Introduction of 20mph speed limit on residential roads Full Report
Renfrewshire Council · 6 November 2024
Back to Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board — 6 November 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
To: Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board On: 6 November 2024 Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Heading: Introduction of 20mph speed limit on residential roads 1. Summary 1.1 The implementation of 20 MPH zones continues towards the next phase of the process with support provided by Transport Scotland to fund reviewing road networks in each local authority area. 1.2 Transport Scotland has stated that it is committed to implementing 20 mph speed limits on roads where it is appropriate to do so by the end of 2025. All road authorities were asked to undertake a road assessment to identify those 30 mph roads on their road network which are appropriate for a speed limit of 20 mph. There are also some arterial routes where it is considered that a reduction to 20mph would not be appropriate. A plan of the 2,201 which are considered as appropriate roads for a 20mph speed limit in Renfrewshire is at https://ren.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9550a01759494 6d1b6385b2b1efc004d. 1.3 In Renfrewshire, officers have carried out that review and propose to convert all Renfrewshire’s residential advisory 20mph speed limits and appropriate mandatory 30mph speed limits to mandatory 20mph speed limits. Renfrewshire already has part time 20mph speed limits outside its schools at the start and end of the school day. It is well accepted that 20mph speed limits reduce the number and severity of accidents, especially for vulnerable road users. 1.4 Transport Scotland intends for local authorities to promote and implement their own 20 mph speed limits where appropriate and to produce a programme for delivery. Transport Scotland has offered to fund implementation costs, using signs only. It is estimated that the costs for implementation in Renfrewshire would be in the region of £4 million for the installation of appropriate signage. 1.5 This method of local authorities taking the lead puts decision making at a local level. It will require the promotion and public consultation of a traffic regulation order which has a statutory process and a consultation period of 28 days. Depending on the number and content of responses, and contractor time to
Page 2
erect the signs, the time taken to implement the 20 mph speed limits is estimated to be 6 months from consultation. 1.6 In a separate workstream, the Scottish Government plans to launch a public consultation in late 2024 or early 2025 on plans for reducing national speed limits across the country. This consultation doesn’t just relate to 20mph zones and also covers things like national speed limits. Officers will draft a response to the consultation when it is launched for approval by a future Policy Board meeting. 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Board; 2.1. Agrees that the process for implementation of 20mph speed limits at 1.3 above is carried out through a Traffic Regulation Order process to ensure full consultation with affected communities can take place, and 2.2. Notes that future updates on a delivery programme and confirmation of Transport Scotland funding for delivery will be presented to a future meeting of this Policy Board. 3. Background 3.1. Previously, Transport Scotland gave local authorities temporary powers to trial advisory ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ zones in residential areas for five years. The powers have since lapsed but the ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ signs are allowed to remain. They may not be refurbished or replaced when damaged and they cannot be enforced. These advisory zones are no longer fit for purpose. 3.2. Calls from residents and elected members for mandatory 20mph zones led officers to propose to convert Renfrewshire’s advisory 20mph speed limits to mandatory ones. In February 2022 officers began work on a project to convert all Renfrewshire Council’s advisory 20mph zones into mandatory ones. A traffic order passed through its first stage consultation, comments were received but before moving to the next step of promoting the traffic order’s public consultation, Transport Scotland separately offered funding to local authorities (£75,000 for Renfrewshire) to assess their road network for areas that may be suitable for 20mph zones. This assessment was undertaken and sent with the attached map (available at https://ren.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9550a01759494 6d1b6385b2b1efc004d) to Transport Scotland. 3.3. To allow Transport Scotland to review a national position, in March 2023, officers postponed the project to convert advisory 20mph zones to mandatory ones in order to return information to Transport Scotland. The information was aimed at identifying areas of Renfrewshire’s road network where 20mph zones would not be possible, primarily on its major through-routes, and estimating the cost of introducing 20mph zones (including residential areas not already covered by advisory schemes) in Renfrewshire. The default position adopted by Transport Scotland is that 20mph zones should be adopted in all built-up areas unless there is a justifiable evidence-based position that suggests otherwise,
Page 3
which covers our previous advisory 20mph zones and they are included within the proposed traffic regulation order. 3.4. Speed limits are enforced by Police Scotland but implemented by local authorities. They are made enforceable by the promotion of traffic regulation orders subject to public consultation. Objections must be heard, and agreements made to accommodate them if possible. The process can take many months. If at the end of this process any objections are maintained, they are presented to board for a decision. 4. Transport Scotland 4.1. Scottish Government is committed to implementing 20 mph speed limits on those roads where it is appropriate to do so by the end of 2025. The 20 mph task group explored the most effective way of achieving that commitment in Scotland, which included identifying the number of roads affected through a road assessment. 4.2. All road authorities were asked to undertake a road assessment to identify those 30 mph roads on their road network which are appropriate for a speed limit of 20 mph. Assessment criteria were developed and approved by a 20 mph sub group, consisting of a variety of road authorities and police, to apply a level of consistency. 4.3. Transport Scotland intends for local authorities to implement their own 20 mph speed limits where appropriate and to produce a programme for delivery. Transport Scotland has offered to fund implementation costs, using signs only, and has asked what assistance would be helpful to expedite such implementation. 4.4. Renfrewshire’s appropriate roads total 2,201 elements (see attached plan). Officers have estimated that costs in the region of £4million would be required to implement 20 mph speed limits covering these elements with only signs, no physical changes to the road like chicanes or speed humps. 4.5. Transport Scotland have added this information to a briefing on the progress of 20 mph implementation across Scotland for the Cabinet Secretary. 4.6. Transport Scotland confirms that funding is available for the implementation of 20 mph. When Renfrewshire has a programme for delivery and an estimate of the expenditure profile, they should be sent to Transport Scotland to release payment. 4.7. To gain approval for funding and to assist with budget requirements, officers submitted to Transport Scotland on 1 July 2024, a more detailed funding breakdown of all costs to implement 20 mph speed limits using signs (no engineered speed reduction measures) and an anticipated implementation start date of May 2025. Implications of this Report 1. Financial –Transport Scotland have previously indicated that they will fund the implementation costs. Should that not be provided the implementation cannot proceed.
Page 4
2. HR and Organisational Development – none 3. Community Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving / Reshaping our place, our economy and our future – Low speed residential environments improve living conditions for Renfrewshire’s residents. 4. Legal – none 5. Property/Assets – none 6. Information Technology – none 7. Equality & Human Rights - The recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. 8. Health and Safety – Low speed residential environments reduce accident numbers and severity. 9. Procurement – none. 10. Risk – none. 11. Privacy Impact – none. 12. Climate Risk – Low speed residential environments reduce vehicle emissions and support the Council’s climate ambitions. 13 Children’s Rights - This report demonstrates compliance with Article 6 (life, survival and development) and Article 24 (health, water, food, environment) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. List of Background Papers - none Author Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure e-mail: gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Page 5
Contains OS data © Crown Copyright and database right 2020 I Proposed 30mph to 20mph RoadsDate: 25/06/2024 User: ptpollockc1 Ordnance Survey Mapping - © Crown Copyright and database right 2024. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100023417. 0 820 1,640 2,460 3,280 Metres 1:65,000 Proposed 30mph to 20mph Roads No Yes