Parent supports 20mph zone after child hit by car

20mph speed limits could be introduced in St Ives and Fulbourn

A parent whose child was hit by a car has supported the introduction of a 20mph zone across a town.

Cambridgeshire County Council is proposing to reduce the speed limit in parts of St Ives and also in Fulbourn, near Cambridge.

The authority said 20pmh limits were intended to "reduce traffic speeds to create a safer environment for all road users".

It said the design of the roads meant the new limit would be "largely self-enforcing".

The council said the schemes could improve quality of life, encourage walking or cycling - and reduce pollution.

The St Ives 20mph zone is proposed to cover the southern half of the town.

In Fulbourn, a number of roads are proposed to have 20mph speed limits introduced, as well as a 40mph buffer zone on some of the roads heading into the town.

'Increase congestion'

Views given during a consultation were mixed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

One parent, in St Ives, said a lower limit was a good idea as their seven-year-old had been hit by a car in Knights Way.

"People drive too fast especially when there is a park with a lot of children," they said.

One respondent said they believed the limits would discourage drivers from using residential roads.

Some argued it would be a "waste of money", they would be "disregarded", "increase congestion" and "only serve to increase the time on people’s commutes".

But traffic officers say 20mph limits could benefit traffic movement at peak times.

One person stated that limits proposed for Fulbourn should be introduced "to lower speeds near schools, due to narrow village roads, to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians and for environmental reasons".

Cambridgeshire Police said it also had concerns about the compliance with the speed limits on a number of roads in Fulbourn, without further measures put in place to force drivers to slow down.

Councillors will decide if the schemes can go ahead at a highways and transport committee meeting on 1 October.