Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
With little over a week to go for public comment on plans for a blanket 20mph speed limit on Dorchester roads – the idea seems to have split opinion.
Dorchester Town Council’s consultation is due to end on September 7th.
One social media poll shows 119 against the blanket limit and 55 in favour of a 20mph limit in residential areas only.
Comments made online include that a blanket limit would un-enforceable and inconvenient.
Dorchester Town Council say it has yet to fully analyse the results, with more still coming in.
Said Cllr Sue Biles Chair who chairs the town’s 20mph Working Group “Time is running out to have your say on the proposed 20mph speed limit for Dorchester…. I would urge residents to take a few minutes to read the proposals and complete the survey. Whatever your view, it’s important that we hear from as many people as possible before the deadline.”
The town council’s aims are to improve safety, create a better environment and encouraging walking and cycling. National statistics show a dramatic drop in fatalities and serious injuries from road accidents where speed limits are lowered.
Whatever is decided, with a decision expected to be taken before the end of the year by town councillors, it will then require Dorset Council to make its own assessment and come up with a set of proposals, possibly re-consulting some stakeholders.
The current proposals from the town council includes almost every road in Dorchester apart from two for a 20mph limit.
The exceptions are Middle Farm Way which would remain at 30mph in an attempt to ease circulation and keep traffic out of Poundbury. The road is considered, locally, to be the Duchy estate’s inner bypass and was originally proposed to have a 40mph limit.
The other exception is the section of Weymouth Avenue between the Stadium roundabout and the junction with Maiden Castle Road, which is currently 40mph.
The town council’s decision to set up a working group to consider traffic across the town came from sporadic requests for lower speed limits from resident in a number of roads including Lubbecke Way which has a relatively high volume of traffic, including large lorries, making their way to and from the household recycling centre, water treatment plant and a number of industrial units at Louds Mill.
Also of concern was London Road where there have been several collisions with parked cars over the years, including one incident where four were damaged one evening. Speeding concerns were also raised about Peverell Avenue East and West at Poundbury and on Herringston Road, a frequently used ‘cut through’ to avoid Weymouth Avenue at peak times.
Recent campaigning material from Dorchester Transport Action Group explicitly supports a town-wide 20mph limit, arguing that lower speeds would benefit pedestrians, cyclists, children, older people and those with mobility difficulties.
If Dorchester Town Council does decide to continue with the proposals they will need to persuade Dorset Council of the need and benefits with the unitary council having to decide whether it is willing to cover the costs of additional signs and administration.
A signs-only scheme is considered most realistic where existing mean speeds are 24mph or below. Speeds above that are likely to require additional traffic-management or enforcement measures, making any scheme much more expensive.
Dorchester Town Council say that as well as a leaflet promoting the consultation being sent to each Dorchester household, it has also attended a a number of events in the town to explain the process.
The last event the council will be attending is the Anonymous Festival in the Borough Gardens on Bank Holiday Monday.
The online consultation can be found at – View the live consultation information
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