Delayed 20mph Zone

THE local Green party has issued a statement saying: “Residents living around Glendale Gardens, across Leigh and West Leigh wards, were promised a 20mph zone by the Liberal Democrats in 2023. Years on, the scheme remains incomplete.
“The physical works were finished some time ago. Speed tables have been installed, road markings painted and signposts erected. Yet the zone has still not gone live due to repeated council errors.
“The crucial 20mph signs have never been installed, meaning the lower limit cannot be enforced by police.
“What was meant to be a flagship road safety scheme has been left half-finished, leaving pedestrians and families in limbo.”
Anita Forde, a Green party candidate for Leigh Ward, said: “It is extraordinary that a councillor is congratulating themselves in the press while residents are still waiting for this basic safety measure to be delivered.
“The Greens have consistently pressed officers for answers, but those running the council have failed to finish the job.”
Simon Gittus, also a Green party candidate for West Leigh Ward, added, “I have repeatedly raised this issue.
“Our Green councillors have kept the pressure on too, yet this ongoing delay leaves the area in a worse position. Pedestrians may assume traffic is travelling at 20mph, when in reality many drivers are still legally doing 30mph. That confusion creates risk.”
Area resident, Jarl Jansen also said “Residents in Lymington Avenue are frequently subjected to vehicles travelling at a speed far in excess of 20mph and greater than 30mph, with all the hazards that presents in terms of collision with other vehicles or pedestrians.”
The Greens are calling on the Labour-led administration to urgently install the signage and bring the 20mph zone into force without any further delay.
Coun Owen Cartey (West Leigh, Conservative), said: “It is important that our streets are safe and we should always discourage speeding. But these restrictions are just another gimmick from the Lib Dems and the Greens so they have something to put on a leaflet.
“West Leigh residents suffer when speeding and parking restrictions are introduced without looking at the broader area. Most people have experienced that when additional restrictions are introduced, problems just get pushed further and further into the Marine Estate and it will be the same with speeding, reckless drivers.
“My Conservative colleagues would much rather the Council invested in enforcement of restrictions that currently exist, or had enforcement officers spending more time around the West Leigh schools and St Michael’s.
“That will do much more than this limit ever will to improve residents safety.
“What’s more, the tacky ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ signs embedded into the tarmac are unsightly and ruin the character of West Leigh. It is disappointing to see taxpayers money being wasted for an election gimmick, that won’t be properly enforced, and with street artwork residents overwhelmingly don’t like.”
Picture: Anita Forde, Green Party Candidate for Leigh Ward, Simon Gittus, Green Party Candidate for West Leigh Ward
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