WIRRAL Council is set to ask for opinions on new 20mph limits in five areas next week with more to follow.
At an environment and transport committee on July 15, Greasby councillor Gail Jenkinson asked about plans to consult the public on phases three and four of the council’s 20mph road safety scheme because from her understanding it was due to start now. The decision to move ahead with getting feedback on the final phases of the scheme was approved unanimously as part of a wider programme in March.
In response, assistant director for highways and infrastructure, Paul Traynor, said: “The first five zones will go out next Wednesday and then there was a rolling programme over the following three weeks after that where the remainder of the zones will be consulted on.” He said the feedback would then come back to committee as well as any recommendations going forward.
Wirral Council has already approved the rollout of the first two phases of the scheme with speed limits reduced on more than 2,000 roads. However the scheme has faced significant opposition with a petition signed by thousands, overwhelmingly negative responses in public feedback surveys, and anger leading to some vandalism.
However, the council has so far continued with the rollout pointing to the scheme’s potential to save lives. Five people were killed on the roads in 2022 and over six years, 27 were killed and 590 seriously injured.
According to a council report in March, it plans to finish the roll out on roads in 2025 funded by £300,000 from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Merseyside Police in May said it had issued 170 fines for speeding above 20mph on the Wirral with 50 warning letters issued.
A Freedom of Information request said these took place on Greenleas Road in Wallasey which is currently the only 20mph restricted road being enforced by the Merseyside Police Safer Roads Unit. This road runs past Greenleas Primary School, one of the first schools to take part in a pilot to encourage children to walk and wheel to school.
The Safer School Streets scheme is generally considered to be a success by neighbours, parents, schools, as well as local politicians and operates at five schools on the Wirral. It’s so successful, council officers said there had been 36 requests to close roads outside schools at pick up and drop off times over road safety concerns.
Asked about this, Mr Traynor said: “The intention was to come back to you with a prioritisation matrix. Clearly we cannot do 36 schemes at any one go so the schemes that are currently in, we are now looking at getting the enforcement cameras in place.”
He added: “We’ve had quite a bit of feedback that there’s no point doing any more school streets unless you can actually enforce them which is a valid comment.”
According to a Wirral Council webpage, these are the areas that will be consulted on over the coming weeks for new 20mph speed limits.
Area
PHASE 3 – Area boundary -all adopted highway under Wirral council control included – unless stated otherwise on map.
Wards affected
13
Woodchurch Rd / Borough Rd / Oxton Rd / Whetstone La
Oxton and Birkenhead & Tranmere
17
Rock Ferry Bypass / New Chester Rd / New Ferry Rd
Rock Ferry and Bromborough
24
Brimstage Rd / Spital Rd / M53 / Brotherton Park
Clatterbridge
5
Corporation Road / Wallasey Bridge Road / Dock Rd
Seacombe and Bidston & St James
42
Landican La / Barnston Rd / Storeton La
Pensby & Thingwall
48
Thurstaston Rd / Thingwall Rd / Common / Limbo Lane
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
6
Dock Rd / Gorsey Lane / Poulton Road
Seacombe
18
Esplanade / Rock Ferry Bypass / New Ferry Bypass
Rock Ferry and Bromborough
51
Upton Bypass / Moreton Rd / Arrowe Park Rd
Upton
19
Mount Rd / Bracken La / Teehey La/ Broadway
Bebington
27
Neston Rd / Grange Rd
Clatterbridge
32
Fender La / Hoylake Rd / M53 / Bidston Village Rd
Bidston & St James
37
Saughall Massie Rd / West Kirby Rd / Pump La / Greasby Rd
Greasby, Frankby & Irby, Moreton West & Saughall Massie and Hoylake & Meols
39
Greasby Rd / Frankby Rd
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
40
Greasby Rd / Upton Bypass / Arrowe Park Rd
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
Area
PHASE 4 – area boundary -all adopted highway under Wirral council control included – unless stated otherwise on map
Wards affected
29a
Woodchurch Road / Arrowe Park Road / Upton Bypass / M53
Upton
26
Thornton Hough – Neston Rd / Raby Rd
Clatterbridge
38
Pump La / Frankby Rd
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
41
Hill Bark Rd / Arrowe Brook La / Arrowe Rd
Greasby, Frankby & Irby
43
Barnston Rd / Pensby Rd
Pensby & Thingwall
45
Brimstage Rd / Whitehouse La / Barnston Rd
Heswall
46
Brimstage Rd / Manor Wood / Chester High Rd
Heswall
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