By now all households in the south of the borough should have received, by hand delivery, a 4 page booklet from the council regarding its 20 mph blanket speed limit proposal.
The PWRA area is covered by South West Croydon (area 5) for the purposes of this proposal. However, a number of roads in this area will be exempt from the proposed 20mph limit, as follows:-
- A22 Godstone Rd & A23 Brighton Rd/Farthing Way/Purley/Stafford Rd
- Lion Green Rd/Chipstead Valley Rd/Woodcote Grove Rd/Smithambottom Lane
- Banstead Rd/Foxley Lane/Plough Lane
- Downs Court Rd/Mitchley Ave
- Stoats Nest Rd/Marlpit Lane/Ditches Lane/Coulsdon Rd/Stites Hill Rd
- Woodplace Lane/The Netherlands/Wilhelmina Ave
Despite protests from the PWRA and other residents’ associations the council has denied residents in the south of the borough the option to vote Yes or No. Instead, the three areas in the south will only have 4 weeks to respond to object to the blanket 20mph limit – unlike the two areas in the north of the borough where the residents had a 6 week consultancy process, followed by a 4 week period to vote Yes or No to the proposal.
Thus, if you are against the blanket 20mph limit, you must follow the council guidelines to register your opinion. Conversely, if you do nothing, you will be deemed to have approved of the introduction of the 20mph limit.
If the majority of people do not respond – obviously, for many, as a positive choice for the introduction of the 20mph limit or through inertia – the 20mph limit is carried.
Objections to the 20mph blanket speed limit and the grounds thereof must be made by February 15 2017 and can be made by:-
email, quoting the reference PD/CH/A63, to: objections@croydon.gov.uk
or
by letter, quoting the reference PD/CH/A63, to: Order Making Section
Parking Design Team
Place Department
Croydon Council
Floor 6 Zone C
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon
CR0 1EA
When it announced its plans for the 20mph limit the council said in its 2015 press release that, ”Extensive 20mph limits reduce the risk of accidents, cut congestion and pollution levels, encourage less car use and discourage rat-running in quieter streets.”
To introduce the 20mph blanket limit in all five areas will cost the council £1.5 million if the scheme is introduced. There is evidence that 20mph zones, incorporating traffic-calming features, are more beneficial than sign-only enforced 20mph blanket limits as proposed by the council.
It might be considered rash, in times of financial stringency, that the council should be considering giving such high priority to spending £1.5million on this 20mph limit scheme – especially before the results of a three-year, £715,000 Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned study on the effectiveness of 20mph limits is due to be announced in 2017. The DfT study is bringing together data from different regions as well as including new research carried out on the roads.
There is also no evidence that the Police will enforce the 20mph limit any more rigorously than the current 30mph limit. The council say that it has been assured by the Police they will enforce the 20mph limit in the same way they do the 30mph limit, albeit with no additional resources.
I really welcome the 20mph limit. I’ve seen children knocked over getting off the school bus and people regularly drive between 30 and 40mph in these residential streets, presenting a hazard to animals, children and the elderly in particular, but to everyone. At 40mph drivers are 90% likely to kill someone compared with 10% at 20mph. Speeding cars and air pollution are the main deterrent for people take up walking and cycling. 20mph in Europe, where it has been introduced in residential areas decades ago, is proven to reduce air pollution, road traffic accidents, lead to an increase in walking and cycling and a reduction of noise pollution amongst many other benefits. There are no zebra crossings and few traffic lights in Croydon so we really need slower traffic everywhere in order for residents to stay safe. I completely agree that traffic calming measures would be best but we need to start somewhere.
I welcome the 20mph for safer cycling and walking, less noise and air pollution. The evidence from Europe where it has been in place for decades is clear.
Thank you for publishing my comment! I posted a similar positive comment on the 20mph limit on the Coulsdon West residents association website where they published the Cllrs’ letters ad verbatim and they chose not to publish my comment. It is great that you give people a chance to comment either way publicly.
Thank you for publishing my comment! I posted a similar positive comment on the 20mph limit on the Coulsdon West residents association website where they published the Cllrs’ letters ad verbatim and they chose not to publish my comment. It is great that you give people a chance to comment either way publicly.
I take an opposing view. Whilst I want to encourage responsible driving, on the vast majority of roads 20mph is far too slow. The fact that some people on a 30mph road speed, and some of these cause accidents, that is no reason to have a blanket 20mph speed limit for the vast majority of roads.
For some roads this speed is appropriate. I feel the council should be thinking of implementing a 20 mph limit on those roads that are deemed to be either dangerous because of previous accidents, or pass near schools. They should be specifying a list of roads that they want to target, and for each road they should provide reasons for reducing the speed limit.
the idea is a waste of money
A variable 30/20mph would be welcome near schools.
I live near a school and the bad drivers near schools are the MOTHERS bad parking, and speeding off after dropping the
kids off