Issue - meetings

Council notes that:

1.    Cambridgeshire County Council has proposed introducing 20 mile per hour speed restrictions on 38 new roads in Cambridge City.

2.    When combined with existing roads with 20 mile per hour speed restrictions, this would have the effect of making all major routes within the city 20mph, equivalent to an effective 20mph city-wide limit.

Council believes that:

1.    Speed restrictions should always only be implemented with the specific consent and evidenced support of the local community on a street-by-street basis to reflect the impacts this may have on individual neighbourhoods.

2.    Lower speed limits can lead to inefficient traffic flow, causing vehicles to operate at lower gears for longer durations. This results in increased fuel consumption and higher emissions, exacerbating air pollution at a time when we should be working to improve air quality.

3.    Many residents and workers in Cambridge rely on their vehicles for essential travel. A reduction in speed limits without clear justification risks increasing fuel consumption, placing an additional financial burden on motorists at a time of rising living costs.

4.    Decisions of this scale should be subject to a Comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment to evaluate the potential consequences of this policy. Major decisions affecting local businesses, workers, and residents should be backed by proper research and consultation.

Council resolves:

1.    To write to Cambridgeshire County Council in objection to the existing proposals on the basis that individual neighbourhoods have not been properly consulted, nor city residents made properly aware of the overall transport implications of a city-wide 20mph speed restriction.

2.    To include in our submission to Cambridgeshire County Council a request for a full economic and environmental impact assessment to be conducted before any future proposals of this kind are made.

3.    To engage in meaningful consultation with local businesses, residents, and transport professionals to ensure any changes to speed limits are evidence-based and proportionate.

4.    To prioritise alternative measures to improve road safety, such as better road maintenance, improved traffic light sequencing, and targeted enforcement in high-risk areas rather than blanket speed restrictions.

Councillor Hossain proposed the following motion:

Council notes that:

1.    Cambridgeshire County Council has proposed introducing 20 mile per hour speed restrictions on 38 new roads in Cambridge City.

2.    When combined with existing roads with 20 mile per hour speed restrictions, this would have the effect of making all major routes within the city 20mph, equivalent to an effective 20mph city-wide limit.

Council believes that:

1.    Speed restrictions should always only be implemented with the specific consent and evidenced support of the local community on a street-by-street basis to reflect the impacts this may have on individual neighbourhoods.

2.    Lower speed limits can lead to inefficient traffic flow, causing vehicles to operate at lower gears for longer durations. This results in increased fuel consumption and higher emissions, exacerbating air pollution at a time when we should be working to improve air quality.

3.    Many residents and workers in Cambridge rely on their vehicles for essential travel. A reduction in speed limits without clear justification risks increasing fuel consumption, placing an additional financial burden on motorists at a time of rising living costs.

4.    Decisions of this scale should be subject to a Comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment to evaluate the potential consequences of this policy. Major decisions affecting local businesses, workers, and residents should be backed by proper research and consultation.

Council resolves:

1.    To write to Cambridgeshire County Council in objection to the existing proposals on the basis that individual neighbourhoods have not been properly consulted, nor city residents made properly aware of the overall transport implications of a city-wide 20mph speed restriction.

2.    To include in our submission to Cambridgeshire County Council a request for a full economic and environmental impact assessment to be conducted before any future proposals of this kind are made.

3.    To engage in meaningful consultation with local businesses, residents, and transport professionals to ensure any changes to speed limits are evidence-based and proportionate.

4.    To prioritise alternative measures to improve road safety, such as better road maintenance, improved traffic light sequencing, and targeted enforcement in high-risk areas rather than blanket speed restrictions.

The motion was lost as there was no seconder to support it.

Council notes that:

1.    Cambridgeshire County Council has proposed introducing 20 mile per hour speed restrictions on 38 new roads in Cambridge City.

2.    When combined with existing roads with 20 mile per hour speed restrictions, this would have the effect of making all major routes within the city 20mph, equivalent to an effective 20mph city-wide limit.

Council believes that:

1.    Speed restrictions should always only be implemented with the specific consent and evidenced support of the local community on a street-by-street basis to reflect the impacts this may have on individual neighbourhoods.

2.    Lower speed limits can lead to inefficient traffic flow, causing vehicles to operate at lower gears for longer durations. This results in increased fuel consumption and higher emissions, exacerbating air pollution at a time when we should be working to improve air quality.

3.    Many residents and workers in Cambridge rely on their vehicles for essential travel. A reduction in speed limits without clear justification risks increasing fuel consumption, placing an additional financial burden on motorists at a time of rising living costs.

4.    Decisions of this scale should be subject to a Comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment to evaluate the potential consequences of this policy. Major decisions affecting local businesses, workers, and residents should be backed by proper research and consultation.

Council resolves:

1.    To write to Cambridgeshire County Council in objection to the existing proposals on the basis that individual neighbourhoods have not been properly consulted, nor city residents made properly aware of the overall transport implications of a city-wide 20mph speed restriction.

2.    To include in our submission to Cambridgeshire County Council a request for a full economic and environmental impact assessment to be conducted before any future proposals of this kind are made.

3.    To engage in meaningful consultation with local businesses, residents, and transport professionals to ensure any changes to speed limits are evidence-based and proportionate.

4.    To prioritise alternative measures to improve road safety, such as better road maintenance, improved traffic light sequencing, and targeted enforcement in high-risk areas rather than blanket speed restrictions.

Item deferred to 17 March 2025 council meeting.