Concerns 20mph zone in Cambs town will be a ‘waste of money’

People have shared concerns that a planned new 20mph zone in Soham will be a “waste of money”. Cambridgeshire County Council ^[1] is considering introducing the lower speed limit across the town following a request from Soham Town Council. Some roads in the town already have a 20mph limit, but under the current plans this could be extended across the town.

Objections to the new speed limits have been lodged, with some arguing it will be a “waste of money”, but others suggesting it is a “step in the right direction”. The county council has been working to introduce more 20mph speed limits across Cambridgeshire ^[2] to try and improve road safety, as well as to encourage people to walk and cycle more, and reduce pollution.

A decision on whether to introduce the new 20mph zone in Soham ^[3] is expected to be made next week (November 29). A report published by the county council set out the responses it received from its consultation on the plans. One person said they believed the county council was “very much mistaken” that people would follow the lower speed limit.

They said: “Promoting lower speed limits will be costly in road signs and is unnecessary in a town that is not policed. Everyone in Soham already knows that they can park wherever they like and not adhere to speed limits because they are not being watched. So what makes the authority think that it will be any different just by wasting money on 20mph sign posts. It won’t make any difference at all.”

Officers said they acknowledged there would be “very little police enforcement” of the 20mph speed limit, but said evidence suggested speeds will still be reduced, which they said would still improve safety. They added that the amount of new signs put up will be kept to a minimum.

However, one person said they believe the plan was a “step in the right direction”. They said: “I was aware when purchasing our home in Soham that it was on a busy road, however was comforted by the fact that this is in a 30mph zone. However, within a short space of time it became apparent that this did not mean much with regular high speed traffic - 60mph plus - going past the front of our home which stands between existing traffic calming measures - speed bumps and a pinch point.

“In fact, a couple of weeks before we moved in there was a significant crash on Fordham Road at one of the nearby pinch points. I think the proposal may help reduce the traffic for those currently doing 30mph to 20mph, and may even help reduce those regularly doing 40mph in the current 30mph on to reduce [their speed], which will also be a benefit.”

However, the person did say they did not think the change would stop people from driving over 60mph outside their home unless additional measures to slow drivers down, such as a speed bump or a camera, were put in. The county council report said there is no budget to pay for additional traffic calming measures, but said minor road improvements could be applied for at a later date through the local highways improvement initiative scheme.

Councillor Lucius Vellacott, ward councillor for Soham South ward, said he believed a 20mph speed limit on Fordham Road was “not necessary” as he said this could make the traffic build up in the area worse. He said: “I passionately support the promotion of active transport modes such as cycling and walking, and also of public transport improvements. However, I hope the 20mph cones will not be implemented in such a way that impedes drivers from accessing any part of their town by car should they choose to do so. The school is particularly important in this regard.”

The report said officers were proposing to shorten the proposed 20mph limit along Fordham Road in order to allow a transition from the national speed limit into the existing 30mph limit and then into the 20mph zone. Cambridgeshire Constabulary said it did not object to the proposals, but suggested that on some of the wider and straight roads a 30mph speed limit would be more appropriate. In the report officers said that in the “interests of consistency, inclusivity and clarity” they still recommended for the 20mph speed limit to apply to all of the roads.

References

^{^} Cambridgeshire County Council (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
^{^} Cambridgeshire (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
^{^} Soham (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
^{^} Overnight A142 road closures near Ely see 11-mile diversion put in place (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)
^{^} Mayor faced accusations of ‘bullying and creating a toxic culture’ report reveals (www.cambridge-news.co.uk)