JTB 20 Oct 2010

KCC Report:

20mph Speed Limits Around Schools
23. At the last meeting of this board a petition was received calling upon Kent County
Council to review its policy on speed limits starting with those around schools. The
petitioners would ideally like a 20mph speed limit in all residential areas, but to start with
they called for the Council to pro-actively work with schools, and where there is a
request from parents and support from local residents to implement 20mph speed limits
in the area around that school. This to be done in full consultation with the community.
24. As reported due to Government reductions in grant funding the County Council has
suspended its speed limit review. However, safety remains a priority for the Highway
Authority and where a speed limit demonstrates a quantifiable injury crash saving a
funding bid will be made accordingly. The County Council reviews the safety record on
every road in Kent as part of its annual crash remedial measures programme and where
appropriate promotes safety measures including reductions in speed limits. This year’s
review has just begun and particular attention will be paid on the crash records involving
vulnerable road users including children and especially outside schools.
25. The County Council also works with Schools to prepare School Travel Plans which look
into the road safety issues arising at the school and recommends safety measures and
where appropriate reductions in speed limits. This approach which looks at each school
and its individual and specific problems is preferred to a blanket approach and provides
better more effective and targeted solutions.
26. The request for a change in the County’s speed limit policy has been passed to the
Road Safety Policy team to be considered and Kent Highway Services will continue to
investigate and promote safety measures for Schools on an individually targeted basis
as explained above.

Minutes state:

The Board considered the report of the Head of Transport and Development regarding an update on petitions submitted to Kent Highway Services.

Members were informed that the current policy on 20 mph speed limits was adopted in July 2008. At that time it was thought that a blanket policy was not appropriate. The petition with regard to 20 mph speed limits has been forwarded to the Highways Safety Manager.

It was suggested that the Member Highway Fund was an alternative option for funding signs, Traffic Regulation Orders and whatever else may be necessary to help the problem areas and the Member requested that costings are drawn up.

A Member asked if the Sutton Road Service Road issue of repairing had been addressed and Officers agreed to look into this and respond directly to the Member.