Seventeen more community-backed 20mph speed limits will be progressed to the next stage across Westmorland and Furness in 2026.
During an extensive consultation process, more than 2,000 responses were received in response to the latest 26 proposals.
After going before Eden, Furness and South Lakeland locality boards for approval this month, 17 areas of the 26 initially proposed in phase three of the programme will go ahead to statutory consultation on the Legal Orders before the final decision is made to determine implementation. Eleven schemes are to progress as proposed and six schemes are proposed with changes based on community feedback. Not enough support was demonstrated for nine of the schemes and they will not be taken forward.
Designed based on clear Department for Transport guidance, the schemes will create safer roads for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. They focus on areas in built up towns and villages with a current maximum speed limit of 40mph or less.
It means that Westmorland and Furness Council will have approved 60 20mph schemes over three phases since 2023.
Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, Cllr Peter Thornton, said: "I am pleased that these 20mph schemes will now progress to the next stage. By reducing speed limits, safety is improved and more people are encouraged to walk and cycle, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable environment.
"When these latest schemes are implemented, we will have supported 60 communities to introduce 20mph schemes. Sixty communities the length and breadth of Westmorland and Furness which are safer for all.”
The outcomes for the phase three proposals were:
Eden
The schemes for Bolton, Maulds Meaburn and Newbiggin-on-Lune will be taken forward without amendments. The scheme for Kirkby Stephen will be taken forward with amendments.
Due to a lack of support demonstrated by respondents, the proposed schemes for Castletown in Penrith, Culgaith, Hunsonby & Winskill and Little Salkeld will not be taken forward.
Furness
The schemes for Barrow Island Community School, Greengate Junior School, Holy Family Roman Catholic Primary School, Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School and South Walney Infants & Primary Schools will be taken forward without amendments, The schemes for St Bernard’s Roman Catholic High School and Yarlside Primary School will be taken forward with amendments.
The proposed scheme for North Walney will not be taken forward.
Members of the Furnes Locality Board agreed that there was sufficient community support for the Barrow Island, Greengate and South Walney schemes to justify taking them forward to the statutory consultation stage, despite conclusive support not being demonstrated through the initial consultation. They also asked that the Yarlside scheme be amended to extend the 20mph zone into part of Yarlside Road.
South Lakeland
The schemes for High Carley & Pennington, Lowick Green and Outgate will be taken forward without amendments.
The schemes for Burneside. Grasmere and Ulverston will be taken forward with amendments. For the Ulverston scheme, this means including Soutergate, a section of Town Bank Road, Rake Lane and Oakwood Drive.
Due to a lack of support demonstrated by respondents, the proposed schemes for Elterwater, Rydal, Troutbeck and Windermere will not be taken forward.
Statutory consultation and advertisement of the proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO), the legal process required to change speed limits, will soon start. This will give residents a final opportunity to share their views on the detailed final designs before any scheme is rolled out.
Requests for the limits came through a new streamlined route launched by Westmorland and Furness Council in December 2023 which made it easier and quicker for communities to submit applications for 20mph. The new approach accelerated the application process by several months, leading to 49 requests covering 79 proposed schemes across the area.
Full details of responses to the consultation and details of all the Eden schemes (Item 10).
Full details of responses to the consultation and details of all the Furness schemes (Item 10).
More information on 20mph schemes in Westmorland and Furness.