Upcoming speed restrictions in Woodley and Earley have attracted national attention as the limits are to go down to 20mph on major residential roads.
Plans to cut speed limits to 20mph on major residential roads in Woodley and Earley have attracted national attention after Wokingham Borough Council approved the changes.
The reductions affect Culver Lane and Palmerstone Road in Earley, and a stretch of Woodlands Avenue in Woodley. Councillor Adrian Betteridge, the executive member for active travel, transport and highways, is implementing them through Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) despite most respondents opposing the plans in last year’s consultations.
The Times reported the story on Monday 19 January, noting 69 per cent of respondents in Woodley and 60 per cent in Earley objected to the new limits.
The council said the move follows national guidance, adding: “We think the Department for Transport recommendation, for 20mph speed limits on mixed-use routes to enhance road safety, outweighs them.” A council officer also pointed out that a TRO consultation is not a referendum.
Some locals say the consultation was merely a formality. Woodley town councillor Keith Baker (Conservative, Coronation East) wrote on Facebook: “I have just received the council's Engage Newsletter. It has such a bizarre headline in it: ‘You Said, We Did….’ But you did not!
“What was said was a significant majority (69 per cent in Woodley and 60 per cent in Earley) objected to the new speed limits!
“So you absolutely did not “do”.
“That headline should have read ‘You Said, We Ignored You -Earley And Woodley Speed Limits’.
“ This is the clearest example I have ever seen of a consultation being simply a “tick box” exercise. They even confirm that in the last sentence.”
Responding to suggestions residents were ignored, council leader Stephen Conway (Liberal Democrats, Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst) said: “We did not ignore residents.
“Consultation feedback informed the decision, but consultations are not votes and do not determine the outcome by majority rule. We must consider safety evidence, national guidance and the needs of all road users alongside the views expressed.
The formal decisions to create the 20mph limits via TROs were made by Cllr Betteridge in two separate decisions on Friday 9 January. A poll run alongside The Times article showed 73 per cent of respondents opposed 20mph schemes, with 27 per cent in favour, from 1,284 votes.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
