Some 60 roads in Margate’s Salmestone ward could be made into 20mph zones.
County Councillor Barry Lewis has gained an ‘in principle’ agreement for the scheme and expects a consultation – paid for via his member’s grant – to launch in May – dependent on re-election at the polls on May 6.
The scheme would encompass all residential roads in the ward including those around QEQM Hospital, outside Salmestone, Drapers Mills and St Gregory’s schools,, College Road and all roads off from Victoria traffic lights – not inclusive of Ramsgate Road.
The scheme will cost some £50,000 to implement if it is agreed following public consultation.
Cllr Lewis said: “I am delighted that the 20mph scheme is going to hopefully extend into more parts of Margate after the successful implementation in Cliftonville and Margate Old Town.
“This fulfils a pledge I made to residents four years ago that I would make road safety one of my top priorities.”
The 20mph scheme was implemented last year in Athelstan Road, following a lengthy campaign by tenants and residents association ARTRA with Cllr Lewis, and installed in the Old Town last August as part of an 18 month traffic order trial.
Kent County Council says studies show that 20mph schemes reduce the number of casualties on the roads and help to encourage active travel by also increasing walking and cycling levels.
20mph scheme is unsafe, proven time and time again. In fact councils around the UK are removing 20mph schemes. The scheme setup in certain parts of the Cliftonville ward, do not work.
All this at the tax payers expense. Another sham scheme setup by your lovely Labour county councillor Lewis who wastes your hard earned tax payers money.
£50,000 for some signs, no road safety adjustments and no enforcement? Unacceptable by Barry.
He doesn’t understand why Labour was almost wiped out at the GE. It’s because he and they don’t have a clue.
Mark my word, when he no longer holds his seat in the very close county council election, this scheme will be scrapped and common sense will prevail again. You heard it here first.
20mph = engines working in lower gear = more emissions and more particulate matter expelled out the exhaust.
Barry Lewis is a silly, silly sod.
also, you got this weeks winning euromillions numbers whilst you’re doing your best mystic meg impression there, pal?
This is a joke i stick to the 20mph speed limit on margate seafront and all i get is car literally on my bumper it should be a 30 mph not 20
The current 30 mph limit is routinely ignored and enforcement is rarely put in action so why waste money in this way?
Enforce the current regulations, not put up yet more road signs.
I am very pleased about this I did a petition many years ago to try and get some changes made after my daughter was nearly hit by a car going down the wrong way at Victoria Traffic Lights some changes were made some signs went up but still incidents and accidents are happening this needs to happen and fast.
I’m sorry to hear that, but 20mph isn’t going to fix that. It’s also a waste of tax payers money at £50,000
Can we please extend this scheme to Ramsgate? And let’s do away with the need for extra road signs by applying the speed limit to the whole town not just to a handful of lucky streets!
slower car = more emissions over longer period of time = reduction in air quality = increase in carcinogenic particulate matter = a real good idea for an area with such high prevalance of copd/asthma.
The speed limit in residential areas should be 20mph everywhere. Safety for pedestrians should be much more important than a small amount of time-saving for car drivers.
the difference between getting hit at 20/30 is neglible. You’re still looking at the same level of injury.
Good Stuff, then, cameras at every 150 metres to record average speed, anybody who gets caught more than 3 times in a Month, gets banned for a Month & fined £100. Pure delight!
Robster, you up for an astronomical increase in your council tax to pay for that on every road in thanet are you? Given the average set up cost of a average speed system (three cameras) is in the higher end of 10’s of k’s?
The FINES would pay for it!
Really? Given the fines wouldn’t be handed out until after the system is live. Pray tell, where does the cash come from initially? Use logic and critical thought in your reply…
Lower gears mean greater emissions something the country is trying to reduce 20 mph will not and should not be aloud to waist tax payers money, put the money to better use ie repairing pot holes.
Silly most accidents happen because parent’s drive and park in places where they obstruct traffic and pathways. They should walk their children to school or bus as we did as children. Teach the green cross code to parents and children, 20mph will just grid lock are roads and make it more dangerous.QEQM will get blocked as traffic will be at a stand still, most still drive onto gridded area without a care. parents and children will take less care crossing and getting to school. Place a traffic warden at schools at start and finish of school this will keep roads clear and kids and others safe.Yes there are many other bad road users, but why keep punishing drivers we pay enough to use the roads to start with. Plus perlution will increase forfold at 20mph
Take Drapers Mills school for example (who county councillor Lewis sits on the board for fyi), KCC under the instructions of Barry closed the road, causing absolute havoc to College Road and other surrounding road. All closing that road has done is push the problem to another area.
KCC actually advised against closing the road for many many years, but Barry continuously pushed for it and they gave in.
Now it’s even more unsafe than it was before, and not to mention the poor KCC Marshall that closes that road everyday gets so much abuse, he’s now been issued with a body cam.
Enforcement is needed, not stupid questionable tax payers money wasting schemes that cause more danger and pollution to vulnerable folk and children.
And after all of this, Barry still doesn’t get it.
Utter rubbish by the serial liar the box . Person s video camera is STANDARD uniform for ALL kcc workforce working in the community. The person in question is delighted with the positive response it has received are the school families. As far as Salmestone ward, there was consultation done by Salmestone residents association with a 92 per cent voting yes to a 20 miles speed limit and a meagre 8’per cent wanting the status quo
Well said.
The unfortunately we do not have any police traffic officers in Thanet. The nearest is coldharbour in Kent. The crime commissioner should find money to do this with the leveling up agenda they need to stop ignoring us regardless who’s in power.All card need to be electric the speed limit of 20mph would work. No pollution.
“The unfortunately we do not have any police traffic officers in Thanet.”
That’s a lie. One of them used to live round the corner from me before they moved and kept their traffic car ont heir drive.
It’s worth pointing out that a 20mph limit on its own doesn’t make much difference, but a 20moh *zone* (street furniture, altered road layout etc) does.
It’s perfectly possible for a competent driver to trundle along at 20 mph in 4th gear; if you drive wisely paying attention to the road traffic ahead, you can minimise stopping and starting, too.
£50,000 is small beer compared with the cost of a serious crash. KCC website says “Based on GOV.UK figures, the cost to the community of a fatal collision is around £1.9 million, a serious collision costs in the region of £218,000 and a slight collision costs £22,000.” (https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/road-safety/crash-and-casualty-data)
So, if just 1 fatal crash is prevented, there would be a 40 fold return on the investment.
Seems good value to me.
and the resultant increase in particulate matter being put out over an increased time to distance ratio, in an area with high levels of COPD and ashthma, in the year of cop26?
GOOD ONE.
conserned, did you notice Andrew’s comment “It’s perfectly possible for a competent driver to trundle along at 20 mph in 4th gear”?
is there a shortage of competent drivers?
Maybe possible, but certainly not the way a car was meant to be driven or the way any competent driver would use one. As ever we have measures being introduced that will be ignored by the irresponsible who are the problem and instead be an inconvenience to the law abiding majority. Quite why the powers that be can’t find a way to control the wrong doers rather than pretend they are doing something that matters is perhaps another indication of the failures of our leaders ( how about making the punishments for those that break the law meaningful and a real deterrent, start with getting the uninsured, disqualified drivers, cars with no mot, drink/drunk drivers off the roads, if caught again lock them up. But no the hand wringers will say such punish,emts are disproportionate yet these same people will want us all under greater control when one of the miscreants causes an accident.
And as above proper controls on parents dropping/off and collecting kids from schools would make things much safer at many locations.
How is a car meant to be driven? What is 4th gear?
If someone is hit by a car travelling at 30mph their injuries will be much worse than if they were hit by a car going at 20mph.
Marva, in the correct gear that allows the engine and gearboxto operate effectively and efficiently. A rule of thumb is that you’d use 2nd or 3rd gear at 20mph. Accidents are rarely solely the result of speed and speed over existing limits is the issue in any event. 20mph zones won’t have any effect on the vast majority of the problematic motorists. Making it an offence to cross the road whilst looking at your phone should be seen as a hazard.
An even BETTER ONE: stop using cars all together and improve life for everyone.
The greater the speed at which the car is travelling when it collides with a human being, the greater the injuries caused to that person. And the safety of pedestrians is more important than the inconvenience caused to car-drivers.
The greater the speed at which the car is travelling when it collides with a human being, the greater the injuries caused to that person.
At 20/30mph, the injury difference would be negligible.
You can even source this via multiple peer reviewed studies across europe, china aand the usa.
Hope this will include St Peters Rd past the hospital, however will not make any difference because many do not take any notice of 30mph now so what makes them think 20mph will make any difference, would be better to get cameras set up especially from 50 mph to 30mph perhaps then we will not have to take out lives on trust to get out of Drapers close, few cameras along 50mph may also stop fly tipping
I hope not.
20MPH zones may have a positive contribution to community life and road safety on side residential roads where resident’s cars are parked, entering and leaving driveways and local families walking / crossing the road … but not on main through routes used by all types of traffic where getting from A-B in a timely way has to be factored in. Anyone driving safely will be going slower than 30mph if conditions dictate.
Please contact me to see if i can help
read the room baz. your ideas gone down like a cup of cold sick.
I listen to my constituents in my area not keyboard people who do not live in my area of Margate
I must admit when ever I have driven through at 20 mph area I spent most of my time looking at my speedo. It’s so slow am I will admit to driving at 30 in a 30 , I stick to the speed limit. But found 20mph dangerous because of constantly looking down at my speedo.
Given that you are such a self confessed danger to other road users, perhaps you’d better give up driving before you redo serious damage to someone.
And for goodness’ sake avoid the Arches at Ramsgate Harbour. The speed limit is only 10 mph there!
When everyone is driving at 20mph, just don’t complain when your Chinese, Indian or kebab turns up cold haha
How many pedestrians should your take-a-way delivery driver be allowed to maime or kill in order that your meal is delivered hot?
how many HYPOTHETICAL people you mean Andrew.
That is really not amusing, Christopher Dorney.
Two primary school aged children were hospitalised on Athelstan Road with hip & shoulder injuries after being hit by vehicles in two separate incidents over the past 18 months – ARTRA – Athelstan Road Tenants & Residents’ Association – are extremely grateful for all KCC Cllr Barry Lewis’ help in achieving a 20mph speed limit on Athelstan approx. 6 months ago – this community safety achievement would not have been possible without Barry Lewis success in achieving cross party support at County level to change KCC Highways policy to get 20mph zones if the community decides they want safer streets for their children, their elderly & their teens – fantastic to have brought Conservative & Labour KCC councillors together on this county-wide public safety issue.
20mph zones are successfully established in many parts of Kent – Canterbury & Faversham being two with very significant areas being 20mph to help assure community safety – the communities of Thanet deserve no less.
The police community safety partnership is now training community speed wardens on Athelstan Road to use radar speed guns to record those ignoring the new legal speed limit & police are empowered to interview those caught speeding by community speed wardens – after 3 violations recorded by community speed wardens points & bans can be imposed by the police & the courts:
https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wsi/watch-schemes-initiatives/kent/community-speedwatch/
It is absolutely wrong to misrepresent 20mph speed zones as anything other than protecting the community & are being increasingly rolled out throughout the whole of the UK, as their effectiveness at reducing injury & death on UK streets is an extremely well established fact.
It is wrong to mischaracterise KCC Cllr Barry Lewis as anything other than a hardworking councillor who always stands up for community needs & community safety – the most proactive & sincere county councillor in the region – the community on Athelstan Road now has brighter street lights & a much safer street thanks to KCC Cllr Barry Lewis standing up for the community: getting things done & getting things put right.
Were the drivers in the instances of the two injured children caught and prosecuted? If so for what offences? If not what if any action was taken against them?
Matt shoul = found Mr Lewis secondary account (jus kidding).
Conserved this is not a lie this information came from a serving police officer locally they cut that years ago. I asked home about speeding and selfish car drivers ocupieing our pavements with their cars and lorries and vans blocking pedestrians way. Traffic wardens can’t enforce this.
£50,000 for a few signs and a bit of road paint, that will be ignored by those who ignore the 30mph limit. Most of the roads around Salmestone are so narrow if you are doing more than 20mph you must be a bit stupid. Who are they employing to do the work, for £50,000? Tracey Emin and Banksy.
Those signs might be ignored by certain innumerate drivers, but they won’t be ignored by the people who value their quality of life and who are prepared to photograph and shame the selfish ones.
Maybe this £50000 should be spent on educating people on how to cross a road safely. It’s not rocket science!
Lee, if it’s that simple to cross a road safely, then please tell us where the citizens of Ramsgate can cross the B2054 between Grange Road and Harbour Parade.
Ian, if you and other Ramsgate residents are finding it difficult to cross at that point then it’s a zebra crossing you need not a 20mph speed restriction.
Lee, it’s not a point, it’s a long stretch of road, which is so lethal that it divides the neighbourhoods in two. To make it civilised we need two or three zebra crossings AND a 20mph limit.
hey ian, are you gunna pay my extra increases in fuel from driving round town at 20mph in 2nd gear? How about the particulate pollution mitigation capture devices down the road to deal with the increase in carcinogenic fumes from driving uneconomically?
anywhere, unless it takes you longer than 5 seconds to power walk across it. Given its not ALL that busy compared to other arterial routes in that area. LOL