Histon & Impington 20mph Applications 23/24 Consultations

Is Twenty Plenty?

Histon and Impington Parish Council have identified two potential funding sources for 20mph speed limits within the parish. We are launching a questionnaire to gauge resident’s support for making this change.  To access our questionnaire, please click here

Why 20mph?

Introducing a 20 mph speed limit on our roads has a range of anticipated benefits.

• Research by the UK Transport Research Laboratory has shown that every 1mph reduction in average urban speeds can result in a six percent fall in the number of casualties. It’s also been shown that you are seven times more likely to survive if you are hit by a car driving at 20mph, than if you are hit at 30mph. If a child suddenly steps in front of a car, you are much less likely to seriously injure or kill them if you keep to a 20mph limit.
• Research indicates that people are much more likely to walk or cycle when vehicle speeds are lower as they feel safer. The installation of 20mph zones or limits, especially in urbanised areas is expected to have positive impacts on the amount of people walking, cycling or horse riding. This has additional benefits to the environment as well as lowering the speed limit could encourage more people to use non-motorised means for shorter journeys such as walking to school or visiting the shop.
• Research shows that slower speeds encourage a smoother driving style with less stopping and starting which helps traffic to flow. Evidence from other areas shows that slower speeds encourage more people to walk and cycle.
• Driving at 20mph causes some vehicular emissions to rise slightly (mainly Heavy Goods Vehicles) and some (car) to fall. Reduced acceleration and braking will help to reduce fuel consumption and the associated particulate emissions from items such as tires and brakes.

How would a 20mph be implemented?

Signs and lines will be installed in line with current traffic and road safety manuals. If a new area is changing to 20mph local residents will be informed in advance. Signs will mark the entrance and exits of a 20mph area where the speed limit changes. Smaller repeat signs or on road markings will supplement these signs.

Funding opportunities

The Cambridge & Peterborough Combined Authority have a significant pot of money to convert towns to 20mph. Histon & Impington parish council have indication that Histon and Impington taken as a whole would meet their criteria.  This 20mph zone would cover all adopted roads within Histon and Impington, except the B1049.  A short section of B1049 north of Park school where homes are adjacent to the B1049 will be included.

Cambridgeshire County Council have created an annual 20mph funding programme to install either 20mph zones or limits countywide. This is open to town and parish councils. Once an application has been submitted, it will be prioritised and scored by officers. This will produce a long list which will then be worked through until all the schemes applied for have been delivered.

For this scheme specific areas will be considered for a 20mph limit. In general, these will be areas with features that justify the lower speed limit for driving, for example, an area that has:

• evidence of traffic incidents or potential dangers within an existing 30/40mph
• vulnerable road users e.g. pedestrians (of all ability), cyclists, equestrian users and motorcyclists
• visible homes, shops, and business frontages
• a school or a school route
• a cycling route
• a quiet lane designation
• an area that would benefit from more active travel such as cycling and walking

Process

Our questionnaire is available from Thursday 9 March to Sunday 26 March. Members of the Parish’s Land, Assets and Infrastructure committee will analyse the data and prepare a proposal in the week beginning 27 March. This will allow us to make both the CPCA and county application deadlines. If successful with either opportunity, we anticipate working on detailed design and a formal consultation between September 2023 and March 2024.  If agreed upon construction would then go ahead March to July 2024.