The Conservative administration of B&NES Council is to be put on the spot about implementing 20 mph limits in residential areas at the meeting of the Council later this month. This follows a fact finding visit to Portsmouth, a city which has already implemented the scheme, in September.

Councillor Caroline Roberts (Newbridge) will ask the Cabinet member for Transport to accept that decisions to implement 20 mph limits in particular streets show that there is a need for a general speed limit in residential areas and that the piecemeal approach should be abandoned.

Councillor Roberts said:

“The Cabinet member should come out and admit that ‘Twenty is Plenty’ and get on with Liberal Democrats proposals to slash speeds in all our residential areas.

“By proposing a number of small scale 20mph limits recently, the Cabinet member is tacitly admitting that ‘Twenty is Plenty’. Liberal Democrats have been calling for the introduction of blanket 20 mph limits in residential areas for over 2 years, and there is a lot of support from residents for the idea. 20 mph speed limits would make walking and cycling safer and should result in fewer accidents.

“I recently went back to Portsmouth to hear about the progress in their 20 mph scheme which was implemented in 2007. The conclusions are positive; the limit is popular with residents and has resulted in some reduction in speed.

“B&NES Cabinet member for Transport also attended the briefing in Portsmouth and it is clear that a 20 mph scheme is of interest to the Council. I am calling on the Cabinet member to make the plans clear.”

“Twenty is Plenty” campaigns, run by Liberal Democrat Councillors, have shown support for 20 mph limits for residential streets in many areas including the villages south of Bath, Widcombe, Peasedown St John, Combe Down, and James St West.