Members on the Thanet Joint Transportation Board have approved the making of a traffic regulation order for 20mph zones on 42 roads in the Salmestone and Dane Valley areas of Margate but raised concerns over how it will be funded.
The scheme will encompass residential roads including those outside Salmestone, Drapers Mills and St Gregory’s schools and roads off from Victoria traffic lights – not inclusive of Star Lane and College Road between Ramsgate Road and St Peters Road. Part of the zone covers the Hornby model factory and museum area.
Salmestone Residents’ Association carried out an informal consultation in 2019 which showed 94% of respondents in favour of the 20mph speed limit.
County Councillor Barry Lewis requested the scheme and gained an ‘in principle’ agreement last year.
Surveys were undertaken in a sample of roads in September 2021 and these showed the average speed of drivers was already low at around 24mph.
The 20mph proposal was advertised during July and August this year with consultation resulting in 66 responses: 35 in support and 31 against. Some of those against the idea said it would cause congestion, wasn’t needed and would be wasting money. There were also concerns that the speed limit would be ignored and not enforced.
The scheme will cost some £17,000 to implement – that figure is revised from an original document stating a £50,000 cost.
Joint Transportation Board members from Thanet council discussed the issue yesterday (December 13) but were concerned that documents stated there has been no identified funding.
Cllr Phil Fellows said he understood Cllr Lewis would be using his county council member’s grant but questioned whether this would be enough and whether those grants have even been confirmed for next year.
Meeting chairperson Cllr Ros Binks, who also serves on the county council, said: “It covers a huge amount of the Margate area. It’s an area where most speed surveys show that it’s only viable because most people are doing about 24/25mph anyway, The cost is £17,000, which is quite cheap considering how big the area is that it covers.”
She said she was not opposed to the scheme but added: “There’s no funding for it, no funding from KCC (Kent County Council) and I suspect not enough funding from one member’s grant.
“To me this is a waste of time because without funding, it’s going nowhere.”
Cllr Harry Scobie said he would like the scheme backed as it “sets a tone for the rest of Thanet.”
He added: “I think it’s the way forward.”
Councillors recommended the TRO for the speed limit be made as advertised, pending confirmed identification of funding for the signs and road markings within the statutory 24 month period. The vote was four in favour and three against with the committee noting those against had voted that way because of the funding issue.
Cllr Barry Lewis, who was unable to attend the meeting, said of the decision: “It has taken over three years to get this through KCC and I am delighted road safety is now a priority for the council.”
He said he was confident government funding earmarked for road safety would be found to install the scheme.
“Salmestone Residents’ Association carried out an informal consultation in 2019 which showed 94% of respondents in favour of the 20mph speed limit.” Statements like this are misleading – what we need to know is how many people responded and total population of that area. Only then do you get a true percentage.
And even if the scheme does “only” cost £17,000 and that funding is somehow secured from somewhere, surely now is not the time when such an amount should be used when it would be far better spent supporting those those not having enough food or heating in their homes.
The sooner County Councillor Member’s Grants are abolished the better. Why should councillors be permitted to use our tax money on their schemes of their own choices?
This year , I paid for a warm bank to be set up in dane valley margate, last year i paid for food in the our shop in Margate high street so people could afford healthy food, that is how i spend my members grant. Saving a child’s life is priceless
Did you pay, or did WE pay.
What are you after, a medal
BILL, i work for the community not for medals or titles unlike many politicians of all parties
Bullsh_t, from lewis
Not including Northdown Park Road though, which is like a race track at times. An accident waiting to happen with children at Cliftonville School, and never mind funding, who’s going to monitor it?
Agreed,contact the residents and organise a petition and i will support the residents request
Jane – very well said. Also, these Councillors members grants are spent only on their individual whims and not necessarily for the whole electorate. Multiply 65 members x £15000 each and a huge sum of money to be better spent elsewhere supporting those in need. Rant over.
So long as the sample size is respectable, 94% in favour sounds fair to me; in what universe do you think there’s time or the funds to appropriate a vote on the new limit from every resident?
You also had one example of a member’s grant spent altruistically.
So not very well said IMO
What a waste of money, this is a cheap way out ,put proper traffic calming systems in place ,stop making out TDC care about people,
this will do nothing.
Same they did not also add pysons road,rumfeild road as well. Nobody seems to obey speed limits.
Salmestone and Dane Valley two towns with no council.. Like Cliftonville and actually Margate. The Charter trustees is an utter disgrace. Why agree when we dont have town council voice like Broadstairs.. Barry you give money to unworthy causes and dont listen to your constituents. Period. Maybe we turn fanit into a pile of junk… Zone.. No past present or future councilors zone because you love to ruin all our assets and build on green landy.. Labour party what a, farce in Fanit…
Sands heritage.. dreamland
Your leisure… .. Shall I tell you your job…
Refuse
Council tax
Planning
Load of money thrown at… As for zones.. Time we zoned you lot out once and for all. Make decent of the towns n.. Selling the assets .. Fanit
66 responses… Sign of the devil
More police to catch offending motorists might be a help. Some K.C.C. members grants are spent wisely others are not. T.D.C. however have a record of spending tax payers money badly. Like the huge pay off for two of its executives when quite clearly they should have been sacked.
How much has KCC thrown at the Turder Centre & the other ‘arts’ luvvives few here for the last decade plus? Yet Hartsdown Leisure had to beg & wait for over a year for a new roof for the swimming pool to actually benefit the residents & now they can’t find 17k to save lives?
Once again it shows where the priorities lie-vanity projects to boost the fragile/colossal egos of the wealthy minority to do their stick man scribbles & random awful things being piled up in rooms, with zero benefit for the majority who have to go without things that save lives & improve physical & mental. health.
Yet another mad plan, 94% of responders said it was a good idea, 94% of a minuscule number of residents. 20 MPH is excellent around schools at going to and leaving time. But college lane star lane etc just part of badly thought out plan by those who shout the loudest. And for £17,000 you would not get half the road marking or signage needed, a case of slash the budget figure then it may be doable.
The whole point of the 20 is plenty campaign is for communities nationally to put pressure on the Government to grant money to local authorities to fund it. If a local authority like KCC has funds that it is prepared to ring fence for this then fine, but it’s pleading poverty as is TDC.
Why Councillors are jumping on this and in my opinion paying for it themselves with funds that even the Council states doesn’t cover expected services, is in my opinion a political campaign.
This current Government is persuading by default TDC and co to pay for it them/ourselves and benefiting from the scramble to meet local residents need only in this case if it’s less than a 100 people.
As people have stated on here at this time it is a waste of money whilst people are freezing and suffering from malnutrition. No-one will monitor the schemes, we actually need more Policing. It would be would be just as effective to get volunteers, like those who clean the streets, to wear their hi-viz jackets and volunteer as 20mph limit lollipop holders.
I am also horrified at the so called democracy at play here. It is being driven by Labour Party Policy, fine if done properly, but only 60 odd respondents is mind numbingly pathetic and with seven Councillors making a decision 4-3 based on, to be kind, intuition.
If the majority of road users are only doing 25 mph anyway, use y/our money Cllr Barry Lewis to fund the heating in a few more community centres/churches or wherever as a warm bank or equivalent crisis support for constituents. That’s what you do best and has real benefits for people in Thanet.
As for Cllr Harry Scobie, renowned for stating that Madeline Homer was the best CEO TDC has had and supporting his son allegedly to potentially be the future agent for Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate and clearly by all accounts enabling the external candidate chosen by the Labour Party, Polly Billington ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Billington ), former Radio 4 journalist amongst other things, I do not trust a word he says. Not only that but he is so wrong on many counts. So to quote from Kathy Bailes story:
“Cllr Harry Scobie said he would like the scheme backed as it “sets a tone for the rest of Thanet.”
He added: “I think it’s the way forward.”
Well, I can tell him now, whatever tone he thinks he’s setting, it’s one of back room dealing and manipulation of the electorate. His utter laziness and arrogance is unacceptable. Even Will Scobie has been trying to dissuade other local Labour Party Parliamentary hopefuls to make way for the external candidate.
But hey, that’s the way the tone deaf operate.
Do read up on the 20 is Plenty Campaign.
It is admirable in its ambition but not if it means right now frittering away our Council Tax when it is painfully clear that we have other emergency priorities.
https://www.20splenty.org/our_press_releases
Dont know what the problem is—very rare can you travel at more than 20mph due to sheer amount of traffic around the roundabouts near Drapers and Victoria traffic lights, what we need is a new road running from B and Q area through to dane Valley this would alleviate traffic both through St Peters and Victoria lights and of course roundabouts
I’ve often wondered why our speed limits always have to be in multiples of ten MPH. That’s over 16 KPH, far too big a spread! In some locations it would be more appropriate for limits of 25, 35, 45 etc.
This debate is supposed to be about “20’s plenty”. Discussions about Labour parachutists from Hackney are fascinating but nothing to do with this issue. Have a look at the “Home Zones” in the Netherlands to see the huge advantages and popularity of low speed limits. My old Borough of Islington bought in 20 mph for the whole Borough, including the A1 Holloway Road,that resulted in a big drop iñ serious road accidents with hardly any increases in journey times. Evidence rather than prejudice supports Barry Lewis’ campaign. Once implemented, nobody would ever support its repeal!