The report of the Director of Neighbourhood Services followed a Motion agreed at Council on the 21 October 2020 on ‘reducing road casualties’. It tasked the Committee to review and refresh earlier work that had been undertaken on the introduction of 20mph speed limits on all residential roads across the Borough with a view to making progress with their introduction.

A Road Safety Working Group had met several times, hearing from campaigners and the Council’s road safety team, had discussed the issues and came up with recommendations.

Simon Fox, the Assistant Director for Highways and Infrastructure, presented the report and informed Members that road accident injuries had reduced over 20 years in real terms and relative to other areas but there was a desire to reduce them further.

Members debated the issue of 20mph areas. Councillor Tony Cox moved a Motion that the resolution be approved subject to

‘recommendation bullet points 5 and 6 in the report be removed and replaced by ‘the Committee resolves that 20 mph zones be considered in known accident hotspots. This is to be data driven and officers are to return to this Committee and report back on identifying potential roads’.’

Councillor Allan Brame then moved a motion to approve the recommendations in the report subject to replacing resolution (3) with:

‘Furthermore, the Committee recognises that a lower speed limit will help reduce the actual and perceived danger on the streets, and take a step towards reclaiming the streets as a social place where neighbours interact with each other and encourage more children to walk or cycle to school. Slower traffic speeds can enable the elderly to travel independently and safely. Accordingly, officers are requested to prepare a scheme to make Wirral a 20 mph Borough. Residential roads should be designated as 20 mph limit areas, with signage and road markings alone, except in isolated cases where traffic calming measures might be necessary.’

This was seconded by Councillor Chris Cooke.

Members debated the motions and noted that potential damage more than doubled between 20 mph and 30 mph.

Councillor Alison Wright then seconded Councillor Cox’s Motion.

Councillor Brame’s Motion which was seconded first was then voted on with 7 for and 4 against.

Resolved (7:4) - That

(1)   the final report of the road safety working group be considered;

(2)   the recommendations of the Road safety Working Group Final Report attached as appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

(3)   Furthermore, the Committee recognises that a lower speed limit will help reduce the actual and perceived danger on the streets and take a step towards reclaiming the streets as a social place where neighbours interact with each other and encourage more children to walk or cycle to school. Slower traffic speeds can enable the elderly to travel independently and safely. Accordingly, officers are requested to prepare a scheme to make Wirral a 20 mph Borough. Residential roads should be designated as 20 mph limit areas, with signage and road markings alone, except in isolated cases where traffic calming measures might be necessary.

Since Councillor Tony Cox’s motion would have negated the resolution, Councillor Tony Cox’s fell.