Thames Valley Police have criticised a scheme to create a 20mph speed limit zone in the centre of Abingdon.

The force claims the roads are unsuitable for speed reductions and said extra traffic-calming measures would be needed for a 20mph limit to have any effect.

Oxfordshire County Council has recommended reducing the speed allowed in 24 of the town’s roads at a cost of £7,000, saying it will make them safer.

Police said that unless traffic-calming measures, such as speed humps, were introduced as part of the scheme, the new limit would only cut average speeds by 2mph.

The force also said the lower speed limit should not be implemented on main arterial roads, such as the A415.

Police spokesman David Paull said: “Simply putting a different number at the end of a road and relying on enforcement alone to achieve compliance is not the answer.

“Any 20mph limits should only be sought where there’s a need to protect residents, particularly children, and the road is either engineered to encourage compliance or the mean speed now is 24mph and below.

“We feel that additional traffic-calming or engineering would be required to reduce speeds to within the proposed 20mph limit.

“Unfortunately, the council does not currently plan to include this in their proposal.”

Abingdon resident Steve King, who has organised a petition against the proposals, said the speed limit cuts were “totally unnecessary”.

He added: “For the most part of the day, you cannot achieve 15mph, let alone 20mph.

“Where we need the 20mph limits are around our schools.

“Thames Valley Police has objected to the scheme, because they don’t have the manpower to enforce it.”

Abingdon School’s headmaster Mark Turner said any 20mph limits should be targeted on roads around the town’s schools.

He added: “We want our children to be safe, and at the moment motorists get frustrated with the congestion in the town centre, and put their foot down later on, which is invariably by a school.”

A survey carried out for the council report on the plan found that the average speed on the roads covered was between 16mph and 21mph.

Council spokesman Owen Morton said the proposal was aimed at cutting excessive speed throughout the day.

The council intends to reduce the following roads to 20mph: Bridge Street, Broad Street, Burgess Close, Checker Walk, East St Helen’s Street, High Street, Lombard Street, Magnette Close, Neave Mews, Old Station Yard, Queen Street, St Edmund’s Lane, St Helen’s Court, Thames Street, The Square, Turnagain Lane, West St Helen’s Street and Winsmore Lane.

The lower limit would also apply to parts of Abbey Close, the A415 Causeway, Bath Street, Ock Street, St Helen’s Wharf and Stert Street.

The council’s transport decisions committee is due to consider the plan on Thursday, February 4.

abingdon @oxfordmail.co.uk

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