20 MPH Speed Limit Signs Prematurely Painted On Some Chiswick Roads

Hounslow Council admits error made before deadline for public consultation

Hounslow Council has admitted an error was made when road signs and markings for the 20MPH speed restriction were painted prematurely on some residential streets in Chiswick.

The Council published its Traffic Management order proposing the 20 MPH limit around the Chiswick area and invited public with a deadline of January 8th 2020.

But some local residents, particularly in Merton Avenue, Airedale, and Homefields noticed that Hounslow Highways had already painted the signs at night.

A number of residents contacted the Council to ask why this had happened in advance of the consultation deadline.

Hounslow Council has written back and said this was an error and has advised the police that it is not yet enforceable.

"The installation of road signs and markings for the proposed restrictions have gone ahead in error, and should not have been installed until the consultation had been completed, considered and determined.

"Please be assured that your objection to the TMO will be considered and determined in due course, at which point we will write to you again. Until such time as the traffic order is determined the scheme is unenforceable and we have communicated this to the Met. Police."

The move to extend the 20 MPH speed limit zone across Chiswick, is part of borough and citywide measures to cut deaths and serious injuries on the roads.

The Council has been introducing 20 mph zones across the borough, including Chiswick High Road and side streets, on a phased basis, over the past two years. It started with a 20 mph limit around schools and surrounding streets which was put in place by the end of 2017.

The implementation of the speed limit to residential streets across the borough was given a four year timetable and this move is to make progress with that plan.

While there is general agreement that the speed limit is a good idea, local residents and Community Watch volunteers taking road surveys, have complained that there is little enforcement, and that motorists regularly ignore it.

The list of roads can be read on this image or on the Hounslow Council website.

Transport for London (TfL) is also extending the 20 MPH limit to roads within the congestion charge zone in central London by early 2020.

TfL will recalibrate all speed cameras in central London and use mobile speed cameras to ensure that drivers are complying with the new safer speed limit.

The move is a key part of the Mayor's Vision Zero ambition to eliminate death and serious injury from London's transport network and will see 20mph limits introduced on 8.9km of main roads including Millbank, Albert Embankment, Victoria Embankment and Borough High Street.

More than a third (39 per cent) of streets in London now have a 20mph speed limit and the Mayor and TfL are hoping this will continue to reduce road danger and provide consistency for drivers.

January 10, 2020