Support for more 20mph zones across Shropshire

New surveys revealed renewed support for lower speed limits in built-up areas, especially where schools and shops are located.

Surveys carried out in Church Stretton and Craven Arms show more than nine out of 10 people back the zones.

It follows towns like Ludlow and Shifnal campaigning for a lowering of the urban speed limit under the banner 'Twenty's Plenty'.

But bad driving could be jeopardising the chances of bringing in a widespread 20mph limit.

Official figures show almost nine in 10 drivers ignore 20mph zones, prompting claims that any mass introduction would be a waste of time.

The Department for Transport says 86 per cent of cars broke the limit in 20mph zones last year. It coincided with a sharp increase in deaths and injuries on the slowest roads.

Research carried out using automatic traffic counters showed that cars travelled at an average of 26mph on 20mph roads. Almost a fifth were caught at 30mph or more. Non-compliance with the zones appears to be on the rise, with figures showing that only 81 per cent of cars broke the limit in 2016.

That has not put off the South Shropshire Green Party, who carried out the survey asking residents whether or not they support a general 20mph speed limit on residential and shopping streets.

Of responses in Church Stretton, 91 per cent were in favour of lowering the limit and in Craven Arms 87 per cent were in favour.

Campaigning

Public campaigning has led to 20mph as a default speed limit in built up areas being supported by a number of town councils in Shropshire.

Church Stretton and Craven Arms Town Councils have had presentations explaining the case for the introduction of 20mph from Professor John Whitelegg, an expert in sustainable transport.

To date, neither Church Stretton nor Craven Arms Town Councils have decided whether to join with other town councils in the area to request this change.

The news comes after Ludlow Town Council wrote to Shropshire Council over the summer requesting an investigation into how a 20mph limit can be introduced to the streets.

Hilary Wendt, coordinator of the South Shropshire Green Party, said the group has written the Shropshire Council's leader, Peter Nutting, and asked that all residential streets in the county have a 20mph speed limit.

She said: "The case for 20mph on all our residential streets is very strong indeed and would do much to improve quality of life for all of us, as well as making it more likely that people will feel comfortable to walk and cycle in our towns.

"This would improve our health and reduce costs for the NHS, as well as helping us to make progress in reducing our carbon footprints. Too, the increased interactions these changes would bring would help strengthen our communities and reduce loneliness. We feel that there are no convincing reasons for not doing this as soon as possible.

"We have written to the leader of the council, Peter Nutting, and asked for full implementation of 20mph on all residential streets in Shropshire in the financial year 2019-20."

There have been several proposed changes to traffic speeds across the county in recent years.

Changes have come to Shifnal after the town council joined the national Twenty's Plenty campaign.

Dozens of people signed a petition supporting the plans.

The campaign aims to save lives, encourage walking, lower congestion and pollution, create less noise and create a better environment on residential roads