CONTROVERSIAL plans to roll-out 20mph speed limits across Warrington are to be debated at two briefing sessions for members of the borough council.
The meetings will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) from 2pm to 4pm and on Wednesday September 28 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm to enable all councillors to have an opportunity to attend and are being organised by the council’s Road 
Safety Unit.
Cllr Linda Dirir (pictured) will chair the meetings and presentations will be made by Warrington Borough Transport, Cheshire Police and Rod King from the “20s Plenty for Us” campaign.
The road safety unit says the goal is to make residential streets safer for everyone, especially vulnerable road users such as the elderly, disabled, children and cyclists.
It is also important to give residents a feeling of safety and to promote multi modal usage including cycling and walking, as this creates a safer cycle and pedestrian friendly environment.
They say there are potential benefits to be gained from the introduction of 20mph speed limits, which is supported by the evidential base obtained through the council trials and experiences in other areas.
In addition, the unit says, stakeholder views in the borough are largely positive and supportive.
The council has already introduced 20mph limits in three areas of the town, in the town centre, at Great Sankey and at Orford.
The Road Safety Unit says the benefits of 20mph limits must be achieved without costly traffic calming measures and without expected increased enforcement from the police.
Warrington Borough Transport wishes to see road safety improved and believes it can play a part by persuading more car users to use buses. But they are concerned that key bus routes should not become 20mph so that existing timetables can be maintained or improved.
The police are opposed to 20mph limits on some roads because motorists can be confused and frustrated, leading to aggressive overtaking and tailgating.
Road safety chiefs admit the cost of the scheme is difficult to predict. But an initial estimate of £740,000 has been produced as part of a desktop exercise.
But the figure could be reduced through large-scale delivery agreements with contractors if put out to tender.
The 20s Plenty for Us campaign has claimed annual savings of £5.9 million could be achieved if the speed limit was introduced across the borough, through savings on dealing with accidents and casualties. There would also be benefits through better air quality, less asthma and the likelihood of reduced traffic as people felt more comfortable with walking and cycling.
There would also be less noise, more independent child travel and active lifestyles which would benefit people’s mental and physical health in, for instance, reducing anxiety, heart disease and obesity.
Borough councillor Paul Kennedy was the only member of the council’s traffic committee to vote against the proposals.
He says he is not against the limit in principle but believes the public should decide – possibly through a local referendum.
Cllr Kennedy is concerned about the definition of a residential road and points out that many manor trunk roads, such as the A49, the A57 and the A56 have houses along them and could be described as residential.
Speed limits on these roads could cause all sorts of problems.
20mph speed limits debate
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
6 Comments
At least Cllr Kennedy talks sense. Drivers ignore 30mph signs, so why will they adhere to 20mph?
Well said Paul Kennedy. Several years of listening to people’s points of view outside of the town hall must have rubbed off! The 20-mph principle is fine, provided that artificially low limits are not used on the key routes. Government bodies define these routes, not local councillors and especially not those who openly admit to having their own separate agenda.
This is all complete and utter nonsense….. The Council expect to carry out the reduction of all the limits by exploiting contractors and probably screwing them down on cost which will no doubt produce a half-hearted bodge job of sign post erections etc….. I would also like to know the true figure of the cost of all the additional signage from the first roll out because as the likes of Long Lane were omitted, every sigle road off there which became a 20 road had to have two signs going into it plus 2 x 30 signs coming out….. far in excess of what was used during the trial…….. Finally (for now) which fool at Warrington Transport thinks that they can “persuade more car drivers to use buses????? Have you seen the rip-off prices to use the buses in this town??? No wonder there are so many cars. Make every journey 30p and you may get somewhere!
How come those campaigning in favour of this barmy idea have been granted direct and one-to-one access to our councillors, whereas the thoughts of the vast majority who are against (as demonstrated by the wide ranging and lengthy discussions in the forum of this site) are locked out of the decision making process?
This is idiotic and there are much better ways to reduce accidents. This will only serve to cause frustration and increase accidents. Constantly taking your eyes off the road to check speed is surely an increased risk that will make things worse.
This decision shouldn’t be taken in isolation by the council. I am fully opposed as is everyone I know in the area.
This is total and utter nonsense. What does Coun Dirir know about the subject? If she wants to impose this on her electorate at Sankey then they will have the option to vote for her or otherwise. As for the rest of us – and I don’t know of anyone in favour of this crazy scheme – reducing the speed limit leads to Frustration of motorists and an increase in the number of accidents, however small. It seems, yet again, that the thoughts of the vast majority of us are being ignored by our Councillors. Why?