Greens have expressed anger at Maidstone Borough Council for watering down a 20mph motion and voting for the status quo during last night’s Full Council meeting. The motion which originally called for 20mph limits by default on residential roads and would have brought the Borough into line with much of the country, was reduced to simply backing the current piecemeal approach to the limits.
Stuart Jeffery, Green Party campaigner in Bridge Ward who helped draft the original motion: “We need 20 by default but sadly the motion to the council was stripped of this by Labour’s Paul Harper and the council voted overwhelmingly to continue to leave us with the current piecemeal approach to limits.
“Wide area 20mph limits are popular and bring economic, social and environmental benefits so it beggars belief that local councillors continue to deny Maidstone residents these benefits. It looks like we will be in the dark age of dangerous speeds for some time yet.
“I will continue to fight for safe streets, cleaner air and more people walking and cycling so that we can enjoy the benefits that others in Tonbridge, Faversham and many many other places have.”
Notes:
Meeting recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsmcSJiXCyg from 1:46
Original motion:
That Maidstone Borough Council:
- Supports the default speed limit of 20mph on residential streets;
- Calls on Kent County Council to implement 20mph in residential streets across the Borough’s town and villages; and
- Writes to Kent County Council to request 20mph speed limits on streets throughout the Borough where people live, work, shop, play or learn, with 30mph as the exception on those roads, where full consideration of the needs of vulnerable road users allows a higher limit.
Amended motion:
That Maidstone Borough Council:
- Supports the speed limit of 20mph on residential neighbourhoods and streets, in areas where there is evidence of community support and a community led approach.
Stuart Jeffery’s report: http://stuartjeffery.net/20mph-motion-falls/