Residents back 20 mph limit in large part of West Reading
More than 80 per cent of residents backed the zone in council survey
A new 20mph zone could be coming to residential streets near Oxford Road, after eight in 10 residents backed the scheme in a survey.
The area where the 20mph zone would be is bounded to the north by Portman Road, to the south by Tilehurst Road, to the east by Western Elms Avenue, and to the west by the Dee Road Estate, which is already a 20mph zone.
Currently the limit in this area is 30mph except for sections of individual streets near to schools.
More than 80 per cent of residents who responded to the survey, which was undertaken in January by Labour councillors in Battle, Norcot and Kentwood wards, gave their support to the proposals.
Councillor Jo Lovelock, a Norcot ward councillor, said:
“I think that is an overwhelming desire to see something done.
“Most of us have received complaints about people speeding, particularly through the narrow streets but also roads like Grovelands Road and Water Road.
“We look forward to helping to make these streets in our wards safer places for everybody.”
Oxford Road, Portman Road and Tilehurst Road would stay 30mph.
Survey results in detail:
There were 219 responses to the survey, with 177 backing the 20mph zone (81 per cent), 37 against the proposal (17 per cent), and five responding ‘don’t know’ (two per cent).
The exact same number of people support and disagreed with the question: “Do you think that some vehicles drive too fast in your road and/or the roads around where you live?”
In answer to the question ‘What do you think the main benefits of introducing a 20mph zone would be?’, the most popular response was: ‘Our streets would be safer for residents, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers’.
And 71 per cent of people said Reading Borough Council (RBC) should take over responsibility for speed enforcement in 20mph zones from Thames Valley Police.
83 per cent of respondents said they live in the area where the 20mph zone is proposed.
What now?
RBC’s Traffic Management sub-committee discussed the survey’s findings and decided to approve an investigation into whether to go ahead with the scheme.
Councillor Sarah Hacker added: “It clearly shows residents want their streets safer and slower.
“If we have these 20mph zones when things return to normal…it is going to be a really good thing.
“It is part of the ambitions that Battle ward councillors have for the area – to return it to residential use.”
The results of this investigation will be brought back to June’s committee meeting.