More 20mph zones expected as Devon County Council earmarks £150k

A written report outlined how a further £150,000 has been secured in the council's road safety capital allocation for 2023/2024

More 20mph (32km/h) zones are expected to be introduced in Devon in 2023 after the county council secured £150,000 in funding.

In 2022, lower speed limits were approved for the four "most in need" Devon communities - part of a new way of considering 20mph requests.

The new system was introduced because of the high number of submissions to the council.

The authority said six new communities would benefit.

Each application was assessed, taking into account average speeds at key locations and the number of vulnerable road users in the area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Other factors include the speed-related collision history, the level of community support, the presence of an active community speed watch group and the community's deprivation index ranking.

The four highest-ranked applications were selected areas of Tiverton and Winkleigh, and all the roads in Atherington, North Devon, and Ashburton.

A written report outlined how a further £150,000 has been secured in the council's road safety capital allocation for 2023/2024.

The council plans to use the same system for rating applications again. Communities do not need to resubmit expressions of interest, as they will be reviewed again and against any new bids, but existing proposals can be modified.

Updating councillors at a full meeting on Thursday, Councillor Stuart Hughes, cabinet member for Highways at Devon County Council, said the council was open to funding more schemes should extra money be found.

He also invited parish councils to get involved "if they would like to pay for some of the schemes".

All new or modified requests must be completed by 31 January.

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