Last month I e-mailed Councillor Sean Fitzsimons, a representative for the Addiscombe ward and a member of Croydon Labour Party, for clarification on his stance on the matter of 20 mph zones. Below is my request and underneath that, his response and more recent developments – watch this space for more.
On 5 September 2012 21:17, austen.croydoncyclists@gmail.com <austen.croydoncyclists@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Councillor Fitzsimons,
I’m currently the co-ordinator of Croydon Cycling Campaign and a member of the Board of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC). The LCC recently responded to a request by the Greater London Authority’s Transport Committee on its Investigation into Cycling and called for greater use of 20mph zones to make roads safer and more inviting for people who want to cycle.
Recently my attention was drawn to the following, which I presume was a question you posed to a full Council meeting earlier this year (I’ve been unable to find any details on the Council website)
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CQ277 – 12 from Councillor Sean Fitzsimons
EH
20 mph Zones: Please set out Croydon’s policy in regards 20 mph zones.
Reply
20mph zones currently require a system of traffic calming for their enforcement. The Council has a policy not to introduce any new road humps in the borough and other forms of traffic calming are not considered to be effective in reducing traffic speeds.
Enforcement of speed limits are the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police and they have indicated that it is unlikely that they could provide sufficient enforcement action for a 20mph limit to be effective, given that they are unable to provide comprehensive cover for the 30mph limit.
The Council does, however, provide a range of alternative measures to encourage lower vehicle speeds, such as our SpeedVisor programme, RoadWatch, the installation of vehicle activated warning signs, safer speed campaigns / events, and driver / rider training programmes, such as the young driver awareness scheme.
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I was wondering if you knew how the policy “not to introduce any new road humps in the borough” was itself introduced – by a debate at a committee or some other means?
Concerning the official reply, it appears to be at odds with previous Council reports. In November 2006, a report to the Traffic Management Cabinet Committee on traffic calming in Strathyre Avenue said that “Chicanes and road narrowing can be an effective way of reducing speeds”. A July 2009 report to the same committee on traffic calming in Church Way and Arkwright Road said that “the Metropolitan Police Service has confirmed that they would support the retention of the traffic calming measures as generally physical measures such as road humps do slow speed down”.
The response also seems adrift of the direction in which policy making is going. In July 2012, the Department for Transport published draft new guidance on setting local speed limits, including 20mph zones, as part of a consultation exercise that ends in October this year.
I would like to know whether your interest in 20mph zones was purely personal or indicative of emerging Croydon Labour party policy.
Thanks in anticipation,
Austen Cooper
On 5 September 2012 22:26, Sean Fitzsimons <sean.fitzsimons@croydonlabour.org.uk> wrote:
Addiscombe Labour Party is in favour of area wide 20 mph limits. And the Croydon Labour party is considering this for our 2012 manifesto.
I wasn’t on the council from 2006 to 2010 but it was clear in 2009 that Tories opposed a 20 mph zone for Davidson Road, even though officers originally recommended its introduction. In 2010 election me and my fellow Addiscombe councillors campaigned for 20mph for all side roads.
Since then the law has been changed to make it easier to introduce 20mph zones and this question was a way to to see if the Tories policies have changed. Clearly it hasn’t.
I had hoped that I would be given a supplementary question as a way of clarifying the council’s policy on this issue. I will be following this up at the next council meeting.
Sean Fitzsimons
Councillor for Addiscombe
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On 12 October Kristian and Sean had a Twitter conversation, in which the latter tweeted “Have submitted written question to Monday’s Council Meeting asking for Conservative Croydon Council view on 20 mph zones ” and later clarified that “Croydon Tories claim they opposed 20 mph limits as needed road humps, law changed recently & road humps not now needed.”
We await with interest the outcome of this agenda item from the Council meeting of Monday 15 October 2012. Just for the record, Croydon Cycling Campaign, like London Cycling Campaign, is non-party aligned.
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