News: New 20mph limit on Westminster residential roads rejected

Published: 29 January 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

PROPOSALS to cut fatal road accidents by introducing a blanket 20mph scheme on Westminster’s residential roads have been rejected by the council.
The “20 is plenty” campaign was launched at a full council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday night by the Labour group with the support of residents.
It called for the introduction of 20mph limits in residential areas including traffic hotspots such as Maida Vale and the Church Street area. Main routes belonging to Transport for London (TfL) would remain at 30mph. 
The campaign follows changes in government legislation in December to allow councils to bring in 20mph zones without accompanying speed humps or other traffic-calming measures. 
But the plans have so far been rejected by council bosses who say speed is “not generally an issue”. 
Residents say they have long campaigned for measures to curb dangerous driving.
Verity Cahill, whose three daughters – aged six, nine and 10 – attend St Peter’s Primary School in Maida Vale, started a petition calling for the council to take action after a speeding car narrowly missed her youngest daughter. 
She collected around 150 signatures from concerned parents from the school in Chippenham Mews.
Ms Cahill said: “My daughter was nearly hit when a car whizzed past the school at 50mph. It was terrifying to watch. Parents have always been extremely frightened for their children because there are some people that drive at very high speeds down Chippenham Mews and the surrounding roads, and there have been a few near-misses.”
In 2006, lollipop lady Sarah Ann Woodlock, 52, was killed after being hit by a motorcyclist at the junction of Shirland and Essendine Road. And in 2007, a three-year-old girl was thrown from a pram by a speeding car at the junction of Elgin Avenue and Maida Vale.
In November 2008 10-year-old Jack Duval was also killed as he crossed Abbey Road in St John’s Wood.
Eileen Crawford, 67, who lives in Ashbridge Street, in the Church Street area, said 20mph limits would be welcomed by residents.
“With all the activity from the market and the primary schools it’s important to keep speeds down otherwise it can be quite dangerous, and cars do speed along the side streets,” she added.
The latest government ­statistics show Westminster has the highest number of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in London. 
In 2008, 272 people were either killed or seriously injured on the roads in Westminster, of which eight were children. 
A further 1,332 people were slightly injured.
Research shows the lower limit reduces accidents by more than 40 per cent with the greatest reduction in child casualties.
Danny Chalkley, Westminster’s cabinet member for City Management, said: “In Westminster, due to the density of traffic, speed is not generally an issue so we feel it’s better to invest in road safety campaigns and education. 
“Reduced speed zones are normally self-enforcing, which usually means having to install speed humps which the council is now against for a number of reasons, and the debate on their usefulness has come full circle with some local authorities actively removing them.”