22 May 2008 - The Norwich Highways Agency Committee has today approved the principle of introducing a 20mph speed limit across residential roads in the city. The committee agreed a proposal from Green Party Councillor Rupert Read that a blanket 20mph limit, based primarily around signage, should be introduced.
In June 2006 City Councillors unanimously agreed that there should be a 20mph speed limit across residential roads in the city. Since then the Conservative County Councillors, who hold the casting vote on the Norwich Highways Agency Committee, have consistently blocked the proposals - until today. This morning's meeting was the first one at which Green Party Councillor Rupert Read had the right to vote - by virtue of the Greens becoming the second party on the City Council on 1st May.
Councillor Rupert Read, Norwich Green Party transport spokesperson, said: "I am delighted that my first formal proposal to the Norwich Highways Agency Committee has resulted in the Committee at last agreeing to this progressive proposal of introducing 20mph speed limits across the city. At every meeting of the committee, local residents and Councillors from different parts of the city submit questions and petitions asking for a 20mph speed limit in their area. They are usually turned down because they are fighting over a small pot of money and because the Committee has up until now taken a piecemeal approach to reducing traffic speeds. Now that the Committee has agreed in principle to this move, it hopefully won't be long before residents across the city can enjoy 20mph speed limits and the safer streets they will bring. This decision that we have taken today means that lives that otherwise would have been lost will be saved."
Councillor Adrian Ramsay, Co-ordinator of the Green Party Group on Norwich City Council, who was also present at the meeting, added: "Lower speed limits and safer streets will also help encourage more people to walk and cycle - meaning better air quality and lower carbon emissions."
The next step will be for Council officers to develop the details and likely cost of the scheme. The officers had recommended that the committee did not go ahead with the proposals because of the high cost of introducing traffic calming measures such as speed bumps across the city. However, under the proposal agreed today, the scheme will be mainly based around signage - although the Greens are keen for officers to assess alternative and additional methods of enforcement, too.
Following today's decision, Norwich is set to become one of the first cities in the country to introduce a blanket 20mph limit - following on from recent similar moves in Portsmouth and Aberdeen.