Plans to cut speed limit dropped

A new housing estate off Canon Pyon Road on the edge of Hereford led to the speed limit review

Plans to cut the speed limit around a busy junction outside Hereford have been dropped, as the council said the 40mph zone was appropriate.

A proposal was made last year to reduce the limit to 30mph around the A4103 Roman Road, A4110 Three Elms Road and Canon Pyon Road on the east, west and north sides of the traffic-light-controlled junction.

Of the two collisions on the stretches of road in question between January 2017 to August 2022, "neither was related to vehicle speeds", the council’s report said.

Three Elms Road southwards from the junction is already within Hereford's main 30mph zone.

Taylor Wimpey’s new 92-home Elgar Place estate off Canon Pyon Road north of the junction had triggered the requirement to see if a speed cut was needed.

Following site investigations begun in July last year, Herefordshire Council has now concluded that 40 "is appropriate for the section of road" – a decision it said was backed by the police’s traffic management adviser.

Clearer 40mph limit

The council’s decision notice points out that the visibility splays around the estate entrance "have been designed with a 40mph speed limit in place".

Existing housing is "set well back" from the Roman Road on either side of the junction, while both it and the A4110 "have the primary function of carrying traffic, notably including HGVs" the report said.

The council, however, proposed improving road signs and markings to make the 40mph limit clearer.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.