New hope for lower speed limits in Norwich

Adrian Gunson, Norfolk County Council cabinet member for planning and transportation

IAN CLARKE
17 December 2009 10:00



More 20mph-limit roads could be introduced in Norwich after the government announced proposals to allow councils to bring in more of the low-speed areas across the country.

Campaigners have today welcomed the proposals and called on council bosses to act by introducing the limit across Norwich and help make it a safer city.

Norwich City Council currently has three pilot 20mph zones in the Newmarket Street and Vauxhall Street, Borrowdale Drive, and Marl Pit Lane areas.

Up until now, councils wanting to introduce 20mph limits on groups of roads have to do so in speed zones, which require traffic-calming measures such as speed humps.

But the proposals announced by road safety minister Paul Clark, do away with the need for the schemes to be accompanied by humps or other measures.

Liz Voysey, who is involved with the Norfolk branches of road safety charities Brake and Roadpeace, said it was "excellent news".

She said: "It's great that the government are doing something proactive. As we already know, speed kills and reducing speed is going to save lives and injuries."

Earlier this month, Mrs Voysey, of Dereham, who lost her daughter Amy Upcraft, 19, in a crash on the A47 at North Tuddenham in March 2004, called for a 20mph limit in Norwich after a study showed the zones had reduced road injuries by more than 40 per cent in London.

The government yesterday also renewed its call to councils to review speed limits on rural roads by 2011 and wants local authorities to consider reducing the 60mph speed limit to 50mph on the most accident-prone single-carriageway A and B roads.

Dennis Potter, the uncle of 24-year-old van driver John Peart, who died in a crash on the A149 at Dilham in September 2005, said he welcomed the move.

Mr Potter, 51, from Heving-ham, said: "Anything that can reduce accidents on the roads and deaths in this county would be a blessing."

Adrian Gunson, pictured below, cabinet member for planning and transportation on Norfolk County Council, said enforcement would be the biggest problem if more 20mph zones were created or many rural roads were made 50mph instead of 60mph.

He said: "Norfolk has over 6,000 miles of road of which you might say 3,000 is rural with hardly any houses on.

"How are you going to enforce the speed limit if you reduce it to 50mph? You can't put speed cameras up everywhere."

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