Lincolnshire Communities to Gain Enhanced Authority Over 20mph Zones

Communities within Lincolnshire may be granted increased powers to request 20mph (32km/h) speed limits. On Friday, Lincolnshire County Council reached an agreement to streamline the process for implementing new zones in residential and other built-up areas. The authority also consented that existing 20mph advisory limits situated outside schools could be made compulsory. These proposals will undergo a scrutiny process before any policy alterations are enacted. Richard Cleaver, the independent councillor who introduced the motion, stated that its objective was to make the system “easier and more open and transparent.” Previously, requests to reduce a speed limit in an area were typically initiated by a school, an individual, or a parish council, channeled through their local councillor. Cleaver advocated for a formal mechanism to enable communities to approach the council directly, a measure he believed would “make communities feel safe and empowered.” He urged the council to publish “a clear 20mph policy” that would outline the criteria against which such requests would be evaluated. However, he clarified that no one was proposing a blanket reduction from 30mph to 20mph, as occurred in built-up areas of Wales – a move that generated controversy among drivers. Councillor Richard Davies, the highways portfolio holder at the council, remarked that “taxpayers’ money needs to be targeted where it’s most needed” and that any action should be “evidence-based.” He added, “It could be lowering the speed limit or it could be other things, like educating motorists.” The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents expressed its support for the initiative. Caitlin Taylor, road safety manager for the charity, stated that reducing speed limits to 20mph “has been shown to significantly lower the risk and severity of accidents” and encouraged the council to adopt a clear policy for 20mph zones. At the meeting, Cleaver affirmed: “This is about empowering our local communities.” He further elaborated, “This is not about imposing a top-down, one-size-fits-all policy on them, and it’s not about enforcing 20mph speed limits where communities don’t want them.” According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, instead of a new policy being introduced, the modifications will be applied to an existing policy.