24 Mar Stephen Metcalfe MP welcomes Transport Secretary’s support for motorists against blanket 20mph zones and low traffic neighbourhoods
Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, has welcomed the Transport Secretary’s support for motorists against blanket 20mph zones and low traffic neighbourhoods.
In new draft statutory guidance for local councils, the Transport Secretary will affirm that there must be community engagement to ensure that every low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) has local consent before it is implemented.
This follows concerns that have been raised about the unintended negative consequences of LTNs, particularly on disabled residents and emergency vehicles. Recently, councils in Jesmond, Newcastle and Streatham, London have had to reverse LTNs which proved to be unpopular and poorly implemented.
The Transport Secretary’s new guidance also addresses the blanket implementation of 20mph speed limits, underlining that they should only be introduced in areas with high foot traffic and areas where there is evidence that the safety of pedestrians is being impacted. This comes as a blanket 20mph speed limit has been implemented across Wales at a cost of £40 million.
Alongside new Government guidance on LTNs and 20mph speed limits, consultations are being launched to tackle overzealous enforcement and prevent local councils from turning drivers into ‘cash cows’ by profitting from traffic restrictions.
These announcements are part of the Government’s 30-point ‘Plan for Drivers’. Other points in the Plan for Drivers include measures to speed up disruptive street works; grants for schools to install electric vehicle charging points; and making parking easier by allowing drivers to use one parking app.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “I welcome the Transport Secretary’s announcement that, from the Summer, councils will need local consent if they are going to implement LTNs and 20 mph speed limits. Democracy is at the heart of this.
Therefore, I was pleased to see, in our own patch, that Essex County Council rejected a Labour motion in December to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit on roads across the county.”
The Transport Secretary, Mark Harper MP, said: “We want local people to have their voices heard, and any traffic schemes to have the consent of those they impact.
Well thought out schemes, like 20mph limits outside schools, can make our roads safer, but we are raising the bar to help ensure all traffic schemes work for everyone in the community.
We’re on the side of drivers, and these latest measures show we’re getting on with delivering what we promised in our Plan for Drivers – making their lives better, fairer and cheaper, and helping people travel in the way that works best for them.”
