Hampshire County Council 20mph zones report is criticised despite taking 10 months and consulting 9,500 people

Hampshire County Council set up the 20mph Task and Finish Group in March 2022 to examine how – or whether – to bring in zones in the future.

But at the Universal Services – Transport and Environment Select Committee held to discuss the report saw widespread disagreement at its findings. The committee refused to accept the task group’s recommendations, and it voted instead to defer the issue until the summer.

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The report said that more 20mph zones should be brought in. But it also said that the council should ‘ease back’ on the number of casualties on a road being the main criteria and instead should have a ‘hierarchy of road function’ to look at where new zones should be introduced. It also said that whereas current 20mph zones are classed as ‘self-policing’ if the average traffic speed is 24mph, this should be relaxed to 26mph – in effect, allowing drivers to go faster without penalty.

But councillors said they feared that these guidelines would make it harder and not easier to bring in 20mph speed limits, which they said would create safer roads for vulnerable people.

Councillor David Drew said that the council has been dragging the situation on for years and ‘it is time to decide whether to stick with the old days or catch up with their neighbours in Surrey, Cornwall, Wales or Scotland’.

Cllr Martin Tod said that ‘creating new laws creates new behaviours that benefit citizens. ‘This is a way to move but this report does not go far enough. We need to learn from other places.’

Dr Hannah Greenberg representing the 20’s Plenty campaign said: ‘The committee needs to look at the national data that shows that 20mph actually works. Those areas where 20mph is working have less pollution, fewer casualties, less congestion, and, more important, makes people feel safer.

‘The speed limit has a categorical impact on people’s lives and health. 20mph is incredibly popular, it has a 70 per cent popularity, and 53 per cent of Hampshire show their support for it,’ Dr Greenberg added.

Chairman Cllr Derek Mellor said: ‘This is nothing new, since 2012 we are debating this matter. It is valid, we should review the speed and implementation is the key.’