Putting people first on our streets – Safer Streets programme
We want to improve road safety across the borough and are asking you to tell us where you think speed limits should be lowered.
In January 2026, we adopted a new speed limit policy that sets out a proactive, evidence‑led approach to making our roads safer. We now want this policy to have a real impact by introducing safer speed limits, particularly in places where pedestrians, cyclists and children may be at greater risk.
This programme of change will run over several years. To help shape the first year, we are asking you to tell us which roads and areas you think should be prioritised. Town and parish councils are also being asked to identify priorities for their areas.
All suggestions will be assessed against a set of criteria to identify priority locations for this year’s programme. We will publish the draft priority list and ask for your views on these in the summer.
Please use the form below to tell us which roads and areas you think we should focus on this year. Please include the type of area, your reasons for suggesting it and your connection to it.
We will not be making blanket changes to speed limits, but considering different roads and areas individually on their own merits.
Why we’re doing this
Speed is the biggest contributing factor in deaths on our roads. Research shows that a 1mph reduction in average speeds can lead to a six per cent fall in injuries and deaths.
Pedestrians in a collision at 20mph are up to seven times more likely to survive than at 30mph. Injuries to vehicle occupants and damage to vehicles are also both reduced. Vehicles travelling at 20mph are also more likely to stop in time in an emergency.
A high proportion of death and serious injuries are on rural roads, many of which are currently subject only to the national speed limit of 60mph.
We are also responding to what you told us during consultations on the Local Transport Plan in 2023 and 2024, where speeding in built-up and rural areas was a major concern for residents.
What we’re planning to do
The evidence is clear: lower speed limits make roads safer for everyone. We plan to make wider use of 20mph limits in town and village centres, residential neighbourhoods and around schools – and to review limits on rural roads where people walk, cycle and ride horses.
Potential locations for lower limits will be based on the feedback we receive from you and from town and parish councils, and data such as vehicle speeds, how much the road is used by pedestrians, cyclists and all other road users not in a vehicle, and the nature of the road.
What happens next?
We will work with town and parish councils to review the suggestions we receive. Using their local knowledge and our Speed Limit Policy criteria, supported by an assessment matrix, we will select a shortlist of locations for potential inclusion in year one.
We will then draw up designs for these sites and ask for your feedback. After considering your views and making any necessary changes, the schemes will go through the statutory Traffic Regulation Order process. Depending on the outcome, the revised speed limits will then be introduced.
2 weeks left
Phases
Engagement – public priority location submission period
If you need help to take part in a consultation or would like to request a paper copy of a survey, call our customer service team on 0118 974 6000, or visit one of our libraries.