HAVING established in its pilot that 20mph limits for residential roads were highly desirable from a road safety and liveability perspective for communities, it was entirely appropriate that this initiative, with support from all three parties, should be rolled out across the borough.

In fact, the council has managed to do so both within its planned timescale and £200,000 under budget.

While one may question the need for 20mph signs on some residential side roads, these are a requirement of the road signage regulation wherever there is a change of speed limit. The value of a ‘default 20, targeted 30’ implementation is that it provides a consistent message that 20mph is the limit for residential roads and a boundary sign is required in order to keep any arterial road at 30mph.

Councillors should be aware that funds for such signs come from a capital rather than a revenue budget. Hence these costs do not effect services budgets.

However, what they do provide is better and more liveable communities especially for the young and elderly.

It’s why the lead taken by Warrington on ‘default 20, targeted 30’ has been followed by so many of UK’s iconic cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Cambridge, Coventry, Brighton, Nottingham, York, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and even the ‘square mile’ in the City of London, which is also implementing boroughwide 20mph limits.

These cities around the country are seeing Warrington making ‘our place an even better place to be’. And they are seeing it being done with support from all main parties, on time and under budget.

And that is something to celebrate.

ROD KING MBE Lymm