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Council wins its 20mph referendum by narrow majority

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Croydon’s own referendum – over whether part of the borough’s residential streets should be turned into a 20mph zone – turned out to be a narrow victory for the party in power.

The Labour-run council’s proposals for streets in parts of Addiscombe, Ashburton, Woodside, Shirley, Heathfield, Fairfield, and parts of Selhurst and South Norwood won approval in a public consultation from 52 per cent of those who bothered to respond, the council announced this afternoon.

It is the second swathe of the borough to be given a slower speed limit, following a similar consultation held in Upper Norwood, Thornton Heath, Selhurst, Bensham Manor, parts of South Norwood and in Norbury last year. The new speed limit signs are due to go up in residential streets in these areas by the end of this month.

Through roads – mainly those under the control of Transport for London – will not be affected  by the change in speed limit.

That previous consultation proved controversial, with Peter Morgan, a Coulsdon-based car lobbyist, accused of funding “No to 20” leaflets and stickers which were fly-posted around the area, helping to generate a similarly narrow final outcome.

In today’s announcement, the council said, “Many residents gave detailed feedback, and all comments will be analysed carefully as part of the formal approval process that now has to be carried out through the council’s traffic management committee before Phase Two can be started.”

What remained unstated was the absence of any additional resources to ensure enforcement of the 20mph limit. With police manpower in London already overstretched, it seems most unlikely that patrolling Croydon’s residential streets with a speed gun will be something the Met’s finest will be doing any time soon.

 


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