top of the list because the data, that is for collisions, effects on cycling and walking and deprivation, supports that position. “Far from this being a blanket proposal across all roads, there are numerous exceptions where the council has proposed higher speed limits, all of which have been considered carefully, based on attributes of each road.
“There is a mass of evidence to support the principle that reducing speed limits to 20 mph in areas where people live and work, not only reduces collisions and casualties, but also improves the air quality, sense of well-being, and ambience of the area, something we would have imagined the Civic Society would approve of. “We are able to look at both speed and collision data for every road in the Borough.
Original source: Cheltenham Civic Society
Report source: Gloucestershire Live